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Air NZ installs “world first” self-service bag drop at Auckland International

Air New Zealand will allow international passengers travelling from Auckland the option of checking in their own bag in what the airline describes as a world first. The self-service bag drop kiosks read biometric data stored on passports using technology similar to the SmartGate passpor...

Zodiac’s lower deck patent asks more questions than it answers

Zodiac Aerospace is exploring the opportunity of seating passengers underneath the main deck of commercial aircraft, in the area currently occupied by baggage and the occasional crew rest, catering trolley stowage, or downstairs lavatory area. The interiors powerhouse has applied for a paternt a...


Happy Passengers May Make a Difference to Airline Performance After All

During yesterday’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) Media Day in Geneva, IATA Director of Marketing and Sales Tim-Jasper Schaaf presented new data points which cast a new light on the importance of happy passengers. The update came as a result of our previous report that IATA found no direct correlation between satisfied passengers and profitable airlines during a previ...

Study: It’s Only a Matter of Time Until a Drone Hits a U.S. Airliner

A new report on drone sightings and close encounters with aircraft finds that the proliferation of drones is quickly creating an unsafe environment in the air above U.S. airports. The Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College collected data from 931 incidents involving drones and manned aircraft in U.S. airspace from Dec. 17, 2013, to Sept. 12, 2015. A close encounter is defined by the...

Performance of Chinese Airlines Impressive Amid Positive Growth Outlook: IATA Head

Speaking at the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Global Media Day on Thursday, IATA head Tony Tylor lauded the performance of Chinese airlines in recent years amid positive long-term prospects for the global airline industry. "Now the safety record (in China) is as good as anywhere else in the world. The reason that they've achieved it is that they've follo...

ANA Star Wars 787 to touch down in Sydney on Saturday

Star Wars fans and aviation enthusiasts are in for a treat on the weekend, when ANA’s inaugural Tokyo (Haneda) – Sydney service touches down in the NSW capital. The Japanese flag carrier will fly its Star Wars-themed 787-9 Dreamliner for the first flight. NH879, which is due to touch down at 0935 local time Saturday morning. And should sleepyheads miss the landing or fail to...

Boeing Books US$1.1 Billion in Orders, Races to Hit Sales Target

Boeing Co booked 11 new jetliner orders worth about US$1.1 billion at list prices on Thursday, leaving it with about 180 more sales to land this month to meet its 2015 target. The world's largest plane maker also affirmed that orders will roughly equal the 755-760 jetliners it had expected to deliver to customers this year. European rival Airbus said this week it had booked 1,007 net ord...

Cameron Delays Heathrow Decision Until 2016, Sparking Anger

David Cameron delayed once again the decision he has been putting off for more than three years: whether to allow another runway at Heathrow Airport, and in so doing break a promise he made in 2010. The prime minister swerved the decision in 2012 by asking Howard Davies to investigate the options for expanding airport capacity in southeast England, and ordering him not to report back until afte...

Top 20 best WiFi airports in the world of 2015

For many tourists, Wi-Fi in airports is a necessity. The thought of landing in a foreign country with no means of contacting anyone is unnerving, to say the least. Most airports have implemented this feature, but are they all of good quality? Rotten WiFi, a Wi-Fi and 3G/4G ratings crowdsourcing platform owned by UK-based telecom solutions provider TelcoQ, has released a report of the...

Lufthansa, Not Qatar, to Be Airbus A320neo Launch Operator

Airbus is making a last-minute swap and now plans to deliver the first Airbus A320neo to Lufthansa, not to Qatar Airways. According to industry sources, the change was made because of operational restrictions that are still in place for the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine, pending some hardware and software changes. Pratt is working on hardware changes to the bearing of the engine shaft and...

HondaJet Receives Type Certification from Federal Aviation Administration

The HondaJet received type certification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday. Honda Aircraft Company and the FAA made the announcement today at the Honda Aircraft headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. The FAA presented the type certificate to Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino in front of more than 2,000 people, including FAA Admi...

Huntsville council approves GE Aviation development deal

GE Aviation's nearly $200 million silicon carbide materials project in Huntswville will begin taking shape by spring of next year. A map showing where GE Aviation will build two new factories in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County. (Courtesy) The Huntsville City Council unanimously approved a development agreement last week for two adjacent factories on a 100-acre site on the so...

Boeing Debuts First 737 MAX 8

Yesterday, thousands of Boeing employees in Renton, Wash., celebrated the completion of final assembly of the first 737 MAX 8. “Today marks another in a long series of milestones that our team has achieved on time, per plan, together,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager, 737 MAX, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “With the rollout of the ne...

ATR receives EASA certification for high-density cabin layout

The high-density seating configuration option for the ATR 72-600 aircraft has received its certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Using the existing airframe, the new high density configuration option is achieved by optimizing the pitch and adjusting forward cargo compartment, bringing the aircraft maximum capacity from 74 to 78 seats. ATR’s greater passe...

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Top of the week

GE Aerospace names FL Technics Indonesia as first MRO partner for avionics support

FL Technics Indonesia, the first MRO in Indonesia to be appointed as a GE Aerospace avionics support partner, has signed a service support agreement with GE Aerospace covering Boeing 737 and Airbus A3...

SkyDrive eyes Osaka’s rooftops for a new generation of eVTOL vertiports

Following the successful public flight demonstrations at Expo 2025 Osaka, SkyDrive announced plans to undertake a feasibility study exploring the conversion of Osaka City’s existi...

