Category: Top Stories

389 Boeing 737 MAX jets affected worldwide after FAA issues inspection mandate

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a directive for Boeing whereby 737 MAX operators must conduct additional inspections of the jet’s automated flight control system. The directive has ensured that instructions released by Boeing in December, which meant planes with more than 6,000 hours of flight time should undergo specific electronic checks, will now become mandatory instructions. Boeing confirmed that it “fully supports the FAA mandate “requiring functional checks at certain intervals to the digital flight control system, stabilizer trim, and the primary and secondary aisle stand stabilizer.”” The three repetitive inspections will be carried out during existing Read more

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Lufthansa’s new leisure airline Eurowings Discover takes off in July

Eurowings Discover will make its inaugural flight on July 24 ©Lufthansa

In time for the current steep rise in demand for holiday bookings, the Lufthansa Group’s new leisure airline is ready for take-off. With the issuance of its operating license and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the German Federal Aviation Authority, the young start-up airline Eurowings Discover has successfully completed the final stage on its way to independent flight operations. The certificate was issued by the German Federal Aviation Authority on June 16. Eurowings Discover is the first airline in Germany to receive an unlimited permit under a new aviation law requirement known as partial CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization). The Read more

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Five-year truce reached over Boeing-Airbus aid dispute

A five year truce has been negotiated between the U.S and EU concerning the 17-year spat over aircraft subsidies provided to Boeing and Airbus that were seen as unfair. As a consequence, many of the Trump-era retaliatory subsidies have also been suspended. Since 2004 both planemakers have taken their case to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in which they have both argued that subsidies received by either company resulted in unfair competition against the other. In March this year a four-month suspension of tit-for-tat tariffs by both sides were suspended, which included those placed on EU cheese and wine, and Read more

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GE Aviation and Safran launch advanced technology demonstration program for sustainable engines

John Slattery (l), President and CEO of GE Aviation and Olivier Andriès (r), CEO of Safran at the contract signing ©CFM

GE Aviation and Safran have launched a bold technology development program targeting more than 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to today’s engines. The CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program will demonstrate and mature a range of new, disruptive technologies for future engines that could enter service by the mid-2030s. The companies also signed an agreement extending the CFM International 50/50 partnership to the year 2050, declaring their intent to lead the way for more sustainable aviation in line with the industry’s commitment to halve CO2 emissions by 2050. Technologies matured as part of the RISE Read more

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Archer unveils two-seater prototype eVTOL as forerunner to five-seat urban taxi

The two-seater prototype eVTOL uban taxi "Maker" ©Archer

Santa Clara-based aviation startup Archer Aviation (Archer) unveiled its new two-seat electric vertical and take-off (eVTOL) urban taxi in Los Angles on June 10. Given the name ‘Maker’, the aircraft is a prototype of a four-passenger (five-seater) eVTOL aircraft it anticipates launching in 2024. Maker has a top speed of 150mph, has a range of 60 miles, weighs 3,324lbs and has 12 rotors –  six to the front and six to the rear of its 40-foot wings. Maker is a “full-scale, two-passenger demonstrator aircraft,” said Adam Goldstein, one of Archer’s co-founders. “Its purpose is to serve as a certification test Read more

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S7 Technics’ new Russian MRO facility for Honeywell auxiliary power units now 85% complete

©S7 Technics

Russia’s S7 Technics, a leading MRO provider in both Russia and CIS has confirmed that its first Russia-based MRO facility for the repair of Honeywell auxiliary power units (APUs) has reached 85% completion, with the opening of the facility due in the fourth quarter of the year. The facility will be based at Sheremetyevo International Airport, the busiest of four major airports which serves the Russian capital, Moscow. S7 Technics has already been appointed a Honeywell partner for the authorized services of APUs for the 131-9A/B and RE-220 types, which are installed on the world’s most popular aircraft – the Read more

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Ryanair wins case against Condor as EU court rules against state aid for German airline

Condor ©AirTeamImages

Having challenged financial aid provided to KLM and TAP, Ryanair has successfully challenged the EU’s approval of a €550 million state loan package for struggling German vacation carrier Condor. However, while the top European court’s ruling has annulled the EU’s approval of the loan, it has also suspended the application of the ruling in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Luxembourg-based General Court’s decision was similar to rulings last month in which it annulled EU approval of €3.4 billion in state aid for the Netherlands’ KLM and a potential total of €1.2 billion for Portugal’s TAP. The Court has requested Read more

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Southwest orders 34 more 737 Max 7s in preparation for boost in travel demand

Southwest Airlines' Boeing 737-700s will be replaced by the new 737 MAX 7 aircraft ©AirTeamImages

Southwest Airlines (Southwest) has confirmed it has ordered a further 34 Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft with delivery scheduled for 2022. Including those already on order, this takes Southwest’s anticipated deliveries of the MAX 7 in 2022 to 234 aircraft. Like many major airlines, Southwest sees the mass COVID-19 vaccination program and the easing of travel restrictions as sound reason to be optimistic with regard to increased travel demand after suffering heavy losses in 2020. On Tuesday, the American carrier altered its second-quarter average cash burn forecast to between US$1 million and US$2 million per day, as opposed to between Read more

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KKR acquires Atlantic Aviation for US$4.475 billion

Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (MIC) and KKR, a global investment firm, have signed a definitive agreement for MIC to sell its Atlantic Aviation business to KKR for US$4.475 billion in cash, assumed debt and reorganization obligations. Atlantic Aviation operates one of the largest networks of fixed-base operations (FBOs) in the U.S. providing a full suite of critical services to the private aviation sector. The purchase price implies a multiple of Atlantic Aviation’s 2019 Earnings Before Interest Taxes and Depreciation (EBITDA) of 16.2 times. MIC expects to receive US$3.525 billion at closing following the reorganization of MIC into a limited liability company, Read more

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Ryanair objects to state funding of ‘new Alitalia’

Alitalia ©AirTeamImages

Low-cost Irish airline Ryanair is to appeal the injection of state funds into new Italian carrier currently referred to as ‘newco’ but which will be named Italia Trasporto Aero (ITA). The objection is being made on the grounds that, to all intents and purposes, the new carrier is simply a rebranding of the now defunct flag-carrying airline Alitalia. ITA will be a state-owned airline and will be taking over all the assets of Alitalia, while also injecting €3 billion (US$3.65 billion) in capital. “As soon as this money will be injected in the newco we will take the (due) steps,” Read more

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