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
Tibet Airlines A319 Bursts into Flames after Runway Excursion
No deaths reported among the 122 passengers and crew aboard a Tibet Airlines A319 that crashed and caught fire in southwestern China Thursday.
Aircraft
ATR 42-600S Flies for First Time in Partial Configuration
Following its May 11 first flight, the new 30- to 50-seat STOL aircraft will now enter a phase of ground and flight testing.
Aircraft
Lufthansa Orders Seven Boeing 777-8 Freighters
Boeing welcomes Lufthansa as the European launch customer for the 777-8F.
Aircraft
Embraer Gets Launch Customer for E-Jet P2F Conversions
Nordic Aviation Capital has signed an agreement in principle to order freighter conversions for 10 of its existing E190s and E195s.
Aircraft
Russian Transport Ministry Sees Sharp Drop in Air Traffic by 2025
A draft report prepared by Russia’s Ministry of Transport projects a drop in traffic of between 24 and 48 percent over the next three years.
Aircraft
Airbus Chooses Thales To Supply FMSs for Future Airliners
Based on the PureFlyt product, the new Thales FMS system will appear in all A320s, A330s, and A350s starting in 2026.
Aircraft
Hydrogen Infrastructure Challenges Rival Aircraft Tech Hurdles
Experts believe “clean” production and distribution rank as the biggest challenges to the adoption of hydrogen power by the aviation industry.
Airlines
Spirit Rejects JetBlue Acquisition Overtures
Spirit Airlines chooses Frontier Airlines merger proposal over that of JetBlue, citing concerns over antitrust risk.
Aircraft
Qantas Confirms Orders for Projects Sunrise, Winton
Schedules call for the first Qantas A350-1000 will arrive in 2025 and the first A320XLR/A220-300 in late 2023.
Aircraft
Russian Airlines Maneuver to Keep International Services Alive
New hubs in the south of Russia allow the country’s airlines to serve international destinations with SSJ100s.
Airlines
EasyJet partners with GKN Aerospace on Hydrogen Power
European low-fare carrier EasyJet has agreed to support GKN’s H2JET and H2GEAR hydrogen power programs.
Aircraft
Boeing Puts Positive Spin on 777X Delay
Delay of first delivery of the 777-9 until 2025 reflects a position of “strength, not weakness,” according to Boeing CEO David Calhoun.
Aircraft
Airbus, ITA Airways To Partner on eVTOL Work in Italy
An agreement between Airbus and ITA calls for recruiting partners to participate in the launch of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL operations in Italy.
Aircraft
Junkers JU-52 Returning to the Skies
The venerable and popular Junkers JU-52 is getting a new lease on life with an updated version planned for entry into service in 2026.
Aircraft
Russia Ditches MC-21-300 To Focus on Indigenous Version
Sanctions imposed by the West have forced Russian industry to scrap plans for the Pratt & Whitney-powered MC-21-300.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
SpaceX Signs First Aircraft Operator for Starlink Satcom
JSX's Embraer ERJs will be the first airborne application of SpaceX's Starlink satcom.
Aircraft
Russia Relaunches Series Production of Tupolev Tu-214
Russia’s Kazan Aviation Production Association plans to start shipping new Tu-214 narrow-bodies in 2024.
Aircraft
Cape Air, Eviation Sign LOI Covering 75 Alice Electric Aircraft
Massachusetts-based Cape Air sees a business case for electric aircraft service to “a panoply” of communities.
Environment
AIA Releases Technology-focused Sustainability Report
AIA and Accenture have issued a new, technology-focused aviation sustainability report and roadmap.
Accidents
China Eastern Returns Boeing 737-800s to Service
Almost a month after the crash of China Eastern Flight MU5735, Chinese authorities cleared the airline’s fleet for return to scheduled service.
Airlines
U.S. Airlines Continue Struggle to Cope with Increased Demand
First-quarter traffic statistics for U.S. carriers show a 31.6 percent increase in cancellations compared with the first quarter of 2019.
Aircraft
Airbus, Kawasaki To Partner on Hydrogen Development
An MOU signed in Tokyo between Airbus and Kawasaki lays the groundwork to study elements of hydrogen adoption by the aviation industry.
Airlines
European Commission Blacklists 21 Russian Airlines
Aeroflot, S7, UTair are among 21 airlines added to the EU’s Air Safety List.
Aircraft
Airbus Wins 80-aircraft A320neo Order from BOC Aviation
Singapore-headquartered leasing group BOC Aviation places the largest order in its history with an 80-unit deal for A320neo narrowbody airliners.
Aircraft
Safran Starts Work on Propulsion for Aura Electric Aircraft
Collaboration agreement between Safran and Aura Aero advances plans to fly the Integral E flight demonstrator for the first time this year.
Airlines
For Now, Covid Remains a Bigger Drag on Air Transport than War
IATA says the fall-out from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been relatively limited, with the exception of rising fuel prices and risks to leasing assets.
Airlines
JetBlue Offers to Buy Spirit Airlines for $3.6 billion
Offer from JetBlue would represent a 50 percent premium on Spirit’s stock price and bring between $600 and $700 million in synergies.
Airlines
Staff Shortages Prompt UK Flight Cancellations as Demand Rises
British Airways and EasyJet face short-term staffing shortages caused by high levels of Covid and lengthy security procedures for hiring new employees.
Accidents
Cockpit Voice Recorder from China Eastern 737 Sent to U.S.
U.S. accident investigator NTSB confirms it has received the CVR from China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 for downloading.
Avionics
Honeywell Anthem Moving Avionics into the Future
Extensive use of touchscreens and cloud connectivity are highlights of Honeywell's new Anthem avionics suite designed for small and large aircraft.
