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Airbus sets two-week timeline for first A320neo delivery
The first Airbus A320neo will be delivered to Lufthansa within two weeks, by the end of January, according to Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier. Speaking at the manufacturer’s annual press conference in Paris, Brégier identified the first A320neo delivery as a top priority for Airbus: “We expected delivery of the first aircraft by the end of year [2015]. This has been a bit postponed, but it will be delivered in January, in the coming two weeks.”
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Boeing, Engineers Reach Tentative Contract Deal
Boeing and its engineering union have reached a tentative agreement to extend the contracts of more than 20,000 workers. The union said workers would soon receive ballots to vote on the six-year extensions for engineers and technical workers.
LinkAirlines
Fastjet adds Kenya; seeks new CEO
Fastjet CEO Ed Winter has decided to step down, just days after fastjet Tanzania launched its long-awaited services to Kenya. In a stock market disclosure, released Jan. 13, Winter said he is leaving fastjet after “four intensive years of work and overseas travel” to focus on his other personal and professional interests.
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Hawaiian Airlines’ IAM workers ratify labor agreements
Hawaiian Airlines’ workers, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), ratified recent tentative agreements. The accords cover approximately 2,200 mechanic and related, clerical, office, stores, fleet service and passenger service employees.
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KLM Cityhopper firms two Embraer E175 options
KLM Cityhopper, KLM’s Dutch regional subsidiary, has confirmed options for two additional Embraer E175s. The original contract, covering 17 firm orders (15 E175s and two E190s) and 17 E175 options, was announced in March 2015. Options for 15 aircraft of the same model still remain.
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LOT Polish Airlines launches Tokyo services
LOT Polish Airlines has launched its first new long-haul route in four years with the introduction of 3X-weekly Warsaw-Tokyo Narita services using a Boeing 787-8. “By opening this new route, will also want to win back the trust from our passengers,” LOT acting CEO Marcin Celejewski said at a press conference at Warsaw Frederic Chopin International Airport. “We are working very hard to develop this company further, but we also want to expand our Warsaw hub in the New Europe.”
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MH370 Search Finds Second Shipwreck
The search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 in the Indian Ocean has turned up the second centuries-old shipwreck but no sign of the aircraft which disappeared with 239 passengers and crew nearly two years ago. Flight MH370 went missing during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.
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WestJet, Aeromexico to codeshare, sell tickets for each other
Calgary-based WestJet and Mexico City-based Aeromexico have signed a codeshare pact that builds on an interline agreement reached in December 2011. Under the new deal, Aeromexico passengers will be able to connect via WestJet through Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to a range of Canadian cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Halifax, Deer Lake and St. John’s.
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US airlines add jobs, post strong financial performance
US airlines are on track to achieve corporate profitability on par with the S&P 500 average in 2015. Melanie Hinton, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, said "after a decade of workforce reductions, U.S. airlines are adding jobs again -- some 10,000 last year -- and investing more money into employee benefits and wages." Hinton also said that US airlines invested $12 billion during the first three quarters in improving the passenger experience.
LinkAirports
Brazil airport uses new technology to expedite border control
Brazil’s Viracopos International Airport (VCP), which handled a record 10.3 million passengers in 2015, has implemented the latest Automated Border Control technology, as it aims for a faster and enhanced secure passenger control process. According to VCP, the innovative Automated Border Control solution implemented by multinational Vision-BoxTM allows for a faster passenger identification process, through eGates that ensure both passport authenticity and biometric passenger verification through an automated and self-service process.
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Guatemala's Main Airport Reopens After Protest
Guatemala's main airport reopened to passengers and workers on Wednesday afternoon after civil aviation authority employees had blocked the main doors to La Aurora in Guatemala City in a protest over pay and layoffs. Union leaders and authorities entered into a private meeting to discuss their concerns.
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United, Delta Seek Dismissal Of Newark Slots Lawsuit
United and Delta asked a federal judge to dismiss a US Department of Justice lawsuit seeking to stop United from expanding its large presence at Newark's Liberty Airport. The Justice Department in November challenged Delta's agreement to lease 24 Newark slots to United, in exchange for United's agreement to lease 30 slots to Delta at John F. Kennedy Airport.
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Military
Malaysia takes delivery of its second A400M
The Royal Malaysian Air Force has accepted its second Airbus Defense & Space A400M tactical transport at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. The aircraft has been in Malaysia since late December, arriving on 29 December 2015 after a delivery flight from Seville, Spain, says the air force in a statement.
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Aviation Quote
I thought her unsinkable and I based my opinion on the best expert advice available. I do not understand it.
— Philip A. S. Franklin, Vice President of the White Star Line, sobbing to reporters the day after the Titanic sank, 15 April 1912.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What is a deceleron?
2.When air traffic control advises pilots of other traffic, many pilots advise the controller that the traffic is not in sight using the colloquial and unofficial phrase "no joy." From where does this expression originate?
3. The Waco CG-4A glider was used during World War II (especially during the Normandy invasion) as a cargo and troop carrier. Why was it referred to as a "flying coffin"?
4. Almost all general aviation piston engines have a wet sump, a built-in oil reservoir, instead of an external or separate oil tank. How can you determine by looking at the oil dipstick of a wet-sump engine the minimum oil quantity with which the engine can be operated safely?
5. True or False, James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle was the first solo pilot to perform a blind takeoff and landing using only cockpit instruments and radio aids.
6. True or False, Two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses took off from Hilo, Hawaii, on August 6, 1946, without anyone on board. Both landed safely at Muroc Dry Lake, California.
