NewsCommercial
End Of An Era: Airbus Begins Testing Its Last Ever A380
Airbus has been slowly bringing production of the A380 to a close. Today, things got one step closer as the manufacturer’s last A380 began its engine run and taxi tests, the last time this will ever happen for the Giant of the Skies.
Link
Rolls-Royce Sees Hope In The Future Despite Record Loss
UK-based engine maker Rolls-Royce has released its financial results for 2020, posting a significant loss of more than $5 billion. Despite plummeting profits as large aircraft remain grounded, the manufacturer is keenly looking ahead to a better future, and believes it has done enough to ride out COVID for as long as it takes.
LinkAirlines
Etihad's CEO Casts Doubts On Airbus A380s Return
Tony Douglas, CEO of the Etihad Group, has cast doubt over whether the Airbus A380 will return to the skies for the Aub Dhabi-based carrier. The airline’s fleet has spent the past year grounded due to the pandemic.
Link
Exclusive: airBaltic CEO On Mandatory Airline Employee Vaccinations
Exclusive: airBaltic’s CEO, Martin Gauss, today revealed his thoughts on mandatory vaccinations for airline employees. While some airline CEOs have suggested that vaccinations should be required, Gauss does not share this view.
Link
US Airlines Cancel Furlough Notices Thanks To Government Aid
United Airlines and American Airlines have confirmed in statements that the new government aid package would prevent the need to furlough staff in April. The US government passed a COVID-19 relief package which grants a further $14 billion to support major US airlines. Previous government loans which protected jobs were set to expire on March 31st.
Link
Summer Of Short Haul – TUI UK Focuses Widebodies On European Routes
TUI UK plans a record summer for widebody operations across Europe, with 48 routes and over 1.4 million seats scheduled. While Manchester will be king, Birmingham will be second and will have nine routes. Widebody seats to Spain, Turkey, and Cyprus are up strongly, with Manchester-Dalaman TUI’s top widebody route.
Link
Qatar Airways Becomes 1st Middle East Airline To Launch IATA Health Passport
Qatar Airways has announced its partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on the IATA Travel Pass, becoming the first airline in the Middle East to launch the new health passport. The Travel Pass will be introduced on the airline’s busy Doha-Istanbul route starting from March 11th, offering “a more safe, secure and contactless experience for travelers.”
Link
Inside JetBlue's New Airbus A321neo - A Guided Tour
It’s been a month since JetBlue revealed the refresh of its Mint cabin to the world, set to debut on the A321neo. Less than a fortnight ago, the first A321neo arrived with the airline with the new product onboard. Simple Flying visited JetBlue’s home in New York to check it out for real and see just what’s coming to the transatlantic market later this year.
Link
Many Air France Domestic Flights Will Be Replaced By Trains
Air France will significantly scale back its domestic network in a bid to cut costs and reach environmental goals required by its bailout deal. The changes will mean that the airline’s domestic network out of Paris Orly Airport will shrink drastically, with routes to cities like Lyon and Bourdeaux canceled and replaced by train services. Here’s more on these changes.
LinkAirports
ACI World survey finds increase in airport technology investments
Airports Council International (ACI) World has issued a new report revealing that airports have accelerated investments in technology to aid in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Link
All three City of Phoenix airports recognised with GBAC STAR accreditation
The City of Phoenix Aviation Department has announced that it has been recognised in the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation Program. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT) and Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR) have all received the accreditation.
Link
Aviation Quote
Now, there are two ways of learning to ride a fractious horse: one is to get on him and learn by actual practice how each motion and trick may be best met; the other is to sit on a fence and watch the beast a while and then retire to the house and at leisure figure out the best way of overcoming his jumps and kicks. The latter system is the safer, but the former, on the whole, turns out the larger proportion of good riders. It is very much the same thing in learning to ride a flying machine.
- Wilbur Wright, from an address to the Western Society of Engineers, Chicago, 18 September 1901.
Daily Video
Editor's Choice
Trivia
General Trivia
1. What was the largest, heaviest and most powerful American Production fighter of WW2?
2. Five American Aircraft Carriers have been converted into floating museums. What are their names and where are they located?
3. Which of the following is not true?
A) The 172 was Cessna's first production airplane to be equipped with a tricycle landing gear.
B) The Hawker Siddeley Trident was the first production airplane with an autoland system.
C) On early models of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the tail gunner could bail out of the aircraft by jettisoning the entire turret.
D) The pilot of the An-2 Colt, can use an on-board compressorto vary the air pressure in the oleo struts to suit the type of surface on which he/she intends to land.
4. Why does moving the center of gravity forward make an airplane more stable in the pitch and yaw axis?
5. During W2, Germany launched V-1 buzz bombs from northern France towards London. These pilotless aircraft incorporated an autopilot to keep the airplane pointed in the target's direction. Without a navigation system, how did the bomb "know" when they were over the target?
