NewsIncidents/Accidents
Stowaway survives 11-hour flight to Amsterdam in wheel section of cargo plane
A 22-year-old man who was discovered hiding in the wheel section of a cargo plane at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Sunday survived an 11-hour flight, Dutch military police have said.
The stowaway, who police said is from Nairobi, Kenya, had been found in the nose wheel of a cargo plane that had flown from South Africa, said the military police, or Marechaussee, in a statement on Sunday.
He was "doing well under the circumstances and has been transported to the hospital," according to the statement.
On Monday, the Marechaussee said the man had applied for asylum.
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United flight 90 from Newark to Tel Aviva is forced to turn around after 2 passengers attempt to sneak into Business Class
United Airlines flight 90 from Newark to Tel Aviv with a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner was forced to return to EWR on Thursday after two passengers reportedly attempted to sneak into the business class section.
The pair became unruly when asked to show proof of their assigned seats by the flight attendants, according to Israeli news outlet N12.
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Qatar Airways releases video footage of Airbus A350 issues
As the row between Qatar Airways vs Airbus continues, Qatar’s flag carrier has released video footage showing the ‘airworthiness issues’ they have been experiencing with its A350 aircraft.
In a statement accompanying the video, Qatar Airways said: “As this video clearly shows, these defects are not superficial and one of the defects causes the aircraft’s lightning protection system to be exposed and damaged, another defect leaves the underlying composite structure exposed to moisture and ultraviolet light, and other defects include cracking in the composite and damage around a high percentage of rivets on the aircraft fuselage."
LinkCommercial
Russian MC-21-300 plane to be tested under low sub-zero temperatures in Yakutia
Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut Corporation has announced that it will conduct testing under sub-zero outside temperatures on its MC-21-300 prototype aircraft.
Testing will take place in Yakutsk, Russia. The manufacturer will perform trials of the MC-21-300 prototype passenger aircraft as part of the extension of the type certificate, which currently allows the aircraft to operate at air temperatures near the ground of minus 30 degrees Celsius.
According to a statement made by Irkut Corporation dated January 23, 2022, as Yakutia is one of the world’s coldest regions, it has the right climatic conditions for aviation equipment to be tested at low temperatures.
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Lessor Azorra orders 20 Embraer E2 aircraft worth $3.9B
Florida-based leading company Azorra has signed a deal to buy 20 new Embraer E2 aircraft, the Brazilian manufacturer said on January 24, 2022.
Under the terms of the agreement, Azorra may buy either E190 or E195 aircraft, with deliveries set to begin in 2023. The deal, worth $3.9 billion at list prices, also includes purchase rights for a further 30 aircraft.
“We thank Azorra again for their selection of the E2, after recently completing a sale leaseback transaction with Porter Airlines for five new E195-E2 aircraft,” Arjan Meijer, CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said in the statement.
Lessor Azorra already has 21 Embraer aircraft in its portfolio.
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Boeing invests $450M in self-flying electric air taxi firm Wisk
Boeing is to invest almost half a billion dollars into US self-flying electric air taxi developer Wisk.
Wisk, which describes itself as the developer of the “first all-electric, self-flying air taxi in the US”, said in a statement on January 24, 2022, that it has secured $450 million from Boeing.
The US aerospace and defense giant is also a strategic partner of Wisk, providing the air taxi company with its expertise.
The financing helps to make Wisk one of the “most well-funded” companies in the advanced air mobility space, Wisk added in the statement.
LinkAirlines
ITA Airways receives an Expression of Interest from MSC Group and Lufthansa
The Company announces that today it has received an Expression of Interest from the MSC Group and Lufthansa to acquire the majority of ITA Airways. The MSC Group has agreed with Lufthansa its participation in the partnership on terms to be defined during the Due Diligence.
Both the MSC Group and Lufthansa have expressed the wish that the Italian Government maintains a minority stake in the Company. Furthermore, the MSC Group and Lufthansa have requested 90 days of exclusivity to work on this Expression of Interest.
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Jeju Air to operate cargo flights to survive the COVID-19 pandemic
Jeju Air announced today it will operate cargo flights for the first time in order to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline currently operates 39 Boeing 737-800s.
Jeju Air operates 84 routes, including the Gimpo-Jeju route, the world’s most frequently traveled aviation route, and routes to 49 destinations in the Asia-Pacific, including Japan, China, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Guam, Saipan, Russia, and Laos. As of August 202, JejuAir is a 3,200-employee operation, with flights operating mainly out of Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport in Korea.
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Gol secures US $600 million in financing for fleet transformation
Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. , Brazil’s largest domestic airline, has closed a financing of up to US $600 million with Castlelake LP to finance the acquisition of new 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
The transaction will comprise 10 finance leases and two sale-leasebacks. The interest rate for the finance leases is approximately 6% p.a., which represents a reduction when compared to operating lease costs of existing aircraft in the fleet. The funds originated by the transaction will cover 100% of the acquisition cost of the new aircraft and provide resources that will be directed to obligations and return costs on GOL’s 737 NG aircraft. The Company expects to return up to 18 737 NG aircraft in 2022 and a total of 34 NG aircraft by year-end 2025, which is expected to further reduce unit costs.
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Raya Airways denies talks with AirAsia Group over acquisition deal
Malaysian air cargo airline Raya Airways has denied being in talks with AirAsia Group over a potential acquisition deal.
News about AirAsia Group intentions to acquire Raya Airways appeared on January 22, 2022.
Multiple media outlets have reported that AirAsia was considering purchasing the Subang Airport (SZB)-based cargo carrier. It was also alleged that AirAsia had initiated discussions with Raya’s top executives regarding a potential deal.
LinkMilitary
NATO deploys fighters to eastern Europe amid Russia-Ukraine tensions
The Royal Netherlands Air Force is deploying two fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Bulgaria. The Spanish Air Force will also send between five and seven Eurofighter Typhoons. The fighters will reinforce NATO's Air Policing missions over the Black Sea.
“Since Bulgaria does not have this type of capabilities and equipment, it is the solidarity of NATO member states that leads to the use of joint capabilities where possible and in accordance with the wishes of the respective countries,” Bulgarian Minister of Defense Stefan Yanev said.
In 2019, the Bulgarian Air Force ordered eight new F-16C/D Block 70 fighters to modernize its fleet. They have yet to be delivered.
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Aviation Quote
Good flying never killed [an enemy] yet.
- attributed to Major Edward 'Mick' Mannock, RAF, ranking British Empire fighter ace of W.W. I. 61 victories.
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General Trivia
1. There have been several British airplanes named after insects, such as the de Havilland Mosquito. How many American production airplanes have been named after insects?
2. Most pilots are familiar with the PBY, a twin-engine Consolidated Catalina flying boat used initially as a patrol bomber during World War II. What was a PBJ?
3. As any pilot who has studied a sectional chart knows, an RCO is a remote communications outlet used to communicate with distant facilities. What is a GCO?
4. What well-known civilian landplane may land with landing gear retracted during routine operations?
5. True or False, early Lear Jets have a "knife blade" down the center of the windshield. Its purpose is to dissect birds in flight.
6. True or False, After resigning from and selling his interest in TWA, Howard Hughes purchased another airline and named it after himself.
