Exotic supercars? Luxury powerboats? Whatever. This new two-seat aircraft is the most fun you can have on land, sea, or in the air. In the annals of cinematic foreplay, there are few greater scenes than Pierce Brosnan's tandem glider flight with Rene Russo in 1999's The Thomas Crown Affair. Russo shrieks, giggles, and gasps—and that's before Brosnan hands her his joystick. (In...
Four Brooklyn men have filed a $9 million federal lawsuit claiming they were racially profiled as Muslims and kicked off a flight from Toronto to New York. The four men from Brighton Beach were among six friends that had traveled to Toronto in December. Two of the friends, Shan Anand and Faimul Alam, said they each paid $75 to switch planes so they could all return home together on the same...
Airfinance Conference Dublin 2016 – Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that its all-new C Series aircraft program has begun the ramp-up to full production. The final assembly facility is fully equipped and production is progressing according to plan with aircraft in various stages of the build sequence. Additionally, Bombardier also confirmed that the CS100 aircraft that is sched...
Fokker Technologies, a division of GKN Aerospace, announces that a total of 50 Fokker aircraft were sold to 10 existing Fokker operators and 3 new operators during 2015 by their respective aircraft owners. These comprise 5 Fokker 50s, 20 Fokker 70s and 25 Fokker 100s. ‘Low operating costs, comprehensive support and more flexible Rolls-Royce Tay engine support solutions remain th...
The number of private business flights landing at the three airports nearest to Davos was 35pc higher last January – and could rise even more this year. The number of private jets landing in east Switzerland's main airports is expected to jump by a third this month as world leaders, executives and entrepreneurs descend on Davos for the annual World Economic Forum. Last January, 1,3...
South Korea has introduced a new “anti-nut rage” law, prompted by an angry outburst by the daughter of Korean Air’s boss over a bag of macadamias. The revised aviation law, which drastically toughens punishments on unruly passengers, was a direct result of the “nut rage” incident involving Cho Hyun-Ah in December 2014, the transport ministry said. “Th...
Daniel Christe has been appointed chief executive officer of TAG Aviation Europe. He has replaced Christof Späth, who has stepped down from the role due to personal circumstances. “I am very enthusiastic to take the lead of TAG Aviation Europe which enjoys an unrivaled reputation in the business aviation industry.” Daniel Christe said: “I am very enthusiastic to take t...
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited will codeshare with Oman Air for flights between Bangkok and Muscat, Oman. Mr. Charamporn Jotikasthira, Thai President, said Thai is pleased to offer additional flights and services for passengers from Bangkok and Muscat, Oman through our newest codeshare partner Oman Air. Starting 25 January 2016, Thai will now be able to offer additional fligh...
Continued increase in air travel will benefit aircraft lessors this year but slower economic growth in key markets and increased competition will limit further profitability gains, said Moody’s Investors Service. Moody’s said its outlook for aircraft lessors is positive over the coming 12 to 18 months. The ratings agency expects that growth in air travel, strong airline operating pe...
Virgin Australia has welcomed today’s announcement that Singapore Airlines will introduce direct international services from Canberra to Singapore and Wellington from September 2016. As part of the alliance between the two airlines, Virgin Australia will codeshare on Singapore Airlines flights between Canberra and Singapore, providing Virgin Australia customers with greater access to Asia...
Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Aerospace) said it secured contracts worth S$415m ($285m) in the fourth quarter of 2015, rising from S$310m ($216m) in Q4 2014. In its quarterly report released today (January 19), ST Aerospace said some of the contracts included line and heavy maintenance agreements for customers supporting Airbus, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft types, as well as c...
Stonebriar Commercial Finance (SCF) has provided a $9.8m, 60 month term loan refinancing for a 15 year old Bombardier Global Express business jet. The borrower is a leading aviation company that provides a wide array of turnkey aviation solutions to an extensive and diverse client base of corporations, governments, and individuals throughout the world. Michael Amalfitano, EVP, senior managin...
Hold it! If you are about to looking at new private jets with the intention to buy, it may be worth waiting for one of the newest models coming on to the market in the next few years. Despite a tough market, aircraft manufacturers have invested in new private jets and have upgraded existing ones to give prospective buyers plenty of options. Corporate Jet Investor has rounded-up of list of new p...
The UK is exploring options for its transport rotorcraft, including in-flight refuelling, as it looks to extend the operational range of its fleet in line with commitments in a recent defence review. Released in November, the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) promised the UK would "upgrade helicopters and transport aircraft so we can deploy further, faster and independently, to...
Bell Helicopter will, in 2017, fly a V-22 tiltrotor equipped with new prop rotor blades designed to reduce manufacturing costs on the type. The modification is the latest in a series of trials under the manufacturer's Advanced Technology Tiltrotor (ATTR) effort; a risk-reduction exercise for the Osprey's US Marine Corps and US Air Force customers. "It is a fairly substantial cha...
Melbourne Airport has increased its share of all Australia-Asia passenger traffic from 15 per cent in 2000 to 25 per cent in 2013, while Sydney Airport’s share fell from 45 to 35 per cent over the same period, according to a research paper published in the University of Melbourne’s Journal of Transport Geography. ‘The fortunes of air transport gateways’ researc...
“On your next flight, why not pass the time as you learn a new skill whilst flying above the clouds?” Virgin Australia asks as it launches its latest inflight entertainment innovation: short hour-long modules on a variety of subjects delivered via its wireless streaming inflight entertainment system. “Are you interested in learning a new skill, but just don’t seem to fin...
Gerald Tobias, the former president and CEO of Sikorsky Aircraft who helped develop the Black Hawk military helicopter and launched the S-76 executive helicopter, died on November 14 in Huntington Beach, Calif. He was 89. Born July 6, 1926, Tobias served in the U.S. Marines from 1943 to 1944 and trained on the Boeing Stearman. Following his service, Tobias remained invo...
JetNet iQ is still predicting that 744 new business jets will be delivered this year—up from its estimate of 710 last year—but the business aviation data firm is adjusting its 10-year outlook to “reflect recent industry and market developments, especially in the large cabin market.” Thus, it now expects lower delivery volumes and a higher share of aircraft to be delivered t...
British Airways owner IAG is holding talks on leasing additional A380s second hand because it believes the options it has to buy more of the Airbus superjumbo are too expensive, its chief executive said on Monday. The move is part of a strategy of increasing the proportion of leased aircraft International Airlines Group (IAG) has within its fleet, Willie Walsh told the Airline Economics ai...
Fuel surcharges don’t matter much to most consumers. They’re advertised as part of the paid fare when buying a ticket. They even earn credit in revenue-based frequent flyer programs. They really only matter to consumers who have airfare discounts that don’t apply to the surcharges, and to frequent flyers booking awards. United never collects fuel surcharges on awards Americ...
