Virgin Galactic’s new spaceship has made a successful first glide flight, a key step after a deadly crash of its predecessor two years ago, the spaceflight company, in which Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments has a 37.8 per cent stake, said on Saturday. The new SpaceShipTwo, dubbed VSS Unity, was hoisted aloft by carrier airplane WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve from the Mojave Air & Space Por...
Boeing Co. Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg called on President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to ensure that U.S. companies have the tools necessary to compete in a global economy, from a reformed tax code to financial support from the moribund U.S. Export-Import Bank. For Chicago-based Boeing, the largest U.S. exporter, that means a reformed tax code, a fair global trade system, reg...
Sending satellites, spacecraft and humans into space is an expensive business. If humanity wants to venture further across the Solar System, we need ways of reducing the cost. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to make the vehicles we use to launch missions into space reusable. Michael Smart, chair of hypersonic propulsion at the University of Queensland, believes hypersonic planes are the s...
The pilot of a plane carrying 128 people suffered a heart attack as he taxied to the runway at Glasgow airport. The captain of the KLM aircraft became unwell as he was about to leave for Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He was resuscitated by the crew with the help of a passenger. Firefighters from Glasgow airport helped take the Dutch pilot off the plane, where he was met by ambulance cr...
The inaugural flight of the Stratos 714 Very Light Jet (VLJ) was completed successfully on Nov. 21, 2016. With Dave Morss at the controls, the four seat, personal jet aircraft was launched for a 10-minute flight to verify general stability and systems operation. This flight's maximum speed was limited to 128kts at an altitude of 3,700ft AGL with the flaps at 24° and the gear extended...
Emirates has launched the world’s shortest scheduled A380 service, from Dubai to Doha. A first A380 flying the route touched down on Thursday and was welcomed with a water cannon salute – a traditional welcome for aircraft flying new routes. The 379-kilometre flight lasted 80 minutes on the outbound leg and 70 minutes on the return flight to Dubai. Emirates is the largest oper...
Embraer reached another milestone with its E-Jets program - the delivery of the 1,300th aircraft. The E-Jet, an E195, was handed over to China’s Tianjin Airlines in a ceremony at the factory in São José dos Campos. This delivery brings the Tianjin Airlines E-Jet fleet to 45, the largest in Asia. “We dedicate this milestone to all our customers who have embraced the E-J...
Boeing and AerCap, a global leader in aircraft leasing, celebrated the delivery of the first 787 for Air France. The airplane, a 787-9, signifies the delivery of AerCap's 50th Dreamliner and will be deployed on Air France's Paris to Cairo route starting in January. The airplane is also the 500th 787 produced on Boeing's production lines. "It i...
Boutsen Aviation Founders Thierry and Daniela Boutsen were awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 5th Annual “Trophées de l’Eco” at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Hosted by the Monaco Economic Board, six entrepreneurs were awarded prizes based on their contributions to the Principality. There is little doubt that Boutsen Aviation has greatly contributed to the entrepreneuria...
FL Technics, a global provider of one-stop-shop aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services, has announced the official opening of its MRO hangar at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia. FL Technics Indonesia has also reached cooperation agreements with ten Asian airlines. The newly opened 9 000 sq. m. facility accommodates up to 3 narrow-body aircraft at a tim...
TAG Aviation Asia has been named as ‘The Best Management Company and Operator’ for the greater Asia and Asia Pacific region at this year’s Asian Aviation Association (AsBAA) industry awards ceremony which took place last month. This coveted recognition marks the second consecutive year that TAG Aviation Asia has been voted for and received an AsBAA award, having previously...
Rolls-Royce has won an order from New Caledonian airline Aircalin for Trent 7000 engines to power two Airbus A330neo aircrafts, supported by Rolls-Royce’s flagship engine service, TotalCare®. The order marks the first time that Aircalin has selected Rolls-Royce engines. The A330neo is exclusively powered by the Trent 7000 which brings together experience from the Trent 700 which power...
Bombardier Business Aircraft announced it will showcase its class-defining business aircraft at this year’s Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) show at Al Maktoum International airport in Dubai (UAE) on December 6-8, 2016. The company’s most advanced business jets will be on static display, including the Learjet 75, Challenger 650, Global 5000and Globa...
GA Telesis, LLC has launched ACCESS - a new ready-to-go exchange program for aircraft flight control surfaces. ACCESS connects airlines to its extensive pool of ready-to-go flight control surfaces, leveraging the world’s largest independent inventory of the GA Telesis’ Component Solutions Group (CSG) with the comprehensive repair and overhaul capabilities...
Airbus Corporate Jets is exhibiting an ACJ318 at the MEBAA show, highlighting the greater comfort and space that its ACJ320 Family offers when compared with traditional business jets. The aircraft, which has the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet while being similar in size externally, is operated by Nasjet. Its cabin has several lounge areas, an office that converts to a bedroom, bat...
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the European Commission’s revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) to incentivize sustainable fuels, and urged policy-makers to go even further in prioritizing their use for air transport. The largest user of renewable fuels, the road transport sector, has increasing options to move towards electrification; however, aviat...
Abu Dhabi-based Falcon Aviation is planning to put its recently received twin-engined, AgustaWestland 169 into offshore service – the first AW169 to operate in the global offshore oil industry. The company is currently finalising pilot training and anticipates having the 8-seater oil and gas variant of the helicopter in service for French oil giant Total by mid-December. Falcon took de...
Flying Colours Corp. will be attending Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) 2016, having announced it has completed its first installations of the Satcom Direct router (SDR). The first was fitted as part of a Global 5000 cabin refurbishment package, and the second as part of a new Global 5000 completion project for an undisclosed private Middle Eastern owner. ...
The UK’s first onshore elevated helipad with a Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System (DIFFS) at Kings College Hospital London has been certified to UK CAA CAP 1264 by CAA International (CAAi). The construction phase of the helipad was managed by Watts Group Limited during a period when UK best practice was transitioning from Health Building Note (HBN) 15:03 to UK CAA CAP 1264, the latest U...
TAG Farnborough Airport has been presented with a Silver 'Green Apple Award' by The Green Organisation at a ceremony held at The House of Commons this month. The Green Apple Environment Awards, is an annual international campaign designed to recognise and encourage environmental best practice around the world. TAG Farnborough Airport received the Silver Award in recognition of its...
A new facility to accommodate final assembly work on Boeing 787 Dreamliner landing gear to integrate wheel and brake system components. Safran announced the inauguration of a new facility in Charleston, South Carolina, located near the Boeing final assembly facility. The new site will support the assembly of wiring and landing gear activities for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Safran is the prov...
