NewsAir Berlin seals asset sale with LufthansaLufthansa Group has signed an agreement with Air Berlin to acquire parts of the insolvent Oneworld carrier's operations. Air Berlin says Lufthansa will take over Austrian leisure subsidiary Niki, regional unit LGW and an additional 20 aircraft for a total of €210 million ($249 million). But the combined purchase price "will be subject to adjustments", Air Berlin notes.
LinkKLM chief hails effect of fleet transformationTwo years from now, KLM will mark the centenary of its foundation: a milestone which it believes makes it the world’s oldest continuously operating passenger airline. For chief executive Pieter Elbers, the coming event is a source of huge pride – but no guarantee of its continued standing on the global stage.
LinkRyanair pilot urges carrier to engage in collective talksRyanair captain Imelda Comer has offered to serve as "a conduit to enable constructive engagement" between management and pilots. In a letter sent to the airline's chief Michael O'Leary and publicised by the European Cockpit Association, Comer stresses that the European employee representative committee (EERC) seeking dialogue with management is "exclusively made up of Ryanair pilots from several countries".
LinkAir Baltic begins returning CS300 fleet to serviceLatvian carrier Air Baltic has started restoring services with Bombardier CS300s, following a suspension of the fleet for engine checks. Air Baltic has not given much insight into the nature of the checks relating to the type's Pratt & Whitney PW1500G powerplants.
LinkDassault commits to autonomous co-pilot developmentDassault Aviation has revealed a long-term effort to develop an autonomous co-pilot for future business jets, says chairman and chief executive Eric Trappier. International aviation regulations require at least two pilots for aircraft of any size carrying any more than nine paying passengers, but several manufacturers are preparing for the day when that rule is relaxed as the capabilities and reliability of artificial intelligence applications mature.
LinkA380 engine inquiry wrestles with transport logisticsInvestigators are to put a damaged Air France Airbus A380 engine into storage in Canada, to protect it, while arrangement are made to transport the powerplant for analysis. The Engine Alliance GP7200 engine was involved in a serious failure, including the loss of its entire fan disk and inlet, as the aircraft cruised over Greenland on 30 September. It diverted to Goose Bay in Canada.
LinkFlybe Q400 tail-strike traced to excessive power reductionUK investigators have determined that a Flybe Bombardier Q400 tail-strike at Newcastle occurred after its throttle was reduced to an inappropriately low setting on approach. The aircraft (G-ECOJ) sank as a result of the reduction in power and the first officer, who was flying, instinctively pulled the aircraft's nose up to compensate instead of increasing thrust.
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China Express takes first A320China Express has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320, adding the type to its fleet of 32 Bombardier CRJ900s. The aircraft is the first of 11 CFM International CFM56-5B-powered A320s to be delivered to the airline, says CFM in a statement. The remaining aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in 2018 and 2019.
LinkScaled Composites reveals first flight of experimental Model 401Northrop Grumman subsidiary Scaled Composites has unveiled and flown a new experimental aircraft called the Model 401 built as a demonstrator for low-cost manufacturing techniques and to provide research flight services. The Mojave, California-based rapid prototyping specialist developed and flew the single-engined and single-seat Model 401 in secret, revealing the first flight milestone with a press release and an announcement on Facebook.
LinkKC-46A refuels another KC-46AA Boeing KC-46A tanker has refuelled another KC-46A for the first time. The work took place during a four-hour flight in which the two aircraft refuelled each other, says Boeing in a statement.
LinkBangladeshi Navy orders two Do 228s for MPA missionBangladesh's navy has ordered two additional Dornier Do 228s for use in maritime patrol mission. The contract will see the service's fleet of the type grow to four, says manufacturer Ruag in a statement.
LinkSecond Raider prototype to fly by early 2018Sikorsky will fly its second S-97 prototype early next year, following the crash of the first Raider helicopter in August. No crew members were injured in the 2 August crash at Sikorsky’s flight test center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Following an analysis with the National Transportation Safety Board, Sikorsky traced the cause of the crash to a software issue and has corrected the problem in a simulator.
LinkSouthwest’s Kelly does not expect major service changes for Hawaii Southwest Airlines plans to launch flights between the continental US and Hawaii, a move that will test the limits of Southwest’s service model given the distance of the flights.
LinkFormer DHS chief of staff nominated to be homeland security secretaryUS President Donald Trump has nominated White House deputy chief of staff Kirstjen Nielsen to be the next US homeland security secretary. Nielson previously was the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief of staff when John Kelly led the department for the first six months of the Trump administration. Kelly stepped down as homeland security secretary in July to become White House chief of staff and Nielson came to the White House with him. Elaine Duke has been serving as acting DHS secretary since then.
LinkJetBlue projects potential $134 million revenue loss from hurricanesNew York-based JetBlue revised its preliminary third-quarter guidance Oct. 11 to reflect an estimated $44 million negative impact on 3Q 2017 revenue by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
LinkAzerbaijan carriers to purchase more Boeing aircraftAzerbaijan’s two largest airlines will buy another six Boeing aircraft by the end of 2017, the US Embassy of Azerbaijan has announced. Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plans to sign a contract to buy four 787s, while Silk Way Airlines will acquire two more 747-8 freighters. These new purchases are Azerbaijan’s fourth major investment in Boeing aircraft since 2015.
LinkReport: Jazeera suspends long-haul plans; unveils new brandingKuwaiti hybrid carrier Jazeera Airways has suspended plans to seek a long-haul partner, and will instead pursue more opportunities in the Indian subcontinent, according to Bloomberg, citing Jazeera chairman Marwan Boodai as he unveiled a rebranding exercise for the airline. Jazeera operates a fleet of seven Airbus A320s on regional services around the Middle East.
LinkJapan Airlines to partner with Aeromexico in 2018Japan Airlines (JAL) is looking to boost its access to the Mexican market through a new partnership with Aeromexico, which may also give the latter carrier more Asian connections.
LinkUEC: SSJ100’s SaM146 engine performance exceeds 700 hoursThe PowerJet SaM146 engine, which powers the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100), has exceeded 700 flight hours, Russia’s United Engine Corp. (UEC) said Oct. 12.
LinkIstanbul New Airport promises to be ‘smarter’; more user friendlyThe organization behind Istanbul New Airport (INA) has unveiled some of the advances it hopes will make the huge new facility a user-friendly experience for passengers. INA, which is being created to take over from the still relatively young but increasingly overcrowded Atatürk International, is scheduled to open in 2018; its first phase will have three runways and a terminal with an annual capacity of 90 million passengers.
LinkAirbus takes control of Malaysian MROAirbus has taken full control of Malaysian MRO provider Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE), making it a fully owned subsidiary. The European manufacturer took a 40% stake in Kuala Lumpur International Airport-based SAE in 2011, but has now bought out the remaining 60% of the shares.
LinkAlaska Airlines to retire last 737-400 combi on Oct. 18Alaska Airlines has converted one of its Boeing 737-700 passenger jets into an all-cargo plane, the first of three planned conversions. The airline will retire the last of its four 737-400 combis, which carry passengers and cargo, on Oct. 18.
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