NewsAccidents/Incidents
Multiple tire blowouts on landing of LATAM Chile Boeing 787-9
A LATAM Chile Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner sustained multiple tire blowouts following a heavy landing at Santiago de Chile International Airport.
The Boeing 787-9, with registration CC-BGP, was operating flight LA-509 from Miami International Airport to Santiago-Arturo Merino Benitez Airport with 74 people, including 11 crew members on board.
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Female passenger caught with 8 kgs of heroin at Airport
A Zambian lady was intercepted by detectives from the Department of Revenue Intelligence, Hyderabad Unit, after receiving hints that she was smuggling drugs.
She was caught with around 8 kgs of heroin worth approximately Rs 53 crore at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on June 6. She was arrested and booked under the provisions of the NDPS Act 1985.
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Passengers seriously injured as turbulence hits Vistara flight
Eight passengers sustained injuries due to severe turbulence on the Vistara flight from Mumbai (BOM) to Kolkata (CCU).
The incident happened on June 7, 2021, 15 minutes before the scheduled landing at CCU at 4:28 pm local time.
Boeing 373-800 of Vistara flight UK775 carried 113 passengers. Most of them survived the incident unscaved.
LinkAirlines
Etihad Airways welcomes Americans for quarantine-free travel to the UAE
Etihad Airways is welcoming the return of American travelers to Abu Dhabi following the addition of the United States to the UAE’s Green List, allowing leisure and business travelers from the US to visit the capital of the United Arab Emirates without having to quarantine.
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Transatlantic airlines CEOs assemble and call for the re-opening of transatlantic travel
The CEOs of all airlines that offer UK-US passenger services – American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic joined on June 7 with Heathrow Airport and other industry-leading CEOs in calling for the re-opening of transatlantic travel, a move that will be essential to igniting economic recovery.
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Qatar Airways reportedly halts Airbus A350 deliveries
Doha-based Qatar Airways is reportedly halting Airbus A350 deliveries because the surface below the paint on certain A350s was degrading “at an accelerated rate”. The airline has also reportedly grounded some of its A350s until the quality issue is resolved.
"Qatar Airways continues to experience and has witnessed a condition in which the surface below the paint on some of its Airbus A350 aircraft has been degrading at an accelerated rate," a Qatar Airways spokesperson told Reuters on June 8, 2021, adding that the airline has grounded some of its Airbus A350s until the issue was resolved.
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Southwest Airlines orders 34 additional Boeing 737 MAX
On June 8, 2021, Southwest Airlines (LUV) announced that it would order 34 additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
“Based on improving revenue trends and ongoing fleet modernization plans, the Company recently entered into a Supplemental Agreement with Boeing to increase its 2022 firm orders by 34 Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft (consisting of two 2022 options exercised and 32 options accelerated and exercised from later years), resulting in 234 firm orders for MAX 7 aircraft,” read the airline’s statement.
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World2Fly takes delivery of its first A350-900 prior to summer launch
Transatlantic leisure startup carrier World2Fly took delivery of its first two Airbus A350-900s from US-based leasing company Air Lease Corporation (ALC).
The new A350-900s, delivered on June 7, 2021, join the carrier’s fleet currently consisting of one A330-300.
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Cathay Pacific gets drawdown extension of $1bn loan facility
On June 8, 2021, Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific announced that the Hong Kong government agreed to extend a drawdown period of the HK$7.8 billion ($1 billion) loan facility until June 8, 2022, giving the airline more time to deal with liquidity.
The loan facility was granted to Cathay Pacific as part of the HK$39 billion ($5 billion) recapitalization announced on June 9, 2020. The move came to support the air carrier in tackling the cost problems brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Flybe’s operating license revoked, averting slot transfer to new owner
The UK Civil Aviation Authority revoked Flybe’s operating license on June 3, 2021, after an intervention of UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The ruling, in turn, halts the carrier’s new owner Flybe Limited – formerly named Thyme Opco – from regaining access to a number of Heathrow slots owned by Flybe.
Following the collapse of British regional airline Flybe and its entry into administration in March 2020, the carrier was acquired by Thyme Opco, now known as Flybe Limited, and affiliated to hedge fund manager Lucien Farrell of Cyrus Capital.
