All Air Transport articles – Page 272
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News
BA takes back Flybe’s Heathrow remedy slots
British Airways has reacquired London Heathrow slots from defunct UK regional carrier Flybe which had originally been divested to satisfy competition regulators. Flybe had been serving several routes from Heathrow before the airline ceased operations in early March. Documentation from UK airport co-ordinator ACL states that slots for 12 daily ...
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News
Unintentional missile hit on MH17 ‘irrelevant’ to murder charge: prosecutor
Dutch prosecutors have taken into account that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 might have been unintentionally shot down, mistaken for a military aircraft, but stress that this does not alter the criminal charges directed at the suspects. In his opening statement to the trial – in absentia – of four suspects ...
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News
Boeing Everett worker tests positive for coronavirus
Boeing confirms an employee at its facility in Everett, Washington, home to its widebody production plant, has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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News
Qantas grounds eight A380s for six months
Australia’s Qantas Group is to ground eight Airbus A380s for six months, as it cuts capacity by nearly a quarter over the period to September 2020. Only two A380s will remain flying, because two others are undergoing scheduled maintenance and cabin upgrades. The measures follow the continuing downturn in demand ...
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News
Hong Kong probing fourth 787 ILS deviation incident
Investigators have revealed a fourth incident involving a Boeing 787 deviation from the localiser path, during an ILS approach to runway 25R at Hong Kong last year. The incident occurred to an Ethiopian Airlines 787-8 which had been arriving on 18 July. It had been cleared for the ILS approach ...
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News
Ethiopian 737 Max pilots battled intense pitch and trim forces
Investigators probing the fatal Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max accident have given additional insight into a crucial period during which the crew, having temporarily stopped the aircraft from automatically nosing down, struggled vainly to regain pitch and trim control. In an interim update into the 10 March 2019 crash near ...
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News
EASA puts forward measures to cut tyre-pressure accident risk
European safety authorities are proposing certification and operational measures to reduce risks linked to under-inflated tyres. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has published a proposal to require monitoring to ensure tyre pressure does not fall below the minimum serviceable inflation threshold during operations. EASA says this can be achieved ...
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News
Criminal trial over MH17 shoot-down set to begin in Netherlands
Criminal proceedings are set to commence against four individuals accused of murder in connection with the destruction of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine six years ago. The four initial suspects are being prosecuted, in absentia, in a Dutch court in the The Hague over the 298 fatalities which ...
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News
Alitalia’s Milan operations crippled by Lombardy lockdown
Italian flag-carrier Alitalia is suspending all operations at Milan Malpensa, and limiting Milan Linate to domestic services, following the extraordinary government decree locking down the Lombardy region over the coronavirus outbreak. The airline says it will halt all services at Malpensa, its northern intercontinental base, from 9 March. ...
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News
FAA fines Boeing for unapproved sensors on almost 800 737s
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $19.7 million fine against Boeing for regulatory violations related to sensors on nearly 800 examples of the 737NG and 737 Max.
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News
Iberia hands Spanish slots to Volotea to ease IAG-Air Europa approval
Spanish carrier Volotea is poised to ease Iberia parent IAG’s acquisition of Air Europa, by reinforcing competition on overlap routes that might otherwise attract European regulatory objections. Under a provisional agreement with IAG, Volotea would open at least two, and up to four, bases in Spain in order to pick ...
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News
Congress slams Boeing and FAA for alleged 737 Max failures
A US congressional committee investigating the Boeing 737 Max has issue a preliminary report highlighted alleged failures by Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Airline Business
Coronavirus downturn raises questions about demand for new passenger jets
Aerospace analysts are now considering whether the coronavirus-induced airline industry downturn, should it persist, might lead airlines to defer aircraft deliveries or even cancel orders. While aircraft makers say their industry remains healthy, the downturn is also raising questions about potential fallout to Boeing’s 737 Max, an aircraft Boeing expects will be certificated by mid-year.
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News
Virgin 787s suffered Hong Kong ILS deviations after Etihad incident
Investigators in Hong Kong have revealed two other serious localiser deviation incidents, both involving Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9s, which occurred within a few weeks of a similar occurrence to an Etihad Airways 787-9. One of Virgin’s services from London Heathrow had been conducting an ILS approach to runway 25R on ...
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News
Lufthansa considers suspending A380 fleet over outbreak
Lufthansa is evaluating a temporary grounding of its entire Airbus A380 fleet as part of capacity cuts in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The Star Alliance airline says it may reduce capacity by up to 50% over the coming weeks – more than previously planned – as a result of ...
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Opinion
Airline bail-outs are rarely a good idea
Is there ever a case for a government bailing out a failed airline – even when its commercial shareholders judge it a bad bet? Plenty of people – including trade unions and politicians representing employees and passengers affected by Flybe’s collapse – believe there is. Particularly when the carrier in question has been providing vital transport links between underserved UK cities.
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Opinion
Coronavirus overtakes 737 Max as airline industry’s biggest concern
Covid-19 has seen airlines slash schedules and supplanted Boeing’s 737 Max as the industry’s big story. But what happens when the jet is cleared to fly again?
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News
Air India Engineering to maintain PW1100G engines
Pratt & Whitney has authorised Air India Engineering Services (AIESL) to provide MRO services for the PW1100G geared turbofan. AIESL, which has received its first PW1100G engine, will provide support from its Mumbai facility, P&W states. It will see PW1100G MRO works “phased in”, the enginemaker adds, starting with engine ...
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In depth
GE Aviation plans hiring freeze and preps for up to $300m Q1 virus hit
GE Aviation will implement a hiring freeze and reduce 2020 spending in response to a new 737 Max agreement with Boeing, while contending with an expected $200-$300 million first-quarter hit from the coronavirus outbreak.
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News
Commissioner invites interest in Alitalia businesses
Alitalia’s extraordinary commissioner has formally invited parties to express interest in all or parts of the airline, setting an 18 March deadline for submissions. Giuseppe Leogrande detailed the invitation in a document, dated 5 March, covering Alitalia and Alitalia Cityliner – both of which are in administration. Offers for various ...