Must read – Page 64
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NewsFAA’s Dickson flies Max, declares ‘I like what I saw’
Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson piloted a Boeing 737 Max on 30 September, declaring afterward that the experience made him “comfortable” with the Max’s systems, but insisting his agency will certificate the jet only when convinced it is safe.
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NewsFirst Il-114-300 commences engine tests ahead of maiden flight
Ground tests have commenced with the first modernised Ilyushin Il-114-300, ahead of initiation of the turboprop’s flight campaign. The twin-engined aircraft has undergone low-power runs of its Klimov TV7-117ST-01 powerplant, developed by United Engine Corporation. Russia’s United Aircraft says it carried out the runs at the Zhukovsky flight-test base of ...
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NewsSpirit terminates Asco acquisition plan, warns of Bombardier deal fallout
Spirit AeroSystems has terminated its planned $420 million acquisition of aerospace component maker Asco, while warning it may face lawsuits related to a now-uncertain plan to acquire Bombardier’s aerospace businesses.
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Airline BusinessAir Astana puts post-crisis focus onto domestic and leisure markets
Strong business in the Kazakh domestic market and an increased focus on point-to-point and leisure routes are key to revamped activity at Air Astana as the global pandemic continues to change the airline market.
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NewsIATA lowers 2020 passenger traffic hopes on stalled recovery
Airline trade body IATA has lowered its expectations for global passenger traffic this year amid a plateauing in the recovery and bleaker forward booking indicators. IATA now anticipates passenger traffic, as measured in RPKs, this year will be 66% down on 2019 levels. This marks a deterioration on its previous ...
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NewsUS bill details certification and training upheaval in 737 Max’s wake
US legislators have unveiled a proposed overhaul of aircraft certification intended to reform and reinforce the process in the aftermath of the fatal accidents involving the Boeing 737 Max. The bipartisan bill has been submitted jointly by two Democrat and two Republican representatives, including chair of the House Committee on ...
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In depthAnalysts warn of Boeing talent drain, question company’s long-term strategy
A cadre of departing mid-level Boeing staff has raised questions about whether the company could find itself short of critical expertise needed to advance future commercial aircraft programmes, say aerospace experts.
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NewsFAA head Dickson to pilot the 737 Max next week
The FAA has told US lawmakers that administrator Steve Dickson will pilot the Boeing 737 Max next week ahead of a potential ungrounding of the beleaguered aircraft.
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NewsSniffer dogs to detect coronavirus begin Helsinki airport trial
Research indicating that dogs are capable of detecting evidence of coronavirus infection is being tested in a practical sense at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. The University of Helsink has studied the use of dogs in coronavirus testing and a Finnish organisation called Wise Nose specialising in sniffer-dog training, has started large-scale work ...
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NewsA380 fan-hub disintegration traced to misunderstood ‘cold dwell’ fatigue
French investigators have traced the serious engine failure involving an Air France Airbus A380 over Greenland to a phenomenon known as ‘cold dwell’ fatigue, which had caused a failure in a fan hub slot which houses the root of the fan blade. The analysis by investigation authority BEA closes a ...
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NewsZeroAvia conducts pioneering flight with hydrogen-electric M350
Alternative-fuel innovation company ZeroAvia is claiming to have achieved the world’s first flight of a hydrogen-electric commercial passenger aircraft, with its retrofitted Piper M350. The aircraft – under previous registration N866LP – had already been used to conduct a commercial-scale battery-electric flight in June. But ZeroAvia says it also completed ...
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NewsUK pilots seek assurance on sensor and trim aspects of 737 Max redesign
UK cockpit crew representatives are seeking assurances on several aspects of the Boeing 737 Max’s redesign, including scenarios relating to the angle-of-attack sensors and the potential need for two pilots to turn the trim wheel if the jet is out of trim. Pilots union BALPA has formally responded to a ...
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Airline BusinessWhere the airline industry was when the music stopped
Another year of strong profit and traffic growth in 2019 for leading carriers illustrates the highs the industry had reached before the coronavirus pandemic, but offered no warning of the crisis to come that has pushed airlines to the brink.
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InterviewTim Clark in conversation on the rise and rise of Emirates
As Emirates Airline president and founding father Tim Clark prepares to step aside, he reflects in this FlightGlobal video interview on more than three decades at the sharp end of Dubai’s flag carrier.
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NewsAmerican Airlines pilots to begin 737 Max training in November
American Airlines’ pilots will begin 737 Max “special training” in November in preparation for the jet’s return to service, with the company’s entire complement of 737 pilots expected to complete the reviews by January 2021.
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NewsCrisis diminishes cross-border merger prospects: IAG ex-chief Walsh
Former IAG chief executive Willie Walsh believes the prospects for greater cross-border merger freedom have receded in the wake of the air transport crisis, because governments are more likely to act to protect airlines. Speaking at a Eurocontrol event on 22 September, Walsh said he expected consolidation in the form ...
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NewsAirbus turns to hydrogen as energy promise of batteries fades
Airbus is backing away from battery power in favour of pursuing hydrogen as a primary propulsion source for future aircraft development, over concerns that battery technology will not advance quickly enough to adapt to large airliners. The airframer has unveiled three conceptual designs – two based on conventional turboprop and ...
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NewsLufthansa to mothball entire A380 and A340-600 fleet
Lufthansa Group will put all of its Airbus A380s and 10 of its A340-600s into long-term storage, only to be reactivated in the event of an “unexpectedly rapid market recovery”, and will permanently remove the remainder of its A340-600 fleet from service.
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Airline BusinessRwandAir chief Makolo on recovery, Qatar and pan-African aims
The Covid crisis may have created numerous immediate challenges, but RwandAir chief Yvonne Makolo says the carrier has many reasons for optimism about its long-term future
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NewsAirbus shows off hydrogen-fuelled concept aircraft for 2035 service entry
Airbus has unveiled conceptual designs for a potential zero-emission commercial aircraft, which it believes could be developed for service entry in the next 15 years. All three of the preliminary designs – branded as ‘ZEROe’ aircraft – would use hydrogen as the main power source. Source: Airbus ...