The A400M is a tactical four engine turboprop military plane that was designed for military cargo transport and is capable of refueling in flight. Primarily flown by the French and German Air force, the plane is put through rigorous tests before the completed machines are handed off. Oftentimes there isn’t a paved runway for the plane to land on, so Airbus Defense and Space routinely...
Hawaiian Airlines announced that it has entered into an agreement with Lockheed Martin Commercial Flight Training to purchase a second Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for its pilot training facilities at its corporate headquarters in Honolulu. The new A320 series simulator will allow Hawaiian to continue its Advanced Qualification Program for pilots using the most advanced and sophisticated techn...
You’re landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on the “expressway” approach—it’s called that because you come in low enough to buzz the Grand Central Parkway and Mets’ Citi Field before dropping down quickly on a runway that perches over the middle of a bay. As it is, it’s one of the more jarring landings in the U.S. What, then, would happen if a...
Air France will invest 140 million euros ($159 million) extending a cabin refurbishment to its Airbus Group SE A330 fleet that will include lie-flat business-class seats from Zodiac Aerospace, the embattled supplier that has struggled to fulfill orders. The upgrade will begin late next year and finish in 2018, the airline said in a statement. Each of the twin-aisle planes will be equipped with...
Airbus is exhibiting an ACJ319 at the ABACE show , where it will exemplify the larger and more modern corporate jets preferred by Chinese customers. The ACJ319 on display features conference, dining and lounge areas at the front, plus two separate rooms at the rear. It is offered for VVIP charter by Comlux The Aviation Group, and is certificated to transport 19 passengers – more than trad...
Air Charter Scotland has partnered MedAire, an International SOS company and supplier of aviation travel risk management services. MedAire will provide Air Charter Scotland with travel risk management solutions for its crew and passengers. “MedAire provides unparalleled mission support for any operation. The world has become an ever more uncertain place, and the nature of our business,...
The pre-owned jet market is a complex entity that cannot al-ways be predicted. Certain events happen that are unforeseen and unprecedented. These events have nothing to do with the aircraft itself but can affect its value. For example, in late 2014 the market for the Challenger 604 was stable with approximately 22-25 units on the open pre-owned market. This number represents less than 10% of al...
Bell Helicopter announces plans to showcase the performance capabilities and luxury interior of the Bell 429 MAGnificent through a series of customer demo flights in South America. Bell Helicopter last demonstrated the Bell 429’s capability in a five-month demo tour in 2014, and customers continue to respond. To date, there are more than 60 Bell 429s operating throughout Latin Americ...
Airbus Helicopters has begun test flights for its German armed forces customer as part of a research and technology programme to develop a hostile fire indication (HFI) system. Using a modified German army Sikorsky CH-53G helicopter, the manufacturer performed the first evaluation sortie on 30 March, from Manching, to study the integration and effects on handling qualities of a number of sensor...
Every bit of weight on an aircraft increases the fuel, emissions and money required to put it in the air. NASA and Boeing have been working together to design a longer, thinner and lighter wing – so different from typical commercial transport aircraft wings that it requires a brace, or truss, to provide the wing extra support. Researchers expect the lighter weight, lower drag truss-braced...
The Oscars of the plane cabin, the Crystal Cabin Awards, were held in Hamburg on Tuesday night. This is as gala a gala event as you get in aviation. It’s not the Oscars, but then airlines and their suppliers don't have the box office earnings to match even Batman v Superman. Each year, awards are handed out in seven key cabin experience categories. But this year — on the 10th an...
As many as 110 passengers onboard an Air India aircraft were forced to sit in the plane for two and half hours on Wednesday after its commander insisted for a “particular woman” co-pilot to operate the flight. The incident happened at Air India’s flight to Male from Chennai via Thiruvananthapuram, sources said. In between, the commander also complained of high blood pressur...
