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ExecuJet Africa launches helicopter charter from Cape Town

ExecuJet Africa has received its first charter helicopter, a VIP configured Bell 407 helicopter, now available for charter from ExecuJet's Cape Town FBO facility. ExecuJet will offer commercial helicopter charters for various scenic flights to surrounding vineyards and other tourist attractions. While ExecuJet’s focus for helicopters charters will predominantly be the tourist market i...

Air Partner continues to fly high with acquisition of Clockwork Research

Air Partner, the global aviation services group, has acquired Clockwork Research, a leading Fatigue Risk Management consultancy. The company was founded in 2005 by Paul Jackson PhD MSc BSc and Alexandra Holmes PhD BSc Hons and has grown to become a recognised leader in the specialist area of Fatigue Risk Management Systems. Based in London, the company's core team of specialists is supporte...

Jet Aviation’s Design Studio in Basel has been shortlisted for Design Awards in 2017

Jet Aviation’s Design Studio in Basel was recently announced as a finalist in the Visualization category of the Society of British and International Design Awards 2016, and shortlisted for the Design et Al Yacht & Aviation Private Jet Design Concept award 2017. The Basel Design Studio’s “Limitless” campaign created concept interiors for the Boeing 787-9 and Airb...

RUAG named Authorised Service Centre for the AW139 by Leonardo

RUAG Aviation has secured Authorised Service Centre status for the Leonardo AW139 helicopter at its locations in Sion and Lugano, Switzerland. This authorisation confirms RUAG Aviation as a full support partner for the AW139 helicopter, including all maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), as well as warranty services. “The new type ratings for the Leonardo AW139 at both our Sion and Luga...

Qatar Air Plans Move to GE-Powered Airbus A320 in Pratt Blow

Qatar Airways said it’s seeking to renegotiate a $7.8 billion order for Airbus Group SE narrow-body jets and could switch to bigger planes powered by alternative engines as part of a revised agreement. The Gulf carrier wants to keep the deal for 80 A320neos after refusing to take the first four aircraft because of glitches with their Pratt & Whitney turbines, Chief Executive Offi...

The Five Longest Direct Flights In The World

Airplane seats are going to keep shrinking and the thought of cramming into smaller seats over the course of more than a few hours can put off most travelers. So will Australian airline Qantas’ new route from Perth to London be a game changer? The 14,498 km flight will take roughly 17 hours and is expected to begin operating in March 2018, according to a press release by Qantas. Just t...

Pakistan grounds all its ATR planes after fatal crash

Pakistan’s national carrier Monday grounded all of its 10 ATR turboprop planes after a crash last week killed 47 people and a second aircraft reported technical issues shortly before it was supposed to take off overnight. Pakistan International Airlines flight 661 smashed into a hillside in the country’s north while travelling from the city of Chitral to the capital Islamabad last W...

Countdown for the Lufthansa A350-900

The countdown to the delivery of the most modern long-haul aircraft and the newest addition to the Lufthansa fleet has now started. On 19 December 2016, Lufthansa will receive its first A350-900 and two days later, on 21 December, the Airbus will be transferred from Toulouse to Munich. It is expected to arrive sometime in the afternoon. Subsequently, the A350-900 will be making guest appearances a...

London Southend Airport is big hit with high flyers; private jet usage up 25% year on year

The newest competitor in London’s business aviation market has demonstrated it is already a major player by posting a 25% year on year increase in traffic. New figures confirm that London Southend Airport is increasingly the airport of choice for business jet travellers. London Southend Airport’s Head of Business Aviation, Hannah Lo Bao, said: “We offer private jet pas...

When passion becomes business: the story of Heliteam and its founder

Heliteam is a French helicopter startup born of its founder's love of flying – he is also a pilot – and with promising beginnings. Established less than two years ago, the company currently operates two helicopters for a variety of transport and aerial work missions around the Montpellier-Méditerranée airport, one of which is an H125 from Airbus Helicopters, purchased...

