All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 221
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NewsAirbus carries out first flight of 251t A330neo
Airbus has commenced test flights with the first A330-900 with the higher maximum take-off weight of 251t. The airframer confirms that aircraft MSN1967 – bearing the test registration F-WWCE – lifted off from Toulouse at 12:27 local time on 28 February (below). Source: Airbus Airbus has been ...
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NewsRolls-Royce nears break-even delivery for A350-900 powerplant
Airbus’s A350-900 helped Rolls-Royce to cut its average unit losses on its large engine programmes last year, and contributed to the powerplant manufacturer’s achieving a record 510 Trent engine deliveries. Average original equipment unit losses for its large engines fell by 14%, from £1.4 million to £1.2 million, last year ...
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NewsFinnair seeks savings as it rapidly rethinks coronavirus impact
Finnair is taking a more pessimistic view of the potential impact from the coronavirus outbreak, expecting it to result in significantly lower operating profits for the first half. It is looking to trim costs by €40-50 million ($44-55 million) to cope with the threat to its revenue streams, and is ...
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NewsRolls-Royce provisions for loss-making Trent 1000 TEN contracts
Rolls-Royce is taking a £459 million ($591 million) charge provision to recognise that some future Trent 1000 TEN contracts will become loss-making as a result of margins being affected by the blade issues affecting the engine. The engine manufacturer says the situation affects a “small number” of contracts, the result ...
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NewsSAS flags engine concerns as it looks to pick new regional fleet type
SAS is concerned about the powerplant reliability issues as it prepares to select an aircraft type on which to base a future regional operation. The Scandinavian carrier has indicated that the Airbus A220 and Embraer E2 family are the candidates under consideration. But both are powered by versions of the ...
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NewsProposed US legislation aims to restore faith in aircraft certification
US senators have introduced a bill to Congress intended to reinforce safety and oversight, particularly with regards to certification, in the aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max grounding crisis. The proposed legislation, titled the Restoring Aviation Accountability act, has been submitted by Democratic senators Richard Blumenthal, Tom Udall and Edward ...
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NewsCFM to build 10 737 Max engines weekly for 2020
CFM International is expecting to produce an average of 10 Leap-1B engines – the powerplant for the Boeing 737 Max – per week over the course of 2020, out of a total annual Leap production of 1,400. The forecast has been disclosed by CFM partner Safran in its full-year financial ...
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NewsIran ATR followed wrong approach after Tabriz runway switch
Iranian investigators believe failure to switch an Iran Air ATR 72-600’s avionics to follow a new approach resulted in the aircraft’s landing on the wrong runway following a service to Tabriz. The aircraft, arriving from Baku as IR779 on 10 February, had been conducting an approach with clearance for runway ...
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NewsGovernment sets aside $1bn to cover SAA guaranteed debt
South Africa’s government has set aside R16.4 billion ($1.1 billion) over the medium term for South African Airways to repay guaranteed debt and to cover debt-service costs. The national treasury has disclosed the figure in its newly-released 2020 budget review. It states that the government also anticipates that additional funding ...
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NewsSAS edges towards regional fleet renewal with Danish crew deal
Scandinavia’s SAS has outlined the preconditions for placing an order to renew the mid-sized fleet of single-aisle jets serving its regional network. It says that some 20% of its network uses Airbus A319s and Boeing 737-700s and that using aircraft of the appropriate size is important for both financial and ...
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NewsFailed bearing suspected after A319 wheel loss
Canadian investigators have observed an apparent failed outer bearing on the main landing-gear assembly of the Air Canada Airbus A319 which lost a wheel before arrival at Toronto. Transportation Safety Board of Canada says images of the aircraft, which arrived from New York LaGuardia on 18 February, indicate that the ...
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NewsTerrain-mapping An-140 to commence test flights
Test flights are set to commence with an Antonov An-140 turboprop modified to carry out aerial terrain mapping by Russia’s Myasishchev experimental facility. The twin-engined aircraft has been adapted with specialised equipment for cartographic work, says United Aircraft. It states that the An-140 is to undergo a “comprehensive” series of ...
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NewsMentoring for captains among FAA revisions to reduce poor airmanship
US regulators have adopted new measures intended to improve pilot skills by providing leadership and mentoring training for captains, as well as opportunities for new-hire pilots to observe flight operations before becoming a crew member. The US FAA says the intention of the change, which also includes curriculum revision, is ...
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NewsColourised images mark centenary of world’s first control tower
Colourised images of the world’s first air traffic control tower have been released by UK air navigation service NATS to mark the centenary of the tower’s commissioning at London’s former Croydon airport. Croydon was the UK capital’s primary airport at the time of the air ministry’s commissioning for the ‘aerodrome ...
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NewsA321 converted freighter secures EASA certification
European authorities have certified the Airbus A321 passenger-to-freighter conversion undertaken by the airframer’s EFW joint venture with ST Engineering. Approval of the supplementary type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency follows the maiden flight of the initial converted aircraft on 22 January. The aircraft is set to be ...
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NewsCAA calibration jet entered rapid descent before terrain collision
South African investigators have disclosed that a Cessna Citation II calibration aircraft suddenly entered a steep descent and excessive right bank before colliding with high terrain about 10min after departing George airport. None of the three occupants survived after the jet, operated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority, crashed ...
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NewsAlitalia unions informed of proposals to trim routes and fleet
Alitalia’s new commissioner has detailed proposals for trimming part of the Italian carrier’s operations, during meetings with key unions. Commissioner Giuseppe Leogrande took over as a single commissioner for the carrier, which remains in extraordinary administration, after plans fell through for a consortium of investors to take over the airline. ...
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NewsTarom cleared to take 'stringently-monitored' rescue loan
Rescue aid for Romanian flag-carrier Tarom, amounting to nearly €37 million, has been cleared by European Commission regulators. The Romanian government had previously indicated that it was aiming to support the ailing operator with a funding package, and notified regulators earlier this month. Tarom faces an “acute liquidity shortage” arising ...
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NewsMajor European airline stocks drop on coronavirus concerns
Share prices in the three main European alliance carriers have fallen sharply in early trading, apparently in response to increasing concerns over the international spread of the coronavirus. While major European stock indices – including those in Germany, France, the Benelux states and the UK – slipped by around 3-4% ...
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NewsMoldovan start-up HiSky led by former chief of flag-carrier
Former Air Moldova chief Iulian Scorpan is heading up a private start-up budget carrier, branded HiSky, for the Central European republic. While all Moldovan carriers, with the exception of Air Moldova, FlyOne and Aerotranscargo, are blacklisted, the start-up will be formed through a partnership with a Romanian operating carrier, Cobrex ...