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O’Leary challenged by Ryanair’s rapid fleet, passenger growth
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary sees operations as the Irish LCC’s biggest challenge in 2018 as passenger numbers and fleet continue to grow.
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Hainan Airlines discloses assets restructuring plan
Hainan Airlines Holding, the Shanghai-listed unit of debt-ridden HNA Group, has said it will take over stakes owned by parent HNA Group as part of an assets restructuring plan. Hainan will take controlling shares in West Air and Guilin Airlines, in addition to MRO providers HNA Technic and SR Technics. Also listed were flight school Hainan Sky Plumage and hotel investment and management platform HNA Hotels Holding, according to a Shanghai Stock Exchange filing.
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US-Bangla Bombardier Q400 crashes on landing in Nepal
A Bombardier Q400, operated by Bangladeshi airline US-Bangla, crashed on landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on March 12, killing at least 49 out of 71 people onboard. According to local media reports, the aircraft veered off the runway onto a football field and caught fire after landing at Kathmandu. Images from the scene show a virtually unrecognizable fire-damaged wreckage.
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Recorders retrieved from US-Bangla Q400 wreckage
The flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the US-Bangla Airlines Bombardier Q400 that crashed in Kathmandu on 12 March have been recovered. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International airport tells FlightGlobal that the recorders were recovered from the wreckage in the evening of 12 March, and that a "high level" investigation team has been dispatched by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
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Turkish confirms split widebody orders, changes mix
Turkish Airlines finalized MOUs it had for widebodies from Airbus and Boeing March 9, but changed the mix of aircraft, ordering more A350s and fewer 787s than in its original agreements. CEO Bilal Eksi confirmed to ATW that the Turkish-flag carrier updated its MOU with Airbus to acquire 25 A350-900s, plus five options.
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Indian antitrust body fines airlines over cargo price-fixing
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has penalized three of the country’s airlines for what it says was concerted action in fixing and revising fuel surcharge (FSC), a component of freight charges. The CCI issued its final order March 7 following an investigation after complaints that airlines were operating a cartel.
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Airbus forecasts Indian expansion to be ahead of global curve
European OEM Airbus expects that airline traffic in India will grow by 8.1% per year over the next 20 years, almost double the global average of 4.4%. Like China, India is experiencing a boom in its middle-class population, which is driving substantial increases in air travel. On top of that, rising urbanization and ambitious government-backed regional connectivity programs will also enhance demand. By 2036, predicts Airbus, Indians will each make four times as many flights as today.
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All-women crew operates first Ethiopian Airlines Buenos Aires flight
Ethiopian Airlines launched 5X-weekly Addis Ababa-Buenos Aires Ezeiza services, March. 8. The flight is being operated with a Boeing 787-8 and makes a stop in Sao Paolo Guraulhos, Brazil. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam noted that the inaugural Buenos Aires flight was operated by an all-women crew to mark International Women’s Day.
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Turkish tourism revival powers Pegasus to profits
Turkish LCC Pegasus Airlines’ predicted rebound from 2016’s losses materialized in 2017, with the Istanbul-based carrier recording a TL501 million ($131.5 million) net profit, compared to a loss of TL136.2 million in the previous year. It achieved the result on revenues that increased 44% to TL5.3 billion.
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COMAC chief designer pegs C919 delivery to 2021
COMAC has confirmed that it expects the first 150-seat C919 to be delivered in 2021, verifying earlier indications from the Chinese manufacturer that there is another year’s delay. The first C919 will be delivered to launch customer China Eastern in 2021, COMAC C919 chief designer Wu Guanghui told Chinese media.
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Kenya Airways eyes Boeing MAX
Kenya Airways is weighing the possibility of acquiring four Boeing 737 MAX narrowbodies to operate on smaller international markets.
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NATO urges more security in U-space and data sharing
NATO is calling for proper provision for military requirements in the creation of so-called U-space – airspace populated with unmanned aerial vehicles. NATO Defence Investment division director of armament and aerospace capabilities Giorgio Cioni told the World Air Traffic Management Congress in Madrid March 6-8 that he heard “a lot of discussion about the safety of operations in U-space, but not much about security. We need to ensure we are able to counter any malicious activity because we cannot hide from the reality that there could be cases where drones are used for malicious purposes. That is an area where there are a lot of challenges because in U-space drones will be operating, perhaps autonomously, where it will also be necessary to operate military and security services.”
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China Southern creates Yunnan territory base
China Southern Airlines has set up a branch company in the southwestern Chinese province Yunnan, a stronghold of rival China Eastern Airlines. Eight new China Southern domestic routes from Yunnan will be opened in March and a service to Islamabad, Pakistan, from provincial capital Kunming will begin in June, the carrier said.
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American Airlines to add new Philadelphia-Mexico City service
On July 5, American Airlines will start direct flights between Philadelphia International Airport and Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport.
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Southwest starts service from Indianapolis to Cancun, Mexico
Southwest Airlines on Saturday launched service from Indianapolis International Airport to Cancun, Mexico -- the carrier's first international flight from the airport. The service will be available on Saturdays throughout the summer.
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India grounds 11 A320neos with PW1100G engines
India's Director General of Civil Aviation has ordered the immediate grounding of 11 Airbus A320neos fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines following recent aborted take-offs and in-flight shutdowns. The DGCA says that A320neos with engine serial numbers 450 and beyond will be grounded.
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Taiwan's Starlux Airlines in talks for up to 24 aircraft
Taiwanese start-up carrier Starlux Airlines is in discussions to lease up to 24 aircraft, with a target to firm the deals within the year. The jets will need to be delivered by the fourth quarter of 2019, as the airline prepares to launch operations in January 2020. These narrowbody aircraft will service countries such as Japan and South Korea in Northeast Asia, and to Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore in Southeast Asia.
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Embraer to deliver first E190-E2 to Wideroe on 4 April
Embraer will deliver the first E190-E2, registered LN-WEA, to launch operator Wideroe on 4 April. The airframer unveiled the aircraft today, as it moves off the assembly line into flight testing.
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Boeing NMA timeline questions keep fleet plans in flux
Questions continue to swirl on the feasibility of the timeline put forward by Boeing for its proposed New Mid-market Airplane (NMA), with some questioning whether the aircraft will be ready by 2025. "I'm not so sure it'll show up in the 2024-25 period," said Andrew Levy, chief financial officer of United Airlines, on the NMA in an interview with FlightGlobal on the sidelines of an industry conference in San Diego earlier in March.
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Era Group says return of H225 helicopter is 'improbable'
US rotorcraft operator Era Group says a return to service for its fleet of nine Airbus Helicopters H225s is "improbable" after it was unable to develop a safety case for the move. "We will not operate the H225 helicopters in our fleet unless and until we can develop a detailed safety case that demonstrates [it] can be operated safely," the company says in a full-year results filing.
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U.S. Marine Corps puts out request for information for ship-based VTOL drone
The US Marine Corps issued a request for information for its proposed ship-based vertical takeoff and landing drone, the MUX aircraft, on 8 March. MUX, which is short for Marine Air Ground Task Force – Unmanned Expeditionary Capabilities program, would operate autonomously from the deck of an amphibious assault ship and is designed to fill what the USMC sees as its current inability to provide persistent multi-role aerial coverage 350nm (648km) beyond its ships.
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Chengdu J-20 to become multi-role platform
Beijing will evolve the Chengdu J-20 fighter into roles well beyond aerial supremacy. The aircraft’s primary mission for the time being is “making way for other aircraft in an air battle,” says Zhang Hao, who heads an air force flight test center.
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Aviation Quote