Godspeed, John Glenn

Astronaut Scholarship Foundation founder, former Astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at the age of 95.  Glenn was the last remaining member of the Mercury Seven – the iconic group of astronauts known for their charismatic charm and adventurous spirit.  As the last of the original space pioneers, Glenn’s death increases the expansive...

Iran close to Airbus deal, to get first jets in 2017: official

Iran is close to finalizing a deal to buy dozens of passenger jets from Europe's Airbus, having signed a $16.6 billion deal with Boeing earlier on Sunday, an Iranian official told Reuters. The Airbus deal, seen likely to involve a first batch of about half the 118 jets provisionally ordered in January, should be completed in "the next couple of days," the official said....

Comlux to put SBJ into operation before the end of 2016

Fly Comlux, which is included in the Comlux Group, will put into operation its new business jet SBJ (Sukhoi Business Jet) until the end of the year. After customization on Comlux America capacities this plane has a new interior and extra fuel tanks, Andrea Zanetti CEO, Fly Comlux, told BizavNews. “We plan to operate a flight from Indianapolisto Alta-Ata before the end of 2016,...

Boeing, Iran Air Announce Agreement for 80 Airplanes

$16 billion milestone agreement includes widebody, single-aisle aircraft Contract reached within terms of U.S. Government license New orders will support nearly 100,000 U.S. jobs Boeing  and Iran Air announced an agreement today for 80 aircraft that includes 50 737 MAX 8s, 15 777-300ERs and 15 777-9s, valued at $16.6 billion at list prices. Based on its Memorandum of Agr...

Executive travel: G650 aircraft is fast, long range and private

The world’s fastest long-range civil aircraft quietly taxied into Dubai’s Maktoum International airport last week for the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (Mebaa) show. Gulfstream’s G650 ER can already claim about 25 owners in the region since its launch in 2012, including Qatar Airways with three and three more on order, out of about 215 aircraft s...

Half of airline pilots report fatigue which could jeopardise passenger safety

Half of airline pilots have reported that fatigue is not taken seriously by airlines, in the first large-scale survey of pilots’ perceptions of safety within the European aviation industry. The survey was conducted by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and EUROCONTROL, an intergovernmental organisation committed to delivering safe and efficient air traffic manageme...

Boeing Forecasts Increased Funding Needs Utilizing Diverse Sources for 2017 Aircraft Financing

Financing industry to provide approximately $126 billion in aircraft funding in 2017, up $4 billion from 2016 Healthy leasing market, variety of financiers and investors poised to meet most demand Financing environment has helped absorb impact of lack of export credit in the short-term -- history shows this is not sustainable Boeing says strength in the capital markets and innovative...

Qantas eyes non-stop Perth-to-UK flight

THE longest non-stop commercial airline passenger route in the world between Perth in Western Australia and London in the UK is reportedly expected to be cleared for take off next week. Flights could start by Christmas 2017 once Qantas takes delivery of its first long-range Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The 14,466-kilometre flight from Perth to London would take 17 and a half hours, making it the...

Switzerland's Pilatus Aircraft considering an IPO in 2017 - sources

Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft is considering listing its shares in an initial public offering next year which could value the firm at around 3 billion Swiss francs ($2.95 billion), according to two sources familiar with the matter. Plans are at an early stage with Pilatus talking to bankers, although no institutions have yet been appointed to work on the flotation which...

CMIG Leasing takes delivery of China’s 100th helicopter from the Ecureuil family

CMIG Leasing received a brand new H125 helicopter from Airbus Helicopters in Marignane, France, making it the 100th Ecureuil family helicopter to operate in China’s skies.  This helicopter will be operated by the Shanghai Skyway General Aviation Company (Skyway GAC), one of the pioneers in China general aviation, with a fleet of seven H125. Skyway GAC will deploy this new helicopter...

KLM to recruit new cabin and cockpit crew

In the first six months of 2017, KLM intends to take on 400 new cabin attendants (incl. 100 for KLMCityhopper) and 100 new pilots. KLM has managed to achieve a great deal in recent years in terms of cutting costs. Simultaneously, the network has been expanded to include new destinations and older aircraft have been replaced by newer types in a rigorous programme of fleet r...