The pre-owned jet market is a complex entity that cannot al-ways be predicted. Certain events happen that are unforeseen and unprecedented. These events have nothing to do with the aircraft itself but can affect its value. For example, in late 2014 the market for the Challenger 604 was stable with approximately 22-25 units on the open pre-owned market. This number represents less than 10% of al...
Bell Helicopter announces plans to showcase the performance capabilities and luxury interior of the Bell 429 MAGnificent through a series of customer demo flights in South America. Bell Helicopter last demonstrated the Bell 429’s capability in a five-month demo tour in 2014, and customers continue to respond. To date, there are more than 60 Bell 429s operating throughout Latin Americ...
Airbus Helicopters has begun test flights for its German armed forces customer as part of a research and technology programme to develop a hostile fire indication (HFI) system. Using a modified German army Sikorsky CH-53G helicopter, the manufacturer performed the first evaluation sortie on 30 March, from Manching, to study the integration and effects on handling qualities of a number of sensor...
Every bit of weight on an aircraft increases the fuel, emissions and money required to put it in the air. NASA and Boeing have been working together to design a longer, thinner and lighter wing – so different from typical commercial transport aircraft wings that it requires a brace, or truss, to provide the wing extra support. Researchers expect the lighter weight, lower drag truss-braced...
The Oscars of the plane cabin, the Crystal Cabin Awards, were held in Hamburg on Tuesday night. This is as gala a gala event as you get in aviation. It’s not the Oscars, but then airlines and their suppliers don't have the box office earnings to match even Batman v Superman. Each year, awards are handed out in seven key cabin experience categories. But this year — on the 10th an...
As many as 110 passengers onboard an Air India aircraft were forced to sit in the plane for two and half hours on Wednesday after its commander insisted for a “particular woman” co-pilot to operate the flight. The incident happened at Air India’s flight to Male from Chennai via Thiruvananthapuram, sources said. In between, the commander also complained of high blood pressur...
Airbus Helicopters has concluded its H215 demonstrator tour across the US. The aircraft was then put on static display at the Aerial Firefighting International event in Sacramento, California. The three week long tour included flights for more than 100 people, including 40 pilots. The helicopter flew 63 flight hours and covered nearly 6,000 miles (9,500 km). The H215 – previously marke...
Air Partner-owned aviation safety consultancy company Baines Simmons has been awarded the 1O- year contract to provide support services to the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry (IoMAR) after a final shoot-out involving three other competitor businesses. The registry is the sixth largest international business jet list, and the fastest growing aircraft registry in the world. In accordance with t...
In late March the EASA issued a Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) aimed at improving certification rules for helicopters operating over water. At issue is the creation of realistic requirements about keeping the aircraft upright and easing passenger egress. Comments are due by June 23, and the agency expects to publish the new regulation in the third quarter. According to the&nb...
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will operate its Boeing 787-9 in a summer seasonal service from Amsterdam to San Francisco, starting from May 4. The seasonal service will be in addition to KLM’s daily scheduled flight operated by 747-400s, and it will mark the first deployment of the Dutch carrier of its 787-9s on a route to the United States. The new flight schedule will see flight KL609 lea...
Despite a fall in worldwide air freight in February, Middle East airlines’ cargo volumes continued to grow steadily, rising 3.7 per cent year-on-year, the International Air Transport Association said yesterday. Global air freight volumes fell by 5.6 per cent year-on-year in February owing in part to a spike after port strikes in the United States early last year. “The air freight...
The TRUEngine technical program continues to expand with total engine enrollments surpassing the 12,000 mark, a 20% increase in the last 18 months. More than 200 operators have opted to enroll their engines in the TRUEngine program. “The TRUEngine designation provides significant benefits to operators including optimized product support, higher asset residual values and enhanced warrantie...
Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, today announced it will begin base operations in Sibiu in August and launch four new routes from Sibiu International Airport. The company also announced it is adding Suceava as its newest Romanian destination, launching new service to London Luton. Already the largest airline operation in Romania, Sibiu will become Wizz Air&r...
AFI KLM E&M has signed an agreement with UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) covering aircraft maintenance services in connection with Airbus A350 components supplied by the North American OEM. The go-to partner for A350 operators The powerful ties it has forged with the leading OEMs mean that AFI KLM E&a...
Today the Minister for Transport of Latvia, Uldis Augulis, and CEO of airBaltic, Martin Gauss, hold an official opening of the new airBaltic headquarters featuring the most modern crew centre in the Baltic region. Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “Offering a superb product to our customer is priority. We are delighted that our new facility with its modern crew centre en...
easyJet launched 18 new routes across its European network between 23 and 29 March, starting on the former date with a four times weekly service between Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and Bristol (BRS), with the UK airport also gaining a connection to Nantes (NTE) the following day. Commenting on the launch of flights from Bristol to the Italian gateway, Shaun Browne, Aviation Director, Bristol Ai...
Nordica commenced three services from Tallinn (TLL) between 27 and 29 March according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. The first two routes to be launched were to Paris CDG (CDG) and Vienna (VIE) on the former date. Both 1,828- and 1,365-kiolometre sectors will face direct competition from airBaltic. Flights to the French capital will be operated by the carrier’s CRJ 900s thrice-weekly whi...
Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2016 – TAP Portugal has signed an agreement with Airbus to be the first operator of the new A330neo airliner and therefore also become the launching carrier to fly the Airspace by Airbus cabin brand in the A330neo. In 2015, the airline placed a large fleet renewal contract with Airbus which included an order for 14 A330-900neos. Passengers will soon be...
Daher unveiled the expanded range of its TBM very fast turboprop aircraft family, which now consists of the TBM 900 and the TBM 930 version – each of which retain the performance and technical features that have made the TBM 900 a business aviation success, with more than 110 sold since its launch two years ago. Daher has introduced the e-copilot® function on Model Year 2016 aircraft fo...
The expeditionary group of Russia’s Air and Space Force (VKS, formerly the Russian air force) started using two new types of attack rotorcraft—the Mil Mi-28 “Night Hunter” and Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator”—in Syria. Previously, the service relied on two less capable, older types: the Mi-8 utility and Mi-24 assault helicopters. One Mi-8 was lost during a rescue o...
Air France-KLM chairman and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac will replace Tony Tyler as the next director and CEO of the International Air Transport Association, the airline said Tuesday. De Juniac indicated to the Air France-KLM board of directors that he would accept IATA’s offer to lead that organization at its general meeting, scheduled for June 1 to 3 in Dubl...