“I think it's dumb as hell, for Christ's sake all right, to sit here and pound the shit out of each other and neither one of us making a fvcking dime.
Well —
I mean, goddamn! What the fvck is the point of it?
Nobody asked American to serve Harlingen. Nobody asked American to serve Kansas City. . . . If you're going to overlay every route of American's on top of every route that Braniff has, I can't just sit here and allow you to bury us without giving you our best effort.
Oh sure, but Eastern and Delta do the same thing in Atlanta and have for years.
Do you have a suggestion for me?
Yes, I have a suggestion for you. Raise your goddamn fares twenty percent. I'll raise mine the next morning. You'll make more money and I will too.
Robert, we can't talk about pricing.
Oh, bullshit, Howard. We can talk about any goddamn thing we want to talk about.”

- Robert L. Crandall and Howard Putnam, from United States v. American Airlines Inc. and Robert L. Crandall, U.S. District Court, CA383-0325D.

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Trivia

Airman Exam – ATP

8391
What is the principal advantage of a sweepback design wing over a straightwing design?
A) Sweepback will accelerate the onset of compressibility effect.
B) Sweepback will increase changes in the magnitude of force coefficients due to compressibility.
C) The critical Mach number will increase significantly.

8327
Which of the following is considered an auxiliary flight control?
A) Ruddervator.
B) Leading-edge flaps.
C) Upper rudder.

8396
For a given angle of bank, the load factor imposed on both the aircraft and pilot in a coordinated constant-altitude turn
A) varies with the rate of turn.
B) is constant.
C) is directly related to the airplane's gross weight.

