Op-Ed Columnists
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Opinion
The element of doubt around future propulsion
No-one disputes the technical feasibility of hydrogen- or SAF-powered commercial aircraft, but quite where these next‑generation fuels will come from is an open question.
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Opinion
How omission of human failings undermined Ethiopian Max report
Although investigators examining the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash are rightly critical of Boeing, their failure to adequately probe the pilots’ actions leaves us with an incomplete picture.
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Opinion
What should the expectations from Single European Sky really be?
Former director general of air traffic management trade body CANSO, Graham Lake, argues the much-criticised Single European Sky project deserves credit for what has been achieved, but that better expectations management and fuller accountability for (lack of) progress and investment decisions at a local level is required .
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Opinion
Why sixth-generation combat aircraft programmes are flying high
A tantalising batch of next-generation combat aircraft programmes are powering up for the USA and multiple key allies – now it is critical that such efforts can deliver success.
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Opinion
Can Boeing deliver against its ambitious growth targets?
While ambitious goals are commendable, Boeing has a great deal of work to do if it is to clear a path to reaching them.
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Opinion
Is the time right to start A220-500 family planning?
Airbus might not have a stretched A220 on its drawing board yet, but given the frequency with which the so-called ‘-500’ is mentioned at the airframer’s briefings, there is a sense that the aircraft is practically being willed into existence by journalists, investors and perhaps one or two airline customers.
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Opinion
Does Aeroflot’s domestic aircraft order mark progress for Putin?
Russian President Vladimir Putin once expressed his dissatisfaction with Aeroflot Group’s fleet choices while grilling then-chief Vitaly Saveliev, who was forced to explain why the flag carrier was overwhelmingly using Western rather than domestically-built aircraft. “I want to understand how many Russian aircraft Aeroflot is going to buy,” Putin told ...
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Opinion
Why sustainability push must weigh aviation's impact from design to disposal
Assessment of an aircraft’s environmental performance must be based on more than just exhaust emissions and should also consider how it is built, argues Professor Iain Gray.
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Opinion
Why aviation sector is struggling to scale up after pandemic woes
Although aviation is cheering the return of customer demand, scaling business up again is proving harder than planned.
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Opinion
Why the aerospace and defence sectors may thrive through recession
Factors unique to aerospace and defence – including strong demand for new passenger aircraft and surging military spending – should keep those industries humming through tough economic times, argues Alex Krutz.
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Opinion
Why engine replacement plan would hurt F-35’s international credentials
The US Air Force’s ambition to retrofit the F-35 with adaptive engine technology could risk straining alliances with fellow operator nations, James Maclaren argues.
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Opinion
Why sustainability topped Farnborough air show agenda
While previous editions of the Farnborough air show have been dominated by orders, the theme at this year’s scorching event was clearly sustainability.
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Opinion
Why aerospace needs Farnborough air show amid changing times
Many love it and probably as many others loathe it, but there is no doubt that the Farnborough air show – returning after a pandemic-enforced four-year break – remains among the aerospace industry’s marquee events.
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Opinion
Airbus and the great rate wrangle
Faced with a backlog for the A320 family that as of the end of April was within touching distance of 6,000 aircraft, Airbus has a problem: how does it deliver all those aircraft to customers in a timely fashion?flight
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Opinion
Is Russian regulator putting politics before safety?
Russia rejects charges that civil regulator Rosaviatsia will be unable to cope with the addition of hundreds of new aircraft to its purview, but questions regarding its capabilities remain.
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Opinion
Why a return to normality remains a work in progress for some flightcrew
Where did the last two years go? It seems only yesterday that we were talking about the discovery of a new virus in China. And while markets across the globe have since broadly re-opened, for Asia-based flightcrew like myself, Covid-19 and its disruptions to life are still an ever-present reality. ...
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Opinion
Putin sets course for new Cold War
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to bring war to Europe has had terrible consequences for Ukraine – now Moscow must pay the price for its aggression.
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Opinion
What does fuel price volatility mean for airline strategies
Tighter capacity discipline and fewer discounted fares are among the likely outcomes as airlines use a number of levers to mitigate a renewed higher – and more volatile - oil price environment, writes Jet Link International vice-president René Armas Maes
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Opinion
Why labour stretch threatens to derail air travel recovery
CTAIRA analyst Chris Tarry looks at how the challenge of retraining and building back workforces, so heavily cut to survive the pandemic by players across the air travel chain, threatens to derail the pace of recovery
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Opinion
Airpower lessons for Beijing from Russia’s Ukraine invasion
Russia’s failure to achieve aerial supremacy over Ukraine holds lessons for China should it attempt to seize Taiwan by force.