All articles by Greg Waldron – Page 128
-
In depthSteady as it goes in ASEAN civil helicopter market
Viewers of the film Crazy Rich Asians may get the sense that civilian helicopter operations in Southeast Asia are simple matter of ‘get in and go’. One scene depicts a trio of three (clearly digitized) VIP helicopters fly in close formation from Singapore to a container ship sailing in the ...
-
NewsIndonesia’s Batik Air enters the A320neo club
Indonesian carrier Batik Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo, the 46th Airbus aircraft in its fleet. The aircraft is equipped with 12 business and 144 economy class seats, according to Airbus. It was handed over at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Source: Airbus The new ...
-
Airline BusinessANA, SIA look for big network effect with joint venture
The proposed joint venture between All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines could offer substantial benefits to both Star Alliance carriers. The chief executives of the two airlines, Yuji Hirako of ANA and Goh Choon Phong of SIA, announced the plan at a joint press conference at a Tokyo hotel on ...
-
NewsQantas Group inaugurates Toowoomba pilot training academy
The Qantas Group has opened its new flight training school at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, with the capacity of training 250 pilots annually. “Opening our new Pilot Academy is a historic moment for Qantas, for aviation in Australia and for the thousands of future pilots who will learn how to fly ...
-
NewsRAAF shifts F-35A training focus to Williamtown
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has shifted a substantial amount of training for the Lockheed Martin F-35A to Australia, while still retaining a training presence in the USA. The focus of RAAF F-35 training has been moved to RAAF Williamtown, where work has been undertaken to develop a full ...
-
NewsUSAF loses E-11A communications jet in Afghanistan
A Bombardier E-11A communications aircraft operated by the US Air Force has crashed in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province.
-
NewsDhaka looks to add attack helicopter capability
The Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter is in contention for a Bangladeshi requirement. “Boeing is encouraged by recent steps taken by the Bangladesh Air Force to communicate with the U.S. Government an interest in acquiring the AH-64E Apache,” says the US company. “This procurement would be a government-to-government Foreign Military ...
-
NewsFirst USN MQ-4Cs arrive in Asia-Pacific
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAS has started its first deployment, joining a US Navy (USN) squadron at Andersen AFB in Guam. A pair of MQ-4Cs reached Guam on 26 January, and will be operated as part of an early operational capability (EOC), says the USN. The EOC will inform ...
-
NewsBoeing, Embraer partnership cleared by Brasilia
Boeing and Embraer have secured approval of their planned partnership from authorities in Brazil. The latest approval for the pair’s two proposed joint ventures comes from Brazil’s Council for Economic Defense (CADE). It follows clearance from jurisdictions such as the USA, China, Japan, South Africa, Montenegro, Colombia, and Kenya. Only ...
-
AnalysisUS DoD sees signs of progress with Afghan air force
A US government report has highlighted improvements in the Afghan air force (AAF), as well as areas that are still proving challenging.
-
Airline BusinessFreighter conversions fall away sharply in 2019
Freighter conversions fell 33% in 2018, with declines in the widebody, narrowbody, and regional aircraft freighter segments. Cirium fleets data shows that 2019 saw 74 commercial aircraft converted to freighters, down from 110 in 2018. Source: Cirium fleets data Freighter conversions by year Widebody conversions halved ...
-
NewsC-130 tanker crashes during Australian firefighting mission
A Lockheed Martin EC-130Q firefighting aircraft has crashed in the Australian state of New South Wales while combating forest fires, killing three crew members. The commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Shane Fitzsimmons, has confirmed the crash. The accident occurred near the Peak View area, which lies ...
-
NewsBoeing delays 777X’s first sortie owing to weather
The maiden flight of the Boeing 777X will be postponed owing to poor weather conditions around the company’s Everett, Washington production facility. “We are postponing the 777X first flight that was scheduled to take place tomorrow, Jan. 23, due to weather,” says the company. “The team is currently assessing the ...
-
Airline BusinessCoronavirus outbreak follows years of strong airline traffic growth at Wuhan airport
The Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak in China comes after years of strong traffic growth from Wuhan Tianhe International airport, which serves dozens of domestic and international destinations. Media reports about the outbreak indicate that reported cases have risen to over 440 with nine fatalities being recorded. The virus, which is in ...
-
NewsF-35 sensors help ground interceptors engage “air-breathing” targets
The Lockheed Martin F-35 has demonstrated has demonstrated a capability to downlink targeting data about multiple “air-breathing threats” to ground forces. The work took place at White Sands Missile Range in December 2019, according to Lockheed Martin. A pair of US Air Force F-35s were integrated with the US Army’s ...
-
NewsSaab commences production for T-7A Red Hawk programme
Saab has commenced assembly production for the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet trainer. The Swedish company says it is producing seven aft fuselage sections in Linköping, Sweden which will then undergo final assembly at Boeing’s factory in St. Louis, Missouri. Source: Boeing The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk ...
-
NewsNew Delhi’s Su-30MKIs get hard-hitting anti-ship capability
The Indian Air Force has added a powerful anti-shipping capability with the induction of the first Su-30MKI squadron to be equipped with the Mach 2.8 BrahMos cruise missile. To mark the addition of the capability, New Delhi has resurrected the 222 Sqn ‘Tigersharks’ squadron designation. Source: Greg Waldron ...
-
NewsATSB scrutinises Sydney missed approaches after airprox incident
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating missed approach procedures for Sydney’s runway 34R following an air proximity incident between two Qantas jets. The incident occurred at 18:31 local time on 5 August 2019 and involved a departing Airbus A330-300 (VH-EBJ) and an arriving Boeing 737-800 (VH-VZO). ...
-
NewsUS-China trade pact likely a boon for Boeing
The freshly signed US-China trade agreement could benefit Boeing and the broader US aerospace sector in the next 24 months, with Beijing committed to buying $77.7 billion worth of US manufactured goods during a two-year period. The “phase one” pact, aimed at settling two years of trade tensions between the ...
-
NewsDassault, Thales to provide France with SIGINT Falcon 8X
Paris has tapped Dassault and Thales to provide three signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft based on the Falcon 8X business jet under its ARCHANGE requirement. The project will see the Thales CUGE system installed on two aircraft initially, with a third to follow, say the two companies. Source: Dassault ...