When you look out the window of an airliner and see the flaps moving up and down, you’re really watching the wing change shape. The flaps change the curvature of the top of the wing, changing the amount of lift generated. But NASA is planning to test out a new plane that will bend its wings in a completely different way for a smoother, and greener, flight. The innovative wings won’t...
Reuters has reported that talks may have taken place between Lufthansa and Alitalia about the prospects of Lufthansa taking a substantial stake in Italy’s national carrier. The main topic of the conversation may have been regarding Etihad looking to give Air Berlin to Lufthansa in return for a stake in Alitalia. Etihad currently owns a 49% stake in Air Berlin and a 29% s...
Supersonic airliners haven't flown since 2003, when the last Concorde was retired. But could supersonic planes carrying large number of passengers make a comeback—and with electric power no less? That's the vision of Luke Workman, a designer of lithium-ion battery packs who believes all-electric supersonic aircraft are attainable. This belief is based around an axial-stack b...
The global deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, which can accurately track passengers' baggage in real time across key points in the journey, can enable the air transport industry to save more than US$3 billion over the next seven years. Global IT provider SITA and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed that the highly accurate tracking rates...
Aircraft component maker Rockwell Collins Inc has struck a deal to buy aircraft interior maker B/E Aerospace Inc for $62 per share in cash and stock, the companies said on Sunday. The acquisition, valued at $6.4 billion plus the assumption of $1.9 billion in debt, expands the range of products Rockwell Collins supplies to major commercial and business aircraft and broadens its customer bas...
Passengers flying in to Dubai can expect more timely arrivals now that a new procedure is in place at the airport. With the new air traffic management system and optimum use of the two runways at the airport, air-traffic controllers can now accommodate more aircraft landing after larger jets such as the Airbus A380, cutting peak arrival delays by up to 40 per cent. Smaller, less heavy aircraft...
London City Airport was evacuated on Friday afternoon after reports of a chemical incident, later identified by police as possibly CS gas. The alarm came just after 16:10 (4.10 pm), with police, ambulance and firefighters called to the airport in London’s Docklands. About 500 people were evacuated with some treated by ambulance crews for breathing difficulties. London Fire Brigade s...
Textron Aviation is seeing early stages of recovery in the business jet market, Textron chairman, president and CEO Scott Donnelly said this morning during the company’s third-quarter investor conference call. “While the market is still soft, we’ve seen good demand for our new products, which is driving growth.” During the quarter, the aviation subsidiary deliv...
British fighter planes will take on Japanese aircraft for the first time since World War Two in aerial combat drills following the arrival in Japan on Saturday of four Royal Air Force Typhoon Eurofighters. The joint practice at Japan's northern Misawa Air Base starts on Sunday and will be the first time Japan’s air force train at home with a foreign force other than that of the United...
Bombardier announced a series of actions as it continues to execute its five-year turnaround plan launched last year. The actions support the company’s efforts to build its earnings growth potential and highlight its focus on improving productivity, reducing costs and optimizing its worldwide footprint to deliver increased value to customers and shareholders. “After successfully de-...
As long as there have been cliffs from which to jump, humans have been doing so. It requires no equipment or power source – just a lot of courage. Cliff diving can be traced back to Kaunolu on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, where before the arrival of Western Europeans, native boys would dive from clifftops as a rite of passage. The cliff-diving antics of Native Americans...
Helicopters to be assembled by Italian Leonardo-Finmeccanica for Russian oil major Rosneft are particularly intended for exploration of Arctic gas and oil fields, Chief Executive Officer of the Italian industrial group Mauro Moretti said at the Eurasian Forum on Friday. "I refer to high technology helicopters capable of making long-range flights at low temperatures (minus 50 degrees Centig...
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that its Gulfstream G280 aircraft recently established a speed record between Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands in Europe, and Teterboro, New Jersey, making the trans-Atlantic journey in just seven hours and 26 minutes. The super mid-size business jet departed Guernsey Airport at 7:54 a.m. local time and arrived at Teterboro Airport at 10:20 a....
China's aviation regulator has punished 13 air traffic control officials for a near collision at Shanghai's Hongqiao airport this month when a passenger jet taxied in front of another plane that was taking off. Aviation accidents have been on the decline in China in recent years, but the near-miss on Oct. 11 involving two China Eastern Airbus jets highlights the risks in managing the co...
The French aerospace giant Airbus recently unveiled its secret flying-car project dubbed Vahana — a single-manned, autonomously piloted aircraft that can take off and land vertically. Cue the Jetsons references! The concept drawing of Vahana should look familiar to anyone who follows the tiny-but-passionate flying car movement. The aircraft has eight rotors on two sets of wings,...
Lockheed Martin announced the CH-53K King Stallion successfully completed initial operational testing by the U.S. Marine Corps to verify the key capabilities of the heavy lift helicopter. The week-long operational assessment by Marine Corps pilots, aircrew and maintainers marked an important step in support of a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Milestone C decision early next year. "This...
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced it will end production of the Gulfstream G450, one of the company’s most iconic and dependable aircraft, as it prepares to launch a new era of business aviation with the all-new G500. Gulfstream is scheduled to deliver the final G450 to a customer in early 2018. The G450 built on the successes of the GIV and GIV-SP, which have been class-leading...
The certificate for the SuperJet's engine was issued by a French company, which turned to be an obstacle for the planes' deliveries to China. Russia’s Sukhoj Superjet 100 deliveries to China have run into difficulties over the validation process of the airliner’s EU-licensed engine, a deputy chief of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said Thursda...
Two new modern helicopters Mi-8MTB5-1 were demonstrated to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in the Obuz-Lesnovsky exercise area on 19 October when the head of state took part in the revision of professional skills and competence of Belarusian army officers, BelTA has learned. A short while ago the Belarusian army received six modern Mi-8 helicopters of this modification from the helicopte...
easyJet has appointed Peter Duffy to the role of Chief Commercial Officer bringing together all the airline’s revenue generation under one person. The role includes Peter’s previous areas of responsibility which include marketing, customer strategy and digital activity. Carolyn McCall, CEO of easyJet, commented on the changes; “Peter has done a fantastic job ov...
MTU Aero Engines has accomplished one of the most significant milestones in its corporate history: The company has delivered the first Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1100G-JM Geared Turbofan™ engine assembled on its own final assembly line to Airbus. Today, the new assembly line for the A320neo engine at the MTU headquarters in Munich was officially inaugurated by Ilse A...
