Air Transport
News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.
Accidents
Court Acquits Airbus, Air France in AF447 Manslaughter Trial
Judges rule that prosecutors did not produce evidence of a direct connection between the actions of Airbus and Air France and the crash of AF447.
Airlines
Sustainable Aviation Group Demands More Government Support
At the Sustainable Skies event in the UK, industry leaders called for more investment and urgent action to meet the net zero carbon goal by 2050.
Aircraft
VietJet Expands Service to Australia amid SE Asian Rebound
VietJet A330-300 debuts in Sydney as Vietnamese authorities project traffic recovery to 2019 levels by year-end.
Aircraft
Boeing Confronted with Another Max Delivery Disruption
Aft fuselages for the 737 Max supplied by Sprit Aerosystems are the source of another delivery disruption.
Aircraft
Dutch Start-up Maeve Unveils All-Electric Regional Airliner
The company claims battery technology will be sufficient to carry 44 passengers over 250 nm by 2029, with range and payload to increase in the future.
ATC
Controller Hiring on Track but New York Tracon Far Understaffed
Despite meeting its hiring goals, the FAA continues to suffer air traffic controller shortages at the New York Tracon.
Aircraft
Boeing Reports Nearly Half of Chinese Max Fleet in Service
Eleven Chinese airlines have returned 43 Boeing Max jets to service as of April 10, accounting for 45 percent of the fleet.
Aircraft
Liebherr Developing Air Supply System for Airbus ZeroE Program
Toulouse-based Liebherr-Aerospace has entered the second phase of study into an air supply demonstrator for Airbus’s hydrogen fuel-cell system.
Aircraft
Airbus To Build Second Assembly Line at Chinese A320 Site
An agreement to expand Airbus’s production capacity in China came during an official visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Beijing.
Airlines
Airlines Win Legal Challenge to Schiphol Flight Caps
A Dutch court overruled a government plan to cut Amsterdam Schiphol airport’s annual flight limit to 460,000 from November.
Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines' Pilot Roster Under Fire
Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Aviation will form a subcommittee to probe the issuance of pilot licenses.
Airlines
Eurocontrol Warns Flight Movements Could Stagnate after 2025
The number of flights in European airspace will recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2025 but growth might slow or even stop.
Airlines
Air Transport Development in Africa Hinges on Collaboration
As African airlines lose a projected $213 million this year, efforts to liberalize go unfulfilled.
Airlines
New Cargo Links Reinforce China-Belgium Ties
Trade between China and Belgium received a boost over the weekend after dedicated cargo hub Ezhou Huahu Airport opened its first freight route to Liege.
Airlines
European Airlines Cautiously Optimistic on Summer Disruptions
Airlines for Europe member airlines expect stronger demand and markedly less disruption than during last year's chaotic summer season.
Aircraft
ATR Targets 40 New Aircraft Deliveries This Year
European turboprop manufacturer ATR shipped only 25 new aircraft to customers in 2022 as supply chain and staffing bottlenecks slowed production.
Airlines
Surging Labor Costs Spell Depressed Margins for U.S. Airlines
Moody’s Investors Service sees airline labor costs increasing 19 percent this year.
Airlines
United Airlines To Invest $15 million in Carbon-capture Enterprise
A $5 million investment in carbon-capture company Svante aligns with United Airlines’ goal of zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
ATC
Philippine Senate Calls for Legislative Changes after ATC Outage
Legislators have adopted findings and recommendations stemming from a committee probe into Manila’s January 1 air traffic control (ATC) power outage.
Airlines
Air India Prepares for Major Growth
The Indian flag carrier sees itself as an eventual challenger to the Gulf carriers, but the country’s transport infrastructure will need to keep pace.
Aircraft
Clean Aviation Team Presses For Hybrid-Electric Regional Craft
Development of hybrid-electric regional airliners must happen in sync with the entire aviation 'ecosystem,' according to Clean Aviation partner Leonardo.
Regulations and Government
Phil Washington Withdraws from FAA Administrator Consideration
Phil Washington, whose nomination as FAA administrator faced a barrage of Republican opposition, withdrew his name for consideration for the post.
Aircraft
Airbus’s Chinese Assembly Line Delivers its First A321neo
Shanghai-based Juneyao Air took delivery of the first A321neo produced at Airbus’s assembly line in Tianjin, China.
Aircraft
Boeing 737 Max AD Sheds Light on Factory Errors
Improper torquing of fasteners by Boeing factory mechanics in Max jets’ engine anti-ice exhaust ducts results in FAA airworthiness directive.
Aircraft
United Airlines and Archer Reveal First Air Taxi Route in Chicago
Scheduled to launch in 2025, the first United eVTOL route will take passengers between O’Hare International Airport and Vertiport Chicago.
ATC
ICAO Adopts Multi-constellation Standards for GNSS
The International Civil Aviation Organization considers the rollout of new dual-frequency multi-constellation standards a ‘major milestone’.
Engines
Safran Boss Tells EU Commission SAF Mandates Are ‘Too Shy’
Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran, warns that Europe will fall behind the U.S. if it does not heighten its SAF usage and production ambitions.
Airlines
Senators Reintroduce Bill To Raise Pilot Retirement Age to 67
Alphabet organizations such as the Regional Airline Association applaud a bill to allow airline pilots to fly until age 67 in the U.S.
Airlines
ASQS Expands in Canada with Central Mountain Air Partnership
British Columbia-based regional airline Central Mountain Air has rolled out the iQSMS reporting module to further optimize its safety management.
Airlines
Delta Air Lines To Open Flight Academy
The Delta Propel Flight Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, will open its doors to pilot recruits in June.
