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Singapore Airlines becomes new operator of the A350 XWB

Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of its first A350 XWB in Toulouse, France, becoming the fifth operator of the all-new widebody airliner. With its unrivalled passenger flying experience and operational efficiency, the A350 XWB will form the backbone of Singapore Airlines’ future mid-size widebody fleet. Singapore Airlines’ aircraft is configured in a premium three class layout...

Indian plane takes off without tyre but lands safely

A plane operated by low-cost Indian airline SpiceJet lost a tyre while taking off from Bengaluru on Tuesday, but managed to land safely at its scheduled destination, Kolkata. The airplane had 211 passengers on board, including seven crew members. Ground staff at the Bengaluru airport saw the remains of the burst tyre after takeoff at 8.30 p.m. They alerted the air traffic control, which in turn...

Air NZ expands international network with return to Osaka

Air New Zealand is expanding its presence in Asia with a return to Osaka (Kansai). The seasonal three times weekly Auckland-Osaka (Kansai) flights are scheduled to begin in November with Boeing 767-300ERs and run until March 2017, Air NZ said on Thursday. Currently, Air NZ flies 10 times a week between Auckland and Tokyo with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The Star Alliance member said demand...

The stuff Dreamliners are made of

Ever wondered what goes in to creating a faultless machine able to transport passengers and precious cargo, thousands of feet up in the air, across the globe?  It turns out the devil is in the detail which experts reassuringly craft into every aspect of building a jet plane. In just four minutes a stunning timelapse video from flight company Norwegian, reveals the process and massive am...

The world's worst airlines revealed, based on quality, delays and claims

Two of the UK’s leading airlines are languishing almost at the foot of a table claiming to rate “the saints and sinners of the global airline industry”. A no-win, no-fee claims handler, AirHelp, has assessed more than 30 airlines using scores for quality, on-time performance and responses to claims for compensation. The firm says “Air travel is about more than just the p...

Lufthansa begins new Frankfurt-Panama City service

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’ China A330 Widebody Completion & Delivery Centre construction starts

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...

Stelios demands Fastjet CEO replacement over cost concerns

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...

Collision averted between Ryanair plane and Israel Air Force jets

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...

SIA collects first Airbus A350-900 plane on Thursday

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...

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie: how was Nato's phonetic alphabet chosen?

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?...

Loganair unveils first revamped plane in 13-aircraft fleet

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...