All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 213
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NewsA320 close call at San Francisco highlighted NOTAM overload: ICAO forum
Overflight of a heavily-occupied taxiway by an Airbus A320 at San Francisco served as an illustration of the serious risks of overloading pilots with NOTAMs, an ICAO forum has heard, as the organisation initiates efforts to reduce unnecessary NOTAM information. The Air Canada jet’s crew, intending to land on runway ...
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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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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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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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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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NewsVinci secures concession for Manaus and other Brazilian airports
Seven Brazilian airports, including Manaus Eduardo Gomes, are to be operated by French firm Vinci Airports following a call for tenders by the South American state’s civil aviation regulator. Alongside the 30-year concession for Manaus the company has secured the management of six other northern airports at Porto Velho, Rio ...
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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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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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NewsEASA validates 737 Max 8-200 certification
European safety regulators have granted type certificate validation to the Boeing 737 Max 8-200, new high-density variant of the re-engined twinjet. In a certification document revision the European Union Aviation Safety Agency lists a validation date of 6 April, following US FAA certification on 31 March. The 8-200 has been ...
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NewsEtihad Airways conducts first scheduled Israeli flight
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has carried out its first scheduled flight to Israel, following the diplomatic normalisation agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Boeing 787-9 (A6-BLA) touched down on Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport’s runway 12 at about 12:20 after arriving from Abu Dhabi, via northern ...
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NewsAeroflot identifies initial routes for new Krasnoyarsk international hub
Russia’s Aeroflot Group is intending to open its new international hub at Krasnoyarsk in June, after the expansion was delayed by over a year by the air transport crisis. Aeroflot’s board has decided that the hub will open on 1 June with a summer schedule including flights to Sochi, Krasnodar, ...
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NewsPilots back global campaign to cut excessive NOTAM burden
Cockpit crew representatives are backing efforts to overhaul of the NOTAM system this year, claiming that the repository of aeronautical information has become cluttered, inefficient and burdensome. Some 1.7 million NOTAMs were published in 2020. Even though this was a 5% reduction on the previous year, as a result of ...
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NewsFlydubai fixes date for 737 Max re-introduction
Middle Eastern carrier Flydubai is intending to restart Boeing 737 Max flights on 8 April, following approval by United Arab Emirates regulators and updating of the fleet. Flydubai will operate the initial flight from Dubai to the Pakistani city of Sialkot, but the aircraft will subsequently be used for other ...
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NewsAirbus shapes A321XLR systems layout with low-tech and hi-tech mock-ups
One of the Airbus A321neo fuselage sections previously intended for delivery to South American operator LATAM has instead been supporting the A321XLR development programme as a system integration platform. Originally a standard A321LR centre and aft section, the fuselage of MSN8531 was withdrawn from the Hamburg Finkenwerder production line and ...