Aviation News
The Airbus A350 XWB’s new engine – the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB – has successfully made its maiden flight aboard Airbus’ dedicated A380 “Flying-Test-Bed” aircraft. The aircraft took off from Airbus facilities in Toulouse and performed a flight of more than five hours during which the engine covered a wide range of power settings at altitudes up to 43,000ft. The aircraft handling qualities were evaluated from low speeds to Mach 0.9. The engine not only operated ...
At Dallas Heli-Expo 2012, Bell Helicopter announced today the new Bell 525 Relentless “super medium” helicopter. The Bell 525 Relentless defines the new “super medium” product class – positioned at the upper end of the medium class and designed to offer best-in-class capabilities to customers. It features superior payload and range, cabin and cargo volumes and crew visibility. Capable of carrying up to 16 passengers, the Bell 525 Relentless is designed to support customers in ...
Boeing celebrated the delivery of Korean Air’s first Boeing 747-8F together with the airline’s first Boeing 777 Freighter. With this delivery, Korean Air becomes the first airline to operate both the 747-8 and 777 Freighters. “We are very proud to become the first airline in the world to have the combined strengths of these two freighters in its fleet,” said Yang Ho Cho, chairman of Korean Air. “Our cargo fleet is being improved by these ...
Jackie Chan, Hong Kong born, world-renowned Hollywood actor, now travels in his brand-new Embraer Legacy 650. His new jet has been deliverd yesterday and wears his iconic dragon logo as well as a distinctive dragon livery. The aircraft provided an auspicious beginning to the Chinese Year of the Dragon. “I chose the Legacy 650 because its large three zone cabin, offering incredibly quiet performance and luxury,” said Jackie Chan. “I am honored to join the ...
The Seattle Times is reporting today that Boeing 787 launch customer All Nippon Airways (ANA) had to cancel two of its first 10 Dreamliner flights between Tokyo and Frankfurt due to “a malfunction of the flaps system”. This first Boeing 787 long-haul route opened Jan. 21. An ANA spokeswoman said the airline canceled the Jan. 26 flight out of Frankfurt and another flight on Jan. 30 out of Tokyo. Passengers on that flights were transferred ...
Cebu Pacific, the largest low cost carrier from the Philippines, is set to become a new Airbus A330 operator. The airline has selected the aircraft for its new long haul services, which will begin in the third quarter of 2013. The carrier plans to acquire up to eight leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The long range capability of the A330 will enable Cebu Pacific to offer direct services from Manila to Australia, the Middle East, and ...
Boeing delivered the first Boeing 747-8 Freighter for AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of Volga-Dnepr Group. This 747-8F (VQ-BLQ) is the first of five new planes for the airline. AirBridge Cargo also has options for additional five airplanes. “The introduction of the Boeing 747-8F represents a huge commitment to our customers since we are investing in state of the art equipment to further expand our network,” said Tatyana Arslanova, executive president of AirBridgeCargo Airlines. “We have ...
Norwegian, one of the largest low-cost airlines in Europe, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 100 A320neo aircraft. The agreement makes Norwegian the latest customer for the A320neo and also a new customer for Airbus. The new aircraft will support Norwegian’s growth and modernisation strategy. Norwegian (the brand name of Norwegian Air Shuttle AS) operates a network across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East, and is rapidly expanding its ...
Airbus delivered the 5000th A320 built to Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA). The aircraft was delivered from Airbus in Hamburg, Germany and is powered by International Aero Engines V2500 engines. MSN5000 marks a significant milestone for Airbus and the A320 Family going into 2012, as production rises from 38 to 40 per month during the first quarter of the year. MEA operates one of the most modern fleets in the region with four ...
This month, Boeing will begin the second segment of the 787 Dream Tour, with four stops planned in the U.S. and Ireland. The January schedule includes the following stops: Jan. 20-23: Wichita, Kan., to visit partner Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing employees. Jan. 23-25: Rockford, Ill., to visit partner Hamilton Sundstrand. Jan. 25-27: Dublin, Ireland, to visit airline customers, leasing companies, financiers and other stakeholders. Jan. 27-30: Huntsville, Ala., to visit Boeing employees. The Dream Tour ...
