NewsCommercial
Airbus In Final Stages Of A320neo Ground Tests
Airbus is conducting the final stage of ground trials as it moves towards the first flight of its updated A320neo. The first test aircraft is on the "final run-in" towards its first flight, a spokesman said, but added it was too early to predict an exact date. Airbus is sticking to its target for a first flight in the third quarter, or by the end of September, the spokesman said. First flights need good weather and are usually announced just a few days before they are expected to happen. Industry sources have said the flight was tentatively planned in early September, but had to be pushed back because of a problem with engine testing, raising some concerns that the flight could slip to October.
LinkAirlines
Air France Cancels 60 Pct Of Flights As Strike Continues
The pilot strike at Air France has entered its second day with the two sides apparently no closer to resolving a dispute over cost cuts that has forced the carrier to cancel 60 percent of flights. The airline said it expected to operate "at least 40 percent of its flights" on Wednesday, based on three fifths of pilots walking out, as management prepared to hold further talks with unions on Tuesday. The pilots are carrying out a week-long strike over Air France's plans to expand the low-cost operations of its Transavia unit by setting up foreign bases to fight fierce competition from European low-cost airlines.
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American, US Airways align codes for fare classes
On Saturday, American Airlines and US Airways aligned fare class codes as part of their ongoing merger integration. The change applies to flights that depart on Sept. 17 or later. US Airways is changing to 12 fare classes instead of 15
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Austrian Flights Cancelled As Workers Meet
Austrian Airlines cancelled 15 flights on Wednesday due to a meeting of staff called by its works council to inform them about the status of a dispute after workers won a court victory last week. "We have removed 15 flights from the schedule and some flights will be delayed," an airline spokesman said. "The works council has said it wants only to convey information, that this is not a protest, so we assume we will be able to resume flying our normal schedule after the midday wave," he added.
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Delta expected to place large aircraft order soon
A big order from Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is expected to be announced in the fourth quarter, the airline said. Delta has requested proposals from both Boeing and Airbus, and the airline currently has large fleets from both companies. There was some expectation during the spring, that the deal would be announced as early as September. Aviation industry analyst Scott Hamilton with Leeham and Co. says he expects the announcement to come in November or December. The order is expected to be for 50 jets.
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Republic to take 50 E-175s as Q400s head for Flybe
UK regional carrier Flybe is cancelling orders for 20 Embraer 175s in favour of a lease agreement to take 24 Bombardier Q400s from US operator Republic Airways, which is to purchase 50 E-175s to operate for United Airlines. The arrangement is part of a multi-party fleet deal after Republic amended its Shuttle America capacity-purchase agreement with United. Republic will add 50 Embraer 175s, with 76-seat capacity, under the revised United agreement, and has agreed a purchase with the Brazilian airframer. It will also extend the terms of its 38 Embraer 170s to dates between September 2019 and December 2022.
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Qatar receives first A380, hints at further orders
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker has hinted at further A380 orders after taking delivery of his first superjumbo at Airbus's Hamburg plant on 16 September. Qatar - the only airline to operate all of Airbus's widebody types - has 10 A380s on order, plus three options. Al Baker said a decision would be taken soon on whether to confirm the options and possibly commit to more. "Once delivered, we will see its performance and, if it exceeds our expectations, we will firm up the three airplanes and maybe take some more," he said at a press conference ahead of the delivery ceremony.
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Southwest CFO: Demand remains strong for flights
Tammy Romo, the chief financial officer for Southwest Airlines, said the carrier is seeing solid bookings. "So we feel really good about our business trends, are strong really throughout the system, and we're seeing strength in both our corporate and our leisure trends," she said.
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Southwest repaints a 737 with new livery
After watching this video my first thought was, “holy cow that is a lot of blue.” When I first saw the leaked photos of the new Southwest Airlines’ livery I was not a fan. After seeing full photos of the new livery, it has started to grow on me, but I wouldn’t say that I am excited about it. If Southwest wanted to keep their full low-fare personality, I think I could get behind the new livery a bit more. But with going after more business travelers, the design says more “party,” than “all business.” Although I do have to say that I am quite fond of their new heart logo — one might even say that I LUV it (it seems like Southwest is a fan too).
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Spirit shows off new livery
Florida-based Spirit Airlines has unveiled a new livery, becoming the third US carrier in recent weeks to debut a new look on its aircraft. The low-cost carrier’s new Airbus narrowbodies will be painted in a bright yellow colour, with the airline’s name in black, shows photos published by USA Today. The newspaper says the carrier will have six aircraft with the new livery by end-2014, while in-service aircraft will receive the new livery as and when they are scheduled to be repainted.
