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United States aviation news

Air Force drones had a record number of crashes last year

The Air Force has a huge drone problem that's costing the military division a pretty penny. A total of 20 drones were completely destroyed or sustained at least $2 million in damages when they crashed in 2015, according to The Washington Post. That's the highest number of mishaps within a year so far, over twice the number of accidents in 2014. Half of those incidents involve the military&...

This Is How The Pentagon Knows Its Combat Aircraft Can Withstand A Blizzard

While the East Coast turns into a less-than-wonderful winter wonderland, the Department of Defense can rest assured that even their most advanced and finicky aircraft left out in the cold will be just fine. This piece of mind comes from testing done at the U.S. Air Force’s one-of-a-kind torture chamber: the McKinley Climatic Lab. 5 This huge testing facility was built in 1947 as part o...

Boeing Jumbo jet production fading

US aircraft maker Boeing is throttling back production of its biggest jet, the Boeing 747-8 Jumbo, and Europe's Airbus is likewise making fewer giant A380s. But experts say big jets may make a comeback in a decade or so. Boeing's head of passenger aircraft production, Ray Conner, announced Friday in New York that the company would reduce its annual production rate of Boeing 747-8 &q...

Private jets research from Gama Aviation

New research from Gama Aviation reveals that the three main airports servicing the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos see a significant spike in private jet activity in January as delegates fly in. In January 2015, there were around 896 business aviation flights at Zurich airport, and the corresponding figures for St. Gallen-Altenrhein and Samedan airports were 288 and 205 respectively. The...

Alaska Air Group Reports Record Adjusted Fourth Quarter 2015 and Full-Year Results and Raises Dividend 38%

Financial Highlights: Reported record fourth quarter net income, excluding special items, of $186 million, a 49% increase over the fourth quarter of 2014. Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.46 was a 55% increase over the fourth quarter of 2014. This quarter’s results compare to a First Call analyst consensus estimate of $1.40 per share. Reported record full-year net income, excl...

Boeing to Reduce 747 Production Rate, Recognize Fourth-Quarter Charge

The Boeing Company announced  it will lower the production rate on the 747-8 program to match supply with near-term demand in the cargo market. To account for the market and production impacts, the company will recognize a $569 million after-tax charge ($0.84 per share) when it announces financial results for the fourth quarter of 2015. “Global air passenger traffic growth and a...

United orders 40 737-700s to replace RJs

United Airlines has ordered 40 Boeing 737-700s as part of its programme to retire small regional jets. Deliveries of the 737s will begin in the middle of 2017 and will allow the Chicago-based carrier to reduce its fleet of 50-seat aircraft by more than half by 2019, it says. United had 256 50-seat regional jets at the end of 2015. "These aircraft are an efficient way to mee...

Van Nuys aviation firm ordered to pay $1.86 million to former saleswoman for sexual harrasment

A jury today ordered a Van Nuys-based aviation firm to pay $1.86 million to a former top saleswoman for the company, who alleged she was stalked on business trips by a then-FBI agent/client. A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated for less than a day before finding that 47-year-old Doreen Olson Mackey was a victim of sexual harassment and retaliation in her lawsuit against Helinet Aviatio...

New Aircraft Towing System Makes U.S. Debut

Starting this month, North American FBOs, airports and others with an interest in aircraft ground handling will have a new option when it comes to moving aircraft with the debut of the TugMaxxe line of remote-operated tug vehicles (ROTV). The system, developed in Germany by TNA Aviation Technologies, has been in use elsewhere for more than a decade, with approximately 3,000 devices...

Brooklyn men sue American Airlines over alleged Muslim discrimination

Four Brooklyn men have filed a $9 million federal lawsuit claiming they were racially profiled as Muslims and kicked off a flight from Toronto to New York. The four men from Brighton Beach were among six friends that had traveled to Toronto in December. Two of the friends, Shan Anand and Faimul Alam, said they each paid $75 to switch planes so they could all return home together on the same...

Gerald Tobias Flies West

Gerald Tobias, the former president and CEO of Sikorsky Aircraft who helped develop the Black Hawk military helicopter and launched the S-76 executive helicopter, died on November 14 in Huntington Beach, Calif. He was 89. Born July 6, 1926, Tobias served in the U.S. Marines from 1943 to 1944 and trained on the Boeing Stearman. Following his service, Tobias remained invo...

JetNet iQ: As U.S. Leads, Midsize Bizjet Market To Rise

JetNet iQ is still predicting that 744 new business jets will be delivered this year—up from its estimate of 710 last year—but the business aviation data firm is adjusting its 10-year outlook to “reflect recent industry and market developments, especially in the large cabin market.” Thus, it now expects lower delivery volumes and a higher share of aircraft to be delivered t...