Archive for March 2017
Embraer Shows Boeing, Airbus and Other Big Boys How it’s Done
Following the fortunes of Boeing and Airbus , you could be forgiven for thinking that aircraft manufacturers always run late, over budget, and the resulting end product can struggle to meet initial expectations. But Brazil’s Embraer , the world’s third-largest commercial jet maker, has shown with its next generation narrow body regional aircraft, the E-2…
Read MoreChallenge to Boeing, Airbus: China-made passenger jet C919 passes assessment for maiden flight
A single-aisle passenger jet that is being built by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China is set for its first test flight by the end of next month, according to Philippe Petitcolin, chief executive officer of Safran SA, an aircraft engine maker. China’s first homegrown large passenger plane has passed a major technical assessment, bringing…
Read MoreZimbabwe government continues to hunt
GOVERNMENT continues to hunt for a technical partner for national flag carrier Air Zimbabwe, which is saddled with a US$334 million debt, despite recent setbacks in attracting a suitor. Nine airlines – among them Ethiopian Airlines, Angolan Airlines, Boeing, Emirates – have either been engaged or expressed interest in a partnership. Until recently, Air Zimbabwe…
Read MoreRichard Branson celebrates Virgin Atlantic’s entry to Seattle market, tears into Alaska Air
A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner touched down Monday afternoon at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, bringing entrepreneur Richard Branson to town for a celebration of Virgin Atlantic’s entrance into the Seattle market. But he also used the visit to tear into Alaska Air Group, which announced last week it would retire the Virgin America brand in the next…
Read MoreAirbus to run parcel-delivery drone trial in Singapore
AVIATION giant Airbus said it will reveal more details “in the coming months” about an unmanned parcel-delivery drone trial in Singapore, one that could be extended to transporting passengers too. Its comments come a day after the city-state’s Ministry of Transport told The Business Times that it is talking to some firms about trying out…
Read MoreBoeing sets date for first 787-10 flight from North Charleston
Boeing Co. has set a date for taking its first 787-10 on its first check ride. The company announced Wednesday that it plans to fly the North Charleston-made jet on March 31, subject to favorable weather conditions and other factors. The event will be broadcast live on www.boeing.com. The jet made a splashy public debut…
Read MoreChina-made passenger jet passes assessment for maiden flight
China’s first homegrown large passenger plane has passed a major technical assessment, bringing it closer to its maiden flight as the Communist giant seeks to challenge the dominance of western aviation giants like Boeing and Airbus in the global market. An evaluation committee consisting 63 aviation specialists from across China has agreed that the C919…
Read MoreEASA Issues Four Airbus A320 Family Proposed ADs
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued four proposed airworthiness directives (PAD) March 20-21 for the Airbus A320 family. According to Aviation Week’s Fleet Discovery , there are about 2,000 aircraft owned and leased by European operators. The top five operators are EasyJet, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France and Vueling Airlines. This excludes Turkish Airlines…
Read MoreIs JetBlue Ready to Dump Its Smallest Planes?
In 2003, JetBlue Airways shocked industry observers by ordering Embraer ‘s new 100-seat E190 jet. This departed from the accepted wisdom that low-cost carriers should stick to operating a single aircraft type in order to keep costs down. (JetBlue primarily flies Airbus A320-family aircraft.) As many pundits had predicted, JetBlue‘s decision to add the E190…
Read MoreDale Felix forged nearly 40-year career as test pilot
By the time Dale Felix retired as an experimental test pilot, he had accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours in 60 different aircraft. He began his career with Boeing, where he was most notably a B-52 bomber experimental test pilot, and ended it at the Federal Aviation Administration as an aircraft certification test pilot. In…
Read More‘Bright future for Boeing in Asean region’
(File pix) Boeing Co’s senior vice-president of sales (Asia Pacific and India) Dr Dinesh A. Keskar said the demand for commercial airplanes was projected to be worth a total of US$565 billion (RM2.5 trillion) in the next two decades. Pix by Rosela Ismail LANGKAWI: Boeing Co believes that its business in Southeast Asia will continue…
Read MoreAlaska Air: Virgin America name will disappear, ‘likely’ in 2019
Alaska Airlines’ name will live on; Virgin America’s will not. Alaska Airlines announced Wednesday it will drop the name and logo of the merger partner it acquired late last year. Virgin America will be phased out, “likely sometime in 2019,” Alaska Air said in a statement. Instead, the combined carrier “will adopt many of the…
Read MoreHow to make easy headlines with a jet electric
The Wright One jet electric, in dream form There is nothing not to like about an all electric short haul 150 seat jet providing emissions free flight within 10 years, apart from the chasm between concept and entry into service. Such a proposal, claiming the ‘interest’ of the large and very successful low cost Euro…
Read MoreWidebody Airbus or Boeing jetliners a target for Malaysia Airlines
A Malaysia Airlines plane comes in to land at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur. The carrier wants to boost its fleet of large passenger jets. Mohd Rasfan / AFP Malaysia Airlines is looking to lease widebody planes to boost its network from next year and will make a decision on…
Read MorePrivate Jet Flipped Over in Wake Turbulence From Airbus A380: Reports
A small private jet was flipped over in midair and plunged 10,000 feet after being caught in the wake turbulence from a passing Airbus A380 superjumbo, according to reports. One person aboard the Bombardier Challenger 604 reportedly suffered serious injuries in the accident, which is being investigated by aviation authorities. Erez Lichtfeld / Sipa via…
Read MoreEmbraer presents E195-E2
That means a 24% improvement in fuel burn per seat compared to the current generation E195 and a “plethora of new city pairs airlines can address”, Slattery said, adding, “This is [an Embraer] aircraft that low-priced carriers will for the first time look at in a very serious fashion …” In single class configuration it…
Read MoreEmbraer Legacy 450 sets speed records between California, Hawaii
Embraer’s Legacy 450 mid-light business jet set speed records on its recent flights between California and Hawaii, according to the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). The Hawaii trip was a first for both the aircraft and the passengers from Calgary-based AirSprint, which operates Canada’s largest fractional aircraft fleet and was the Canadian launch customer for the…
Read MoreIs this the future of personal transport in big cities?
The Geneva Motor Show has been the place to see the latest innovations in automotive technology since 1905. To no-one’s surprise, the 87th show has been awash with autonomous and zero-emissions offerings from the biggest names in the global car industry. Less predictable was the preview of a self-driving zero-emissions flying car concept. Designed by…
Read MoreWHAT AILS NEO ENGINES? DGCA ORDERS PROBE
Indigo, Go Air asked to conduct in-depth inspections of 21 such aircraft they own. Following 42 incidents of engine failure of Airbus 320 Neo aircraft being reported globally, including two in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked Indigo and Go Air to conduct detailed inspections of the 21 such aircraft in…
Read MoreIstanbul New Airport terminal construction 95 pct complete
The countdown for the opening of Istanbul’s third airport, known as Istanbul New Airport, has started. About 95 percent of the construction of the terminal building has been completed; elevators and escalators have been installed in some sections and installation of the facade and roof has commenced. The rough construction of the Air Traffic Control…
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