NewsAtlas 747F came within 670ft of Hong Kong mountainAn Atlas Air Boeing 747-8 Freighter came very close to a mountain after taking off from Hong Kong International Airport on 24 September. After departing from runway 07R at 15:44 local time, the aircraft (N856GT) deviated right from its assigned track toward the high ground of Lo Fu Tau on Lantau Island, says Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department (CAD) in a preliminary report.
LinkLax airport maintenance caused SpiceJet Q400 accidentAn Indian investigation has found that Jabalpur airport failed to conduct required inspections and maintain its boundaries, allowing wildlife to stray onto the runway and collide with a landing SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 in 2015. The aircraft, registered VT-SUC, was operating a flight from Mumbai with 49 passengers, two cabin crew and two pilots on-board on 4 December 2015 when the accident occurred around dawn.
LinkRyanair delays introduction of stricter carry-on bag policyRyanair has postponed until mid-January the introduction of stricter rules regarding carry-on bags, which it argues are necessary to speed up boarding and reduce flight delays. The budget carrier announced in September that it was adjusting its policy, stating that the changes would take effect from 1 November.
LinkBoeing ceremonially kicks off 777-9 assemblyBoeing marked the official launch of production activity for the first 777-9 test aircraft in a public ceremony on 23 October. The company started building the wing spar in the newly-erected composite wing centre in Everett, Washington, during the summer, but the 23 October ceremony coincided with the drilling of the spar by an automated machine in another building on the campus.
LinkFirst A321neo with revised door layout assembledThe first Airbus A321neo equipped with a modified fuselage and additional cabin exits is nearing completion on the final assembly line at Hamburg. Dubbed the “Airbus Cabin Flex” (ACF) version, this first major variation of the A321 fuselage incorporates up to four overwing exits instead of the pair of main cabin doors immediately ahead of the wing on existing A321. The pair of doors immediately behind the wing has been also repositioned aft by four fuselage frames (with a deactivation option).
LinkAurora Flight Sciences to evaluate NASA electric airliner designNASA wants to get a second opinion from Aurora Flight Sciences on the system-level performance of a turboelectric-powered commercial aircraft concept for starting the next iteration of a multi-year design process. The Manassas, Virginia-based company that announced a pending acquisition by Boeing on 5 October will perform a comprehensive evaluation of NASA’s single-aisle turboelectric aircraft with aft boundary layer propulsion (STARC-ABL) concept.
LinkAirbus insourcing moves sets up competition with UTASUnited Technologies will lose a monopoly position supplying nacelles for the A320neo family powered by the Pratt & Whitey PW1100G as Airbus develops a competing option for airlines to be ready after 2024, UTC chief executive Gregory Hayes confirms. The decision pits UTC in competition with their customer and represents the latest in a series of aircraft components that suppliers are losing to aircraft manufacturers as both Airbus and Boeing seek to “insource” more of the work.
LinkAirbus insourcing moves sets up competition with UTASUnited Technologies will lose a monopoly position supplying nacelles for the A320neo family powered by the Pratt & Whitey PW1100G as Airbus develops a competing option for airlines to be ready after 2024, UTC chief executive Gregory Hayes confirms. The decision pits UTC in competition with their customer and represents the latest in a series of aircraft components that suppliers are losing to aircraft manufacturers as both Airbus and Boeing seek to “insource” more of the work.
LinkDubai Airports CEO calls for ‘fundamental shift’ in industry thinkingDubai Airports Co. CEO Paul Griffiths believes the airline industry needs to ditch its silos, eliminate inefficiencies and become more consistent to truly upgrade the customer experience.
LinkCEO: Eurowings to benefit from Lufthansa deal for airberlin assetsLufthansa Group LCC subsidiary Eurowings CEO Thorsten Dirks said the European aviation industry is undergoing massive changes following the bankruptcies of Germany’s airberlin, Italian flag carrier Alitalia and UK leisure carrier Monarch Airlines.
LinkJetBlue to cut Puerto Rico capacity 33% as hurricanes hit earningsJetBlue Airways, the airline with the largest presence in Puerto Rico, expects the island’s recovery from Hurricane Maria to last through the end of 2018 and will adjust its operations until then, trimming capacity to/from the US territory by about 33%.
LinkThai Airways plans US relaunch in 4Q 2018Thai Airways hopes to be able to relaunch flights to the US in the fourth quarter of 2018, if the FAA restores Thailand’s aviation safety rating as expected.
LinkTechnology makes onboard personalization more possibleAirlines have a unique advantage over every other retail business: their customers are forced to be in one place—an assigned aircraft seat—for multiple hours.
LinkAir China to open Shenzhen-Los Angeles route in DecemberAir China will open Shenzhen-Los Angeles direct services Dec. 7 to replace the current Shenzhen-Beijing-Los Angeles route, which opened Feb. 1 in response to the increase in Chinese outbound traffic. The new direct Boeing 787-9 service will be 3X weekly. In 2016, the number of passengers booking round trips between China and the US exceeded 5 million, up 5.3% over 4.8 million in 2015. For the 10-year 2005-2015 period, this number reached more than 30 million.
LinkRussia’s Pobeda takes first 737-800 with Split Scimitar WingletAeroflot low-cost subsidiary (LCC) Pobeda Airlines has taken delivery of the first of eight Boeing 737-800s leased by Singapore-based lessor BOC Aviation. Before the end of the year, the airline will take delivery of three more of the type. In 2018 it will add eight more 737-800s; in 2019, it will take six more from other lessors.
LinkKC-390 returns to base early after stall testCrew on an Embraer KC-390 requested an early return to base after the aircraft completing a stall test earlier this month, the Brazilian manufacturer says. As part of Embraer’s flight certification efforts, a prototype KC-390 transport aircraft conducted a stall speed test on 12 October. But decreased lift force caused an altitude loss that would prematurely call the KC-390 crew back to base, Embraer tells FlightGlobal in a 23 October email.
LinkLockheed F-35 deliveries lag in third quarterAfter nine months of production, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 line is still lagging, according to the latest company earnings report. Lockheed delivered 15 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at the end of September, according to its third quarter 2017 earnings released this week. That batch brings Lockheed’s total F-35 deliveries to 44 this year, far away from the Lockheed's original goal of 66 jet deliveries by the end of 2017.
LinkIsrael lifts remaining Apache flight restrictionsIsrael has returned its air force's fleet of Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to full operational status following a fatal crash earlier this year. Tel Aviv grounded the fleet in the wake of the 7 August accident, but subsequently allowed a limited return to flight.
LinkAirbus picks Elta radars for Canadian C295 fleetAirbus Defence & Space has chosen Elta Systems to supply maritime patrol radars for the fleet of 16 C295s being acquired by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Selected under the Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue requirement, Elta is to provide its ELM-2022A radar for the program.
LinkIATA predicts strong growth in air travel worldwideThe International Air Transport Association predicts that nearly 7.8 billion travelers will take to the air in 2036, almost twice as many as are expected to fly this year. More than half of the increased demand will be in the Asia-Pacific region.
LinkAmerican Airlines celebrates 600th Honor FlightAmerican Airlines greeted its 600th Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., with a celebration that blocked the concourse at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The special flight included Gold Star mothers as well as elderly veterans.
LinkAmerican Airlines to unveil new control center in DallasOn Wednesday, American Airlines will officially unveil a new $10 million hub control center at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The 10,000-square-foot facility features cameras that give workers a complete view of the carrier's operations, allowing them to better coordinate activities such as catering, cleaning and loading planes.
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