NewsHeathrow Airport Head Should Be Sacked - WalshIAG chief executive Willie Walsh has called for the head of London Heathrow Airport to be sacked in an extraordinary row over landing charges. Mr Walsh claimed that the airport was "ripping off passengers" through excessive fees for airlines such as IAG's British Airways which he said had to be passed on to passengers. The comments follow Heathrow asking regulator CAA for a rise in charges of 2 percent above the rate of inflation a year from April next year which would add up to GBP£27 (USD$43) on to the price of a ticket.
LinkFive More Arrests In Air France Drugs CaseVenezuela has arrested five more National Guard soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, in connection with the smuggling of 1.3 tonnes of cocaine on an Air France flight from Caracas to Paris, prosecutors in the South American country said on Tuesday. Eight National Guard troops have now been arrested following the September 20 drug haul that was valued at EUR€200 million (USD$270 million). In addition to the lieutenant colonel, two lieutenants and five sergeants are in custody. The Venezuelan attorney general's office said a security guard and baggage handler at Simon Bolivar airport also were arrested.
LinkAirbus Hints At China Plane OrdersAirbus sales chief John Leahy hinted on Tuesday that he could unveil plane orders in China, saying he would make announcements at an air show in Beijing on Wednesday. Leahy told a news conference that the Airbus A330 model was selling well and that he expected "quite a few" more orders by the end of the year. Leahy also said Airbus has a "couple" of A380 superjumbo production slots available for existing customers at the end of 2015. The aircraft would not be available for new customers because of the customisation needed for a new layout of its double-decker cabins.
LinkBombardier readying CSeries for second flight in "coming days" Bombardier says the first CSeries flight test vehicle is preparing to fly “in the coming dayS." The aircraft has not flown in the nearly eight days since completing a highly publicised first flight on 16 September. The flight test team was given time off immediately after the maiden flight was completed, Bombardier says. Meanwhile, the team also has been reviewing 14,000 data points collected during the inaugural 2.5h flight test, Bombardier says.
LinkGE softens statement on water injection for GE9X General Electric has clarified that a water injection system for the GE9X turbofan engine may still be among the options being considered. GE Aviation is still studying the “right technologies” for the GE9X that will power the Boeing 777X. “It is too early to comment on the findings from the trade studies, which are continuing,” GE says. That statement softens the company’s message from 20 September, when the company replied that it had “no plans” to use a water injection system for the GE9X.
LinkVietJet May Order Up To 100 Airbus JetsVietnamese low-cost airline VietJet may place a provisional order for up to 100 Airbus A320-family jets worth USD$10 billion, a source close to the airline said on Tuesday. The deal could involve between 92 and 100 A320 or A321 aircraft and if confirmed, would be signed during a visit to Paris by Vietnam's prime minister this week.
Link ICAO confident that deal on climate change will be reached The ICAO council is confident that an agreement on a global solution to address carbon emissions growth in the aviation industry will be reached at its general assembly these two weeks, hitting back at widespread cynicism that a deal would be forged. The council, made up of 36 states elected by the assembly, must have its decisions approved by a majority of the assembly's members. It will put forth a draft resolution to be voted on at the 38th ICAO general assembly, which opened today in Montreal, outlining steps that member states should take towards the goal of carbon neutral growth in the aviation industry by 2020.
LinkLatest Airbus forecast unmoved on A380 demand Airbus is defiantly maintaining its optimistic 20-year outlook for high-capacity passenger jets despite not having recorded a firm sale of its A380 this year. Its latest global market forecast sees demand for 1,334 aircraft in the category, a marginal increase on its figure last year. Asia-Pacific customers will take 47% of these. “Asia-Pacific’s requirement for the A380 is demonstrated by the region’s growth in middle classes, which is set to quadruple [over 20 years],” says the airframer.
LinkOrbital Sciences’ Cygnus capsule delays dockingOrbital Sciences’ Cygnus space capsule will delay docking with the International Space Station (ISS) for several days because of a data format mismatch. “Cygnus established direct data contact with the ISS and found that some of the data received had values that it did not expect, causing Cygnus to reject the data. This mandated an interruption of the approach sequence,” says Orbital Sciences. The company has developed a software patch that should solve the mismatch, but the scheduled docking has been delayed from 23 September to 28 September to allow for a Soyuz supply capsule to make its routine docking.
LinkXcor completes crucial tests for rocket piston pumpXcor has announced the completion of full-flow tests for its hydrogen piston pump, a primary component of a next generation upper stage engine. The piston pump is designed to replace the system that keeps the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer tanks pressurised. The pump is being designed with United Launch Alliance (ULA), which procures and launches most US government payloads.
LinkVC10 retirement speeds RAF airlift transition The UK Royal Air Force kicked off a trio of air transport type retirements on 20 September, with its last two Vickers VC10 tankers completing their final operational sorties. K3-model tankers ZA147 and ZA150 performed a more than 4h flight from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, including 101 Sqn providing air-to-air refuelling support for Eurofighter Typhoons and Panavia Tornado GR4s over the North Sea.
LinkSouth Korea backs down from F-15 Silent Eagle selectionSouth Korea appears set to re-tender its F-X III requirement for 60 fighter aircraft, after deciding against the selection of the Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle, which had been tipped to win the competition. Although the F-15SE was the only aircraft to come in below the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s (DAPA) budget of won (W) 8.3 trillion ($7.73 billion), concerns about its stealth characteristics have prompted the decision to restart the acquisition process, according to a report by Seoul’s official Yonhap news agency, citing a DAPA statement.
LinkDOT approves deal between Delta, Virgin AtlanticThe U.S. Department of Transportation approved a deal between Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways. The pact will allow the carriers to align fares and schedules for trans-Atlantic flights. Delta acquired a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic earlier this year.
LinkSouthwest Airlines devaluing frequent flier pointsSouthwest Airlines, the largest carrier at Chicago Midway airport, said Monday that it is devaluing its frequent flier points. The airline said Monday it will raise, to 70 from 60, the number of Rapid Rewards frequent flier points needed to book its cheapest nonrefundable “Wanna Get Away” reward flights, starting with bookings made March 31. Anytime and Business Select redemption rates remain the same.
LinkSt. Louis airport to open Budweiser restaurant A Budweiser-themed restaurant and bar is set to open Tuesday at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Eighteen-76 “pays homage” to the history of Budweiser, according to a media advisory for the opening festivities. The restaurant will occupy the former Budweiser Stadium Club, which closed this summer for renovations. The restaurant is in the Terminal 2 concourse, near the E gates.
LinkTSA has $6.8 million contract for liquid scannerGood news for parched fliers who want to bring water on flights: The Transportation Security Administration has a deal with a manufacturer of a scanner that is able to detect hazardous liquids in bottles. The TSA has not said when it will deploy the RespondeR Bottled Liquid Scanner, which draws upon Raman spectroscopy technology to scan liquids.
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