SIA PUSHES BACK EIGHT A380 DELIVERIES
Singapore Airlines has delayed deliveries of eight Airbus A380s. The deferrals affect the airline's twelfth through to nineteenth aircraft, which will arrive between six months and 12 months later. The twelfth aircraft will be delivered in October 2010 rather than April 2010, while the nineteenth will arrive a year later than planned, in January 2012.
WIZZ AIR LOOKS TO TAKE UP SKYEUROPE SLACK
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air aims to capitalise on rival SkyEurope Airlines' collapse by stationing a third aircraft at Prague. Prague had been one of the main bases for SkyEurope, which folded on 1 September. Wizz Air established itself in the Prague market early in 2009 and has already laid out plans to base two Airbus A320s at the Czech capital.
BOEING RESEARCHES DANISH MOVE
Boeing, in partnership with the UK University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and several leading Danish organisations, are to examine whether to develop a branch of AMRC in the Scandinavian country. Boeing says that the project would help create a Danish centre of excellence in key growth industries such as energy and aerospace.
FAA TO BOOST NEW YORK FLIGHT CORRIDOR SAFETY
A US Federal Aviation Administration task force set up to craft safer procedures to separate pleasure fliers and sightseeing operators over the Hudson river in New York City has delivered recommendations including modifications to airspace and procedures to better ensure positive separation between aircraft as well as new mandatory training programmes for pilots, air traffic controllers and sightseeing operators. The move follows the August midair collision of a Piper and a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter over the river.
DECEMBER LIMIT FOR SOUTHWEST PARTS CHANGE
Southwest Airlines has until 24 December to replace unapproved parts on 50 Boeing 737s. It is required to inspect those aircraft every seven days until the replacements are completed. The issue surfaced on 21 August and affects parts associated with hinge fittings for the exhaust gate assembly. Replacing the parts requires removing the flap from the wing.
GARUDA ALLEGED TO FIX AIR CARGO PRICES
Australia's competition watchdog is taking Garuda Indonesia to court for alleged price fixing on air cargo, making the Indonesian national carrier the 10th airline to face legal action. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says Garuda "entered into arrangements or understandings with other international air cargo carriers" between 2001 and 2006 to fix the price of a fuel surcharge and a security surcharge.
ABRUPT END TO INDIAN LUNAR MISSION
India's lunar orbital mission has been terminated after the Indian Space Research Organisation lost contact with its Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. The cause of the loss, which comes just after the spacecraft made a joint survey of the Moon's north pole with a NASA orbiter, has not been determined, but ISRO says high levels of radiation had contributed to failure of power supply units feeding two on-board computers designed to control telemetry data.
Source: Flight International
