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MEBAA 2017 to take place in Marrakesh

Organisers of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) 2017 have announced a new location at Marrakesh Menara Airport, from 12-13 September. The 2015 edition saw 2033 visitors over its two-day run, viewing offerings from 57 exhibitors including the leading players in the business aviation market. It was during this show that discussions with the Moroccan government...

Embraer 2015 Results As Expected for Bizjet Division

Fourth quarter delivery numbers for Embraer's business jet division were mostly as expected in today's announced financial results, while deliveries of commercial jets (25 light and 20 large jets – 101 deliveries for all of 2015) surpassed its overall annual guidance for 2015. Embraer Executive Jets delivered 82 light jets and 38 large jets throughout 2015, meeting its projections fr...

Gama Aviation achieves first IS-BAH in the Middle East for Sharjah FBO

Gama Aviation has been awarded the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) at its Sharjah FBO. The accreditation, made by the International Business Aviation Council, is the first for a Middle East-based FBO. “I am delighted that the Gama Sharjah FBO is setting the standard for quality within the Middle East. It’s a tribute to the hard work of our staff and...

Bell Helicopter Expands Customer Service Network Across the Globe

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, today announced multiple new additions to its customer service network – continuing to provide customers with local support in every corner of the world. “At Bell Helicopter we understand the importance of maintaining the readiness of our customer’s aircraft. That is why we’ve established an industry leading aftermarket suppo...

Embraer Executive Jets to exhibit Legacy 500, Legacy 650 at Abu Dhabi Air Expo

Embraer is showcasing two of its executive jets at the fourth edition of Abu Dhabi Air Expo, slated for March 08 to 10 in the United Arab Emirates capital. The event will be held at the Al Bateen Airport, which handles executive flights, featuring manufacturers, airlines, pilot schools, executive aviation services and airport operators. Embraer said in a press release that the Middle East is on...

Airbus Helicopters rolls out H175 Flight Crew Operating Manual

Airbus Helicopters is continuing to deliver on its commitment to safety as its number one priority with the release of the H175 Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM), coming just over a year after the release of the helicopter industry’s first-ever FCOM for the H225 in oil & gas configuration. The newest FCOM, designed specifically for the super-medium H175 in offshore configuration, wa...

Finmeccanica AW109 Trekker helicopter performs first flight

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...

FlightPartners releases ‘V2’ software

FlightPartner has released its latest software, V2, a B2B air charter marketplace. The software offers an advanced search engine allowing complex trip builds, an accurate instant quote and complete internal payment processing. The new release allows a sale to be closed immediately, rather than have user switch between tools to complete the transaction. “We are extreme...

Universal Aviation Mexico complete Toluca FBO renovation

Universal Aviation Mexico has completed a multi-million renovation of their Toluca International Airport FBO. The company is a joint venture between Avemex and Universal Weather and Aviation. Universal Aviation Mexico is one of the longest-running FBOs at Toluca Airport and was established in the early 1990s. “With our Toluca FBO being both a high-traffic destination and one of the cor...

American, Qantas say Hawaiian stands “virtually alone” in opposing proposed alliance

American Airlines and Qantas says Hawaiian Airlines is “virtually alone” in its objection to their joint-venture alliance on trans-Pacific routes and rejected calls for the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to place conditions on their proposed tie-up. American and Qantas’s application for anti-trust immunity is currently before the US DOT, which said in February its revie...

Jet Airways plane’s landing gear collapses, close shave for passengers

As many as 127 passengers on board a Jet Airways plane from New Delhi had a close shave after its main landing gear collapsed when it landed in Mumbai. All the passengers deplaned safely, Jet Airways said in a statement on Thursday. The incident resulted in the blocking of the main runway, forcing Mumbai authorities to shift flight operations to the secondary runway, sources said. Jet Air...

Airbus Helicopters Introduces 'HForce' Weapons Package

Airbus Helicopters has introduced “HForce,” a new “generic” weapon system for the H125M light single, H145Mlight twin and H225M medium twin helicopters. The newly structured offer, focused on the manufacturer’s military commercial rotorcraft, follows an “incremental” approach to arming them. It includes a variety of ballistic and g...

Air Force Thunderbirds prioritize diversity in cockpit amid puzzling decline in applicants

The Air Force’s vaunted Thunderbirds jet fighter aerobatics team is not diverse enough inside the cockpit. Brig. Gen. Christopher M. Short, commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, said in an email last month that of 15 pilot applicants for three openings, 14 are white. He asked fighter wing commanders to stir up more candidates who “don’t necessarily lo...

Manchester Airport: £1bn plan to 'transform' site approved

A £1bn programme to "transform" Manchester Airport has been approved. The 10-year plan includes doubling the size of Terminal 2, expanding self-service check-in facilities and building a larger security hall. Manchester City Council also approved plans to demolish Terminal 1 and build a ramp from an M56 slip road to give access to a new departures forecourt. The work, whic...

British man forced off easyJet plane after passenger saw message about 'prayer' on his phone

A British man was removed from from an easyJet plane by armed officers after a passenger saw a message on his phone about 'prayer' and reported him as a security threat. Laolu Opebiyi, 40, a Christian, born in Nigeria and now living in London,was ordered off the flight at Luton Airport and asked if he was converting to Islam as the 6.45am flight to Amsterdam took off without him. A f...

Saudi Arabian Airlines Captain Dies Midflight, Co-Pilot Lands Plane

In a terrifying incident Wednesday, a Saudi Arabian Airlines pilot died in the cockpit midflight after suffering a massive heart attack. According to Siobhan McFadyen of The Mirror, around 220 people were on Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight SV 1734 when the captain of the plane, Waleed bin Mohammed Al-Mohammed, suffered a heart attack and died in the cockpit. The plane was en route from Bisha D...

For GE9X Engine, Bigger Is Better

With a 134-inch diameter front fan, the GE9X engine for Boeing’s 777X aircraft will be the world’s largest engine—besting the current world’s largest engine, the GE90, by a full six inches. To test an engine this size, GE Aviation invested about $10 million at its Peebles Testing Operation in Ohio. Part of this investment includes the design and manufacture of the largest t...

Rolls-Royce extends contract with FACC

“We are proud that Rolls-Royce has trusted FACC for more than 15 years now,” explained Walter Stephan, Chairman of FACC AG, at the signing of the contract. “This new contract consolidates our position as one of Rolls-Royce’s key suppliers and recognizes our technological leadership in the sector of high-strength lightweight components for civil aircraft....

Ryanair Feb Traffic Grows 28% To 7.4M Customers

Ryanair, Europe’s favourite airline, today (3 Mar) released February traffic statistics as follows: • Traffic grew 28% to 7.4m customers. • Load factor rose 4% points to 93%. • Rolling annual traffic to Feb grew 17% to 104.6m customers. Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said: “Ryanair’s February traffic grew by 28% to 7.4m customers, while our load factor jumpe...

airBaltic Adds New Summer Destinations

On March 29 the Latvian airline airBaltic will switch back to the summer flight schedule and start to offer many popular destinations linking Baltic region with resorts in Mediterranean and other attractive summer vacation spots. Wolfgang Reuss, SVP of Network Management of airBaltic: “We are happy to present our new flight schedule to summer holiday destinations. For the upcomi...

Boeing Develops Self-Cleaning Lavatory

Boeing engineers and designers have developed a self-cleaning lavatory prototype that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to kill 99.99 percent of germs. The cleaning system can disinfect all surfaces after every use in just three seconds. Boeing believes this self-cleaning technology, combined with touchless features, will enhance the passenger experience on commercial flights.  The lavatory uses...