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World aircraft news

aircraft related aviation news

Daher presents its new range of TBM aircraft: the TBM 900 is joined by the TBM 930

Daher unveiled the expanded range of its TBM very fast turboprop aircraft family, which now consists of the TBM 900 and the TBM 930 version – each of which retain the performance and technical features that have made the TBM 900 a business aviation success, with more than 110 sold since its launch two years ago. Daher has introduced the e-copilot® function on Model Year 2016 aircraft fo...

Russian Kamov Ka-52 'Alligator' Sees Combat Debut in Syria

The expeditionary group of Russia’s Air and Space Force (VKS, formerly the Russian air force) started using two new types of attack rotorcraft—the Mil Mi-28 “Night Hunter” and Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator”—in Syria. Previously, the service relied on two less capable, older types: the Mi-8 utility and Mi-24 assault helicopters. One Mi-8 was lost during a rescue o...

AOPA pushes government to support GA sector

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia (AOPA) president Marc De Stoop has presented the federal government with a nine-point plan to support and revitalise the nation’s general aviation (GA) sector, including proposed changes to the nation’s aviation safety regulator and the privatisation of Airservices. The reforms are outlined in brief to government called Project Eur...

Boeing Could Be a Big Winner in the Alaska Air-Virgin America Merger

On Monday, Seattle-based airline Alaska Air announced that it will buy rival Virgin America for $2.6 billion. This was a somewhat surprising turn of events, particularly because Alaska Air operates a single fleet type of Boeing 737s for its mainline flights, whereas Virgin America uses the competing Airbus A320 family. Virgin America currently operates an all-Airbus fleet.  For the next...

Air France Is Letting Its Female Crew Members Opt Out of Flying to Iran

Many have protested the airline's request that they don headscarves when flying to the Muslim country. Air France will let female crew members opt out of flights to Tehran, after staff and unions challenged the airline’s request that female crew wear headscarves upon arrival in Iran. “If, for personal reasons, they don’t want to wear the headscarf when they leave the pl...

How to Fly on a Private Jet for $109

Public charter operator JetSuiteX wants to deliver a private jet–style experience for the cost of a commercial flight. Affordable private jet travel? It's the way of the future, if California-based JetSuite has anything to say about it. The private jet company has carved out a niche as a “value” operator, and today takes its business plan one step further by launching an u...

New app tells you what's outside the plane window

Have you ever wondered from your window seat at 35,000 feet exactly which town or city, lake or river, hill or mountain, you are gazing at down below? Of course you have. Well, now there’s an app that will help air passengers identify and explore the distinguishing features on the ground as they fly to their destination. Flyover Country, which is available to buy in the app store ...

Rockwell Collins' PAVES™ Passenger Service System for A330s now certified by AFI KLM E&M

Rockwell Collins’ PAVES™ Passenger Service System (PSS) has been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for Airbus A330 aircraft. The company teamed with Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to design, install and achieve the supplemental type certificate (STC) as part of a cabin upgrade for A330 from AERCAP...

New Cathay Dragon Livery Takes Flight

Excited passengers this morning welcomed the first aircraft displaying the new Cathay Dragon livery as it took flight from Hong Kong to Beijing. Earlier this year, the Cathay Pacific Group announced that Dragonair will be rebranded as Cathay Dragon, bringing the two airline brands – Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon – closer together and offering passengers a more seamless travel exp...

Finmeccanica signs contract to supply 28 Eurofighter Typhoons to Kuwait

The Kuwait Ministry of Defence and Finmeccanica, which leads commercial activities in Kuwait on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium, today signed a contract for the supply of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, to be produced in Italy. The contract, part of an intergovernmental agreement between the two countries, was signed in the presence of the Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti and her Kuw...

ONE Aviation and Scheme Designers signs consultation agreement

Scheme Designers and ONE Aviation have entered into an agreement to provide concierge-level design consultation for each customer buying a new  Eclipse 550 aircraft. Alan Klapmeier, chief executive of ONE Aviation, said: “Scheme Designers has earned a reputation for being able to bring a customer’s vision and personality to life in their aircraft livery, making them an exc...

Pakistan orders nine more Bell AH-1Z gunships

Bell Helicopter has been put on contract to build nine more AH-1Z Viper gunship helicopters for Pakistan, as part of a larger foreign military sales package for up to 15 helicopters and 1,000 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire-series missiles that was approved last April. Islamabad ordered its first batch of armed, twin-engine “Zulu Cobras” under that deal in August, as part of a larg...