NewsChilean air force C-130 bound for Antarctica crashesA Chilean air force Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport headed for a base in Antarctica crashed somewhere over Drake Passage on 9 December with 38 people aboard. The military aircraft was headed to Antarctic outpost Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva when radio contact was lost at 18:13 local time, says the Chilean air force on 9 December. Santiago declared the aircraft crashed about seven hours later on 10 December.
LinkHarbour Air flies ‘first’ all-electric commercial aircraftCanadian commuter airline Harbour Air has made good on its promise to fly an all-electric commercial aircraft before year end. A Harbour Air de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver seaplane lifted off the Fraser River near Vancouver on 10 December, marking what the company says was the first time an all-electric commercial passenger aircraft has taken flight.
LinkUAV Turbines unveils hybrid-electric 'microturbine'UAV Turbines unveiled on 10 December a demonstrator hybrid-electric “microturbine” for small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) that it says allows drones to harness the efficiency of a turbine and the quick power of an electric motor. The Monarch Hybrid Range Extender is based on the company’s Monarch 5 turbine, a small turbine demonstrator the company unveiled in September in a Navmar Applied Sciences-made TigerShark, a small Group 3-size UAV usually powered by a piston engine. Group 3 UAVs are classified by the US Army as having a max gross takeoff weight of less than 600kg (1320lb).
LinkNovember sales bump up Boeing’s Max backlogBoeing took new orders for 63 aircraft in November amid a bump in demand for its troubled 737 Max. Order conversions and cancellations however, pushed down Boeing’s total commercial aircraft backlog by 13 aircraft, to 5,444 at the end of November.
LinkEl Al opens bookings on non-stop Melbourne trial serviceIsraeli flag-carrier El Al is to operate at least three non-stop services to Melbourne over the course of April-May next year, as part of a test of ultra-long-haul operations. The airline’s reservations system reveals that it will start operating the LY87 service from Tel Aviv to the Australian city on 2 April 2020.
LinkInternational consensus key to returning Boeing 737 Max to serviceBoeing has reiterated that achieving consensus among national aviation regulators will be key to ensure a successful return to service for the 737 Max, which has been grounded since March this year. “If we do not coordinate this [return to service] we may see some disaggregation, and I don’t think that’s a future any of us wants to see,” says Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chief executive, speaking to media in Seattle.
LinkKLM commits to biofuel purchase KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced plans to buy an undisclosed quantity of used cooking oil-based sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Finnish company Neste, which will supply flights from Amsterdam Schiphol on a drop-in basis. “This volume is additional to the existing supply from Los Angeles to bridge the period towards the opening of the SAF production plant which is to be built in Delfzijl, Netherlands in 2022. This plant, which is being developed by support of KLM and other industry partners, will supply 75,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel a year to KLM,” the Dutch carrier said Dec. 10.
LinkSwedavia launches ‘green bond’ loan programSwedish airport operator Swedavia has issued a “green bond” loan worth SEK1 billion ($105 million) to fund projects and investments in climate-change adaptation and sustainability. The company said it is one of the first airport operators to issue such a loan. The unsecured bond has a maturity of 5.25 years and a fixed interest rate of 0.89%.
LinkCongo Airways orders two Embraer E175s to replace turbopropsCongo Airways signed a firm order with Embraer for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for a further two. The deal has a total value of $94.4 million at current list prices with all purchase rights exercised. The aircraft will be configured in a dual-class layout seating 76 passengers in total, with 12 in business class. Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2020.
LinkOman Air targets US via ItalyOman Air aims to expand to the US for the first time via a new codeshare agreement with Air Italy. The US link would be the second stage of the codeshare and is subject to government approvals. If it goes ahead, it will see the Arab flag carrier adding its code to Air Italy’s flights from Milan Malpensa to New York JFK and Miami. Oman Air CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi described the codeshare as a “significant development” for the Gulf carrier.
LinkArmenian airlines under scrutiny in latest EU Air Safety ListThe European Commission has decided to closely monitor Armenia, following its latest European Union (EU) Air Safety List update, which also removed a blanket ban on Gabonese airlines. Airlines that appear on the EU Air Safety List—more commonly known as the EU blacklist—are subject to EU operating bans or restrictions because of shortcomings in their air-safety oversight.
LinkAir France-KLM boosts Qantas cooperationAir France-KLM will enhance its partnership with Australian flag carrier Qantas, adding more codeshares with LCCs Jetstar Airways and Jetstar Asia flights. The two airline groups said that as of Dec. 9, members of Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty program will be able to earn miles and XP (experience points), as well as spend miles on Qantas flights. Flying Blue elite members will also have access to additional benefits, such as priority airport services and additional checked baggage allowance on Qantas flights.
LinkJetstar pilots call for strike after contract talks stallJetstar’s main pilots’ union has announced strikes this weekend following a stalemate in contract negotiations. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP), representing 80% of the Jetstar pilots, will hold four-hour strikes on both Dec. 14 and 15. Pilots will also refuse to work beyond their scheduled hours from Dec. 14-20.
LinkRussian fighter jets hindered Israel from striking military base in SyriaIsrael has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria but generally refrains from commenting on them. Russian fighter jets hindered Israel's air force from conducting strikes on a military base in Syria, a Russian outlet reported Monday.
According to the report, Israeli planes seeking to attack the Syrian Air Force T-4 base located in the Homs district were confronted over the weekend with the Russian Air Force's advanced Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft deployed to intercept them from the Khmeimim Air Base, operated by Russia, in the south-east of the city of Latakia.
LinkTen years after debut, can A400M sales take off?It has certainly taken a long time, but Airbus at last looks to be entering smoother air with its long-troubled A400M Atlas tactical transport. As the 10th anniversary of the European airlifter’s first flight passes on 11 December, the company finds itself at a literal tipping point. It has now delivered 85 of the turboprop-powered type – almost half way through its total orderbook of 174 examples for a combined eight nations.
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