Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Airbus won another big endorsement for its single-aisle series—potentially the biggest in its history—by securing a memorandum of understanding from India’s IndiGo covering 250 A320neos, the company said Wednesday.

 


If converted to a firm order, the contract with IndiGo would become Airbus’s single largest order ever in terms of number of aircraft. IndiGo has already placed firm orders for 100 current-generation A320s and <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2011-01-11/airbus-signs-launch-customer-a320neo">180 A320neos</a>. The largest domestic airline in India by market share, IndiGo now operates 85 A320s, serving 31 cities in India and five international destinations.

 


News of Airbus’s most recent narrowbody success came a day after Boeing announced that production had started on its competing 737 Max. Boeing Fabrication Integrated AeroStructures in Auburn, Washington, has begun fabricating the airplane’s fuselage stringers, components that run the length of the fuselage to provide stability and strength.

 


After forming, Boeing plans to send the stringers to Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kansas, for incorporation into the first 737 Max fuselage. From there it plans to ship the fuselage to Boeing’s facility in Renton, Washington, for final assembly starting next year.

 


Separately, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved Airbus’s new A350-900 widebody for Etops (Extended-range Twin-engine aircraft Operations) beyond 180 minutes’ diversion time, making the A350 the first new aircraft type ever to receive such a level of Etops approval before entry into service. The approval, which includes 180-minute Etops in the “basic” specification, also includes provisions for 300-minute and 370-minute Etops, depending on operator choice. The 370-minute option extends the diversion distance up to what Airbus calls an unprecedented 2,500 nm at one-engine-inoperative speed under standard atmospheric conditions.

 


Airbus, which said it expects corresponding approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration “soon,” asserts the 370-minute option will prove particularly beneficial on new direct southern routes between Australia, South Africa and South America, while the 300-minute option will allow for more efficient routes across the North and Mid-Pacific, such as from Southeast Asia and Australasia to the U.S.

 


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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

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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.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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