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Airlines

Air Astana opts for Inmarsat GX broadband for Boeing 767 fleet
Kazakhstan-based Air Astana will retrofit Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) high-speed connectivity equipment on its three Boeing 767 aircraft from September 2016. The installation, to be implemented by airborne connectivity provider Rockwell Collins, will enable high-speed broadband access for personal computers, tablets and smartphones using inflight data connectivity to the GX satellite system. Air Astana engineering manager Andrey Gulev said the service will be made available on all three of the carrier’s 767s by end September 2017.
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Air Austral cancels order for two Airbus A380s
Réunion Island leisure carrier Air Austral has canceled an order for two Airbus A380s, which was placed in 2009. “We can confirm the cancellation of these two A380s, as our customer has had a change in strategy,” an Airbus spokesperson in Toulouse confirmed.
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American, United take advantage of share buybacks
Columnist Adam Levine-Weinberg examines the growing trend of share buybacks. American Airlines repurchased $1.6 billion of shares in the first quarter, while United Continental repurchased $1.5 billion of shares in the same quarter. "Both companies are steadily building value for investors by shrinking their share counts while it's extremely cheap to do so," he writes.
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Austrian Airlines to hire 160 pilots, 400 flight attendants
Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines is set to recruit 160 new pilots and 400 flight attendants as it expands bilateral air traffic between Austria to Germany. The Vienna-based airline has been offering four daily flights between Graz and Frankfurt since last week, which was previously served by Lufthansa. Austrian has already added flight traffic between Innsbruck and Salzburg to Frankfurt to its route network.
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Emirates Orders Two More Airbus A380s
Emirates has ordered two additional Airbus A380s to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2017. The airline already operates 75 A380s and, with the addition of these two aircraft, takes its current order book to 67.
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Etihad steps up South American services with Avianca codeshare
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has established a codeshare arrangement with Colombia’s Avianca. The new agreement will give Etihad an additional link to South America, the one continent where the “Big Three” Gulf carriers still have relatively little penetration. Avianca has an extensive network in the Americas and Europe.
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Hi Fly supplies A340 for commercial zero-gravity flights
Portuguese carrier Hi Fly is to providing an Airbus A340-300 for zero-gravity flights under a co-operation agreement with commercial space firm Swiss Space Systems. The aircraft (9H-TQM) is a 21-year old airframe, powered by CFM International CFM56 engines, originally delivered to Singapore Airlines.
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JetBlue Airways reported higher traffic for March
JetBlue Airways reported 12.1% growth in revenue passenger miles for March on a year-over-year basis. The carrier also posted 12.5% growth in available seat miles for March.
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Lufthansa Plans Full Takeover Of Brussels Airlines
Lufthansa's supervisory board is to meet on April 27 to discuss buying the 55 percent of Brussels Airlines which it does not own, German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing no sources. Lufthansa, which is due to hold its annual shareholders meeting on April 28, declined to comment on the repor
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Lufthansa A320neo visits Heathrow
Airbus A320neo launch operator Lufthansa has operated the re-engined variant's first revenue flight outside Germany. On 12 April, the Star Alliance carrier deployed its second A320neo (registration D-AINB) for a service from Frankfurt to London Heathrow.
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Oman Air details future widebody plans
Muscat-based Oman Air expects to make a decision on the shape of its future widebody fleet in 2018, with initial deliveries early in the following decade, CEO Paul Gregorowitsch said April 13. Speaking in London to mark the inauguration of the flag carrier’s second daily service from Muscat to Heathrow, Gregorowitsch said initial talks are already underway with both Airbus and Boeing.
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United video explores flight attendant duties
Katie Nolan explored the world of flight attendants in the latest episode of "Big Metal Bird" produced by United Airlines. "I finished the day with a profound respect for the people who love flying so much that they work at 35,000 feet," Nolan said.
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Airports

Brussels ATC Strike Enters Second Day
About 50 flights from Brussels Airport were cancelled on Wednesday as an air traffic controllers strike entered a second day. Brussels Airport, one of Europe's busiest, reopened on April 3 with limited capacity, restricted by tight security and temporary structures erected after bombs badly damaged the departure hall on March 22.
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Denver to deploy updated TSA security model by 2019
The Transportation Security Administration is creating a new, more efficient security model at Denver International Airport. Upgrades at the airport are being funded by a public-private partnership and should be complete in 2019.
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Military

Sikorsky CH-53K program puts gearbox issues behind it
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) appears to be confident that the Sikorsky CH-53K program has put the gearbox failures and parts delays experienced prior to first flight in October 2015 behind it, but the Lockheed Martin-owned helicopter manufacturer won’t receive bonus cheques for lateness. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently stated that the King Stallion’s planned entry into low-rate production has been delayed eight months to February 2017 because of technical difficulties.
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