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Arriel 2H obtains EASA type certification

Safran Helicopter Engines has received EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) engine type certification for its Arriel 2H engine, installed in the Avicopter AC312E. This Arriel variant was selected in 2015 to power this helicopter developed by AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, a subsidiary of Avic (Aviation Industry Corporation of China). The AC312E made its maiden flight in July 2016. Co...

Philippine Airlines selects Airbus Flight Hour Services maintenance solution for its A350-900 fleet

Airbus’ FHS reaffirms its leading position on the A350 XWB both globally and in the Asia-Pacific region. FHS contract to support PAL’s long-haul services to North America and Europe. Philippine Airlines (PAL) has selected Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support the maintenance requirements of the Philippine flag carrier’s A350-900 aircraft with the signing of an FH...

Metals and composites: finding the right material for each application

After nearly a century of dominance as the material of choice for aircraft, metals are seeing increased competition from composite materials in use on such aircraft as Airbus’ widebody A350 XWB jetliner. Are the days of metal aircraft numbered? Two experts from Airbus’ Material Procurement division explain that it’s more complicated than that. Raphael Duflos is Airbus&r...

Primera Air takes delivery of its first A321neo

Confirming the success of the A320 Family on the market Primera Air, a low-fare Nordic airline, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo at an event in Hamburg, Germany attended by Andri Már Ingólfsson, CEO and President of Primera Travel Group and Kimon Sotiropoulos, Vice President Sales Northern and Central Europe  from Airbus. The aircraft, which was assembled in Ham...

The A321LR “goes long” with record-breaking flight

This variant of Airbus’ A321, which will enter service in 2018, has the longest range of any single-aisle jetliner The A321LR variant of Airbus’ A321 jetliner underscored its impressive range with a record-breaking flight from Mahé in the Seychelles islands to Toulouse, France – covering a total distance of 4,750 nautical miles in 11 hours. This milestone was reached...

Airbus’ A330neo continues toward its 2018 service entry

Flight evaluations take two A330neo test aircraft to locations around the globe The A330neo is demonstrating its capabilities as the newest member of Airbus’ proven and highly-reliable twin-engine A330 Family, with flight testing continuing ahead of its planned service entry in Summer 2018. Two test aircraft have logged more than 700 hours aloft in the 200-plus flights performed as...

50th anniversary of the trademark Fenestron

·      Celebrating one of Airbus Helicopters’ most recognizable innovations ·      Continues to set new standards with the H160 On the 12th of April 1968, the first Fenestron took to the skies on the second prototype of the Gazelle. It has since become emblematic of Sud Aviation, Aerospatiale, Eurocopter and now...

HELICAL becomes first operator in the South Pacific to choose HCare Smart

Operating an H125 in New Caledonia, HELICAL recently opted for Airbus Helicopters’ HCare Smart support package, becoming the first South Pacific operator to use the service. HELICAL, a member of the HCM Group of New Caledonia, recently became the first South Pacific company to choose Airbus’ HCare Smart contract. Under the service, scheduled and unscheduled events are covered by a d...

French pilot training school Hexagon Flight Corporate orders Alsim ALX

Alsim is very pleased to announce the sale of an ALX Medium Jet to Hexagon Flight Corporate, a flight training school located in les Artigues de Lussac, near Bordeaux, France. Mr Thierry Alladaye, Hexagon Flight Corporate’s founder, explains what is new in his company: “Hexagon Flight Corporate is the first French company to propose co-flight services (apart...

Airbus launches advanced indoor inspection drone to reduce aircraft inspection times and enhance report quality

·         To be available for MROs and airlines in the last quarter of 2018 ·         First application for Airbus’ single-aisle family ·         Developed in partnership with Testia, Airbus’ non-destructive testing subsidiary At MRO Amer...

Bridging the gap with 3D printing

First 3D-printed part visible to passengers will be flying soon with Finnair When an airline updates its aircraft cabin layout, gaps are often created between the existing and new components. Such gaps need to be bridged before the aircraft can take on passengers, and time always is of the essence in returning a jetliner to revenue-generating service. The traditional method of manufacturing...

Dassault Falcon Jet Takes the Lead in Gogo Avance L5 Integrations

Dassault Falcon Jet has retrofitted its tenth Falcon with the new Gogo AVANCE L5 Air-To-Ground internet system, becoming a leading integrator of the popular in-flight connectivity solution.  Gogo AVANCE L5 combines Gogo’s advanced hardware solutions with leading software technology, providing a fully integrated, aviation-grade onboard internet, communications and entertainment platfo...