Lufthansa commenced its new non-stop service between Frankfurt and Panama City yesterday. Flight LH 484 departed from Frankfurt (FRA) at 10:15 local time, and is scheduled to arrive at the Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen in Panama City (PTY) at 16:40 local time March 2, 2016. Eastbound flight LH 485 will leave Panama City at 18:45 local time this evening, and is due to land in Frankfurt at 11:...
Airbus has taken additional steps in the expansion of its global footprint and its strategic partnership with China as construction gets underway for the Airbus A330 Completion and Delivery Centre (C&DC) in Tianjin, China. The A330 C&DC will be co-located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre. “The ground b...
Airbus Helicopters’ H215, the twin-engine, versatile, economic and robust helicopter designed to meet for a wide range of utility missions, will embark on a US-wide demo tour following its appearance on static display at the 2016 Heli Expo international trade show. Beginning on March 4, the H215 will perform demonstration flights in Louisville (Kentucky), Huntsville (Alabama) and then on...
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, one of the largest investors in Fastjet (FN, Dar-es-Salaam) (through easyGroup holding 12% of Fastjet shares), has demanded an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to discuss the proposed dismissal of Fastjet's chief executive Ed Winter and one of its directors, Krista Bates. Winter already announced in January that he was planning to step down once a successo...
Light rotorcraft manufacturer Enstrom Helicopter arrives at Heli-Expo with its display shorn of a key exhibit after its new TH180 piston-single trainer was severely damaged during flight-testing. "A piece of test equipment failed last week and totalled it," says Pierre du Pont, director of product support at the Menominee, Minnesota-based manufacturer. Rather than being able to sho...
Robinson has begun taking orders for its new twin-seat derivative of the Raven, the R44 Cadet, as it closes on US Federal Aviation Administration certification. The piston-single trainer features at Robinson’s booth at Heli-Expo. It sells for $339,000 and is powered by the Lycoming 0-540-F1B5 piston engine. Company president Kurt Robinson said, speaking at Heli-Expo today, thatEASA cer...
Marenco Swisshelicopter has secured a launch customer for its developmental SKYe SH09 light single, with Swiss firm Air Zermatt placing a firm order for a single example of the 2.6t rotorcraft. Delivery to the operator is due begin in 2017, on the back of European Aviation Safety Agency certification, says Marenco chief executive Martin Stucki. Although initially only for one aircr...
Bell Helicopter, announced a signed purchase agreement with Aichi Prefecture for a Bell 412EPI configured for parapublic operations and used specifically for firefighting missions and disaster relief. “The selection of the Bell 412EPI will enhance Aichi’s capability and help ensure the safety and security of citizens throughout the region,” said Richard Thornley...
There are few options for replacing electromechanical attitude indicators and heading indicators on medium and heavy helicopters, but Astronautics has figured out a simple solution that takes advantage of existing wiring and panel architecture while adding modern glass cockpit capabilities. The Astronautics RoadRunner, announced at Heli-Expo 2016, is a simple upgrade for electromechanical ins...
Four Israel Air Force fighter jets almost collided with a Cracow bound Ryanair passenger plane over central Israel Tuesday, Channel 2 reported. The Ryanair pilot's last minute reaction averted the collision, according to the report. The Ryanair flight took took off from Ovda Airport north of the southern resort city of Eilat and was at an altitude of 27,000 feet when it encou...
The new model is said to be about 20 per cent more fuel efficient than existing models, and could help Singapore Airlines save costs amid heating competition with Gulf carriers. Singapore Airlines (SIA) has successfully completed the first maiden test flight of its first Airbus A350-900 in Toulouse, France - home of aircraft maker Airbus - and is set to pick up the keys on Thursday (Mar 3).&nbs...
The DJI Phantom 4 can see and avoid obstacles in its path. Chinese drone maker DJI wants to make flying a drone so easy that anyone can do it, thanks to easier-to-use controls and the ability to avoid obstacles. The $1,399 Phantom 4 can see and automatically avoid dangerous obstructions thanks to a new set of front-facing sensors. If the drone doesn’t think it can make it around a...
An older version began with Apples and Butter, while soldiers in the First World War preferred Ack and Beer. Sixty years ago today, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) implemented the final version of the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet – known to most people as the Nato phonetic alphabet, or simply the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie alphabet. What is it for?...
The refurbishment of the first of 13 aircraft operated by the Scottish airline Loganair has been completed. The interior of the Saab 340 that flies to and from Orkney was stripped out and renewed and the exterior repainted at a cost of almost £270,000. Loganair, a franchise partner of Flybe, will spend £3.5m having the same work done to the rest of its fleet. The first stage i...
Little is known as yet about the behavior of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) during a flight. As part of the Clean Sky research initiative and with the help of a measurement configuration based on fiber optics, Fraunhofer researchers have accurately verified the degree to which CFRP parts deform during flight. The pilots starts his takeoff. The tires slowly leave the asphalt. On board:...
Community and Public Sector Union considering rolling airport strikes over the Easter holidays ‘if the government continues with their attack on workplace rights’. Easter travel plans could be thrown into chaos with Border Force and immigration department staff at international airports across Australia to take strike action on the eve of Good Friday. The Community and Public Sec...
Airbus Group SE said a new version of the A380 superjumbo is unlikely to enter the market until the mid-2020s as the double-decker jetliner’s biggest operator, Emirates Airline, struggles with limits on flights from its home market. Emirates has pressed Airbus to develop a re-engined model of the world’s biggest passenger plane, the backbone of its international fleet, promising an...
They’re the people who put all that sophisticated equipment to work. On commercial airlines, there are always at least two pilots, and on many flights, there are three. All airline pilots have had extensive training and flying experience, often as part of military service. The road from the first training flight to the airline cockpit is a long and difficult one, but for many pilots, this is...
Welcome aboard Emirates EK448 and congratulations, you're on the world's longest passenger flight. Weary but happy passengers at Auckland International Airport on Wednesday said they found out at the last minute they were on the world's first 16 hour-plus flight, from Dubai. Palmerston North expat New Zealander Cameron White said he got a message from his brot...
Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS) announced that the country’s first budget airline will fly under the brand name ‘Salam Air’. Homage to Oman’s deeply-rooted culture and long-standing history as an ambassador of peace, the name, which is derived from the Arabic greeting, is a result of a nationwide public poll conducted on the online social networki...
Singapore Airlines will launch the inaugural long-haul flight of its new Airbus A350-900 fleet to Amsterdam on 9 May 2016. The A350 will serve the Airline’s daily flight to Amsterdam as SQ324, as well as its return flight SQ323. Today’s announcement comes a day before Singapore Airlines is due to take delivery of its first A350-900 at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse. Prior...
