Airbus A320neo launch operator Lufthansa has operated the re-engined variant's first revenue flight outside Germany. On 12 April, the Star Alliance carrier deployed its second A320neo (registration D-AINB) for a service from Frankfurt to London Heathrow. Lufthansa says the flight was a one-off intended to familiarise the airport operator with the aircraft, and the airline will contin...
New Fiji Airways chief executive Andre Viljoen says 2016 will be a year of challenges and opportunities as the airline grows its international network and deals with the fallout from Tropical Cyclone Winston after handing down a record profit result. The airline group, which covers Fiji Airways, Fiji Link and other subsidiaries, reported profit before tax of $FJ70.2 million for the 12 months to...
Airbus’s A380 program has received a boost with its largest customer Emirates adding an extra two aircraft to its already hefty order book, while Boeing has also confirmed a fresh order for four 747-8s. The Dubai-based carrier says the extra two A380s, which will be configured in a two-class format featuring business and economy and powered by Rolls-Royce engines, will be delivered in the...
Finmeccanica will be showcasing the company’s expertise in aerospace and security sectors and its footprint in the key Brazilian market through this week’s LAAD Security exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Poised for growth in the region, the company will display solutions from the sectors of security, helicopters, airborne, space, and naval defence electronics that will imp...
Frasca International Inc. has received an order for a Level 5 flight training device (FTD) for the Airbus Helicopters EC135 from Tokyo Aircraft Instrument Co., Ltd. (TKK). The FTD will feature a three-channel flat screen visual system, single pilot instrumentation and controls, Garmin GPS and electric control loading. TKK is a repeat customer of Frasca's, currently using a model 3...
China is stepping up its monitoring requirements for general aviation arrivals in the wake of the Zika virus outbreak. Authorities are calling for people to report any flu-like symptoms or any other symptoms of the Zika virus to the quarantine office when arriving from an area linked to the Zika virus outbreak. In addition, officials may come aboard such arrivals to carry out a visual inspection,...
Jet Aviation Singapore has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to maintain the Gulfstream G280 business aircraft. The company also obtained approval from the Thai civil aviation authority to add the G280 to its certificate. As a factory authorised service centre and warranty repair facility for the Gulfstream series, the company is now able to support G280 aircraft...
Ex-military jets will have to perform aerobatic stunts at higher altitude and further away from crowds following a Shoreham crash report. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the measures in its final UK air show safety regulation review following the fatal disaster in 2015. It will also strengthen the requirements of post-display reports to "reflect the importance of feedback&q...
A woman has died on a Thomson Holidays flight from Majorca to Glasgow. Flight TOM1239 had to be redirected to Manchester Airport on Tuesday night after a medical emergency was declared. The Boeing 757 200 left Palma at 8.38pm and was scheduld to land at Glasgow Airport at 10.40pm. However, following the emergency it landed at Manchester at 21.50pm. The woman who died was believed to be in...
* Airbus left with the 2 planes after Skymark bankruptcy * Sources: Emirates paid much less than $865 mln list price * Emirates is biggest customer of A380 (Recasts, adds details, background) Dubai's Emirates emerged on Wednesday as the buyer of two new Airbus A380s, stepping in to add to its large fleet of superjumbos after the recent bankruptcy of a Japanese carrier. Airbus, whic...
Belgian air traffic controllers continued their wildcat strike for a second day on Wednesday, forcing the cancellation of flights at Brussels airport and angering the government as the nation struggles to recover from last month's suicide bombings. Prime Minister Charles Michel said the controllers made an "irresponsible choice" by walking out at this stage and said the gove...
Comlux America will perform cabin completion work on a Boeing 737-700 BBJ aircraft to be delivered to an Asian Customer. The work will be conducted at the company's Indianapolis facility, says Comlux, which specialises in areas such as cabin completions, MRO, charters, and aircraft management. The aircraft entered Comlux’s Indianapolis facility in January, and the work, which inclu...
Textron Aviation is enjoying success with its Shijiazhuang factory for the Cessna Caravan 208 single-engined turboprop, with the type attaining acceptance in the Chinese market. Bill Schultz, country manager of Textron Aviation in China, says there are about 77 Caravans operating in China, of which 30 were produced in Shijiazhuang. The factory is run as a joint venture between Cessna and sta...
Despite a dip in European business aviation traffic during March, flight activity for the first quarter of this year ended 2.2 percent higher than the same period last year, according to WingX’s latest monthly Business Aviation Monitor. The latest WingX data showed 2,617 fewer departures last month (61,746) than in March last year—a drop of 4.1 percent. During March, the steepe...
Ameco Beijing (Booth P242) is here at ABACE promoting upgrades to its large-cabin business jet completions and maintenance capabilities, which have resulted from last year’s integration of Air China Technics, the MROdivision of Air China, The company now offers an independent hangar that can accommodate bizliners such as Boeing BBJs or AirbusACJ, as well as two in...
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) appears to be confident that the Sikorsky CH-53K programme has put the gearbox failures and parts delays experienced prior to first flight in October 2015 behind it, but the Lockheed Martin-owned helicopter manufacturer won’t receive bonus cheques for lateness. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently stated that the King Stallion’...
Gogo Inc., the leading provider of in-flight connectivity and wireless entertainment solutions to the global aero market, today announces new hourly pricing plans for turboprop and light jet operators, making connectivity affordable and predictable for airframes of all types. Starting at $39 per hour, the new service plans provide the convenience of in-flight connectivity with predict...
Tiny planes and turbulence are the least of your worries when taking off and landing in Lukla, Nepal. We did it and lived to tell the tale. It’s a 40-minute flight from Kathmandu, Nepal to the village of Lukla. That seems like a simple trip, until you consider it's 40 minutes of mountain-dodging, white-knuckling, flying in a small plane to arrive at what's consistently named the w...
Suspicious luggage caused the partial evacuation of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol late Tuesday due to a major “security threat.” The air hub has been given the all-clear and services have returned to normal after military police confirmed that no explosives had been located. Heavily armed military police wearing balaclavas sealed off parts of the country's busiest airport for hours...
If you’ve been following recent trends in the custom motorcycle world, then you’ll know that minimalism is the new chrome plating. Bodywork is passé, colors are muted, and honest function is the end result. Apply that treatment to a cruiser, and you end up with a bobber. So it makes sense that renowned bush plane maker Zlin Aviation is calling this new, minimalist airplane the s...
Air France is facing a rebellion from gay air stewards – who are refusing to fly on a new route to Iran. The company is launching a new route from Paris to Tehran, the capital of the reclusive state, with flights set to begin on April 17. However, the new route has been controversial with cabin crew – after a memo instructed female staff members to wear heards...
