Archive for August 2017
A Week of Ups and Downs for the Airbus A380
This week has certainly been a seesaw of a week for the Airbus A380. The current title holder for the world’s largest passenger aircraft saw both the good and the really ugly over the last seven days, leaving many to wonder what the future holds for “the whale.” Some Refreshed, Some Removed from Service Sydney-based…
Read MoreSwiss eyes narrow bodies for Africa
With Boeing and Airbus order books bulging with back orders for narrowbodies – aircraft of the B737 and A320 families dominate the market by sheer numbers –but they all usually end up in short- to medium-range sectors. Swiss, on the other hand, is mulling the possibility of flying A321s from its base in Zurich to…
Read MoreEmbraer: Demand for regional jets to surge
China will need 1,070 regional jets with 70 to 130 seats over the next 20 years, making it the third-largest regional aviation market after the United States and Europe, according to the latest report released on Tuesday by Brazil-based aircraft manufacturer Embraer SA. From 2017 to 2036, demand for regional jets in China will account…
Read MoreATR Continues To Dominate Commercial Turboprop Market
ATR 72-600 The large-turboprop market is essentially a duopoly between Toulouse-based ATR and Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, but unlike the seesaw competition between Airbus and Boeing, it is one in which the European manufacturer has a clear advantage. ATR, jointly owned by Airbus and Leonardo of Italy, has a backlog of 250 aircraft—mostly for the 68-78-seat…
Read MoreIran Offers Huge Market for Narrow-Body Jets
The Airbus A320 family accounts for most of the narrow-body jets Iranian airlines have ordered in the past two years I ranian airlines are placing massive orders for short- to medium-haul passenger planes, indicating Iran is a huge market for narrow-body jets. So far, Boeing and Airbus have been the frontrunners, taking advantage of the…
Read MoreLilium Brings On Talent From Tesla, Airbus, & Gett To Build On-Demand Air Taxi
The futuristic dream of ‘air taxis’ has taken another step closer to becoming a reality. Every day, the race to create a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), all-electric vehicle is heating up. We recently announced how DeLorean Aerospace are moving forward with their own vehicle, and in our flying car guide we highlight some of…
Read MoreEASA Issues Emergency AD to Prevent Possible A350 Explosion
EASA has issued an emergency airworthiness directive aimed at preventing the Airbus A350 from experiencing overheating of hydraulic fluid, leading to possible explosion. The manufacturer has also issued a major event revision of the A350 Master Minimum Equipment List, EASA said. “Recently, an overheat failure mode of the A350 hydraulic engine-driven pump has been found,”…
Read MoreThe World’s Longest Flight Is Coming
Pretty much everyone prefers a nonstop flight—business people, especially. And they are more likely than most to be in a position to afford the premium. But right now, all the money in the world won’t get you from Sydney to the Big Apple or U.K. without a pit stop, because commercial planes just don’t have…
Read MoreAnother airline says goodbye to the Boeing 747 passenger jet
Another airline has said its final goodbye to the Boeing 747 passenger jet. That come Monday as Taiwan-based EVA Air retired its last passenger version of the jumbo jet in Taipei. Throngs of aviation enthusiasts gathered in Hong Kong to join the airplane for its final flight to EVA’s Taipei headquarters. Pressed against the glass,…
Read MoreRyanair boss O’Leary predicts Europe will only have five airlines in five years time future
RYANAIR CEO Michael O’Leary has said Europe will only have five airlines in the near future – as he considers buying German carrier Air Berlin. Speaking to Reuters , Mr O’Leary said he would be interested in bidding for the insolvent German carrier, but Ryanair needs access to more data on the airline’s finances. Air…
Read MoreUnited Airlines’ top pilot has a lot to say about perceived pilot shortage
United Airlines Capt. Todd Insler, head of the Chicago-based airline’s powerful pilots union, is upset about what he would undoubtedly classify as “fake news” about the nation’s airline industry — namely all the talk in recent months about an alleged shortage of commercial airline pilots in the United States. The perceived shortage would seem to…
Read MoreBoeing expects India to be a $290 billion market over next 20 yrs
Boeing is predicting India’s civil aviation market will need 2,100 new airplanes over the next 20 years, creating a $290 billion opportunity for jet makers. Chicago-based Boeing released the new numbers as part of its annual current market outlook for India during a recent aerospace briefing in Delhi. “Commercial aerospace demand in India continues to…
Read MoreFirst U.S. Built A320 Takes Flight from Mobile
Another important milestone for the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile took place Tuesday morning. Photo Courtesy: Airbus Photo Courtesy: Airbus The first flight of the first A320 to be produced in the U.S. flew for the first time from Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley this morning says Airbus in a press release. The flight lasted…
Read MoreIran selecting financiers for 200 jets: New Iran Air CEO
Iran is in the process of selecting financiers for the purchase of 200 new passenger aircraft from among many domestic and foreign companies which have submitted their proposals to Iran Air, the new CEO of the national airline Farzaneh Sharafbafi said Tuesday. Sharafbafi became the first Iranian woman in July to take the helm at…
Read More‘Important’ evidence erased after Air Canada jet’s near miss at San Francisco airport
The cockpit voice recording from an Air Canada flight that nearly collided with several planes on a busy taxiway at San Francisco International Airport in July has been erased and experts say it could have been critical to the investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement released August 2 that the incident…
Read MoreWould you fly in a pilotless commercial plane if it meant a cheaper airline ticket?
The world’s aviation industry will need to train and deploy more than 600,000 new pilots over the next 20 years. But, then again, the industry might be operating fleets of commercial jets flown by remote control. Those are the seemingly contradictory outlooks described in separate reports by aerospace giant Boeing and Swiss banking powerhouse UBS…
Read MoreRelatives gather to mark anniversary of 1985 JAL disaster
Relatives of the victims of the 1985 Japan Airlines jetliner crash on Saturday commemorated the 32nd anniversary of the world’s deadliest single-aircraft accident that claimed the lives of 520 crew and passengers. Relatives climbed to the Boeing 747’s crash site on Osutaka Ridge in Gunma Prefecture to mourn their loved ones lost in the accident.…
Read MoreAviator family’s 100 years of flights together
Crisp whites, peak caps, flight bags, four stripes on their shoulders and the love for flying are the constants for three generations of Bhasins. Five members of the family have nearly 100 years of flying between them. The grandfather and the pioneer in the family, Captain Jai Dev Bhasin, was among the first seven pilots…
Read MoreSingapore Airlines’ new Airbus A380 may not fly until early 2018
Singapore Airlines’ newest Airbus A380s – with all-new first class suites and business class seats – might not begin flying until as late as March 2018, the airline has confirmed to Australian Business Traveller . The superjumbo was previously hoped to take wing in October 2017, in time to mark the 10th anniversary of the…
Read MoreAirbus, Boeing court Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS) is looking to buy up to 30 new Airbus A330neo or Boeing 787 jets, with representatives of both aircraft manufacturers courting the national flag-carrier over a sale worth as high as US$7 billion, based on list prices. The order could be preceded by lease agreements for up to a dozen used…
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