Azerbaijan Airlines continues fleet modernisation with delivery of another Airbus A321neo

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), part of AZCON Holding, has taken delivery of another Airbus A321neo, increasing its fleet to 31 aircraft as the carrier continues its long-term modernisation strategy. The...

Ethiopian Airlines grows cargo ambitions with Boeing 777 and 777-8 freighters

Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines have announced a new cargo fleet expansion agreement, with the African carrier ordering eight 777-8 Freighters and two additional 777 Freighters. The investment will enab...

Textron Aviation helps shape tomorrow’s workforce through Kansas’ first aviation youth apprenticeship initiative

As the first aviation company in Kansas to introduce state-registered youth apprenticeships through the Kansas Office of Apprenticeships, Textron Aviation is taking a leading role in workforce develop...

CAA Malaysia advances air traffic controller recruitment strategy with Airways International’s SureSelect

Airways International has entered into a new five-year partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), extending the use of its SureSelect air traffic control (ATC) candidate assessm...

FLYONE Armenia orders two Airbus A321neo

FLYONE Armenia, the country’s leading airline, has finalised an order with Airbus for two A321neo aircraft, marking a significant milestone in its fleet modernisation strategy. The agreement was...

Emirates opens the door to a memorable Dubai winter

As Dubai prepares for another vibrant winter season, Emirates is inviting travellers from across its global network to discover the city with unparalleled comfort, convenience and exceptional value. L...

ATP Flight School hosts Alumni Career Expo featuring 20 airline and industry partners

On October 1, ATP Flight School will welcome nearly 500 aspiring airline pilots to its Arlington, Texas training center for an exclusive career expo featuring 20 airline and industry partners. Attende...

Airbus A350F freighter successfully performs its maiden flight

The Airbus A350F freighter (MSN 700), the first of two flight test aircraft, has successfully completed its maiden flight. Equipped with dedicated flight test instrumentation, the aircraft spent 4 hou...

German aviation reaches new milestone as Deutsche Aircraft opens D328eco® Final Assembly Line

A new era for German aerospace began today as Deutsche Aircraft officially opened its Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Joined by senior government representatives Christian Hirte an...

EHang brings Global Fast Track Program to Vietnam, marking its second international market

EHang has announced the expansion of its Global Fast Track Program to Vietnam, making it the second country to join the initiative after Sri Lanka. The program’s launch in Hanoi also marks...

Tanis brings comprehensive STC and PMA support to Daher TBM 700-series turboprops

Tanis Aircraft Products, a division of Hartzell Propeller, has expanded its portfolio of aircraft preheating solutions with the approval of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) covering the entire Da...

VINCI Airports announces the most significant investment plan in Edinburgh Airport’s history: £500 million over five years to support its growth

VINCI Airports has announced a landmark £500 million investment programme for Edinburgh Airport over the next five years, marking the largest investment in the airport's history. The initiat...

New wings for humanitarian missions: Props for a Purpose welcomes its first dedicated Tecnam P2012 Traveller

Props for a Purpose, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to humanitarian aviation, has acquired its first dedicated aircraft, a Tecnam P2012 Traveller.The aircraft has been secured through a...

RECARO Aircraft Seating Polska celebrates opening of expanded production and office facility

RECARO Aircraft Seating Polska has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its expanded production and office facility in Świebodzin, Poland. The double-digit million-euro investment more...

TFC Flight Traininge elevates pilot training journey with new Pipistrel Explorer

TFC Flight Training has become the first flight school in Germany to operate the Pipistrel Explorer following the delivery of two aircraft from Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. company and affiliate of Textr...

Biman Bangladesh Airlines boosts fleet modernization through 11-jet Boeing order

Boeing and Biman Bangladesh Airlines announced the national carrier placed an order for 11 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX airplanes to grow and renew its fleet. The purchase, which includes five 787-10 an...

Navigating change: Luxaviation UK's George Galanopoulos on growth, innovation and resilience

The business aviation landscape is evolving rapidly. Client expectations are shifting, demand for unique travel experiences is on the rise, and aircraft acquisitions remain resilient despite geopoliti...

flydubai becomes first airline to launch scheduled international flights to Pokhara

flydubai has expanded its Nepal network with the launch of daily direct flights between Dubai and Pokhara, marking the first-ever non-stop service linking Dubai with western Nepal. The new route makes...

magniX powers eFlyer 2 milestone as Bye Aerospace achieves first flight

Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 2 has completed its first flight powered by magniX’s Samson300 battery system, marking a significant step forward for electric flight training technology. Departing...

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and Boeing celebrate grand opening of expanded Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Boeing today celebrated the expansion of the Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre (SALC), marking a new chapter in their partnership to su...

Vertical Aerospace unveils Valo Assembly Centre to support next phase of aircraft development

Vertical Aerospace has unveiled a new Aircraft Assembly Centre at Cotswold Airport, reinforcing its transition from aircraft development and testing to certification and early-stage production of its...

RAF 2026 - RTU opens new pathways for European aerospace collaboration

Speaking during the Riga Aviation Forum 2026, Pauls Irbins, Head of the Aerospace Direction at the RTU Innovation Office, presented a compelling vision of how Riga Technical University (RTU) can becom...

Heart Aerospace unveils ES-36, announces JSX purchase agreement for up to 100 aircraft

Heart Aerospace has unveiled the ES-36, its new 36-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner and planned production aircraft. Concurrently, award-winning air carrier JSX announced a deposit-backed agreem...