NewsNTSB: Nose gear penetrated Southwest 737 electronics bay The nose landing gear of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 collapsed up and into the forward fuselage during a 22 July accident on landing at LaGuardia Airport, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says. The agency's first statement from the scene of the crash of Flight 345 also notes that the collapsed gear damaged the electrical equipment bay located beneath the flight deck.
LinkAmerican takes delivery of first A319 American Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A319 today, its first type from the European airframer in four years. The 128-seat narrowbody marks the beginning of deliveries of the Fort Worth-based airline's firm order for 260 Airbus A320 family narrowbodies that was announced in July 2011. The order is split between 130 A319 and A321s, and 130 A320neo family aircraft. Airbus formally handed over the aircraft, registration N8001N, to American during a ceremony with executives from both companies at the OEM's Hamburg assembly line.
LinkBoeing locks in 737 Max 8 configuration Boeing has locked in the final design of the 737 Max 8 and started a three-year countdown for development and manufacturing of the re-engined single-aisle. Completing the firm configuration of the first variant of the Max family freezes the overall specifications and allows suppliers to begin detailed design of the individual parts and systems, such as the new dual-feather winglet and relofted tail cone. Final assembly of the first flight test aircraft is scheduled to begin in 2015. A one-year flight test phases begins in 2016, with first delivery to launch customer Southwest Airlines in the third quarter of 2017.
LinkSriLankan firms A350 order SriLankan Airlines has firmed its tentative order for four Airbus A350-900s, a deal which had been disclosed at the Paris air show. The order is part of a deal covering 13 aircraft. SriLankan had already ordered six A330-300s on 19 June. Airbus says it has since firmed an agreement for four A350s - bringing to 35 the number of customers for the twinjet type.
LinkRyanair Will Not Block Rival Aer Lingus BidRyanair said it was prepared to sell its stake in rival Aer Lingus in a bid to appease a UK anti-competition probe, a move analysts said was an apparent gambit to avoid a forced sell-down. Europe's biggest budget airline said in a statement it would unconditionally sell its 29 percent shareholding to an EU airline that makes an offer to buy out Aer Lingus. It described the move as a remedy to appease the UK Competition Commission, which said in June the stake could obstruct Aer Lingus from merging to stay competitive.
LinkA330 Voyager nears tanker milestone with Typhoon The UK Royal Air Force is close to securing full release to service (RTS) clearance for its Airbus A330 Voyagers to provide in-flight refuelling for its Eurofighter Typhoons, with the combination already working together under a temporary exemption. Although the full RTS milestone has yet to be achieved, Wg Cdr Rich Wells, officer commanding the RAF's Typhoon-equipped 11 Sqn, says: "The whole squadron has been through tanking now." Based at Coningsby in Lincolnshire and one of four UK frontline units flying the Typhoon from the base and RAF Leuchars in Scotland, its duties include flying quick reaction alert sorties, which ordinarily rely on air-to-air refuelling support.
LinkUnited on-time performance continues to improve United Airlines' on-time performance continues to improve, including at its hub in Cleveland. Flights arriving and departing from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport had boasted some of their best on-time performance among United's eight hubs.
LinkSouthwest plane lands safely after issue with landing gear, LGA fully reopens A Boeing 737-700 flown by Southwest Airlines landed safely at LaGuardia Airport in New York after experiencing a landing gear issue. The flight from Nashville, Tenn., had 150 people on board. New York's LaGuardia airport has since fully reopened.
LinkColumn: Airline stocks could become more attractive Airline consolidation may help keep carriers become a more attractive investment, writes columnist Randy Warren. "Today is the best chance the airline industry has had in a long time to turn perception around and become an appealing investment," he writes.
LinkDOT IG cites ongoing challenges with NextGen implementation When testifying before the House Aviation Subcommittee on July 17, Calvin Scovel, the Department of Transportation’s inspector general, said the Federal Aviation Administration is not achieving its NextGen goals as the effort lacks an "executable" plan because of shifting requirements, unresolved issues with design, frequent changes in leadership and vague pledges of benefits. NextGen was launched 10 years ago to modernize the efficiency of the air-traffic control system.
LinkSouthwest, American offer diverse in-flight entertainment choices for passengers Southwest Airlines and American Airlines offer two different approaches to in-flight entertainment options for passengers. Southwest provides the programming and passengers provide their own tablets or devices, while American provides seatback video screens
LinkARC: Transactions by travel agents drop for 1st half of 2013 Transactions for airline tickets by travel agents dropped 1.2% in the first six months of the year on a year-over-year basis, according to ARC. Chuck Thackston, managing director of data and analytics for ARC, said that cash sales increased 1.2% for the first half of the year. "That, actually, has been in the past a good leading indicator of consumer confidence," Thackston said.
LinkOrlando airport welcomed more international passengers in MayOrlando International Airport in Florida welcomed 3 million passengers in May, with international traffic rising 2.2% on a year-over-year basis.
LinkIcon makes flying safer, more fun with new AoA indicator Icon Aircraft has developed an angle of attack indicator for its A5 amphibious airplane that it hopes will make flying safer. The AoA indicator shows the airplane's wing position relative to the oncoming airflow, so that a pilot can know when a wing will no longer have sufficient lift to maintain flight. "Icon’s AoA gauge will make flying safer and more intuitive -- and that in turn makes it much more fun," said Icon founder and CEO Kirk Hawkins.
LinkIHST recommends regular autorotation training The International Helicopter Safety Team recommends that pilots regularly practice autorotations, preferably in an off-airport practice field. Several pilot errors have been identified by the IHST including not maintaining a steady attitude and being more focused on the emergency checklist than on the actual flying of the helicopter.
LinkContinental Motors acquires Thielert Aircraft Engines Continental Motors is set to become the volume leader in diesel aircraft engine manufacturing after purchasing the assets of bankrupt Thielert Aircraft Engines. The management of Thielert will be integrated into the company's Mobile, Ala., headquarters but the diesel manufacturing will remain in Lichtenstein. Continental is also increasing production of its own diesel engine.
LinkFemale Afghan pilot completes first combat mission Second Lt. Niloofar Rhmani was the first female to become an Afghan Air Force pilot. On Thursday, she completed her first combat mission, transporting Ministry of Defense officials from Kabul International Airport to Kandahar as part of a government outreach operation. "Before, there were no female Afghan pilots," said Rhmani. "I'm trying to change the old culture for my people and stand up for my people."
LinkAriz. students get training at Boeing summer camp Junior high students are getting the chance to train on simulators thanks to a a partnership between Boeing and Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. Participants in the summer aviation camp also study aviation history and physics, and they build model aircraft. Boeing has contributed some $135,000 annually to the school district to promote science, technology and aviation since 1988
LinkColumn: TSA should refine behavior-detection program Successful behavior-detection programs have been implemented for many years in Israel. In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration's program has been subject to widespread criticism for its ineffectiveness. The program should be revised and improved, not eliminated, writes retired Marine Lt. Col. James Zumwalt. "Understanding and correctly identifying behavioral concerns is key to successful and efficient aviation security," says Zumwalt.
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