All air transport news – Page 259
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NewsPilot strike does not free SAS from compensation obligation: court
Scandinavian carrier SAS has lost a European court judgement over passenger compensation in the event of a strike by airline personnel, after a ruling that valid industrial action does not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. The European Court of Justice ruling contradicts a previous finding by Swedish consumer disputes board ARN ...
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NewsCryogenic tank among features tested for Russian 50-seat proposal
Characteristics of a proposed Russian 50-seat twin-engined turboprop are being refined after a series of windtunnel tests which to explore configurations including a potential external cryogenic fuel tank. The light convertible aircraft – intended to operate with both passenger and freight layouts – has been subjected to a series of ...
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NewsE195-E2 engine software upgrade ordered after A220 failure incidents
Operators of Embraer 195-E2 twinjets have been instructed to upgrade electronic engine-control software following inquiries into rotor disc failures on Airbus A220s. Both aircraft types use Pratt & Whitney geared-fan engines, and the architecture of the PW1900G powerplant on the E195-E2 is similar to that of the A220’s PW1500G. Investigators ...
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NewsSriLankan Airlines files legal claim after Airbus bribery probe
SriLankan Airlines has filed a legal claim against Airbus, related to bribery allegations that the airframer settled with France, the UK, and USA in early 2020. The airline confirms that it has made a “claim” against Airbus, but offers no further details. It adds that the airline has “not sued ...
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In depthCan supersonic hopefuls deliver as commercial interest booms?
The handful of companies in the space spent the last year partnering with major aerospace suppliers (including engine makers), lining up buyers, hiring known aerospace executives and, in the case of Boom Supersonic, rolling out a demonstrator jet.
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NewsNTSB urges tighter oversight of some passenger-carrying general aviation flights
Following several deadly accidents in recent years, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration to tighten oversight of certain passenger flights conducted under general aviation rules.
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NewsAirbus extracts more range from A220-300 with further weight increase
Airbus is to offer a further range increase on the A220-300 towards the middle of this year, with a 1t hike in the twinjet’s maximum take-off weight. It will take the MTOW of the -300, the larger of the A220 variants, to 70.9t from the current 69.9t and will provide ...
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NewsUS trade groups call on government to ease travel restrictions
Numerous lobby groups and trade organisations representing the aviation and travel industries have called upon the US government to develop a roadmap that would relax international restrictions and once again allow foreign tourists to enter the country.
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NewsFrance’s Aura Aero unveils 19-seat electric aircraft development plan
French aerospace firm Aura Aero is intending to develop a 19-seat electric-powered regional aircraft, as it looks to certify its two-seat Integral R light single. Aura Aero says the 19-seat project, to address the embryonic low-carbon transport sector, is supported by the Occitanie region. It unveiled the plan as it ...
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NewsSatcom radome vibrations prompt A220 ELT antenna checks
Airbus A220 operators are being instructed to check and replace emergency locator transmitter antennas, after incidents in which vortices from a communications radome generated vibrations resulting in antenna failure. One of the incidents resulted in the antenna separating from the aircraft and striking the vertical fin. Investigations have traced the ...
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NewsZig-zag microrelief on wings could reduce stall risk
Russian researchers are testing a wing surface modification with vortex generators aimed at reducing the risk of airflow separation and stall at high angles of attack. The work is being conducted at Moscow’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute and centres on surface microrelief featuring a zig-zag of vortex generators manufactured from polymer ...
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NewsEASA rejects Superjet door directive over ‘twisted slides’ concern
Sukhoi Superjet 100s will not be permitted to operate in Europe if power-assist systems for their exits have been de-activated, following concerns that evacuation could be hampered by flight attendants’ inability to open doors quickly. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has chosen not to adopt a series of Russian ...
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NewsIcelandair unconcerned after volcano erupts near Keflavik hub
Icelandair believes a volcanic eruption which commenced near Reykjavik’s Keflavik airport will have only a limited effect on the flag-carrier’s operations. The eruption is close to the Fagradalsfjall peak some 20km south-east of the airport, which serves as Icelandair’s hub. According to the Icelandic Met Office it began on 19 ...
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NewsDid departure delays conspire to single-out shot-down 737?
One hazy aspect of last year’s fatal Iranian missile attack on a Boeing 737-800 centres on the circumstances through which the aircraft was singled out when other flights were also operating from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation, which investigated the 8 January attack on Ukraine International ...
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NewsEmbraer sits on $14bn backlog, to grow ‘strongly’ in 2022
Brazilian airframer Embraer posted a net loss of $731.9 million for the full year 2020, but says an increased demand for regional travel, and the jets that supply that sector, will drive the post-pandemic recovery.
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NewsGECAS-Air China A320neo sale stemmed from prior lease agreement
GECAS’s deal to sell 18 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft to Air China, disclosed on 18 March, stemmed from a previous agreement with the carrier to lease the aircraft, Cirium understands.
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NewsIsrael sets out conditions for alternative El Al financing scheme
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has reached a conditional agreement with the government on an alternative funding scheme, after the airline spent several months trying to negotiate a state-backed loan from local banks. El Al and its Sun D’Or airline operation have detailed the financing pact under which the Israeli state ...
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NewsSaudia seals SR11.2bn funding for 787 and A320neo fleet expansion
Saudi Arabian flag-carrier Saudia has signed an SR11.2 billion ($3 billion) financing agreement which will partly cover the acquisition of 73 aircraft. The airline describes the aircraft as “previously announced” and comprising eight Boeing 787-10s, 35 A321neos – of which 15 are the long-range A321XLR – and 30 A320neos. Saudia ...
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NewsFormer SpaceX engineers propose two-stage eVTOL for regional, military use
Two former SpaceX engineers are proposing a two-stage electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for regional cargo and passenger flight, as well as for US military missions.
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NewsCanada’s TSB chief faults Iran’s 737 shoot-down report
The head of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has taken the unusual step of criticising Iran’s conclusions into the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752.