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United States aviation news

Northrop Grumman completes B-2 Bomber maintenance in record time

Northrop Grumman Corporation has delivered on a commitment to the U.S. Air Force to increase the availability of the B-2 stealth bomber fleet by completing a periodic "wingtip-to-wingtip" overhaul of the jet in a record 359 days. The company returned B-2 Spirit of Kitty Hawk to the bomber's operational home at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, on Sept. 23. The shorter cycle for p...

Boeing, China Postal Airlines Announce Purchase of 10 Next-Generation 737 Boeing Converted Freighters

Boeing today announced an agreement with China Postal Airlines for 10 Next-Generation 737 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCFs), pending a program launch. Through its converted freighter programs, Boeing extends the valuable service life of a passenger airplane by modifying it to function as a freighter. "This is a historic order both for China Postal and Boeing," said&n...

Why Boeing 787s are appearing to lose their way

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is facing another challenge from regulators. Canadian and Australian authorities have instituted restrictions on the type based on a bug in its implementation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, which has been found to transmit inaccurate positional data while declaring the data as high integrity. After receiving data from a number...

Boeing Board Raises Share Repurchase Authorization to $14 Billion, Increases Dividend 20 Percent

The Boeing board of directors has raised the company’s authorization for its share repurchase program to $14 billion and declared that the company’s quarterly dividend will increase 20 percent to $1.09 per share. “Once again, we are demonstrating our commitment to a balanced cash deployment strategy that fuels investments in our people, innovation and growth, and returns signi...

Goodyear Wins Boeing 777X Aircraft Production Supply Contract

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) has been selected by The Boeing Company to provide main nose and landing gear tires for its new 777X aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in 2019. Building on the success of the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner, the Boeing 777X will be the largest and most efficient twin-engine jet in the world, unmatched in every aspect of performance, acco...

Boeing Sees No Impact From Factory Fire

Boeing said that a weekend fire would have no impact on aircraft production, and announced an increase in its share repurchasing and quarterly dividend. The fire occurred on Saturday night in a newly constructed building at its factory in Everett, Washington, that will house wing manufacturing operations for Boeing's new 777X, due out in 2020. The building was unoccupied at the time and...

Boeing still backing stalled CHAMP and UAV projects

Despite all the hype surrounding the high-power microwave energy weapon known as CHAMP, interest in the computer-frying device assembled and tested by Boeing Phantom Works and the US Air Force Research Laboratory appears stalled. “There was a lot of activity when we did the demonstration a couple of years ago, and with the budget constraint on the department, they’ve been unable to...

FAA to require small UAV registration starting Dec. 21

A small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) registration website administered by FAA will go live Dec. 21 and all small UAV owners in the US will be required to register their devices. US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx unveiled the requirement in a Dec. 14 conference call with media, saying the registration process would be “simple and easy.” UAVs weighing between .55 lbs. and 55 l...

Delta and KLM announce codeshare partnership with Jet Airways via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will launch a codeshare agreement with India’s Jet Airways that brings convenient new travel options for customers flying from Europe and the United States via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to India and beyond. Effective March 27, 2016 and subject to government approvals, Delta and KLM customers flying from Europe and the Unite...

Southwest to Launch Los Angeles International Flight

Southwest Airlines will launch its first international flights in and out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica in April 2016, subject to government approval. It is also fun to note that this new flight would be the longest flight in Southwest’s route network. Alaska operates year-round flights to Liberia from LAX while Delta operates seasonal&n...

Rectrix Aviation bans hoverboards

Rectrix Aviation has in the best interest of safety banned hoverboards or any lithium battery powered self-balancing personal transportation devices onboard its aircraft. Rectrix Aviation is the first private charter air carrier to prohibit these items. “The safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority.” Rich Cawley, CEO of Rectrix Aviation said: “Th...

Global Jet Capital completes 90% purchase of GE fixed wing portfolio

Global Jet Capital has completed 90% of its acquisition of GE’s fixed wing aircraft financed portfolio. The company has so far assumed 276 aircraft based in the US and Canada, with the remaining 10% of accounts being in Brazil and Mexico. “Today’s announcement is a significant step in further cementing our position as a leader in business aviation finance in the Americas.&r...