NewsAirbus Mobile delivers first biofuel-powered A321 to JetBlue Airbus sent JetBlue Airways’ latest A321ceo off on its delivery flight Sept. 19 from Mobile, Alabama, with 15.5% renewable jet fuel onboard, continuing a trend the manufacturer started with its Toulouse delivery flights two years ago. The JetBlue delivery and four others slated for the rest of the year will help Airbus determine what its next steps are for expanding its biofuel-supply options at Mobile. The manufacturer expects to offer the option to more Mobile customers as well as to align itself with Southeastern US biofuel suppliers in other way.
LinkWizz Air to close Poznan base in Polish reshuffleCentral and Eastern European LCC Wizz Air has announced plans to close its base at Poznan in Poland, although it will grow its other Polish operations by adding a seventh aircraft at Gdansk and upgrading Warsaw to an all-Airbus A321 fleet. “After careful consideration, we decided to adjust our Poznan network plan and take advantage of growth opportunities by reallocating the capacity to other Polish routes,” Wizz Air CMO Johan Eidhagen said.
LinkRyanair to 'consider re-entering the French market'Ryanair has indicated its readiness to start operating French bases again, citing a national supreme-court judgement relating to social insurance payments collected for Marseille-stationed crew between 2006 and 2010. The budget carrier says the ruling reinforces one previously handed down by the European Court of Justice, which deemed social-security certificates issued by the Ireland to be binding on French authorities. The case will now be reheard by Parisian appeal court, adds Ryanair, which expects repayment of some €13 million ($15 million) "in due course".
LinkSchedule pressure caused Lion 737, A330 wing clipPressure for a Lion Air Boeing 737-800 crew to beat an airport curfew in Manado led to a misjudgement in maintaining distance separation with a an Airbus A330-300, leading to a ground collision with the widebody while taxiing at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International airport on 1 May 2016. In its final report, Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee (NTSC) found that crew of the 737 (PK-LJR) were under pressure to operate flight JT770 on the Jakarta-Manado route, having landed in Jakarta late after operating two previous sectors.
LinkFAA warns pilots of risk of transposed runway numbers The FAA has warned in a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) of the risk of a runway overrun at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) caused by transposed runway numbers. Dated Sept. 4, the SAFO describes a runway event at SFO last year that involved pilots consulting takeoff performance system (TPS) data for Runway 10L, while the actual departure was from Runway 01L.
LinkSmall Planet’s German airline to restructure after insolvencyThe German airline of Lithuania’s Small Planet Group has launched insolvency proceedings, but the company said it has permission to continue German and Dutch flight operations while it restructures. Small Planet Airlines GmbH—the group’s German airline—was formed in 2015 and secured its air operator’s certificate (AOC) in April 2016. The airline operates nine Airbus A320s and A321s to holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, Egypt and the Canary Island for German tour operators.
LinkCopa debuts new business class on first 737 Max 9Copa Airlines has unveiled its first Boeing 737 Max 9, featuring the airline's first lie-flat seats in business class and a new economy extra section. With 166 seats on board, the aircraft will offer slightly more capacity than Copa's 737-800s which are equipped with 154 or 160 seats. The 737-9 also boasts overhead compartments that are 50% larger, says the Panamanian carrier.
LinkParker: Proposal to regulate change fees ‘really bad for consumers’American Airlines chairman and CEO Doug Parker said customers may no longer be able to change their nonrefundable tickets if the US Congress passes a provision in the Senate’s bill to reauthorize the FAA that would regulate how airlines charge the fees, calling the proposal “really bad for consumers.” “That non-refundable ticket is of value to us,” Parker told a group of reporters after speaking to a business group in Irving, Texas. “We knew that seat was going to be filled. It allowed us to do other things. We sold the rest of the airplane knowing that seat was going to be filled.”
LinkDLR tests retrofitable noise-reduction modsGerman aerospace research centre DLR is testing a range of experimental modifications on an Airbus A320 test aircraft aimed at reducing noise, especially during the take-off and landing phases. DLR says the project, dubbed: "Low Noise ATRA" – referring to its Advanced Technology Research Aircraft – covers 10 modifications, mostly to avoid steps and gaps in the twinjet's high-lift system and landing gear, and improvements to the exhaust assembly of the International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants.
LinkClark: Emirates working to stabilize costs as fuel prices riseEmirates Airline president Tim Clark said managing the impact of rising fuel prices is the biggest challenge for the Dubai-based carrier, which is seeing an annual fuel bill of $10 billion that will continue to rise as prices go up. Clark said the price of fuel has increased 42% compared to the same time last year. “The price per barrel is going up to over $80.”
LinkFirst AVIC MA700 on track for delivery in 2022The first Aviation Corp. of China (AVIC) MA700 turboprop airliner is on track for delivery in 2022, the manufacturer said in a program update.
LinkAir New Zealand cuts 787s flights as Trent engine checks continueAir New Zealand is suspending two routes from its international network partly because of aircraft shortages caused by ongoing Boeing 787 engine issues. Air New Zealand intends to cut its seasonal flights to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and will also suspend its flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport during the northern winter season.
LinkThai air force to take four more H225M helicoptersBangkok has ordered four additional Airbus Helicopters H225M heavy-twin rotorcraft for use by the Royal Thai Air Force. The follow-on order will see the service operating 12 examples by 2021, says the airframer.
LinkDoD wants parallels between USAF, commercial maintenanceDeputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan would like to benchmark aircraft maintenance performance of the US Air Force against commercial operators conducting similar work. The idea is part of a larger effort by the Department of Defense to improve readiness of the USAF as the service reemphasizes an expeditionary force structure, which calls for the rapid, flexible deployment of aircraft across the world at short notice.
LinkRaytheon pitches USAF on F-35A auto-landing systemAfter successfully integrating its Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) on F-35B fighters and a growing number of US Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, Raytheon is pitching a modified version of the system to the US Air Force for auto-landing F-35A aircraft at expeditionary airfields. The company is in talks with the USAF on how exactly the service would like a portable system configured to automatically land the Lockheed Martin F-35A on remote airfields without traditional instrument landing systems. Such airfields may have difficult approaches due to surrounding mountains, bad weather or potential enemy fire.
LinkUSAF to quicken combat tempo to counter enemy surveillanceThe US Air Force plans to accelerate its wartime operational tempo to counter the increasing all-seeing surveillance of potential adversaries such as Russia or China. General James Holmes, head of the USAF’s Air Combat Command, said that in a combat situation the service is unlikely to be able to hide from adversaries’ satellite sensors, airborne sensors, public information collection efforts and cyber surveillance.
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