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Singapore protests new Malaysian airspace restriction
Singapore's transport ministry has raised concerns with Malaysia over the latter's establishment of a permanent Restricted Area for military activities over Pasir Gudang from 2 January.
Singapore has described the move as having an "adverse impact on civil aviation".
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AeroTEC denies MRJ staffers stole trade secrets from Bombardier
MRJ flight test company AeroTEC has fired back at Bombardier in US federal court, denying accusations it acquired and took advantage of confidential documents related to certification of the CSeries, now known as the Airbus A220.
The Seattle-based company has asked a federal judge to throw out a request by Bombardier that would prohibit several AeroTEC staffers from working on MRJ certification. AeroTEC is assisting Mitsubishi Aircraft with MRJ testing and certification.
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PICTURES: Qatar Executive takes delivery of first two G500s
Qatar Executive has become the international launch customer for the Gulfstream G500, following delivery of two of the superlarge-cabin business jets to the VIP charter company on 17 December.
The aircraft (registration A7-CGP and A7-CGQ) are from a 2014 order from Qatar for 30 Gulfstream business jets, including its larger, longer-range sister, the G600 – for which Qatar will also be the international launch customer – and the flagship G650ER. Qatar increased its order for the latter in 2015 and has taken delivery of five aircraft to date. The Doha-headquartered operator plans to add another G650ER and five G500s in 2019.
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RETROSPECTIVE: Tu-144 beats Concorde to first flight
When the first Tupolev Tu-144 thundered its way into aeronautical history 50 years ago, lifting off from Zhukovksy airfield on the last day of 1968, much of the supersonic programme remained cloaked by the secrecy of the Cold War.
Flight International first covered the Tu-144’s maiden flight in its second issue of 1969, the first having been dominated by the Apollo 8 space mission.
LinkAirlines
ATW’s 2019 Airline Industry Market Forecast
The world’s airlines are expected to post a collective net profit of $32.3 billion in 2018 and to follow that with a $35.5 billion net profit in 2019, which will be the industry’s 10th consecutive year of profitability. But maintaining that positive trend will be no breeze. “There is a lot of uncertainty and volatility in politics and financial markets today,” IATA chief economist Brian Pearce told media in mid-December
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PICTURES: Key airline stories from 2018
A visual journey through of some of the most significant events in the airline industry over the past 12 months.
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Uzbekistan Airways SWOT: opportunities and challenges after reforms
Uzbekistan has emerged as an aviation market with huge potential, since president Shavkat Mirziyoyev took over two years ago following the death of the long-standing Soviet style dictator Islam Karimov. Uzbekistan has since embarked on a major reform path which has opened up tourism and is leading to a major restructuring of the air transport sector.
Uzbekistan is now focusing heavily on tourism, which has already experienced a more than doubling of visitor numbers over the past two years, and the country has put in place a new much less restrictive visa policy that should help drive further rapid growth.
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Philippines-India aviation: PAL to Delhi, inbound tourism grows
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is planning to resume services to Delhi in early 2019 using its new fleet of A321neos. The new service should help the Philippines attract more Indian visitors and lead to faster growth in what is now the largest unserved market for the Philippines.
PAL recently set a 31-Mar-2019 launch date for four weekly A321neo flights from Manila to Delhi. PAL was previously considering launching services to both Mumbai and Delhi, but Mr Bautista says PAL is now intending to serve only Delhi.
LinkAirports
Vietnam opens impressive new gateway to Halong Bay
Van Don International Airport has become Vietnam's first privately built commercial gateway after opening for business at the weekend.
Located in Quang Ninh province, 220 kilometres from the capital Hanoi, the Sun Group developed airport will serve the UNESCO world heritage site of Halong Bay.
LinkMilitary
PICTURE: Russia continues A-50 AEW&C upgrade work
The Russian Air Force has taken delivery of an upgraded Beriev A-50U Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft as part of a broader fleet upgrade.
Following the work, the aircraft, based on the Ilyushin IL-76, can “track more targets and guide more fighters,” says state arms company Rostec in a statement. The upgrades were conducted by Beriev Aircraft Company and Vega Radio Engineering.
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Aviation Quote
Nothing is more optimistic than a dispatcher's estimated time of departure.
- Anonymous
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Editor's Choice
Trivia
General Trivia
1. A pilot is cruising VFR at an altitude of more than 3,000 feet agl while maintaining a magnetic course of 150 degrees. Everything else being equal, most conflicting traffic will approach his airplane from
a. the right.
b. the left.
c. approximately straight ahead.
d. This cannot be determined from the information given.
2. When an airplane reaches its absolute ceiling,
a. VX is greater than VY.
b. VY is greater than VX.
c. VX is identical to VY.
d. the airplane is on the verge of a stall.
3. The current world speed record for a propeller-driven, piston-powered seaplane was established in 1931 and is
a. 298 mph.
b. 348 mph.
c. 398 mph.
d. 448 mph.
4. True or false; a major advantage of a nuclear-powered airplane is that it would have incredible range and endurance. The “N’ in the designation, “Convair NB-36 Peacemaker,” indicates that the enormous bomber had nuclear power.
5. True or false; Hermann Göring, Nazi Reichsmarschall and Commander of the German Luftwaffe during World War II, had a nephew who was a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force and flew 48 bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied Europe.
6. True or false; the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight was first reported in a journal titled Gleanings in Bee Culture.
