50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United Kingdom aviation news

London Stansted Eyes Traditional Airlines

Stansted Airport is to sign a full-service airline in 2016, its owner said, as London's runway capacity squeeze pushes traditional carriers towards the UK capital's third busiest hub and the UK home of budget operator Ryanair. In London, traditional airlines such as British Airways have concentrated on the country's busiest airport Heathrow. But Heathrow is full, and awaiting permis...

easyJet launches new Glasgow - Milan Malpensa route

The new year round service, which is expected to carry 26,000 annually, is Glasgow’s first direct connection to Milan. Flights operate twice weekly on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s with fares starting from £25.49 one way per person. The airline already flies to Milan Malpensa from Edinburgh, London Gatwick and London Luton. Ali Gayward, easyJet’s Head of Scotland,...

TAG Aviation receives HUD/EVS operational approval

TAG Aviation (UK) has been granted approval to use less restrictive instrument approach minimums, in line with EASA regulations. The approvals only apply on aircraft fitted with HUD/EVS technology. Enhanced vision systems (EVS) incorporate sensing technology to improve a pilot’s ability to detect objects – such as runway lights or terrain – that may otherwise not be visible. T...

British Airways embraces Apple Watch technology

The use of the British Airways Apple Watch app has quadrupled in just four months, and in response the airline is introducing new scanners to make them easier, and faster to use. Customers will be able to slide their wrists under the new ‘Scan and Go’ devices to scan their boarding pass, print their own bag tags and speed through the airport.  Some 136 of the new gadgets are...

Flybe DH8D at Birmingham on Dec. 1, 2015, Flaps Problem

A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-PRPB performing flight BE-403 from Belfast City, NI to Birmingham, EN (UK), was on approach to Birmingham's runway 15 when the crew went around reporting problems with the flaps. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew was working the checklists. The crew finally prepared the aircraft for a flaps up landing and landed safely on Birmingham...

easyJet to offer live aircraft tracking with Flightradar24

easyJet has announced that it has further enhanced its award-winning mobile app by adding live aircraft tracking functionality directly from Flightradar24. The airline is the first in the world to have collaborated with Flightradar24 to integrate the feature into a mobile app, meaning passengers can view the exact whereabouts of the aircraft they are due to fly on in real time up to three hours...

David Cameron to Make Decision on Heathrow Expansion Within Days

David Cameron will in the coming days announce a controversial decision on whether to drastically expand Heathrow airport, in a move that will intensify divisions in the Tory party. Senior party sources said that they believe a Cabinet subcommittee will this week back plans for a third runway at the airport. If Heathrow gets the go-ahead as expected, it is believed there will be a serie...

Arabic graffiti found daubed on easyjet planes' fuel tanks

Arabic graffiti was found daubed on panels covering fuel tanks of easyJet planes at French airports. An investigation is being carried out into who made the inscriptions, which were written on four planes in France. The airports cannot be identified for security reasons. Eleven empty British airliners are on standby at Larnaca Airport, Cyprus, which may be used to fly home thousands of touri...

Air traffic control sale could trigger international bidding war

The sale of the Government’s stake in Britain’s air traffic control network is expected to trigger an international bidding war among pension funds, infrastructure investors, and sovereign wealth funds as interest in big infrastructure assets grows. The Government in the Autumn Statement revealed plans to sell its 49pc stake in National Air Traffic Services (NATS), having ditched an...

American B763 near London on Nov. 28th 2015, Cracked Windshield

An American Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N393AN performing flight AA-199 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to New York JFK, NY (U.S.), was enroute at FL320 about 170nm south of London Heathrow, EN (UK), still in French Airspace, when the crew reported a cracked windshield and initiated a rather normal descent to FL120. During the descent the aircraft turned north to divert to London Heathr...

easyJet to Ramp Up Services from Scotland

easyJet is stepping up services from Scotland next year by adding an eighth aircraft to its base at Edinburgh airport. New routes to Vienna and Venice will operate from the Scottish capital while Glasgow will gain a connection to Marseille. The budget carrier flew 5.5 million passengers between Scotland and other parts of Europe in the year to September and expects this to grow by 10% i...

Passengers on BA Jet That Caught Fire in Las Vegas Sue Boeing, GE

Passengers on a British Airways plane that caught fire taking off from Las Vegas in September are suing the makers of the plane and its engines in Chicago, their lawyers said on Friday. The engine of the Boeing 777 burst into flames, forcing all 170 passengers and crew to escape via emergency slides, after a part of a spool in the high-pressure compressor failed, according to findings from...