Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced that the third prototype (A/C3) of the AgustaWestland AW609 TiltRotor has completed its first ground run at the company's facilities in Cascina Costa, Italy, marking a critical milestone as the programme advances its testing and plans a resumption of flight testing activities. Aircraft AW609 A/C3 began restrained ground run testing with all engines and system...
Italy’s ANSV air accident investigation board has opened an inquiry after an accident involving an SD-150 Hero unmanned air vehicle at Siena’s Ampugnano airport. Manufactured and operated by Sistemi Dinamici and bearing the registration I-UASC, the Hero was damaged in the 12 April incident while performing a test flight, says ANSV. However, it does not provide additional details...
The Kuwait Ministry of Defence and Finmeccanica, which leads commercial activities in Kuwait on behalf of the Eurofighter consortium, today signed a contract for the supply of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, to be produced in Italy. The contract, part of an intergovernmental agreement between the two countries, was signed in the presence of the Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti and her Kuw...
Flying hour milestone achieved by 26 aircraft in service in Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America, less than two years after very first delivery; Market leading super medium class helicopter with more sales, more deliveries, more flight hours and performing more roles than any other competing helicopter; Over 150 units sold to customers worldwide to date including firm orders, options...
Italy has placed a follow-on order worth €300 million ($336 million) for an additional nine Aermacchi M-346 advanced jet trainers. The deal doubles the number of Honeywell F124-powered aircraft ordered for the Italian air force, which uses the designation T-346A. Delivery of the new trainers is to begin this year and will be complete by 2018. Italian air force The contr...
Arrivederci Finmeccanica. Buongiorno Leonardo. Not long after the Italian group announced it was consolidating its businesses around a single corporate identity, it has revealed that new identity – a surprising choice, inspired by the country’s greatest genius. Safran, meanwhile, is to replace Snecma, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and other venerable brands with a monicker cr...
Italian aerospace and defence giant Finmeccanica said it planned to change its name to Leonardo, after celebrated Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, as part of a major restructuring. The announcement came as the company, which last month agreed to sell its rail and traffic signal businesses to Japan's Hitachi in a $2.0 billion deal, announced better-than-expected results for 2015. Fin...
Finmeccanica has announced the maiden flight of the new AgustaWestland AW109 Trekker light twin-engine helicopter. A prototype aircraft took to the air for the first time at the Helicopter Division’s Cascina Costa facility (Italy). The helicopter performed as expected during the flight which included an assessment of its general handling and basic systems. A total of...
Meridiana SpA, Italy’s second-largest airline, said a holding company of its owner the Aga Khan has signed a preliminary accord on a partnership with Qatar Airways. The memorandum of understanding between the Gulf carrier and Alisarda lays out conditions for a transaction to be completed in the first half, Meridiana said Thursday. Under European law, Qatar Air could buy as much...
The Italian Air Force made the history by successfully accomplishing the F-35’s first transatlantic crossing. On Feb. 5, the first Italian Air Force F-35, the first JSF built outside the U.S., landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Mariland, at the end of a 7-hour transatlantic flight from Lajes Air Base, in Portugal. The aircraft, dubbed AL-1 and serialled MM7332 departed from Ca...
Piaggio Aerospace has delivered two Avanti Evos to European customers, bringing the total shipments of the twin-engined turboprop in 2015 to three aircraft. WinAir of Germany and an undisclosed customer each took delivery of the seven-seat aircraft in December. The launch customer, Superior Air of Greece, received the first Evo in April – nearly a year after the programme’s launch....
Italy's Travel Before and ST&A Srl tour agencies will charter a Fokker 100 from German ACMI/charter specialist Avanti Air (ATV, Siegen) during the summer 2016 season. Under the terms of the deal, structured by Aeroservizi Air Charter Broker, the Fokker Aircraft (Woensdrecht) will be based out of Salerno in southern Italy with effect from June 2016 through to the end of the high season....
