All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 118
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NewsCatania airport faces traffic constraints after terminal fire
Operations at Catania airport are likely to be constrained for several days after a fire at Terminal A forced a reduction in services. Terminal A is likely to remain closed for another five days, following the fire on the evening of 16 July, according to Italian civil aviation regulator ENAC. ...
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NewsUAV cargo specialist Dronamics granted IATA and ICAO designators
European cargo drone operator Dronamics is claiming to be the first such carrier to have been granted IATA and ICAO designator codes, as it prepares to embark on commercial services. Dronamics has been allocated the ‘OY’ designator by IATA and ‘DXE’ by ICAO, along with the callsign ‘Black Swan’. The ...
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NewsLondon Heathrow to replace and enhance virtual back-up control tower
London Heathrow is to establish a new back-up control tower which will become operational in 2025, and replace an older facility. The airport already has an off-site virtual tower back-up – implemented in 2009 – which serves to recreate the hub’s main control tower, and provide operations up to 70% ...
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NewsChinese Y-12F commuter turboprop secures European certification
Chinese manufacturer Harbin Aircraft’s Y-12F commuter transport has secured European certification, seven years after obtaining US approval. The Y-12F is a 19-seat high-wing twin-turboprop, a development of the Y-12 which first flew over four decades ago – although the latest variant differs substantially from the original. It is powered by ...
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NewsEmirates aims to cut catering waste with pre-order service
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is aiming to cut food waste by offering a pre-order service for on-board catering. The airline is to introduce the service initially in the business-class cabin on flights between Dubai and the three main London airports from 25 July. It will enable passengers to select meal ...
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NewsWillis Lease Finance to participate in UK sustainable-fuel refinery development
Leasing firm Willis Lease Finance Corporation is among the participants in an initiative to develop a new sustainable aviation fuel refinery at Teesside in the UK. The power-to-liquid refinery would convert feedstock from industrial waste, using green hydrogen from renewable electricity, into aircraft fuel. Tees Valley Combined Authority says it ...
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NewsRoyal Air Maroc sets out ambitious plan for fleet of 200 aircraft
Royal Air Maroc has outlined plans to expand its fleet to 200 aircraft over the next 15 years, under a partnership programme with the country’s government. The programme covers the period to 2037. The carrier signed an agreement with the Moroccan prime minister, Aziz Akhannouch, on 11 July in Rabat, ...
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NewsEnvironmental airline start-up plans to retrofit turboprops with hydrogen-electric engines
Entrepreneurs behind environmental ventures in the UK are aiming to set up a Scottish-based carrier operating turboprops powered by hydrogen-electric engines. The would-be carrier, branded Ecojet, aims to use 70-seat and 19-seat aircraft types, retrofitted with the necessary powertrains. It has indicated that De Havilland Dash 8-400s and DHC-6 Twin ...
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NewsAvia Solutions to build UK charter carrier after acquiring business jet operator
Irish-based Avia Solutions Group has purchased a UK operator, Synergy Aviation, as it continues its expansion strategy of investing in carriers. Synergy Aviation – which has a base at Fairoaks airport, some 15km southwest of London Heathrow – is to be rebranded as Ascend Airways. According to the UK Civil ...
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NewsNigerian regulator urges tighter refuelling procedures after water-contamination incidents
Nigerian regulators are urging tighter adherence to refuelling procedures, over concerns centred on water contamination incidents. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority states that it has been receiving mandatory occurrence reports from carriers relating to water being found in fuel tanks. These include a “recent” event in which a “significant amount” ...
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NewsCleared-to-land Ryanair 737 crew warned tower about occupied Porto runway
Portuguese investigators have disclosed that a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 crew on approach to Porto warned air traffic control that the runway was still occupied despite having received landing clearance. The incident on 26 June occurred after an Azores Airlines Airbus A321neo was authorised to line up, behind landing traffic on ...
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NewsTurkey’s Pegasus agrees to take another 36 A321neos
Turkish budget carrier Pegasus Airlines has disclosed an agreement to take another 36 firm Airbus A321neo twinjets. The airline says it is amending an agreement originally reached in 2012 and subsequently updated three times to cover 114 aircraft. These aircraft comprised 72 A321neos – of which 30 had been delivered ...
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NewsCologne research centre analyses hydrogen combustion under realistic engine conditions
German aerospace laboratory DLR has carried out trials of hydrogen combustion under realistic aircraft engine operating conditions, through a European Union research programme. DLR has been co-operating with US powerplant manufacturer General Electric on the combustion of 100% hydrogen in engines. GE Aerospace supplied a new system designed for direct ...
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NewsNigeria’s Max Air forced to suspend 737 operations pending safety audit
Nigerian authorities have suspended the Boeing 737 operations of Max Air over safety concerns with the carrier. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority says the suspension takes “immediate effect”. Max Air’s fleet includes six 737s – a mix of -300s and -400s – alongside Boeing 747-400s and a 777-200, according to ...
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NewsEASA highlights importance of operator data to check crew response assumptions
Europe’s safety regulator is stressing the need to strengthen operators’ systematic reporting to aircraft manufacturers, or other design approval holders, regarding occurrences involving human intervention. Airframers make assumptions about expected crew behaviour in order to demonstrate compliance with certification criteria, says the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. But in order ...
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NewsThunderstorms and heavy rain present during LATAM A321 excursion in Brazil
Brazilian investigators are probing a runway excursion involving a LATAM Airlines Airbus A321 during landing at Florianopolis on 12 July. The aircraft, operated by LATAM’s Brazilian division, had been conducting the LA3300 service from Sao Paulo but suffered a “lateral deviation” after landing on runway 32, according to the airline. ...
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NewsEl Al faces potential $40m claim over pricing of group bookings
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has disclosed that it is facing potential legal action centred on claims that its ticketing system unfairly charged higher fares for multiple purchases. El Al says the class action – which features a damage calculation of 147 million shekels ($40 million) – has been filed with ...
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NewsUnresolved Citation jet’s air-data fault preceded serious airprox with E170
French investigators have revealed that a Cessna Citation 525 crew’s uncertainty over the jet’s altitude, owing to an air data problem, preceded a serious airprox incident involving a Hop Embraer 170 early last year. The inquiry found that a fault in the captain’s air-data system had occurred three times over ...
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NewsGreen Africa gradually expands fleet with European ATR lease
Fledgling operator Green Africa is expanding its turboprop fleet with an ATR 72-500 damp-leased from specialist Jump Air. Green Africa, based in the Nigerian city of Lagos, commenced services on local routes just under two years ago. It says it has agreed a partnership with Lithuanian charter carrier Jump Air, ...
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NewsThales expands avionics line by acquiring Cobham radio and satcom arm
French aerospace firm Thales has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire cockpit radio and satcom specialist Cobham Aerospace Communications for around $1.1 billion. Cobham Aerospace Communications – also known as AeroComms – is based in Paris, and has 690 personnel with annual revenues of $200 million. Thales says it aims to ...