All articles by Greg Waldron – Page 112
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AnalysisLandmark Taiwan MQ-9 sale would vex Beijing
A reported US plan to sell the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 unmanned air vehicle to Taiwan will complicate Beijing’s incessant prodding of the island’s defences.
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NewsRNZAF stands up new NH90 simulator from CAE
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has officially received a CAE flight training device to train crews for its NH Industries NH90 helicopters.
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NewsMQ-9B SeaGuardian commences validation flights in Japan
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SeaGuardian has commenced a two-month validation campaign for the Japan Coast Guard.
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AnalysisChinese H-6N appears with mysterious ballistic missile
A brief video has emerged of a Xian H-6N bomber carrying what could be a ballistic missile or boost-glide vehicle along its centreline. The video appeared on the Chinese internet on 17 October. It goes some way to confirming a long-held theory that one mission for the H-6N, the most ...
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NewsHoneywell buys specialist UAV fuel cells
Honeywell has acquired Ballard Unmanned System, a specialist in hydrogen fuel cells for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and other aviation applications. The acquisition includes Ballard’s intellectual property, inventory, and equipment, says Honeywell. In addition, fuel-cell experts from Ballard will become Honeywell employees. Source: Honeywell In June, Honeywell ...
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Airline BusinessAsia-Pacific ‘travel bubbles’ fail to inflate
Despite government talk about “travel bubbles,” “green lanes” and the like, the Asia-Pacific’s biggest international air travel markets remain a long way from anything approaching normalcy. While domestic travel is picking up strongly in markets such as China and Vietnam, international travel still remains largely grounded. Three major country pairings ...
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NewsPhilippines takes formal delivery of six Super Tucanos
The Philippine air force has taken delivery of six Embraer A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft, and could be eyeing an additional six examples. All six aircraft were handed over on 14 October at Clark air base, says Embraer. The first four of these had arrived in the Philippines ...
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NewsJayne Hrdlicka to replace Scurrah as Virgin Australia boss
Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah will step down from his position following the conclusion of the airline’s sale to Bain Capital. “Over the last 18 months, I have had the great privilege of being the CEO and Managing Director of the Virgin Australia Group,” he says. Source: ...
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NewsVaccine key to full travel recovery: Singapore transport minister
Singapore Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung has offered a cautious outlook for air travel amid the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview with Bloomberg television, Ong described the tradeoff leaders faced in March, when covid-19 was less understood and there was a shortage of testing capacity. Source: Greg Waldron ...
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NewsEastar Jet seeks new buyer with job cuts, restructuring: reports
South Korea’s Eastar Jet is going ahead with plans to cut 605 jobs as part of its efforts to attract a new investor, according to local media reports. Further job cuts are expected following additional restructuring measures, broadcaster KBS World reported on 13 October. Source: Wikimedia Commons An ...
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NewsVietnam Airlines warns of big loss for first nine months of 2020
Vietnam Airlines has warned of a consolidated loss of D10.8 trillion ($464 million) in the first nine months of 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on operations. The company adds that it expects consolidated revenues of D23.9 trillion for the first nine months of the year, a quarter ...
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NewsRotorcraft Asia postponed three months to mid-2021
The organiser of Singapore’s biennial Rotorcraft Asia and Unmanned Systems Asia (RCA-UMSA) event have postponed the show three months to 27-29 July 2021. The show, co-located at Changi Exhibition Centre with the Imdex naval show, had originally been planned for 30 March to 1 April 2021. Source: Greg ...
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NewsAustralian MRTTs to receive communications, mission system upgrades
Canberra plans to upgrade the communications and mission system equipment aboard its fleet of Airbus Defence & Space A330 multi-tole tanker transports (MRTTs). The project will bring the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) locally-designated KC-30A fleet up to the latest standard for the type, says Airbus. Source: Commonwealth ...
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NewsThai Vietjet charts modest expansion amid weak market
Thai Vietjet Air plans to both grow its fleet and add staff even though domestic air travel with Thailand remains subdued amid the coronavirus pandemic. The airline says it plans to grow its fleet to 15 aircraft “by 2021”, and is in the process of hiring additional flight crew, ground ...
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InterviewArianespace powers on with launches amid challenging 2020
Arianespace has had a challenging 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic, but has managed to keep launches going, as it looks toward 2021 and the long-awaited first flights of the Ariane 6 and Vega C rockets. Vivian Quenet has been managing director and head of sales for Arianespace in the ...
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Airline BusinessCreditors face painful choice over AirAsia X
AirAsia X has asked creditors to accept an epic debt haircut, offering two painful options amid an airline industry in crisis. Announced on 6 October, the plan, if approved, would see liabilities of some MYR63.5 billion ($15.3 billion) reduced to just MYR200 million payable within the next five years at ...
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InterviewHoneywell gears up for urban mobility frontier
The coronavirus pandemic has cast a shadow over the aerospace industry in 2020, but the boss of Honeywell’s new Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) unit says there is still a great deal of action in aerospace’s frontier sector. In June Honeywell announced that it would set ...
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NewsTokyo inducts RC-2 for ELINT missions
The Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) has inducted the Kawasaki RC-2 electronic intelligence (ELINT) aircraft, a variant of the C-2 tactical transport. The service inducted the type at its Iruma air base, according to a brief statement on its Facebook page. C-2 The RC-2 will replace ...
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NewsAsiana converts A350 to freighter, promotes A380 scenic flights
Asiana Airlines has commenced operations with an Airbus A350-900 partially retrofitted as a maindeck freighter, as it plans scenic flights with its grounded A380s. The A350 renovation work involved removing 283 economy class seats and installing a steel panel on the floor “to ensure safety”, says the carrier. ...
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NewsQueensland to be production base for Boeing’s loyal wingman
Boeing has confirmed that the state of Queensland, Australia, will be the production centre for its developmental Airpower Teaming System (ATS) unmanned loyal wingman aircraft. Boeing notes that the ATS is the first Boeing military aircraft to be designed outside the USA. It is also the first military aircraft to ...