NewsUS company awaits contract to resume MH370 searchA US-based marine survey firm expects a contract award from the Malaysian government within days to resume searching for the Boeing 777-200 that disappeared almost four years ago while operating as Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
LinkE-commerce will drive cargo growth in 2018Air cargo operators expect further growth for transporting goods by air in 2018, after a strong 2017, with e-commerce in particular driving the growth.
LinkSCAC assembles 34 SSJ100s in 2017Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. (SCAC) produced 34 Sukhoi Superjet 100s (SSJ100) in 2017 and delivered 30 of the type last year, the Russian manufacturer said in a statement.
LinkEast coast winter storm forces 4,600 US flight cancellations A winter storm moving up the US and Canadian east coast is the driving force behind more than 4,600 US flight cancellations—and counting—since Jan. 3. As of Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. EST, nearly 4,000 flights have been canceled in the US, with United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and regional carriers Republic Airline, ExpressJet Airlines and Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air all reporting hundreds of cancellations, according to flight tracking site Flight Aware.
LinkAir Astana takes first A321neo, completes new technical center Kazakhstan’s Air Astana has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, which is on an operating lease from Dublin-based lessor AerCap. The deal includes two further A321neos and one A320neo scheduled for delivery this year. The PW1133G-powered A321neo is configured with 28 business- and 151 economy-class seats.
LinkRyanair reveals Porto as third connection hubIrish LCC Ryanair has named Porto International Airport, in northern Portugal, as its third connection hub. The move allows passengers to transfer directly to connecting Ryanair flights. The Jan. 3 announcement follows the launch of connecting flights at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Bergamo.
LinkFederal transportation contract awarded to 14 companiesThe US Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois awarded a five-year contract for international commercial scheduled air cargo transportation services to 14 companies. Contract awardees include UPS, FedEx, Atlas, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.
LinkJetBlue sale offers bargain flights to Fla., CaribbeanJetBlue Airways' winter sale is offering discounts on tickets to destinations around the country, with particularly good deals on flights to Florida and Caribbean locations. Flights must be booked no later than today for travel between Jan. 10 and April 25.
Link5 US airlines take top spots in global on-time performanceAn OAG report titled "Punctuality League 2018" lists Hawaiian Airlines as first among US carriers and third in the world for on-time performance. Other US airlines in the list's top 20 include Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
LinkJet Airways suspends two pilots for leaving cockpit during flightJet Airways has grounded two senior pilots following their leaving of the cockpit of the Boeing 777-300ER they were operating, during an argument on 1 January. In a statement to FlightGlobal, Jet says the aircraft was operating flight 9W-119 from London to Mumbai when the "misunderstanding occurred", and that aircraft landed uneventfully.
LinkChina United, MIAT, Air Algerie barred from more China flightsThe Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has barred China United Airlines, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Air Algerie, and Ariana Afghan Airlines from adding more scheduled services, charters, and making new route applications into China until the end of March. The Chinese regulator says this is due to the airlines' failure to meet performance requirements. Somon Air and Uzbekistan Airways have also been barred through to February, while Tajik Air, TAAG Angola Airlines and Angara Airlines face the same ban till the end of January.
LinkWideroe picks Embraer for E-Jet component supportNorwegian carrier Wideroe has contracted Embraer to provide component maintenance for an on-order fleet of E190-E2 regional jets. The Brazilian manufacturer says the hour-based agreement covers more than 300 rotables and access to the manufacturer's equipment pool.
LinkFAA approves registration number for Boeing MQ-25 prototype Boeing has received a US aircraft registration for the newly-unveiled demonstrator at the heart of its bid to make up to 72 MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based unmanned tankers for the US Navy, the company confirms. The Federal Aviation Administration assigned registration number, N234MQ, to Boeing for a St. Louis-aircraft model dubbed the “T1” on 26 December. The registration omits several typical details, including the model of the turbofan engine that powers the aircraft.
LinkAurora's long-range Orion UAS receives USAF fundingThe US Air Force has awarded Aurora Flight Sciences a $48 million contract to develop a certificated version of the ultra-long-endurance Orion unmanned air vehicle, possibly reviving the unmanned air system's prospects after a four-year hiatus. The Air Force Research Laboratory selected Aurora more than a decade ago for an ultra long endurance study contract to explore a new surveillance aircraft that could exceed the endurance limits of the USAF’s MQ-1 Predator and RQ-4 Global Hawk.
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