All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 224
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NewsThree landing jets ‘narrowly’ missed stepladder left on Birmingham runway
UK investigators have disclosed that three aircraft landing at Birmingham airport in darkness narrowly missed a large ladder which had fallen from a maintenance vehicle in the touchdown zone of runway 33. The A-frame ladder, about 2.2m in length, had fallen from a pick-up truck, probably during a sudden acceleration, ...
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NewsSmartwings starts returning 737 Max to service
Czech carrier Smartwings is starting to put its Boeing 737 Max fleet back into service, following European recertification of the twinjet. Smartwings carried out a 1h verification flight with an initial aircraft (OK-SWE) at Prague on 24 February, and completed its first commercial flight with a 737 Max since its ...
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NewsA321XLR's rear fuel tank demands special fire-protection conditions
Airbus’s A321XLR will be subject to special conditions proposed for the aircraft’s integrated rear centre tank, intended to ensure adequate protection from fire. The large 12,900-litre centre tank, located in the aft hold of the twinjet, will contain the fuel necessary for the aircraft to achieve its extended range. Airbus ...
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NewsSAS poised to re-open European summer routes if restrictions ease
Scandinavian operator SAS is preparing to re-open 180 routes for the summer within the Nordic region and Europe, believing that vaccination programmes are set to ease travel restrictions. The airline is continuing to suffer heavily from the air transport crisis, turning in a pre-tax loss of SKr1.94 billion ($234 million) ...
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NewsIncorrectly-set radio preceded serious Q400 runway incursion
Regional operator QantasLink has reviewed procedures at non-controlled airports to improve communication, after a Bombardier Q400 entered and taxied along an active runway, forcing a landing light aircraft to execute a go-around. Investigators found the Q400 crew had been under time and workload pressure before the departure from Gladstone airport ...
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NewsInfluential Lufthansa Group shareholder Thiele dies
German entrepreneur Heinz-Hermann Thiele has died, a year after he emerged as a substantial shareholder in Lufthansa Group and threatened to reject a crucial bail-out for the airline company. Thiele was the majority shareholder and deputy chair of rail and commercial vehicle systems supplier Knorr-Bremse. The company says he “passed ...
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NewsEx-Flybe Q400 arrives at Conair base for firefighting modification
Canada’s Conair Group has received the first in a batch of former Flybe Bombardier Q400s due for conversion into aerial firefighters. The turboprop – registered G-KKEV, and originally delivered to the UK operator in 2008 – is one of 11 acquired by Conair for the modification, following the collapse of ...
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NewsScottish government selects preferred bidder for Prestwick airport
Scotland’s cabinet secretary for transport has disclosed that a preferred bidder has been chosen for Glasgow Prestwick airport. Michael Matheson was responding to a question in parliament on 23 February regarding progress on returning the airport to the private sector. The government acquired the airport from New Zealand’s Infratil in ...
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NewsConfident Jazeera outlines plans to double fleet by 2025
Kuwaiti carrier Jazeera Airways is looking to double its fleet over the next four to five years, confident that it has the resources to recover from the air transport crisis despite the heavy financial impact on its operations. Jazeera has turned in a full-year net loss of KD26.4 million ($87.3 ...
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NewsLithuanian start-up carrier Heston ties up with lessor Genesis
Irish-based lessor Genesis is supporting the establishment of a new Lithuanian charter and wet-lease carrier, Heston Airlines, in co-operation with consolidated aircraft trading and maintenance firm Heston Aviation. Heston Airlines is applying for a European air operator’s certificate and has obtained an initial Airbus A320, configured with 180 seats. Chief ...
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NewsEASA shapes certification basis for Liberty ‘flying car’ gyroplane
European safety authorities have finalised a certification basis for a convertible roadworthy rotorcraft, the PAL-V Liberty gyroplane, enabling its developer to accelerate compliance demonstration. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency says the certification specifications for rotorcraft are aimed primarily at helicopters and are “not fully adequate” to prescribe a basis ...
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NewsUK bans operations with PW4000-powered 777s
UK regulators have imposed a ban on operating Boeing 777s fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engines until protective action is carried out, following the powerplant failure on a United Airlines 777-200 over Denver. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says it is taking the “precautionary measure” until “appropriate safeguards” are ...
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NewsUrgent checks ordered on Bell 505 collectives after pre-flight fracture
Operators of Bell 505 helicopters are being ordered urgently to inspect collective sticks on the type for cracks, after an incident in which the assembly fractured on an aircraft during pre-flight checks. Collective sticks are mounted to the left of each pilot’s seat and control the pitch of the helicopter’s ...
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NewsDutch probe shedding of 747 freighter engine parts over Maastricht
Dutch investigators have opened an initial probe into an incident in which a Boeing 747-400 freighter apparently shed engine parts after departure from Maastricht. The aircraft had “engine problems” and lost several metal parts after it took off from Maastricht-Aachen airport on 20 February, before diverting to Liege, says the ...
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NewsS7 Airlines takes delivery of its first 737-800 converted freighter
Russian carrier S7 Airlines has taken delivery of the first of a pair of Boeing 737-800 converted freighters. The aircraft are being leased to the airline by GECAS. Freight division S7 Cargo will take responsibility for commercial management of the 737-800BCF aircraft’s capacity. The first aircraft (VP-BEN) was transferred to ...
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NewsA320 veered off runway as late hydraulic failure 'surprised' pilots
Pilots of an Airbus A320 were caught out by a hydraulic failure as the aircraft landed at Burgas, their reaction leading the twinjet to veer off the runway and come to rest on rough ground. Operating for Smartwings, the Greek-registered Orange2Fly aircraft had suffered a leak in its green hydraulic ...
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NewsAirbus details progress with workforce reduction programme
Airbus estimates that 7,500 personnel remain subject to the manufacturer’s restructuring plan, which involves substantially reducing its workforce, particularly in the air transport sector. The airframer says that, as of 31 December 2020, these included some 6,100 personnel in the commercial aircraft division. Airbus originally intended to cut around 15,000 ...
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NewsAirbus encouraged by rising export-credit support for deliveries
Airbus is encouraged by evidence of increasing engagement with export-credit agencies to support aircraft deliveries. Chief financial officer Dominik Asam, speaking during an 18 February briefing, said the airframer was trying to “resuscitate” export-credit financing, stating that the proportion of deliveries with such support has risen to 10% from 2% ...
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NewsAirbus strives for break-even on A220 and low-rate twin-aisles
Airbus is intending to achieve break-even on its twin-aisle programmes at the reduced rate of production, while it acknowledges that a shift in demand mix puts increased pressure on its loss-making A220 lines.
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NewsAirbus brings year-end inventory level below 2019 figure
Airbus brought its inventory figure down to €30.4 billion at the end of 2020, below the previous year-end level of €31.5 billion. The inventory figure had sharply increased over the course of the year, reaching €37.5 billion during the first half, as deferrals and delivery difficulties meant Airbus experienced a ...