8358
What is the safest and most efficient takeoff and initial climb procedure in a light, twin-engine airplane? Accelerate to
A) best engine-out, rate-of-climb airspeed while on the ground, then lift off and climb at that speed.
B)an airspeed slightly above VMC, then lift off and climb at the best rate-of-climb airspeed.
C) VMC, then lift off at that speed and climb at maximum angle-of-climb airspeed.

9332
How soon after the conviction for driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs shall it be reported to the FAA, Civil Aviation Security Division?
A) No later than 60 days after the motor vehicle action.
B) No later than 30 working days after the motor vehicle action.
C) Required to be reported upon renewal of medical certificate.

8151
An air carrier airplane's airborne radar must be in satisfactory operating condition prior to dispatch, if the flight will be
A) carrying passengers, but not if it is "all cargo."
B) conducted IFR, and ATC is able to radar vector the flight around areas of weather.
C) conducted under VFR conditions at night with scattered thunderstorms reported en route.

9117
Scanning procedures for effective collision avoidance should constitute
A) looking outside for 15 seconds, then inside for 5 seconds, then repeat.
B) 1 minute inside scanning, then 1 minute outside scanning , then repeat.
C) looking outside every 30 seconds except in radar contact when outside scanning is unnecessary.

9339
A pilot, acting as second in command, successfully completes the instrument competency check specified in FAR Part 61. How long does this pilot remain current if no further IFR flights are made?
A) 90 days.
B) 6 months.
C) 12 months.

9051
What is the hijack code?
A) 7200.
B) 7500.
C) 7777.

9354
A person may not act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft if alcoholic beverages have been consumed by that person within the preceding
A) 24 hours.
B) 8 hours.
C) 12 hours.

8342
Why do some airplanes equipped with inboard/outboard ailerons use the outboards for slow flight only?
A) Aerodynamic loads on the outboard ailerons tend to twist the wingtips at high speeds.
B) Increased surface area provides greater controllability with flap extension.
C) Locking out the outboard ailerons in high-speed flight provides variable flight control feel.

9050
Under what condition does ATC issue safety alerts?
A) If the aircraft altitude is noted to be in close proximity to the surface or an obstacle.
B) When weather conditions are extreme and wind shear or large hail is in the vicinity.
C) When collision with another aircraft is imminent.
8336
Which is a purpose of ground spoilers?
A) Increase the rate of descent without gaining airspeed.
B) Aid in rolling an airplane into a turn.
C) Reduce the wings' lift upon landing.

8331
Which is a purpose of leading-edge flaps?
A) Direct airflow over the top of the wing at high angles of attack.
B) Increase the camber of the wing.
C) Reduce lift without increasing airspeed.

9108
The illusion of being in a noseup attitude which may occur during a rapid acceleration takeoff is known as
A) inversion illusion.
B) somatogravic illusion.
C) autokinesis.

8325
When are outboard ailerons normally used?
A) Low-speed flight only.
B) High-speed flight only.
C) Low-speed and high-speed flight.

8152
While on an IFR flight in controlled airspace, the failure of which unit will precipitate an immediate report to ATC?
A) Airborne radar.
B) One engine, on a multiengine aircraft.
C) DME.

9120
Hazardous vortex turbulence that might be encountered behind large aircraft is created only when that aircraft is
A) operating at high airspeeds.
B) developing lift.
C) using high power settings.

9099
When setting the altimeter, pilots should disregard
A) effects of nonstandard atmospheric temperatures and pressures.
B) corrections for instrument error.
C) corrections for static pressure systems.

8201
What is the minimum number of flight attendants required on an airplane having a passenger seating capacity of 188 with only 117 passengers aboard?
A) Five.
B) Four.
C) Three.

8150
If an air carrier airplane's airborne radar is inoperative and thunderstorms are forecast along the proposed route of flight, an airplane may be dispatched only
A) when able to climb and descend VFR and maintain VFR/OT en route.
B) in day VFR conditions.
C) in VFR conditions.

8359
What procedure is recommended for an engine-out approach and landing?
A) The altitude and airspeed should be considerably higher than normal throughout the approach.
B) The flightpath and procedures should be almost identical to a normal approach and landing.
C) A normal approach, except do not extend the landing gear or flaps until over the runway threshold.

9333
An applicant who is scheduled for a practical test for an airline transport pilot certificate, in an approved flight simulator, is
A) required to have a first-class medical certificate.
B) not required to have a medical certificate.
C) required to have at least a current third-class medical certificate.

9340
An applicant who is scheduled for a practical test for an airline transport pilot certificate, in an aircraft, needs
A) a second-class medical certificate.
B) a first-class medical certificate.
C) at least a current third-class medical certificate.