All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 26
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NewsRepeated failure to fix known transformer fault preceded fire that closed Heathrow
Investigators have determined the electrical facility fire which forced the closure of London Heathrow was triggered by a short-circuit from moisture entering high-voltage infrastructure – a problem detected seven years earlier but left unaddressed. The fire on 20 March, and Heathrow’s shutdown the following day, resulted in 121 flights being ...
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NewsEASA proposes to mandate take-off performance monitoring on new-build aircraft
Certain transport aircraft will be required to carry a take-off performance monitoring system to reduce the persistent risk of data-entry and calculation errors, under a new proposal from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The proposed mandate would only apply to new-build aircraft and would be unlikely to take effect ...
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NewsMozambique’s LAM ruffled by management chair’s Air Botswana board role
Air Botswana has unveiled a new board structure, but the appointment of Dane Kondic as chair has sparked discontent within Mozambican carrier LAM, where Kondic already heads the management committee. Kondic, a former chief executive of Air Serbia, has been listed in a new Air Botswana board line-up. “Comprising a ...
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NewsUnited Aircraft gradually progressing with Il-114-300 and Tu-214 certification
Russia’s United Aircraft is to fit a new anti-icing system to the Ilyushin Il-114-300 prototype this summer, and equip it with a passenger cabin in autumn, as the twin-turboprop progresses with certification. The Il-114-300 has completed 116 flights under the certification programme, according to Ilyushin division managing director Daniil Brenerman, ...
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NewsGerman regulator permits Lufthansa acquisition of Air Baltic share despite reservations
Lufthansa Group has been cleared to acquire a minority shareholding in Latvian carrier Air Baltic by the German competition regulator, despite concerns over the effect on certain routes. Earlier this year, Lufthansa disclosed that it would take a convertible 10% stake in the airline, ahead of a planned share issue. ...
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NewsLong-distance delivery flight for Qantas underlines A321XLR’s performance
Qantas has taken delivery of its initial Airbus A321XLR, one of 28 on order with the Australian airline. The carrier received the twinjet – fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines – at the airframer’s Hamburg Finkenwerder plant, following a customer acceptance flight on 24 June. Qantas becomes the launch ...
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NewsUnited Aircraft fits domestically-produced cabin elements to prototype MC-21
United Aircraft has carried out a provisional installation of domestically-produced interior fittings in the cabin of a prototype Yakovlev MC-21. The cabin work was undertaken at the Irkutsk aviation plant where the MC-21 is assembled. It features business-class seats, overhead luggage bins, galley and lavatory modules, and closets, as well ...
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NewsATR landed gear-up after crew ‘overloaded’ by electrical failure: inquiry
Brazilian investigators have revealed that a ATR 42-300 landed with its undercarriage retracted despite each pilot’s separately calling that the landing-gear had been extended. The MAP aircraft made the gear-up touchdown at Manaus, the departure airport to which it had returned after experiencing an electrical failure shortly after take-off. This ...
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NewsInvestigators probe EasyJet take-off data incident at London Luton
UK investigators are probing an incident in which an EasyJet Airbus A320 departed London Luton with incorrect take-off performance data. The 13 June incident has been disclosed by French investigation authority BEA. It states that the crew calculated take-off performance based on using the entire runway length, but commenced the ...
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NewsDelta inspects over 100 aircraft after severe hailstorm derails Atlanta operations
US carrier Delta Air Lines has inspected over 100 aircraft after severe storms, including hail, disrupted operations at its Atlanta hub. The storms, on the evening on 27 June, resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations. Meteorological data from the airport indicated thunderstorms, large hailstones, winds gusting up to 28kt, and ...
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NewsYak-40 testbed prepares for flights with VK-800 engine for UZGA models
Flight-tests beckon for a Yakovlev Yak-40 which has been fitted with the VK-800 engine intended for the UZGA LMS-901 Baikal and LMS-192 Osvey. The Yak-40 testbed has been modified at the Siberian aviation research institute SibNIA. “Installation and commissioning of the VK-800 engine have been completed,” the institute says. “The ...
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NewsOver 20 MC-21s undergoing assembly as latest prototype starts certification flights
Russia’s United Aircraft has more than 20 Yakovlev MC-21s in various stages of assembly, as it commences certification test flights with its most recent prototype. The initial certification flight – lasting for 4h, and testing equipment including radio communications – took place at the Gromov flight-research institute at Zhukovsky airfield ...
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NewsMexican freight carrier AeroUnion rebrands to highlight Avianca Cargo links
Mexican carrier AeroUnion is rebranding under the name Avianca Cargo Mexico, as it expands its Airbus A330 converted freighter fleet. The airline unveiled the new identity after nearly three decades. Avianca Cargo Mexico managing director Danilo Correa says the overhaul accompanies a “robust value proposition”. “We have built a new ...
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NewsInquiry recommends improved landing aids after Air Panama Fokker 50 excursion
Investigators probing the runway excursion which destroyed an Air Panama Fokker 50 at Colon have recommended installing precision-approach lights and adding aiming-point runway markings in order to assist crews following a glidepath. The aircraft, inbound to Bocas del Toro from Panama City on 16 May, touched down on the 1,500m ...
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NewsAnalysis of crashed 787’s flight-recorder information begins in Delhi
Indian investigators have commenced analysis of cockpit-voice and flight-data recorder information from the Air India Boeing 787-8 which crashed at Ahmedabad. Both combined flight recorders from the twinjet have ben transferred to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s laboratory in Delhi. The Indian civil aviation ministry says the recorders – one ...
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NewsAzul A320neo engines still running during uncommanded evacuation: inquiry
Passengers of an Azul Airbus A320neo which aborted take-off at Cuiaba evacuated the aircraft while its engines were still running, after the cabin crew failed to understand the pilots’ instructions. The aircraft came to a halt on runway 35 after the low-speed abort at 90kt – triggered by a hydraulic ...
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NewsQatar Airways chief details scale of flight disruption during Iranian missile attack
Qatar Airways has detailed the disruption to its operation arising from the missile attack by Iran on a military base southwest of the capital Doha. The 23 June attack on Al Udeid air base forced the closure of Qatari airspace – the emirate’s flight information region is relatively new, having ...
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NewsAir Algerie to take over Tassili under agreement with state energy firm
Air Algerie is to take over the ownership of local operator Tassili Airlines, following a divestment decision by Algerian state-owned energy firm Sonatrach. Sonatrach states that a framework transfer agreement for Tassili was signed on 19 June. It adds that the deal is a “pivotal step” in the transformation of ...
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NewsChina Airlines to introduce batch of A350s and A321neos
Taiwanese carrier China Airlines has detailed plans to introduce 13 Airbus aircraft, including five A350-900s, to its fleet. The airline states that it will also bring in eight A321neos. Five of these A321neos are being sourced from US lessor Air Lease through a transaction valued at $240 million. These will ...
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NewsIndian ministry highlights safety shortcomings in various operational areas
India’s civil aviation ministry has turned up numerous shortfalls in standards during a comprehensive safety assessment of the country’s aviation system. The ministry says teams carried out surveillance at major airports – Delhi and Mumbai included – to examine flight operations, airworthiness, ramp safety, air traffic control and other aspects. ...