NewsAccidents/Incidents
Fist fights break out at Miami International Airport gate D14
A fistfight involving seven people broke out on Sunday at the departure gate inside Miami International Airport. The fight broke out at the American Airlines terminal.
One man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct by the Miami-Dade police. Police later identified him as 20-year-old Jameel Tremain Decquir. He and the other three people were waiting to board an American flight to Chicago.
LinkCommercial
Bye unveils its eight-seat fully electric plane, the eFlyer 800
Bye Aerospace and Safran jointly announced the development of a fully electric twin-engine eight-seater aircraft, the eFlyer 800. The plane answers “the growing demand for all-electric regional aircraft to significantly reduce operating costs and increase the capacity as well as the performance of the devices,” according to its manufacturers.
LinkAirlines
Delta to equip 300 aircraft with high-speed (Ka-Band) satellite connectivity, powered by Viasat, by the end of 2021
Whether at home, at work, or on the go, the ways we use our personal devices are rapidly evolving. The need for reliable and fast connectivity has never been more important, which is why Delta is outfitting nearly all of its domestic mainline fleet with best-in-class high-speed Wi-Fi by the end of 2022.
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Air Serbia increases frequency of flights to Montenegro, opens charter season with flights to Hurghada
Air Serbia will be increasing its capacities on flights between Serbia and Montenegro, by introducing additional flights and more than 3,000 additional seats to both Tivat and Podgorica, during 1 May and Easter holidays. In May, the Serbian national airline plans to operate 15 flights a week to Podgorica, with two flights each day, except on Friday, when it will be operating three flights to the Montenegrin capital.
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Alaska paints Boeing 737-990 ER N492AS in a new UNCF “racial equality” special livery
We are on a journey to make Alaska Airlines a place where everyone belongs and has opportunity. We also believe education is the key to equity and representation, with the power to transform the lives of young people––opening doors to careers in aviation and beyond. In partnership with UNCF, this special aircraft is a symbol of our commitment to education and advancing racial equity at Alaska Airlines, and we hope it inspires others as well.
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British Airways adds four new short-haul destinations to its network
British Airways has today announced four new short-haul routes to Wroclaw (WRO) and Gdansk (GDN) in Poland, Riga (RIX) in Latvia and Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) in Romania.
The routes add breadth to the airline’s schedule and will operate from the beginning of July, running throughout summer. All flights will be served from Heathrow, with Wroclaw operating twice a week, and Gdansk, Riga and Cluj-Napoca operating three times a week.
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Ryanair launches 160 UK routes for Summer 2022
Ryanair has announced the early release of its Summer 2022 schedule for the UK, which includes over 1,800 departing flights per week across 160 routes to its most popular destinations, with further routes to be announced in the coming months. All routes can be booked as far out as October 2022.
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Reuters: Emirates may need to raise cash if air travel does not pick up
Emirates may need to raise more cash this year, possibly through another equity injection from the Dubai government, if demand for air travel does not pick up soon, its president said on Wednesday.
The state carrier had hoped the global vaccine rollout would renew confidence in air travel but demand remains at very low levels, leaving many airlines to ground planes or fly them near-empty.
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Japan Airlines plans to up stakes in two low-cost carriers
The Tokyo-based air carrier Japan Airlines intends to boost its stake in two low-cost carriers, including Spring Airlines and Jetstar Japan. The airline reportedly plans to invest up to $76,4 million (¥10 billion) into both companies.
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Wizz Air refuses to deal with unions in Italy
While aggressively expanding in Italy, Wizz Air stays determined not to engage with labor unions.
The Hungarian low-cost carrier revealed its plans in a letter to the Italian Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, obtained by Italian media and confirmed by Reuters.
LinkAirports
UK CAA rejects Heathrow’s request for £2.6bn – allows just £300M
The Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom (CAA) announced having implemented a package of new measures on the economic regulation of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL). Taking into account the airport losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the authority decided to accept the airport‘s request and increase its regulatory asset base. However, the CAA agreed to enhance the asset base by only £300 million instead of £2.6 billion as it was requested.
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VINCI Airports introduces sustainable biofuels at Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport
As of 19 April 2021, VINCI Airports has made sustainable biofuels available to Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport (CFE) users, with Michelin Air Services as its first customer. These are provided by Air bp under a fuel contract with VINCI Airports, and are produced from used food oils.
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Phoenix Sky Harbor upgrades digital maps to offer a seamless wayfinding experience
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) has announced that its guests can soon look forward to better wayfinding by being able to navigate the airport with upgraded digital maps featuring real-time point-of-interest data, dynamic terminal directories and intuitive, user-friendly mobile navigation.
LinkMilitary
French special forces helicopter pilots to use augmented reality helmet
NHIndustries, the consortium made up of Airbus, Leonardo Helicopters, and Fokker, chose the TopOwl Digital Display helmet developed by Thales for the special forces version of its NH90 helicopter.
The helmet was developed at the request of the French General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) for the needs of the French special forces. It offers increased situational awareness to the pilot, especially in extreme environmental conditions such as sand, snow, fog, or during the night, “thanks to augmented reality resulting from the synthetic vision of the terrain and information from 2D or 3D sensors and cameras,” as Thales explains.
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India receives first full squadron of Rafale fighter jets
The Squadron 17 “Golden Arrows” of the Indian Air Force received its 18 Dassault Rafale fighter jets.
The last four aircraft were ferried straight from the Dassault assembly line of Merignac, France, with inflight refueling provided by Emirati and French tankers on April 21, 2021. Since their formal indictment on September 10, 2020, the Indian Rafales were delivered to Ambala Air Force Station, a strategic area near the Pakistani border where the Golden Arrows are based.
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Aviation Quote
The airplane has unveiled for us the true face of the earth.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939.
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Editor's Choice
Trivia
General Trivia
1. The greatest number of conventional rotor blades (excluding ducted-fans) on a production helicopter (past or present) is
a. 12.
b. 13.
c. 16.
d. 17.
2. The snowiest city in the United States is
a. Oswego, New York.
b. Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
c. Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
d. Truckee, California.
3. The first operational triplane of World War I was designed by a(n)
a. Dutchman.
b. Englishman.
c. Frenchman.
d. German.
4. True or false; Last summer Gerd Wengler and his wife, Dorothy, flew from Canada to Europe in their conventional Cessna 182 in six hours. They could have made the nonstop flight in less time, but they had a headwind most of the way.
5. True or false; Kahului Airport in Maui is known for its persistent crosswinds. Its three-letter identifier, OGG, stands for ogagakulamui, which means “windy place.”
6. True or false; Despite the chrome, galloping-horse logo emblazoned on the Ford Mustang, this popular automobile was named after the North American P–51 Mustang.
