Embraer, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats, today took a step in the consolidation of its leadership by presenting the E190-E2, the first E2 jet – Embraer´s second generation of the E-Jets family of commercial aircraft. The aircraft´s maiden flight is scheduled for the second half of 2016, with entry into service scheduled for 2018. The cerem...
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer is on the verge of signing a deal for 50 of its regional jets with Iran. Sources involved with the Iran-Brazil talks suggest that these will be part of a lease deal. The civil aviation authority director Ali Abedzadeh said that regional aircraft would be in great demand in the country as it emerges from trade sanctions. He estimated that Iranian carriers would...
The 75th Bombardier Learjet 75 was delivered yeaterday to Canadian business jet charter, management, sales and fractional provider Aurora Jet Partners during a ceremony at the manufacturer’s plant in Wichita, where the light jets are assembled. This milestone comes some two years after the model—a longer-range version of the Learjet 45 with Garmin G5000 integrated avionics, r...
Having taken delivery of six Mil Mi-26T2 helicopters in 2015-16, Algeria has firmed up an option for eight more, for delivery in 2017-18. The North African country was effectively the launch customer for the upgraded version of the heavy-lift machine. Russian arms vendor Rosoboronexport was the intermediary between the customer, the Russian Helicopters holding company, and its subsidiary Rost...
Industry stakeholders will be invited to see the world of Airbus Helicopters’ from a new perspective at the Heli Expo trade show from March 1-3 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. Airbus Helicopters will be highlighting its wide range of products and services with a strong lineup of five aircraft, including the H125 in law enforcement configuration; the H130 in utility...
The Airbus team at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Alabama hit an important milestone last week as the first aircraft ever assembled at the site, an A321ceo destined for JetBlue, has rolled out and it is ready to receive its paint job prior to delivery. The Airbus Alabama team posing in front of the first US-built A320 family aircraft. (Photo Credits: Airbus) According to Airbus, this...
The long-awaited 2016 Defence White Paper has committed the Turnbull federal government to a “fully costed” Integrated Investment Program for Defence that will see $195 billion spent over the next 10 years on defence capabilities including additional P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft and new armed and ship-based unmanned aircraft. Headlining the capability acquisitions is the gover...
Air New Zealand has reported a more than doubling of first half net profit amid strong growth in passenger numbers and as the airline benefits from lower fuel prices and a booming New Zealand tourism market. The company said net profit for the six months to December 31 2015 came in at $NZ338 million, up 154 per cent from $NZ133 in the prior corresponding period. Air NZ grew capacity, measure...
Australia’s competition watchdog has given final approval to Qantas’s partnership with American Airlines on trans-Pacific routes. The green light from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) leaves the two oneworld alliance members waiting for the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to hand down its decision on the tie-up. The ACCC said in a statement on Thurs...
Its struggling A380 superjumbo finally got a new customer too. Airbus Group performed a partial U-turn on plans to cut production of its profitable A330 aircraft on Wednesday, easing the delicate transition to a newer model as it posted 2015 profits in line with expectations on Wednesday. The European planemaker said it now planned to build seven A330 wide-body jets per month from 2017, part...
Japan is developing an indigenous stealth fighter jet, the X-2, which completed a ground test Wednesday, according to local reports. The X-2, a tactical fighter aircraft, went through two ground tests, speeding at about 100 kilometers per hour across 500 meters of runway at an airport in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, NHK reported. The fighter jet is scheduled for a flight test in March. Jap...
After months of denial, Egypt has finally admitted that the Russian airliner downed in the Sinai last year was indeed targeted by terrorists. In a speech on Egyptian television Wednesday, former military general turned President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the plane was attacked to damage Egypt's tourist sector and harm its relationship with Russia. &qu...
Birds and other wildlife are notorious for causing problems at airports, often known to fly over runways and strike aircraft. But one Michigan airport has discovered the most adorable of solutions: a border collie named Piper who patrols runways in a ski mask and boots. In late 2014, Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport brought Piper aboard as its new K-9 unit, designated to seek out an...
A team of Nevada scientists and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) engineers have successfully flight tested the first-ever autonomous cloud seeding aircraft platform. Cloud seeding flare tests were deployed from Drone America's DAx8 UAS aircraft flown in Reno in early February. As the first phase in a new industry-academic research partnership between the Desert Research Institute (DRI), D...
The UN’s aviation agency has banned passenger aircraft from transporting lithium-ion batteries as cargo, amid fears that they could blow up. Lithium-ion batteries are used in almost every piece of consumer technology. They are rechargeable and power everything from phones to laptops. But despite their wide use, the International Civil Aviation Organization has ruled that the batteries...
The collapse of oil prices and consequent loss of oil-related revenues have forced the government of Enrique Peña Nieto to considerably scale down its plans for grandiose infrastructure projects. However, one mega-project remains on drawing boards: a new international airport for Mexico City (referred to locally by its Spanish acronym, NAICM). As is the trend these days for any city with gl...
Just as the US is continuing todevelop its latest fifth-generation aircraft in the form of the F-35 Lightning II, Russia has likewise been working steadily towards its own version of a next-generation aircraft. Unfortunately for Russia, its PAK FA, also known as the T-50, is having developmental issues that put its entire premise of being a fifth-generation into question. Reporting from the...
The agreement gives corporate travel agencies across Europe continued access to easyJet fares through the Sabre GDS. Around 20 per cent of easyJet’s passengers travel for business. The airline’s agreement with Sabre helps easyJet continue serving this important corporate segment. Peter Duffy, easyJet’s commercial director, said; “easyJet made its inventory availa...
A new chapter in EU-China aviation relations started, with the official launch of the EU-China Aviation Partnership Project (APP). The 5-year, €10 million project, managed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and partners, will link technical cooperation with policy dialogue between the European and Chinese aviation authorities. It is funded by the Partnership Instrument of the Europ...
Lufthansa’s first Airbus A380, the “Frankfurt am Main” with tailsign D-AIMA, recently completed a major overhaul involving 90,000 working hours and a two-month layover. Encompassing two passenger decks and a total of 509 seats in four classes, D-AIMA underwent its Intermediate Layover or “IL-check” at Lufthansa Technik Philippines. The aircraf...
Airbus has reached another A350 XWB programme milestone with start-up of A350-1000 horizontal tail plane deliveries from the company’s Getafe, Spain facility. The initial A350-1000 horizontal tail plane will be integrated on Airbus’ no. 1 flight test aircraft, which currently is going through its final assembly process in Toulouse, France, as per planning. Commenting on...
