American Airlines to retire its fleet of 26 MD-80s

McDonnell Douglas MD-80 in American Airlines livery ©AirTeamImages

As part of its strategy of having “the youngest fleet of global network carriers”, American Airlines has announced it is to retire the final 26 of its original mainline fleet of 30 MD-80 aircraft nicknamed “Mad Dog”. The final flight, Flight 80, will leave the carrier’s main base at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Texas for Chicago O’Hare International Airport on September 4, after which it will be ferried to Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico. In what American Airlines describes as a “bittersweet but well-earned retirement” the MD-80, also known as the Super 80, was the carrier’s workhorse Read more

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Serbia and Airbus Helicopters expand partnership

Delivery of the first H145M to Serbian Ministry of Defence ©Airbus Helicopters

Serbia has received its first H145M helicopter and will become a maintenance hub for SA 341 / SA 342 Gazelle helicopters. ”Both events underline the fact that Serbia and Airbus have entered into a close partnership”, as Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even pointed out at the Partner Defence Exhibition in Belgrade. The Moma Stanojlovic aeronautical plant, located near Belgrade, has been certified by Airbus Helicopters to carry out maintenance work on the Gazelle. More than 160 Gazelle SA 341 / SA 342 were produced under license by the Soko plant in Mostar from 1971 to 1991 and these helicopters are Read more

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NAC delivers one new ATR 72-600 to Air KBZ on lease

Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has delivered one new ATR 72-600, MSN 1534, to Air KBZ on lease. Under the guidance of Myanmar Investment Commission, AIR KBZ, was established in June 2010. The purpose of this establishment is to help the fellow existing airlines cater to the growing demands of air travel in Myanmar. The airline had its first commercial flight in April 2011. Currently, it operates scheduled domestic services throughout Myanmar from Yangon’s International Airport and a hub in Mandalay. In December 2016, Air KBZ began scheduling services between Yangon and Chiang Mai in neighbouring Thailand. Myanmar Airways International is Read more

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Onex receives approval from the Minister of Transport (Canada) on proposed acquisition of WestJet

©WestJet

Onex Corporation has received approval from the Minister of Transport (Canada) on the basis that the proposed acquisition of WestJet by Onex does not raise public interest issues as related to national transportation.  WestJet and Onex entered into a definitive agreement on May 12, 2019, for the proposed acquisition of WestJet by Onex under a plan of arrangement pursuant to which each outstanding share of WestJet will be exchanged for CA$31.00 in cash (the Arrangement). Receipt of the Minister of Transport’s approval is one of the conditions to closing of the Arrangement. Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO said, “We Read more

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Cebu Pacific Air adds A321s to AFI KLM E&M components contract

Seven A321ceo and 32 A321neo aircraft are being included in the component support contract signed in 2017 by Cebu Pacific Air initially covering its fleet of over 40 Airbus A320s. AFI KLM E&M is proud to support the expansion of one of the most profitable low-cost airlines on a rapidly growing market. The array of services provided under the long-term contract includes component repairs from Singapore and AFI KLM E&M’s worldwide repair network as well as access to a local spares pool. The contract extension bolsters AFI KLM E&M’s leadership position in the Asian market for component support services, embodied Read more

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Turkish Airlines to fly long-range 787-9 Dreamliner on new non-stop international routes

Turkish Airlines expands network with its first © Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Boeing has delivered the first 787-9 Dreamliner for Turkish Airlines, which plans to use the airplane’s fuel efficiency, range, reliability and size to operate new non-stop international routes such as Bali, Bogota-Panama, Washington and Atlanta. As part of the 787 Dreamliner family, the 787-9 is powered by a suite of new technologies and a revolutionary design. It can fly 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 km) in addition to carrying more cargo and allowing airlines to profitably grow routes. The airplane allows operators to achieve better fuel efficiency per seat compared to the previous airplanes in its class. Turkish Airlines’ Dreamliner has Read more

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Alcoa to divest minority interest in rolling mill to Ma’aden

Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in bauxite, alumina, and aluminum products, has amended its joint venture with the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) in which Alcoa holds a minority, 25.1%. The joint venture was created in 2009 as a fully integrated aluminum complex in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, comprised of three entities: the Ma’aden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC; the bauxite mine and alumina refinery), the Ma’aden Aluminium Company (MAC; the aluminum smelter and cast house), and the Ma’aden Rolling Company (MRC; the can and auto sheet mill). As a result of the amended joint venture agreements, signed June Read more

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Romanian carrier TAROM selects ATR 72-600 to renew regional fleet

Romanian national air carrier TAROM will introduce ATR 72-600s into its fleet ©ATR

TAROM, the Romanian national air carrier, will introduce nine new ATR 72-600 aircraft into its fleet. The ATR 72-600 will be leased from regional aircraft lessor NAC. Deliveries will commence in October 2019 through to 2020. TAROM has been very successful in its domestic market operations by using ATRs to allow it to compete with low cost carriers. This upgrade will ensure that the airline is equipped with the latest generation of turboprops burning 40% less fuel and emitting 40% less CO2 than regional jets. 

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AerSale acquires Qwest Air Parts

AerSale®, a global supplier of aircraft, engines, used serviceable material (USM), and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, acquired aircraft parts distributor Qwest Air Parts, Inc. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Qwest is a recognized leader in aircraft dismantlement and the refurbishment and resale of USM. Qwest has disassembled over 200 aircraft, offers 24/7 AOG service, and operates a teardown facility in Crestview, Florida. Gary Jones, Qwest’s founder, President and CEO, will continue to lead Qwest, which will operate as a stand-alone independent subsidiary of AerSale. The acquisition of Qwest will add scale and reach to AerSale’s already significant airframe USM Read more

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Boeing and Kitty Hawk to collaborate on urban air mobility

Cora, an air taxi designed and built by ©Kitty Hawk Corporation

Boeing and Kitty Hawk have announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on future efforts to advance safe urban air mobility. The strategic partnership will bring together the innovation of Kitty Hawk’s Cora division with Boeing’s scale and aerospace expertise.  “Working with a company like Kitty Hawk brings us closer to our goal of safely advancing the future of mobility,” said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt, an organization that is laying the foundation for a next-generation mobility ecosystem in which autonomous and piloted vehicles can safely coexist. “We have a shared vision of how people, goods Read more

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