All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 162
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NewsCrosswind limit breach cited in Yak-40 excursion at St Petersburg
Russian investigators believe a serious runway excursion incident involving Yakovlev Yak-40 at St Petersburg resulted from a breach of crosswind limitations during landing. The Vologda Aviation Enterprise trijet had been arriving from Vologda on 9 April and touched down on Pulkovo airport’s runway 10R. Rain and crosswinds from the right ...
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NewsUnited Engine nears ignition test of prototype PD-8 for Superjet
Russia’s United Engine is preparing to start testing the first prototype core of the Aviadvigatel PD-8 powerplant intended for the Sukhoi Superjet 100. Assembly of the core has been completed and the bench tests are aimed at verifying that the main performance parameters of the engine are in line with ...
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NewsLATAM opts to convert more 767s to freighters
South American operator LATAM Group is to take its fleet of converted Boeing 767-300ER freighters from 11 to 21 over the next two years, after enhancing its cargo expansion plan. LATAM had originally intended to take four Boeing Converted Freighter aircraft but placed options for another four, all of which ...
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NewsCooking oil-powered A350 flight flags French sustainability efforts
Air France has carried out an Airbus A350-900 service to Montreal powered by a biofuel sourced from waste cooking oil, part of a combined effort to produce sustainable aviation fuel in France. The fuel was created by project participant Total, without using virgin plant-based oil, at its La Mede biorefinery ...
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NewsBulgaria’s Cargo Air takes Europe's first AEI 737-800 freighter
Bulgarian operator Cargo Air has become the first European carrier to take delivery of a converted Boeing 737-800 freighter from US specialist Aeronautical Engineers. Aeronautical Engineers secured certification of the 737-800SF modification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on 7 May. It has subsequently delivered the initial European aircraft ...
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NewsSriwijaya 737-500 crash probe spurs order to check autothrottle computers
Investigations into the fatal Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 accident earlier this year have spurred an order to operators of older 737 variants to conduct autothrottle checks aimed at detecting possible flap synchronisation component failure. But the US FAA is stressing that latent failure of the synchronisation wire is “highly unlikely” ...
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NewsIcelandair Group finance chief steps down after two years
Icelandair Group has named Ivar Kristinsson as its interim chief financial officer, following the decision by Eva Soley Gudbjornsdottir to step down from the post after two years. Gudbjornsdottir has overseen the group’s finances, steering it through the impact of the pandemic, since succeeding Bogi Nils Bogason – who had ...
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NewsIrkut receives first wing panels for serial MC-21
Russian airframer Irkut has received the first MC-21 wing panels for a serial production aircraft, delivered to the Irkutsk-based facility by road. The 17.5m panel was manufactured at the AeroKompozit plant in Ulyanovsk – a distance of some 3,600km from the MC-21 final assembly line. Irkut will used the panels ...
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NewsHard landings within limits do not count as accidents: court ruling
European judges have ruled that a hard landing within permissible aircraft limits does not fall within the definition of ‘accident’, after a passenger lodged an injury claim following a firm touchdown in Switzerland. Austria’s supreme court had sought a preliminary verdict as to whether a hard landing, made within the ...
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NewsAirbus appears to deliver A321neo test aircraft to VietJet
Airbus appears to have delivered the first A321neo manufactured, the MSN6673 test aircraft, to Asian carrier VietJet Air. The twinjet – powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines – was the first A321neo for which Airbus completed initial assembly. But it was beaten to the variant’s maiden flight in February ...
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NewsAn-26 crew twice told to abort after non-precision approach deviations
UK investigators have suggested that pilots may be losing currency with non-precision approaches, as they become less common, after probing an incident involving a Ukrainian Antonov An-26 at Birmingham. The Vulkan Air aircraft (UR-CQD) had prepared for a localiser-DME approach to runway 33 as it arrived on 16 July last ...
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NewsSmartLynx steps up to long-haul operations with A330 acquisition
Wet-lease specialist SmartLynx Malta is branching into long-haul operations with the introduction of Airbus A330s for cargo services – and eventually passenger flights. SmartLynx has previously exclusively operated single-aisle types but states that it will bring in five A330s over May and June. The aircraft, acquired through Hong Kong-based lessor ...
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NewsAirbus procurement chief assigned to lead A220 towards profitability
Airbus systems procurement chief Benoit Schultz is to take over as head of the A220 operation, as chief executive of Airbus Canada, succeeding Philippe Balducchi who has led the division for nearly three years. Balducchi has “decided to pursue other opportunities” outside of Airbus, says the airframer, having spent two ...
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NewsInquiry into fatal Aeroflot Superjet fire examines earlier Yakutia gear collapse
Russian investigators probing the fatal Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 landing accident at Moscow two years ago have analysed a Yakutia Superjet overrun and gear collapse as part of an assessment of the type’s structures and components. After returning to Sheremetyevo airport on 5 May 2019 the Aeroflot aircraft landed hard, ...
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NewsAerCap shareholders back GECAS acquisition
Leasing firm AerCap’s shareholders have voted in favour of the proposed merger with US leasing giant GECAS, which the two companies unveiled in March. AerCap held a shareholders meeting on 12 May and asked them to back several items relating to the transaction, including the deal itself plus the re-appointment ...
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NewsConfident Airbus restarts work on new Toulouse A321neo production line
Airbus has given a further sign of its confidence in single-aisle recovery, by resuming work on an additional assembly line for A321neo twinjets. The airframer had unveiled plans for the modernised Toulouse line in January 2020, just weeks before the pandemic crisis forced it to slash production rates and shelve ...
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NewsGreen Africa unveils initial batch of Nigerian domestic destinations
Nigerian start-up carrier Green Africa Airways has unveiled an initial route network on which to commence operations. The network focuses on its Lagos base and comprises six domestic destinations, including the capital Abuja and Port Harcourt. Green Africa also says it will operate to Akure, Ilorin, Enugu and Owerri, cities ...
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NewsST Engineering sets up leasing venture for converted freighters
Singaporean modification and maintenance firm ST Engineering is to establish a joint venture specialising in dedicated freighter leasing, in response to increased demand for cargo aircraft. ST Engineering’s asset-management arm will equally-own the venture with partner Temasek. Over the next five years the venture will acquire passenger aircraft – primarily ...
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NewsCroatia Airlines trims losses but first-quarter bookings remain weak
Croatia Airlines has managed to reduce first-quarter operating losses to Kn86.2 million ($13.9 million) compared with the previous figure of Kn95.7 million. Its revenues for the period more than halved to Kn113.6 million. The company says the beginning of the year has been “weaker than expected”, with travel reservations still ...
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NewsLuxair expecting gradual summer recovery after heavy full-year losses
Luxair is expecting a gradual resumption of activities for the summer season, but has revealed the effect of the crisis on its financial performance with a full-year operating loss of nearly €160 million ($194 million). The company recorded a 57% fall in revenues to €263 million. Operating losses for the ...