All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 232
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NewsRossiya sets up pilot corps to prepare for Superjet 100 operations
Russian carrier Rossiya has established a new flight unit which will second pilots from parent Aeroflot Group to operate Sukhoi Superjet 100s on its network. Rossiya uses a mix of Boeing 747s and 777s for its long-haul services, as well as Boeing 737s and Airbus A320-family jets for short-haul operations. ...
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NewsGovernment defends public funding of SAA rescue plan
South Africa’s government has defended its R10.5 billion ($640 million) funding of South African Airways’ rescue plan, insisting that the financing will help finalise the restructuring and assist the selection of a strategic equity partner. It is dismissing criticism of the plan from the Democratic Alliance, its political opposition, claiming ...
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NewsAirbus delivers first A330-800s with handover to Kuwait Airways
Airbus has delivered its first A330-800s, both aircraft being handed over to Middle Eastern operator Kuwait Airways. The -800 is the smaller of the two A330neo family members. Kuwait Airways had ordered eight of the twinjets, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, in late 2018 as part of a deal ...
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NewsAirbus acknowledges ‘white-tails’ among inventory of stored aircraft
Airbus has acknowledged that its inventory of undelivered aircraft includes a number of ‘white-tails’, but stresses that the proportion is relatively small. The airframer put the undelivered total at 135 by the end of September, down from 145 at the end of June, although it has not specified the extent ...
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NewsAirbus shifts timeline for potential A320neo ramp-up to third quarter 2021
Airbus has shifted the timeframe for a potential ramp-up of single-aisle production to the beginning of the third quarter of 2021. Speaking during a third-quarter briefing, Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury said the airframer had “pushed to the right” the possible starting point to raise production – from the second ...
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NewsAirbus cuts undelivered aircraft to 135 as production converges
Airbus has reduced to about 135 the number of aircraft it has been unable to deliver as a result of the air transport crisis. The airframer insists it has managed, over the third quarter, to achieve convergence between production and deliveries. Airbus recorded €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) in charges over ...
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NewsKLM Cityhopper seeks EASA backing for virtual-reality pilot training
KLM’s regional Cityhopper division is exploring whether it can obtain European safety authority certification for virtual-reality pilot training. The regional operator is interested in pursuing European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval for the training, which will initially complement its regular training programmes. Cityhopper says the virtual-reality scheme could then start ...
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NewsSouth Africans urged to boycott SAA over government bailout
South African citizens are being urged to boycott flag-carrier South African Airways by an anti-maladministration organisation which focuses on the country’s state-owned enterprises. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has sharply criticised the South African finance ministry’s bailout of SAA in its mid-term budget, after months of uncertainty over the sourcing ...
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NewsPoor communication led Finnair flight attendant to fall from mobile stairs
Finnish investigators have determined that poor communication regarding signals to ground vehicles led a flight attendant to fall from a mobile staircase as it pulled away from a Finnair Airbus A320. The flight attendant was seriously injured in the 3.5m fall at Helsinki Vantaa airport on 13 January. Finland’s Safety ...
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NewsFinance minister castigated as state bails out SAA
South African Airways is to be allocated R10.5 billion ($642 million) to implement its business rescue plan, the country’s finance minister has disclosed in a speech to parliament. Tito Mboweni outlined the funding in a medium-term budget policy statement on 28 October. He said that R10.5 billion would be assigned ...
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NewsParis CDG passenger numbers sneak ahead of London Heathrow’s
Under the exceptional circumstances of the air transport crisis, Paris Charles de Gaulle airport has overtaken London Heathrow as the primary European hub. Charles de Gaulle handled almost 19.3 million passengers in the first nine months of 2020, according to figures from operator Groupe ADP, down 66.8%. London Heathrow’s total ...
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NewsFinnair ratchets up long-term savings as nine-month loss reaches €450m
Finnair is again hiking its target for permanent cost savings from 2022, raising it to €140 million ($165 million) from the previous level of €100 million. It had already increased the target in August, lifting it from the original figure of €80 million. The Nordic carrier disclosed the change as ...
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NewsTurkish Airlines agrees amended delivery schedule for Airbus orders
Turkish Airlines has undertaken a restructuring of its fleet plans, agreeing with Airbus to reschedule a number of deliveries. The carrier adds that it has “adapted the overall outstanding orders”, taking into account operational and financial positions, to ensure a “solid basis” for the airline’s future. Turkish Airlines has not ...
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NewsIcelandair to withdraw and part-out batch of 757-200s
Icelandair Group is planning to retire four Boeing 757-200s over the next few weeks, which will be placed with part-out schemes. The company says some of the components will be cannibalised for its remaining 757s while others will be sold. Icelandair Group says the retirement is part of its broader ...
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NewsEasyJet enters leaseback agreements for nine more A320s
UK budget carrier EasyJet has agreed several sale-and-leaseback arrangements, covering nine aircraft and generating nearly $400 million to enhance its liquidity. The airline has sealed a transaction involving five Airbus A320s with Irish-based Wilmington Trust SP Services. EasyJet says this agreement, centred on leases averaging 117 months, will generate proceeds ...
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NewsIcelandair uses Boeing compensation to offset new 737 Max expenditure
Icelandair Group is expecting to take delivery of three more Boeing 737 Max jets in the first half of 2021, and has reclassified part of the compensation received for the Max grounding as reduced capital expenditure on them. The company has not disclosed the scale of the compensation settlement reached ...
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NewsRussian budget proposal cuts near-term subsidy for CR929
Russia’s government is proposing heavily reduced near-term budget allocations for the joint Russian-Chinese long-haul aircraft project, as part of a broad review of state aviation strategy funding. United Aircraft and Chinese aerospace firm Comac have been working to develop the CRAIC CR929, a 280-seat twin-engined widebody jet. The legislative proposal ...
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NewsBA heritage-livery 747-400 to become cinema and conference venue
One of the British Airways Boeing 747-400s painted in a retro livery for the airline’s centenary is to be preserved as a cinema and conference venue. The aircraft (G-CIVB) carried the Negus & Negus colour scheme initially adopted by the airline following its emergence in 1974 from the merger of ...
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NewsAeroflot Group details shareholding shifts after capital increase
Aeroflot Group has disclosed that the Russian state’s share in the airline company has reached 57.34% as a result of its capital increase. The Russian government had been prepared to maintain at least its previous 51.2% shareholding in the company during the share issue. Aeroflot Group had also been 3.5%-owned ...
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NewsA321 brushed past glider during descent into Class E airspace
German investigators have attributed a serious airprox incident, in which a Lufthansa Airbus A321 crew failed to see a glider, to a decision allowing the jet to descend into Class E airspace during its approach to Hamburg. The encounter occurred north-east of Hamburg, on 23 July last year, as the ...