All 2019 year in review articles
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In depth2019 year in review
For the big aviation story of the year to be a crash is not so unusual; the history of flight has been punctuated by disaster. But there is no discussing 2019 without reference to Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
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In depthQantas takes a long shot with Project Sunrise
On 14 November, Qantas made the second of three research flights – under the ambit of its ambitious Project Sunrise – by flying a brand-new Boeing 787-9 from London to Sydney direct, carrying only 50 passengers and crew
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In depthVirgin Galactic gains its wings
It’s been a busy year for Virgin Galactic, the Richard Branson-led bid to shape the future of human spaceflight. After some 15 years in development marked by delays and two fatal accidents – one on the ground and one in flight – 2019 opened with the hangover of celebrations from ...
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In depthAirlines remain under pressure
Collective airline profits are likely to end 2019 still relatively high by the industry’s historical performance standards, if short of their more recent peaks. But several high-profile failures mean it feels like anything but a banner year for the sector.
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In depthChina flexes air power muscles
Beijing’s vast military parade on 1 October offered further insight into its thinking about how to keep enemies on the back foot in its near seas.
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In depthAll-new G700 is Gulfstream’s bigger, faster promise to regain business jet crown
The past year has been one in which Gulfstream fired back against competitors, launching an aircraft that is set to help the company regain its slot in the top echelon of the traditional business jet market. That, of course, is the G700, a large-cabin jet that Gulfstream launched at the ...
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In depthKC-46A inches forward, but foreign sales remain elusive
The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker programme got off to a bumpy start in 2019. Delivery stoppages because of foreign object debris and three category one deficiencies put the already-late programme on an even more delayed schedule.
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In depthMilestones of 2019
From the end of the Airbus A380 to the influence of Greta Thunberg, 2019 presented a shift in the way we fly and view the future of aerospace
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In depthSpaceJet programme’s star rises
This was to have been the year for Mitsubishi Aircraft’s SpaceJet programme, formerly known as the MRJ.
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In depthStructure of Boeing groans under Max stress test
Once there was an aircraft maker called Boeing that was admired worldwide as a leader in just about everything it did, hailed as the very model of an engineering-led company guided by a belief that aircraft should be flown by pilots, assisted by computers. For good measure, it was admired as a leader in commercial aircraft development and sales – and as a financial leader, both in annual profits and stock price gains.
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In depthSouth American aviation runs into headwinds
Social unrest, political upheaval and economic uncertainty continue to drag on South America’s airlines, even though the continent is considered one of the most underserved regions in the world in terms of air travel. Argentina, Brazil and Chile, the continent’s three major economic drivers, face a diverse set of challenges ...
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In depthRehabilitation drive sees H225 make gradual return to service
Arguably one of the success stories over the past 12 months has been Airbus Helicopters’ efforts to repurpose the H225 heavy-twin. Initially banished from the offshore transport market in the wake of an April 2016 crash in Turoy, Norway, the situation was then compounded by plummeting oil prices and consequent helicopter overcapacity: even if operators were prepared to bring their H225s back into service, there was no requirement to do so.
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AnalysisDo high-profile failures tell the airline story of 2019?
Collective airline profits are likely to end 2019 still relatively high by the industry’s historical performance standards, if short of their more recent peaks. But several high-profile failures mean it feels like anything but a banner year for the sector.
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In depth2019 airline year in review
A visual journey through some of the biggest airline stories from the past 12 months
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In depthKey airline CEO appointments in 2019
A visual record of some of this year’s key airline chief executive appointments