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United partnership to fund Newark airport renovation
Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport will undergo a $120 million renovation through a partnership between United Airlines and OTG Management. The 18-month renovation will include new retail and dining options for passengers, as well as technology upgrades including iPad 6,000 tablets available for public use.
LinkMilitary
KC-46 first flight delayed to April 2015
First flight of the US Air Force’s KC-46 aerial refueling tanker has been delayed by several months to April 2015 amid issues relating to redundant wiring in the modified Boeing 767’s forward hold. Maj Gen John Thompson says rewiring the first four test aircraft and reaching first flight within the next six months is critical to reaching a milestone C decision to move into low rate initial production (LRIP) on time. The contractual date for Boeing to deliver the first 18 KC-46s is set for August 2017. Boeing earlier this year alerted the air force to “anomalies” in the aircraft’s wiring, which is required to be triple redundant to meet military and US Federal Aviation Administration specifications.
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Brazil seeks three more Black Hawk helicopters
The US State Department has approved the possible sale to Brazil of three Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and associated equipment in a deal worth an estimated $145 million. To be acquired via the Foreign Military Sales mechanism, the rotorcraft will be used for search and rescue and internal security missions. The contract includes eight General Electric T700 engines, M-134 machine guns and GPS systems.
LinkSpace
Boeing, SpaceX win NASA contracts for ISS space taxi
NASA has tapped Boeing’s CST-100 and SpaceX’s Falcon9/Crew Dragon spacecraft for transporting crews to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2017. Boeing will receive a fixed price contract of $4.2 billion and SpaceX $2.6 billion, which will cover a test programme that includes a single crewed flight test per company with at least one astronaut aboard, says NASA. The missions will be used to verify the modules’ ability to launch, manoeuvre in orbit, and dock with the ISS. “These Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts are designed to complete the NASA certification for human space transportation systems capable of carrying people into orbit,” says NASA.
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Aviation Quote
The game we are playing her is closest to the old game of 'Christians and lions.'
— Robert L. Crandall, CEO & President of American Airlines.
[i]On This Date
---In 1908... The 1st fatality in a powered airplane occurs when Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge is killed while flying with Orville Wright at Fort Meyer, Virginia.
---In 1946…Scandinavian Air System (SAS) commences flight operations.
---In 1947…The United States Army Air Forces are separated from the United States Army and become an independent armed service, the United States Air Force.
---In 1959... The North American X-15 rocket plane makes its 1st powered flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
---In 1960…East African Airways launches jet service between Nairobi and London.
---In 1976…NASA unveils the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the first space shuttle orbiter. Though not constructed to enter space (it was not built with engines or a proper heat shield), it was used for approach and landing tests Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. The Enterprise currently resides as a museum piece at the Steve F. Udvar-Hazy Museum outside Dulles International Airport.
---In 1993…The F/A-18 Hornet logs its 2 millionth flying hour - achieved in only ten years of operations.
---In 2013…The first flight of the Boeing 787-9 from Paine Field, in Washington. The flight lasted five hours and fifteen minutes and landed at Boeing Field.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Proper Use of the F___ Word
We all know that it isn't polite to use the F-word. However, there have been ten times in history where the "F" word has been acceptable for use:
10. "What the f___ was that?" - Mayor Of Hiroshima, 1945
9. "Look at all them f___ing Indians!" - Custer, 1877
8. "Any f___ing idiot could understand that." - Einstein, 1938
7. "It does so f___ing look like her!" - Picasso, 1926
6. "How the f___ did you work that out?" - Pythagoras, 126 BC
5. "You want WHAT on the f___ing ceiling?" - Michelangelo, 1566
4. "Where the f___ are we?" - Amelia Earhart, 1937
3. "Scattered f___ing showers....My ass!" - Noah, 4314 BC
2. "Aw c'mon. Who the f___'s going to find out?"- Bill Clinton, 1999
And Number 1 . . . drum roll please . . . .
1. "Geez, I didn't think they'd get this f___ing mad." -Saddam Hussein, 2003
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miamiair wrote:---In 1976…NASA unveils the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the first space shuttle orbiter. Though not constructed to enter space (it was not built with engines or a proper heat shield), it was used for approach and landing tests Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. The Enterprise currently resides as a museum piece at the Steve F. Udvar-Hazy Museum outside Dulles International Airport.
