All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 273
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NewsDutch reject notion of US pressure during Turkish 737 crash probe
Investigators from the Netherlands have defended their inquiry into a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 crash near Amsterdam, after suggestions that the final report into the accident was watered-down in response to US remarks. The Dutch Safety Board, in its response, has published in full a human-factors analysis which contributed to ...
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NewsTwo anti-aircraft missiles fired from north towards UIA 737: inquiry
Iranian investigators have disclosed that two missiles from a Tor-M1 anti-aircraft system were fired before the loss of a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 shortly after departure from Tehran. The Civil Aviation Organisation states that secondary radar contact with flight PS752 was initially lost at 06:15, about 3min after take-off, ...
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NewsAirbus to build first A321neo line at Toulouse in place of A380 facility
Airbus is to increase its A321 production capability, by converting its A380 facilities in Toulouse in order to accommodate a digitally-enabled A321 final assembly line. It will introduce A321 production to Toulouse for the first time – Airbus’s largest single-aisle variant is currently built in Hamburg Finkenwerder and Mobile. The ...
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NewsAdministration justifies Bek Air grounding with damning catalogue of flaws
Kazakhstan’s civil aviation administration has revealed a damning list of flaws in Bek Air’s flight operations and maintenance processes, to justify the carrier’s grounding. One of Bek Air’s Fokker 100s crashed on take-off from Almaty on 27 December, resulting in the enforced suspension of the airline’s operation – a measure ...
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NewsStruggling SAA insists flight operations are continuing
South African Airways is maintaining operations for the time being, despite apparent increasing uncertainty over the ailing flag-carrier’s financing. The airline says it is “aware” of local media reports suggesting the airline is on the verge of ceasing operations. But it insists that flights to all destinations “continue as normal”. ...
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NewsWestJet Q400 damaged by sharp de-rotation at Edmonton
Investigators have determined that a WestJet Encore Bombardier Q400 suffered damage at Edmonton after de-rotating sharply during a high-speed landing. The Q400 – arriving from Fort McMurray on 19 July last year – had been approaching Edmonton’s runway 12 with storms in the vicinity of the airport. Its captain opted ...
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NewsBek Air appeals against suspension as IATA code withdrawn
IATA has recalled the designator code for Kazakh carrier Bek Air, three weeks after a fatal take-off accident led to an enforced suspension of the carrier’s operations. Bek Air has filed an appeal against the suspension, claiming that the decision is illegal. The airline had been operating under the ‘Z9’ ...
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NewsAir Algerie 737 lost altitude during Orly go-around
French investigators have disclosed that they are probing a substantial loss of altitude by an Air Algerie Boeing 737-800 during a go-around at Paris Orly last month. The aircraft, arriving from Tlemcen in north-western Algeria on 6 December, had been established on the localiser of runway 25. French investigation authority ...
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NewsProbe opens into S7 A321neo start-up engine fire
Russian investigators are probing an engine fire involving an Airbus A321neo which occurred as the aircraft was preparing to depart Novosibirsk. The twinjet – fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G powerplants – had been operating the S75783 service to the Vietnamese resort of Cam Ranh at about 01:30 on 18 ...
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NewsFAA broadens emergency order in wake of 777 engine failure
Operators of Boeing 777-300ERs are being ordered urgently to remove another batch of interstage seals from General Electric GE90 engines, following an uncontained failure last October. The failure involved a Thai Airways International 777-300ER which had been preparing to depart Bangkok for Zurich. While the US FAA has already issued ...
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NewsPutin orders proposals for new far-east Russian airline
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered a study into the potential for establishing a new airline for transport in the eastern regions of the country, particularly to remote areas. Putin has instructed prime minister Dmitry Medvedev to submit proposals for setting up an operator which would use Russian-built aircraft types, ...
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NewsAir Greenland opts for A330-800 to modernise fleet
Air Greenland has tentatively agreed to take a single Airbus A330-800 to replace the carrier’s ageing A330-200. The 305-seat aircraft – currently the subject of a memorandum of understanding, according to Airbus – is set to be delivered in 2021. It will mark a powerplant switch for the airline, because ...
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NewsTitan to replace 757-200s with A321LRs
UK-based charter operator Titan Airways is to introduce a pair of long-range Airbus A321LRs later this year. The aircraft, fitted with CFM International Leap-1A engines, will be delivered to the carrier, which is stationed at London Stansted, in late summer 2020 and start operations in the autumn. They are destined ...
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NewsSuperjet plan emerges ahead of Adria Airways AOC auction
Collapsed Slovenian flag-carrier Adria Airways’ air operator’s certificate is set to be auctioned on 23 January, and the administrator for the bankrupt company is formally inviting bids. The invitation says the lot being presented for auction effectively amounts to the whole business of Adria, in particular all permits to operate ...
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NewsRomanian government discusses funding to rescue Tarom
Romania’s government has discussed allocating critical financial support to ailing flag-carrier Tarom during a meeting on 16 January. Transport minister Lucian Bode had asked prime minister Ludovic Orban to approve a draft memorandum for granting rescue aid, supplemented with restructuring aid, for 2020. After the meeting the head of the ...
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NewsIntersection confusion cited in identical EasyJet take-off incidents
Two identical serious take-off incidents within two weeks involving EasyJet Airbus A320s at Lisbon have spurred UK investigators to advise Portugal’s airports operator to stop using confusing terminology for runway departure positions. Both incidents involved the aircraft accelerating with insufficient thrust and becoming airborne close to the far end of ...
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NewsA350 obtains Russian certification ahead of Aeroflot delivery
Airbus has secured type certification for the A350-900 from Russian authorities, ahead of the delivery of the type to flag-carrier Aeroflot. Russian air transport regulator Rosaviatsia’s official documentation shows the type certificate was drawn up on 13 December. Airbus says the approval is an “important step” and has been granted ...
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NewsA350-1000 demonstrates vision-based automatic take-off
Airbus has demonstrated a fully-automated A350-1000 take-off using a vision-based system which tracks the runway centreline and rotates the aircraft without side-stick input from the pilot. The initial departure with the test system was carried out at Toulouse on 18 December and the crew of five performed eight flights over ...
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NewsKuwait Airways turns in huge full-year loss
Kuwait Airways’ latest full-year financial figures show the airline’s losses worsened to KD131.9 million ($435 million), the equivalent of over $17 million in losses for every aircraft in its fleet. Its revenues for the year to 31 December 2018 rose by 10% to KD344 million. While it slashed overall employee ...
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NewsAirbus still burdened by end-of-year delivery rush
Airbus deliveries for the final month of last year indicate that the airframer has yet to restore the smooth production rates it achieved in the first half of the decade. While December has typically been relatively busy in terms of Airbus output, it managed to keep the proportion of deliveries ...