All air transport news – Page 366
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NewsLatest Il-96-300 conducts maiden flight from Voronezh
United Aircraft has conducted the maiden flight of the latest production Ilyushin Il-96-300, an aircraft which will be delivered to the Russian government as a special operations platform. The four-engined jet – registered RA-96024 and fitted with Aviadvigatel PS-90A powerplants – lifted off from the Voronezh facility of airframer VASO ...
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NewsUS carriers remove some 737 Max from service due to ‘power control unit’ issue
American, Southwest and United have pulled some of their Boeing 737 Max jets from revenue service due to an issue related to the type’s “back-up power control unit”.
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NewsSlip in Airbus order total illustrates 12-month impact of crisis
Analysis of Airbus backlog data over the year since the onset of the air transport crisis shows the airframer’s overall orders fell during the period, an extraordinary contrast to its strong annual performances over the previous decade. Airbus’s order total had risen each year by an average of over 1,000 ...
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NewsBoeing urges 737 Max electric fix prior to further flight
Boeing is urging 16 operators of 737 Max jets to address an electrical system concern before further operating the aircraft.
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NewsUnited Engine tests ‘spaceplane’ pulse-detonation demonstrator
Russian powerplant specialist United Engine has carried out initial testing of a pulse-detonation rocket motor which has potential application to orbital spaceplanes or hypersonic aircraft. Pulse-detonation propulsion combusts fuel and oxidizer using detonation waves, with relatively few mechanical moving parts, offering a more efficient thermodynamic cycle than conventional gas turbines. ...
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AnalysisCheap jet lease rates mean opportunity for bold US start-ups
The Covid-19 era has also created opportunity by deflating aircraft lease rates to levels at which new players can acquire jets at fire-sale prices, say aerospace analysts.
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NewsBelavia starts 737 fleet renewal with delivery of first Max
Belarusian flag-carrier Belavia has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max, one of five of the re-engined type intended for the airline’s fleet. The Max 8 aircraft (EW-528PA) arrived in Minsk on 8 April, having flown from Seattle via Reykjavik. It was acquired through US lessor Air Lease under ...
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NewsAirbus reveals order for 20 A220s
Airbus has revealed that an undisclosed customer has ordered 20 A220-300s, while lessor Avolon has signed for eight A320neo-family jets. The agreements in March bring the airframer’s gross order figure to 39 aircraft for the first quarter of this year. But cancellation of eight single-aisle jets – five A320neos and ...
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NewsTUI 737 weight incident traced to ‘Miss’ interpretation of female passengers
Investigators have traced a take-off weight error on a TUI Airways Boeing 737-800 to a flaw introduced to a reservations system by international differences in the manner that female passengers are addressed. The reservations system had been upgraded during a period in which TUI Airways operations were suspended as a ...
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NewsAirbus to test laser-based communications on airborne platform
Airbus is aiming to integrate a laser-based communications demonstrator on an aircraft for flight testing by the middle of next year. The project, known as UltraAir, is intended to demonstrate high-speed data rate communications with geostationary satellites. Airbus and the Dutch applied scientific research organisation TNO will jointly design and ...
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NewsCanada’s PAL Airlines to expand to 11 cities this summer
Canadian regional carrier PAL Airlines will expand its network this summer to include 11 new destinations in eastern Canada.
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NewsPresident Biden talks of supersonic travel within 10 years
President Joe Biden has raised the prospect that supersonic civil aircraft might be crossing the world’s skies within the next 10 years.
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NewsA350 to be converted into Lufthansa’s latest atmospheric research platform
One of Lufthansa’s Airbus A350-900s is undergoing an extensive conversion programme, being fitted with equipment to enable the twinjet to operate as the carrier’s latest climate research platform. The aircraft (D-AIXJ) was delivered to the German flag-carrier three years ago, in May 2018. Lufthansa says it will be transformed into ...
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NewsNTSB again calls for cockpit video recorders
The US National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) long-running quest to have video cameras installed in aircraft cockpits continues, with the agency again recommending that regulators require the recorders.
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NewsUPS takes options to purchase 150 eVTOLs from Vermont manufacturer Beta
Express package delivery company UPS has acquired options to buy up to 150 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Vermont-based developer Beta Technologies, with deliveries planned to start in 2024.
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NewsMC-21 back in Moscow after completing natural icing tests
Source: United Aircraft Flight-test aircraft 73051 was transferred to Arkhangelsk for the natural icing tests
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NewsA380 caused conflicts after wrong turn during go-around
Pilots of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 incorrectly acted on a turn instruction during a go-around at Sydney, turning left instead of right and creating conflicts involving other traffic, investigators have determined. The aircraft (9V-SKQ) had aborted an ILS approach to runway 16R at about 1,000ft owing to windshear, as ...
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NewsAirbus switching A320neo family from mechanical to electronic rudder control
Airbus is aiming to replace the mechanical rudder controls on A320neo-family aircraft, switching to a full electric rudder system by early 2024. The modification will coincide with the entry into service of the long-range A321XLR which is being developed with the ‘E-rudder’ architecture in mind. While the initial delivery had ...
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NewsRyanair plays down ‘optimistic’ analysts’ forecasts for 2021 performance
Irish budget carrier Ryanair is playing down analysts’ expectations over financial performance for the 2021-22 full year, despite trimming its loss forecast for 2020-21. Ryanair says it “does not share the recent optimism of certain analysts”, stating that it believes the outcome for 2021-22 is “currently close to break-even”. But ...
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NewsVietnam allows airspace permission for 737 Max
Vietnam has given the green light for the Boeing 737 Max to transit through its airspace, but stopped short of an outright approval for the type’s return to service.