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United Kingdom aviation news

easyJet Pilots Abort Landing Attempt After Losing Situational Awareness and Flying Off Course

easyJet pilots "lost situational awareness" and flew off course over a ridgeline in Somerset earlier this year, forcing them to abort a landing attempt, it has been revealed. A report into the incident found the Airbus A319 was forced into a go-around on approach to Bristol Airport and at one point was just 500 above ground level. The pilots "became disorientated" an...

Parking Scheme to Stop "Holiday Dumpers" Around Manchester Airport "Delayed to the New Year"

A scheme to stop holidaymakers parking on residential roads around the airport has been delayed to 2016. Several roads in Wythenshawe are earmarked to become residents-only parking stopping sunseekers leaving their cars for up to three weeks at a time - and taxi drivers hanging around waiting for airport fares. Residents have been battling for a parking scheme for five years. Around 300...

Vauxhall helicopter crash: Pilot under commercial pressure to fly in unsafe fog, inquest finds

Peter Barnes made inappropriate decision to fly in 'excessively challenging weather' while under pressure to satisfy important client, jury decides. A pilot who was killed in a central London helicopter crash was under commercial pressure to satisfy an important client when he made the inappropriate and unsafe decision to fly in "excessively challenging weather conditions", a...

British Airways Seeks Closer Ties With Latam to Boost Transatlantic Business

British Airways owner IAG SA said a joint venture with leading South American carrier Latam Airlines Group SA complementing a lucrative partnership with American Airlines Group Inc. would be a “sensible next step” in its trans-Atlantic strategy. “It’s a group that we would like to have closer ties to,” IAG Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh said. “There is...

Pilot Writes Excuses for Students Who Missed School Because of Delayed Flight

Weather delays can't be avoided, but a little levity from the crew can sometimes lighten passengers' mood. Which is why, on an easyJet flight from Cyprus to Gatwick in November that was delayed because of weather, a pilot joked that he would write excuses for students on board who missed school because of the delay, according to Road Warrior Voices. Much to the pilot's surprise,...

Heathrow Indecision Highlights Europe's Airport Crunch

Moves by Britain to delay, once again, a decision on where to build a new airport runway to serve the London area highlights Europe's difficulties in keeping up with emerging countries when it comes to creating vital airport capacity. By 2035, airports across Europe will be unable to accommodate some 2 million flights due to capacity shortages according to Eurocontrol, the European Org...

TAG Aviation develops STC for TCAS 7.1 upgrade

TAG Aviation and Rockwell Collins have been granted approval for an EASA Supplemental Type Certifications (STC) for the installation of the TTR-4100 TCAS II version 7.1 on Dassault Falcon 2000 and 2000EX. Approval for The Falcon 900 and Falcon 50 will follow in the coming weeks. The STCs are being developed jointly with Rockwell Collins and are to serve the entire Falcon fleet. STCs will be...

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...

A319 flew low over terrain as crew lost position awareness

Pilots of an EasyJet Airbus A319 overflew a ridge at less than 500ft after losing awareness of their position while attempting a visual night landing at Bristol earlier this year. The aircraft was arriving from Glasgow and needed to perform a sharp right turn to line up with Bristol’s runway 27. But the captain executed the turn prematurely and did not realise that the aircraft was nor...

British Airways to Challenge Emirates with Dreamliner Flight to Dubai

British Airways is competing with Gulf carriers over luxury travellers by flying its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its Dubai route. The new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will feature a new First cabin with just eight seats, in comparison to the 14 seats on other British Airways long-haul aircraft. The cut-down on seat numbers will give "more exclusivity and privacy to customers", said the Brit...

Boeing delivers 14th MK6 Chinook for the United Kingdom

Boeing  has delivered its 14th Mk6 Chinook, completing the United Kingdom’s most recent order and growing the RAF Chinook fleet to 60 aircraft. The order completion coincided with the 35th anniversary of Chinook operations for the U.K. “Since they were introduced into service in 1980, our Chinook fleet has played an integral supporting role for British forces and have been...

Heathrow third runway decision set to be delayed

Media reports claim the UK government is putting off a final decision on expanding Heathrow Airport for another six months until the gateway can prove its ability to meet pollution targets. This follows a meeting last week by a committee of MP’s who said the airports should be barred from building a third runway until it can reach the appropriate air quality standards. UK Prime Ministe...