NewsNational Air Cargo confirms 747-400 crash in Afghanistan US military charter airline National Air Cargo has confirmed that a Boeing 747-400 freighter crashed shortly after take-off today at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. News reports indicate the eight-member crew died in the crash, but National Air Cargo officials were unable to confirm the status of the crew. The airline intends to release more information about the crash later today. The 747-400, registration N949CA, was owned by Wells Fargo Bank, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.
LinkAvHerald LinkUnited orders 30 E-175s United Airlines has ordered 30 Embraer 175s with options for up to 40 more of the type with deliveries from 2014. The aircraft will be configured with 76 seats and will replace older 50-seat regional jets in the Chicago-based carrier's regional fleet. An operator will be announced later. "At United, we are focused on modernising our fleet, and we look forward to introducing the E-175 to our United Express service," says Jim Compton, vice-chairman and chief revenue officer at United, in a statement. "Compared to the 50-seat aircraft we are replacing, these aircraft provide a superior customer experience and are more fuel efficient."
LinkLATAM Airlines Expects 787 Flights From JuneLATAM Airlines expects to be operating its Boeing 787 Dreamliners again in June, the company said on Monday. The US Federal Aviation Administration gave formal approval last week for a new lithium-ion battery system for the 787, ending a three-month ban and clearing airlines to fly the plane with passengers again.
LinkJet Air Shareholder To Sell Shares To Meet RulesA founder group company of India's Jet Airways will sell shares to funds and other investors to comply with a rule that requires companies to have a minimum 25 percent public shareholding, the carrier said on Monday. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways last week agreed to acquire a 24 percent stake in India's number one carrier Jet, giving it a bigger foothold in the fast-growing aviation market.
LinkNepal Airlines Signs Airbus A320 DealNepal Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to buy two Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal that would be worth around USD$180 million at list prices. "Adding the A320 to our fleet, will help us to capitalize on tourism growth and to enhance our network," said Madan Kharel, Managing Director, Nepal Airlines.
LinkSpaceShipTwo ignites engine in-flight Virgin Galactic has conducted the first powered flight of SpaceShipTwo, the crewed suborbital vehicle set to become the first capable of routine commercial space tourism. The flight, which included a 16s engine burn, has been eagerly anticipated since installation of the Sierra Nevada-built engine, installed incrementally in late 2012 and early 2013. The spacecraft reportedly exceeded the speed of sound. It was transported to altitude by WhiteKnightTwo, its dedicated carrier aircraft, lifting off from Mojave Airport, California. The hybrid-fueled rocket engine, built by Sierra Nevada, is powered by liquid nitrous-oxide and solid hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene. Though the engine has been tested many times before in a test stand, today's flight marks the first airborne ignition.
LinkBoeing, FAA say 787s in no catastrophic danger from battery overheating Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration have concluded that a flying 787 was in no danger of a catastrophic fire in January despite an overheating main battery that prompted the flightcrew to perform an emergency landing. FAA air transport certification manager Ali Bahrami and Boeing vice-president and 787 chief project engineer Michael Sinnett agreed at a 23 April fact-finding hearing that the All Nippon Airways flight was never at risk of greater damage following the battery malfunction. It appears that the aircraft was not put in any danger," Bahrami told the hearing hosted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Sinnett was then asked by an NTSB official if that was his position as well. "Yes," he replied, "it is."
LinkAll Nippon Airways schedules second 787 proving flight All Nippon Airways (ANA) has scheduled a second proving flight for its 787s for 1 May, after the first took place on 28 April without any incident, more than three months after the aircraft type was grounded. The aircraft, with registration JA810A, took off from Tokyo's Haneda airport at 08:59 local time on 28 April, with ANA president Shinichiro Ito and Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Ray Conner on board. It returned to the airport at 10:54 local time without any incident. ANA says two aircraft from its fleet of 17 787s have since been modified. These include replacing batteries and chargers with modified components and the installation of new containment and venting systems for the main and auxiliary lithium-ion batteries.
LinkBeechcraft MC-12 crashes in Afghanistan, killing four A US Air Force Beechcraft MC-12 Liberty has crashed in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, killing its four crewmembers. Details in the 27 April crash are scarce, but the Air Force has released the names of the two pilots and two cryptology personnel aboard. The crash occurred in Zabul Province, roughly 95.6nm (177km) northeast of its base at Kandahar Air Field. The MC-12, a modified Beechcraft King Air 350, is packed with signals intelligence gear and cameras and is used for surveillance.
LinkUK-modified Voyager tanker handed over The UK's fourth Airbus A330 Voyager touched down at the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton air base in Oxfordshire on 26 April, with the tanker/transport the first of only two to have undergone conversion in the UK. Placed on the military register as ZZ332, the Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60-powered aircraft is one of seven Voyagers to be handed over suitable for use as a three-point tanker: a configuration which includes under-wing hose and drogue refuelling pods and a fuselage refuelling unit. It was adapted for the RAF by Cobham Aviation Services in Bournemouth, Dorset.
LinkUnited Airlines is back to basics, CEO saysJeff Smisek, the CEO of United Airlines, said the carrier is improving its operations. "We've gotten back to focusing on the basics," Smisek said. United is training airport workers and flight attendants in customer service, including workers of regional airlines that fly for United.
LinkAmerican gives employees a peek at Boeing 777-300ERAmerican Airlines invited employees for a tour and flight aboard its Boeing 777-300ER. "This is an incredible experience," said Phil Welch, who works in accounts payable. "It's much better than anything I've been on before."
LinkBoeing 787 battery system ensures safety, engineer saysMike Sinnett, the chief engineer for Boeing, said the battery fix for the 787 will ensure that "no matter what happens to the battery, regardless of root cause, the airplane is safe." The upgrade encases the battery to prevent heat from escaping into the aircraft, Sinnett said.
LinkSouthwest matches schedule to demand at Philadelphia airportSouthwest Airlines is matching its schedule to demand at the Philadelphia airport. "We want to put our planes where they are going to be the most profitable, and where our customers will choose to fly us," said Southwest spokeswoman Katie Coldwell.
LinkCustomers win as FAA ends ATC furloughsThe Federal Aviation Administration announced on Saturday that the agency ended furloughs of air traffic controllers after Congress approved a bill to allow the FAA to shift funding within its budget. Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, said in a statement: "This measure ensures that air-traffic controllers can return to work, and importantly return efficiency to the national air space." On Sunday, flight delays and cancellations returned to pre-furlough levels, according to FlightStats.
LinkHow airlines recycle materials into goodsAirlines recycle used textiles and other materials in creative ways. In the U.S., Tierra Ideas recycles Delta Air Lines curtains and seat covers into bags and wallets, while Desso Aviation weaves KLM's old uniforms into new carpet for the carrier and Finnair donates used airline seats to emergency vehicles for the Finnish Red Cross.
LinkMemorial Day airfares dip 2% from 2012, Travelocity saysAirfares for Memorial Day weekend are slightly lower this year compared with 2012, according to a fare analysis by Travelocity. The average price for a round-trip domestic ticket over the holiday weekend was $341, a 2% drop from the average price last year.
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