The Afghan military is expected to field its first specialized surveillance drones as soon as March, a U.S. commander in Kabul said on Thursday, as the Asian nation slowly expands its own air force. The boost in military hardware comes as Afghan security forces, fighting largely alone since the withdrawal of most international forces in 2014, have struggled for months to hold back a Taliban ins...
Airbus and Boeing announced modest aircraft orders at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday that indicated a lull in demand for the big manufacturers after the 2014 show hauled in more than $30 billion of deals. Airbus announced an order for six A350-900s, valued at $1.8 billion at list prices from Philippine Airlines. Boeing announced a deal for 12 of its 737 jets with a privately-owned Chinese c...
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, and PT Whitesky Aviation today signed an agreement for a new aftermarket parts service plan. PT Whitesky Aviation, located in Jakarta, Indonesia, is a progressively emerging aviation company, specialized in non scheduled (charter) flight. The company operates a fleet of six Bell Helicopter aircraft, including three Bell 429s and three Bel...
Online application based transportation, Uber Taxi, is set to land its new line of service, Uber Chopper, in Bali. The transportation is cooperation between Uber Taxi and Air Bali, providing service of transportation of 5,000 feet above the sea level which planned to be launched on Friday, Feb. 19. Uber Taxi spokesman for Indonesia, Karun Arya, said that Uber aims to help touri...
Vision Systems is a world leader in solar protection solutions for the aeronautic market, developing Electronically Dimmable Windows based on SPD technology (Suspended Particle Device). These solar protection systems are now mature products already installed or being installed in aircrafts and helicopters, such as RUAG's refurbished Falcon 900. The demand for retrofit projects is growing r...
Bombardier Business Aircraft announced today that fast-growing private jet operator Zetta Jet has exercised options for a total of two Global 6000 ultra-long range business aircraft. These two options were part of an announcement for one firm order plus four options originally announced on December 15, 2015, for the same aircraft model. Additionally, Zetta Jet has procured options for tw...
Boeing engineers' union ratified six-year contracts by a wide margin, in a vote that ensures stability during a period when the plane maker is bringing out new versions of the 737 and 777. More than 70 percent of voters backed the agreements for two bargaining units of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) that cover 20,100 workers, the union said. The deals...
The UK Ministry of Defence has placed a highly anticipated order for two Airbus Defence & Space Zephyr 8 high-altitude pseudo-satellites. Announced during Singapore air show on 18 February, the contract will cover the acquisition of two solar-powered, long-endurance surveillance unmanned air vehicles, the first of which is already under construction. Under the terms of the contract &ndas...
Russia has unveiled the export version of the Sukhoi Su-30SME (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C) multipurpose fighter jet at the Singapore Airshow 2016, a source in the defense and industrial sector said. "The Su-30SME aircraft [the export version of the Su-30SM fighter jet] has been shown on the international market for the first time," the source said. "Its development aims to...
Qatar Airways has announced a new code-share agreement with Comair, a franchise of British Airways, that will add three new African destinations to the Qatar Airways route map, and provide additional flight options to travellers in Cape Town and Durban. Comair, which this year celebrates its 70th year of operations, is based in South Africa and is an affiliate member of the oneworld alliance th...
The 2016 Singapore Airshow saw more than 500 corporations from around the world display their latest equipment and technologies with Boeing, presenting its 787-9 Dreamliner, while Airbus released its new long-range airliner A350-900. Both companies are eyeing the Asia-Pacific market, which they deem to be the most promising over the next 20 years. It has a potential demand of 12,000 airc...
Bombardier's embattled C-Series airliner has finally found the major North American airline customer it has been searching for. Air Canada announced Wednesday that it would order 45 CS-300 airliners with an option for another 30 jets. "We are delighted to announce this important agreement with Bombardier for the purchase of CS-300 aircraft as part of the ongoing modernization of Air...
Qantas coordinated the world’s first in-flight Tech Talk on flight flight 73 departing from Sydney to San Francisco, as part of an initiative to promote the strengths and capabilities of Australian innovators in technology and science helping them make links in Silicon Valley. Called ‘Ideas That Travel’ the Tech Talk was coordinated in partnership with TEDxSydney and...
CloudStore by Arconics, the next generation, feature-rich, scalable and cost effective Wireless In-Flight Entertainment (W-IFE) platform, has been selected by Tigerair Australia for the airline’s first short-haul services to Bali commencing March 2016. Flights between Australia and Denpasar are operated by Virgin Australia International, providing a Tigerair Australia service, and are s...
AAR , a worldwide provider of aviation services to commercial airlines, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and governments, has expanded and updated its hydraulic repair and overhaul facility at AAR Aircraft Component Services – Amsterdam in response to rising demand. AAR announced the expansion Thursday during the Singapore Airshow. The renovation of the facil...
The A380 has literally changed the shape of air transportation in Asia-Pacific, and will continue to play an important role as this region’s dynamic passenger traffic develops during the years to come. Asia-Pacific is a major “home” for the A380: almost half of the global customer base for Airbus’ 21st century flagship jetliner is located there, while all of the oth...
Pratt & Whitney Canada’s (P&WC’s) Flight Acquisition, Storage and Transmission (FAST) solution is now in service on 580 aircraft, as a growing number of customers, including 20 regional airlines, are choosing the turnkey technology for aircraft and engine diagnostics, prognostics and health management. P&WC’s FAST solution captures, analyzes and sends full f...
The government will ease rules that constrain Air Canada’s ability to compete, after the country’s largest air carrier settled a dispute with Quebec and agreed to buy jets from Bombardier Inc. Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters in Ottawa Wednesday the government will seek to “clarify” the Air Canada Public Participation Act to allow the airline “to resp...
This year, righteous metal band Iron Maiden will be touring around the world in this Boeing 747 jumbo jet codenamed “Ed Force One,” piloted by lead singer Bruce Dickinson. Dickinson has apparently been flying since 1990, spent a stint as a professional charter pilot for a now-defunct outfit called Astraeus Airlines and even flew some British soldiers home from Afghanistan on a 747 c...
The federal charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A former Alaska Airlines pilot has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of flying passenger jets between California and Oregon in 2014 while under the influence of alcohol, according to authorities. David Arntson, 60, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, said Thom Mrozek, a spoke...
Boeing and SpaceX are racing to become the first private companies to carry astronauts into space, as early as next year. And although SpaceX is generally considered to be leading the race (it already delivers supplies to the space station), Boeing shouldn't be underestimated (the company built most of the International Space Station). After carrying astronauts to space, B...