LinkAirports
All ACI member airports commit to reach net zero emissions by 2050
Airports Council International (ACI) World and the five ACI regions – ACI Africa, ACI Asia-Pacific, ACI Europe, ACI Latin America & Caribbean and ACI North America – in collaboration with members, have created a long-term carbon goal for their member airports: “ACI member airports at a global level commit to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and urge governments to provide the necessary support in this endeavor.”
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Latest images show that Portland’s new terminal will be green and impressive
Design firm ZGF Architects has released some more design images of the planned new $1.5 billion terminal at Portland International Airport.
Building on a long history of work at Portland International Airport (PDX), ZGF is designing a new main terminal that will double the existing footprint and create capacity for 35 million passengers by 2045 – all while celebrating the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
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Munich Airport to resume operations in Terminal 1 this summer
Munich Airport will resume operations in Terminal 1 this summer in anticipation of rising passenger numbers.
Like many airports around the world, the airport decided to close the terminal to traffic to concentrate operations in Terminal 2 to make best use of its resources and save money.
LinkMilitary/Space
Putin formalizes Russia’s withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty
The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed the bill formalizing Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty. The treaty allows mutual aerial monitoring of military movements and strategic installations of the signatory countries.
Submitted by Putin on May 11, 2021, the bill was successively approved by the two houses of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, and the Federation Council.
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Japan purchases Boeing KC-46 spare parts at 15 times higher price
The Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer Boeing reportedly charged the government of Japan as much as 15 times higher price for some spare parts for its refueling tanker aircraft in comparison to the price the U.S. Air Force (USAF) used to pay.
According to the USAF service assessment seen by Bloomberg, following the contract between Boeing and Japan, the Japanese government paid $79 million for navigation lights produced by Boeing‘s subcontractor Honeywell. Under the agreement which was signed in April 2021, the navigation lights for the Japanese Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tanker were reportedly sold at a 1,500% higher price than the Air force had previously paid for it.
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Dassault Rafale in good position to win Switzerland tender?
As the decision on the next fighter jet to fly with the colors of the Swiss Air Force is about to be made, local media reports that the scales might be tilted in favor of the Dassault Rafale.
The Air 2030 tender was launched in 2020 following the positive outcome of a referendum on whether Switzerland should acquire or not new fighter jets. 50.1% of voters have voted “yes” to the procurement of new aircraft for the Swiss Air Force.
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Airbus prepares ESM-2 for its manned mission to the moon
Airbus announced the second European Service Module ESM-2 flight model was well into the integration test phase, as the European planemaker prepares it for its manned mission to the moon.
Airbus has already completed the ESM-2 gimbal system testing of the flight module’s main engine, which “swivels from side to side for maneuvering and directional control during spaceflight”.
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Aviation Quote
One can get a proper insight into the practice of flying only by actual flying experiments… . The manner in which we have to meet the irregularities of the wind, when soaring in the air, can only be learnt by being in the air itself… . The only way which leads us to a quick development in human flight is a systematic and energetic practice in actual flying experiments.
- Otto Lilienthal, 1896.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What was the longest-duration passenger flight ever made by an airline using an airplane powered by reciprocating engines?
1. 23 hours 19 minutes
2. 20 hours 19 minutes
3. 17 hours 19 minutes
4. 14 hours 19 minutes
2. Which of the following was the only operational Century-series fighter not deployed over Vietnam?
5. Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
6. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
7. Convair F-106 Delta Dart
8. McDonnell F-110 Spectre
3. Multiengine pilots know that it can take substantial rudder-pedal force to arrest the yaw created by a failed engine when operating at minimum-controllable airspeed (VMC). The maximum force allowed by aircraft certification regulation Part 23.149 is
9. 75 pounds.
10. 100 pounds.
11. 150 pounds.
12. 200 pounds.
4. True or false; For instrument-rated pilots: A pilot is cleared to “cruise at 9,000 feet,” for example. This means that the pilot is cleared to execute the instrument approach at his destination airport.
5. True or false; The Beech King Air was the first civilian turboprop airplane produced in the United States.
6. True or false; American pilots know that when two airplanes are on converging courses, the airplane on the others right has right-of-way. In England (and a few other countries), however, the airplane on the others left has right-of-way.
Boeing 373-800 of Vistara flight UK775