Boeing announced that Air France-KLM have ordered 25 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with options. “By making the 787 a key part of its fleet renewal, Air France-KLM strengthens its position as a worldwide leader,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Reaction to the Dreamliner’s entry into service has been phenomenal and we look forward to seeing passengers of Air France-KLM fly on this revolutionary airplane.” The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is a slightly ...
Boeing announced that the Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) facility in Wichita will close by the end of 2013. The Wichita facility currently employs more than 2,160 employees. “The decision to close our Wichita facility was difficult but ultimately was based on a thorough study of the current and future market environment and our ability to remain competitive while meeting our customers’ needs with the best and most affordable solutions,” said Mark Bass, vice ...
Airbus has filed a patent for a downward-facing winglet device. The new wing tip device is being described as a wing extension that may be swept and may deform during flight. This flexible wing tip extension provides a drag reduction whilst decreasing the bending moment of the wing, particularly at the wing root. Aircraft performance might benefit during both steady flight and high-lift manoeuvres. Because of its flexible behaviour, the downward-facing winglet may provide a ...
A Tupolev Tu-134A-3 (EX-020) operated by Kyrgyzstan crash-landed at Osh Airport (OSS), Kyrgyzstan, yesterday. The airplane landed hard in thick fog, rolled over and caught fire. Several people on-board were taken to hospital with minor injuries but, like a miracle, no one has been seriously injured or killed. Videos
Look what has arrived at Airbus Toulouse final assembly line! Is it an A320? No! An A330? No! An A380? Hm, let’s see… uhm, no! Is it Santa? Could be these days, but no! Hey, it’s the first front fuselage of the new A350 XWB! This first Airbus A350 XWB frame, a A350-900, (MSN 5000) will solely be used for static tests and unfortunately never will reach the sky.
The Japanese Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa has announced the selection of the F-35 Lightning II as the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s (JASDF) next-generation fighter. The F-35 is produced by Lockheed Martin and powered by Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine. The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant (CTOL) was offered by the United States government with participation from Lockheed Martin. The initial contract will be for four jets in Japan Fiscal Year 2012, which begins ...
Rugby World Champion “All Blacks” led the brand new Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER black plane out of Boeing’s paint hangar in Seattle. The video features a look behind the scenes of the unveiling of this special livery B777 to celebrate the win of the Rugby World Championship. Since many years Air New Zealand is a major sponsor of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Boeing revealed that it took two days longer than normally required ...
The 7000th Boeing 737 built was delivered yesterday to Dubai-based flydubai. This Next-Generation 737-800 has been equipped with the new Boeing Sky Interior. “It is incredible to be delivering our 7,000th 737. We thank flydubai and all our customers who have made the 737 the world’s most popular jet airliner,” said Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager of the 737 program. “This success is due to the years of expertise that thousands of employees ...
The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner for Japan Airlines (JAL) rolled out of the paint hangar last night. The airplane’s livery features the iconic new brand mark on its tail and underscores the airline’s commitment to provide the highest level of service to customers and contribute to the advancement of society. The logo is a distinct symbol of the airline which was the first Japanese carrier to fly internationally from Japan since 1954. Source: Boeing Photo: ...
Boeing and Southwest Airlines today announced a firm order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. Southwest is the first customer to finalize an order for the 737 MAX and becomes the launch customer for the new-engine variant. The Dallas-based carrier also ordered 58 Next-Generation 737s. The firm order is the largest in Boeing history both in dollar value, nearly $19 billion at list prices, and the number of airplanes. It supports Southwest’s initiative to modernize ...
Airbus announced today that the European plane maker delivered its 7,000th aircraft, an A321, to US Airways – the airline that operates the largest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the world. This milestone comes just two years after the delivery of Airbus’ 6,000th aircraft. The 1,000th Airbus delivery was an A340-300 that went to Air France in 1993, nineteen years after the first Airbus aircraft was delivered – an A300B2 also to Air France, in ...
The first Embraer Phenom 100 business jet built at the company’s new Melbourne, Florida assembly facility made its first flight at Melbourne International Airport. The aircraft flew to an altitude of 41,000 and to speeds up to its MMO (Maximum Operating Mach number) with zero anomalies. “We are very proud of the production flight test results,” said Phil Krull, Managing Director, Embraer Executive Aircraft, Inc. “This flight clearly shows that our Melbourne team is ready ...
