Jetstar and Virgin Australia have cancelled all flights to and from Bali on Monday after both carriers decided conditions were unsafe for flying due to the ash cloud from the nearby Mount Rinjani volcano. Virgin said on Monday the latest advice from its team of meteorologists, senior pilots and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) showed conditions in the vicinity of Bali/Denpasar Airpo...
Emirates Airlines President Tim Clark said on Sunday he expected the crash of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt was a "game changer" for aviation that would result in demands for stringent aviation security worldwide. Speaking at the Dubai Airshow, Clark added that he had ordered a security review, but was not suspending any flights as a result of the disaster. "What happened i...
Russia’s Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company, a maker of regional jets, plans to lift production more than three-fold by 2020, banking on demand from at least five Middle East customers, a senior executive said on Sunday. Sukhoi is in talks with Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman for sales of its Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100), Evgeny Andrachnikov, senior vice president, told Reuters at t...
Lufthansa's cabin crew union said that resuming its strike on Monday after a one-day pause would ground flights at three of the German airline's major airports for almost the entire day. The UFO union said in a statement on Sunday that the strike on Monday -- part of a week-long walk-out to push demands in a dispute over retirement benefits -- would affect all short and long-haul f...
Airbus expects to meet its target to sell 25 A380 superjumbo planes this year but it is not in talks with any potential new customer from the region. Its chief executive Fabrice Brégier added there was “no urgency” to build a more fuel-efficient version of the world’s biggest passenger aircraft because of the low oil price. “I think generally we have a target t...
The futuristic jetpack that can fly higher than the Burj Khalifa is set to go on sale next year with a price tag of more than US$200,000. And it runs on the same type of fuel used by your lawnmower. The Martin Jetpack will have a top speed of 74km per hour and will be able to fly as high as 3,000 feet. The New Zealand-based and Australia-listed company expects to go into commercial produc...
Airbus is closely examining the potential market for a larger version of the A350-1000, but wants to avoid distancing itself from the core A350 market. The airframer has been talking to a “handful” of potential customers to explore whether there is a sufficient market for an aircraft with 50-60 more seats than the -1000, says Airbus chief operating officer for customers John Leahy....
Boeing has formally dropped the ‘X’ suffix from its individual stretched 777 variants, although it will retain it for the overall family. The US airframer is officially referring to the variants as the 777-8 and the 777-9, the company said during the Dubai air show. But the combined family, it adds, will still be known as the 777X. Boeing Large-scale models of the aircr...
The chief executive of Airbus has brushed off requests by Emirates for an A350 aircraft that copes better with hot and humid conditions. Emirates said last month that it would postpone a decision to choose between the Boeing 787-10 aircraft or Airbus A350-900 - depending on which manufacturer would work with Emirates on its requirements. “The A350-900 has much more flexibility when you...
Advancements in 3D printing technologies that have helped the aerospace industry to save time and money were on display at the Dubai Airshow yesterday. Nasdaq-listed Stratasys unveiled the largest 3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which it said was built in half the time it would have taken using conventional manufacturing. For the first time, this year’s event features a dedic...
Czech manufacturer Aircraft Industries (AI) is here in Dubai (Stand 1947) to show its prototype L410NG commuter aircraft, which first flew in late July. Since then, the test-flying team it has been busy with certification flights, as well as a whistle-stop series of airshow appearances and marketing promotions. Last month [October], for example, AI joined engine provider GE Aviation in exhibiti...
After seven years of development marked by repeated delays, China’s new C919 airliner is ready to start ground testing of its avionics, flight controls and hydraulics systems. It made its debut in a roll-out ceremony on November 2. Developed by state-run Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac), the narrowbody rolled off the assembly line in the manufacturer’s Shanghai factory on to...
Visitors at the Honeywell Chalet (A6) at the Dubai Air Show will be able to experience a wide range of the U.S. company’s cockpit and cabin products through virtual reality and 3D scenarios, even though the company does not have actual products on display. Among the products visitors can “experience” is the Honeywell Integrated Multi-Mode Receiver (IMMR), an all-digital naviga...
A new form of air transport for the UAE, which will add a further boost to the nation's booming tourist industry, will be launched at the Dubai Airshow today. Captain Khaled Ahmed Al-Ansari will introduce ‘Spirit of the Emirates’, a UAE national project to develop an airship as a tourist attraction. Airships are classified as ‘lighter than air’ aircraft and mix li...
Embraer and Emirates have plenty to celebrate at the Dubai Airshow this week. The airline’s rapid expansion means it has invested heavily into a new training arm, Emirates Flight Training Academy, an in-house flight school, bringing all its cadet training into one place. Earlier this week it announced a $39 million investment in new Embraer and Cirrus light aircraft, underscoring its c...
Boeing has kicked off its activities at the Dubai Airshow this week with its latest 20-year forecast for sales in the Middle East, predicting that the region's airlines will require 3,180 new aircraft between now and 2034, with an estimated value of $730 billion. In a sign that the explosive growth of the region’s airlines will continue, it predicts that 70% of this demand will be dri...
New Zealand firm Martin Aircraft is eyeing the sales opportunities for its developmental one-man jetpack in the Middle East. Appearing for the first time at the Dubai air show, Martin Aircraft is primarily focused on the first responder market in the region. Company chief executive and managing director Peter Coker says it is working to commercialise the jetpack, with the aim of a first cust...
Bombardier is showcasing its CSeries regional jet to the Dubai Airshow this week for the first time, as the aircraft prepares for 2016 service entry. Certification of the aircraft is targeted for the end of this year, with Bombardier saying in mid-October that the programme was more than 90% complete. Swiss is due to receive its first aircraft in the first half of next year. The aircraft is...
Airbus has debuted the Airbus Corporate Jet ACJ319 at the Dubai Airshow this week, which is for sale via Switzerland's 28 East Group. The interior is split into four compartments and features dining space for 12, a relaxed lounge and an aft shower. The airframer is upbeat about regional prospects for the VIP variant of its latest ‘neo’ airliner types. Initially available in A...
The Iomax Archangel, a light attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft now being delivered to the UAE Armed Forces for special forces support, is making its debut at the Dubai Airshow this week. Based on the airframe of the Thrush S2R-660 agricultural aircraft, the Archangel was originally known as the Block III border patrol aircraft (BPA). Some 24 Block I and...
The Antonov An-178 military transport aircraft is making its Middle East debut at the Dubai Airshow. The Antonov (stand 2210) An-178 military transport aircraft is making its Middle East debut at the Dubai Airshow. It forms the centrepiece of the Ukrainian company’s on-going effort to break into the Middle Eastern and African markets. Mykhaylo Gvozdov, Antonov’s acting preside...
