Category: Top Stories

China’s first narrow-body jet, the C919, obtains domestic certification in muted ceremony

The C919 aircraft has obtained CAAC type certification ©COMAC

China’s first home-produced narrow-body jet, the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) C919, has obtained domestic type certification in what is seen as a major steppingstone on the plane’s journey to challenge both Airbus and Boeing narrow-body jets. The ceremony was held last Thursday in Beijing based on photographs issued of the event that were labelled “C919 aircraft type certificate issuance ceremony” in Chinese. However, according to Reuters News Agency, when contacted, COMAC refused to comment on the day’s event. The launch customer for the C919 is China Eastern Airlines though it is unlikely to enter into service until Read more

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Singapore’s SATS to become No #1 global air cargo handler with purchase of Worldwide Flight Services

©Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) to be acquired by SATS

Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) has announced it has agreed to purchase Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) for US$ 1.14 billion in cash from an affiliate of U.S. private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. SATS will raise US$797 million in equity to fund the purchase and the deal will transform SATS into the largest global air cargo handler with a current market value of US$3 billion. Its principal shareholder is Tamask Holdings, as Singapore state investor, which has provided an irrevocable undertaking to vote in favour of the transaction. The two combined entities will create a company with the immediate capability Read more

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Embraer’s Eve and BLADE India announce partnership for Indian UAM ecosystem development

Rendering of BLADE eVTOL vehicle ©Embraer

FlyBlade India (BLADE India) is a joint venture involving Hunch Ventures, a privately held New Delhi investment firm and BLADE India, an offshoot of Blade, the technology-powered urban air mobility (UAM) platform while Eve is an accelerated start-up for the UAM ecosystem backed by Brazilian planemaker Embraer. The two have announced a joint venture whereby BLADE India has agreed to purchase 200 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles from Eve, together with service and support, and Eve’s Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) software solution. Initially, companies plan to collaborate on a three-month pilot project connecting passengers using helicopters. As Read more

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IATA teams up with Etihad to trial air cargo CO2 emissions calculator

©AirTeamImages

As a follow on to its introduction of the CO2 emissions calculator for passenger flights, IATA CO2 Connect the International Air Traffic Association (IATA) has teamed up with Etihad Airways (Etihad) to run trials on a similar concept for air cargo flights. As a means to report on progress in sustainability throughout the entire value chain, the likes of shippers, forwarders, investors, regulators and consumers are requesting reliable and trustworthy data calculations. The results of this trial involving cargo flights will provide a proof of concept for the cargo element of IATA CO2 Connect. Through using airline-specific date, IATA CO2 Read more

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easyJet adopts DPO and CDA technology to immediately reduce CO2 emissions

©easyJet

As art of its bid to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, European low-cost carrier easyJet has invested heavily in the retrofitting of Airbus’ fuel saving Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) function and also its Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) for compatible aircraft. The immediate effect will be a 1% fuel saving once the fleet-wide retrofit has been completed by this time next year. The outcome will also mean that easyJet will have the world’s largest fleet of DPO- and CDA-enabled aircraft, which should provide a CO2 reduction in the region of 88,600 metric tonnes. Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) is a fuel Read more

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Boeing and Muilenburg agree to pay Securities Commission US$200 million over misleading 737 MAX statements

©Boeing 737 MAX

American planemaker Boeing Co. together with its former CEO Denis Muilenburg have agreed to pay the American Securities and Exchange Commission (SEV) a fine of US$200 million for having misled the public over the two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX jet. The SEC has alleged that both Boeing and Muilenburg knew that there was a problem with the flight control system after the first crash involving a Lion Air jet which resulted in the death of 189 passengers and crew, and that it represented an ongoing concern. Despite this, they made it clear that as far as they were Read more

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De Havilland Canada to build new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Calgary, Alberta

©De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft

With its current manufacturing facilities located in the Downsview area of Toronto, De Havilland Canada has announced its intention to create a brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located approximately 30 minutes to the east of Calgary in Wheatland County. The new facility will be named De Havilland Field and will comprise a new, state-of-the-art aircraft assembly facility, runway, parts manufacturing and distribution centres and maintenance repair and overhaul centre. Additionally, there is educational space planned for training the workforce of the future, as well as general office buildings and a De Havilland Canada aircraft museum. The new facility is intended to Read more

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Airbus still confident of 75 narrow-body jet output per month by 2025 despite current supply chain problems

©Airbus

While maintaining its proposed output target of 75 narrow-body jets per month by 2025, European planemaker Airbus has been forced to accept current supply chain issues and has lowered the pressure on suppliers to commit to meeting Airbus’ proposed target. Currently many suppliers have openly confirmed that parts’ shortages would remain “largely through the end of 2023”, according to a recently published Jefferies poll. Prior to 2025 Airbus is looking to ramp up production numbers to 65 units a month in 2023 for narrow-body jets, though the time period to reach this target has been postponed until early 2024. While Read more

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Airbus and Ecocopter to strengthen UAM presence in Latin America

CityAirbus NextGen ©Airbus Helicopters

Airbus has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ecocopter to expand urban air mobility (UAM) services in a number of Latin American countries with the intent to create a fully functioning UAM ecosystem in the region. Initially the partnership will involve the exploration and definition of launch scenarios for air mobility operations, predominantly in Peru, Ecuador and Chile. This will include joint activities to develop UAM operations over the continent, as well as ways to target first-use cases, pilot cities and regions. Ecocopter has been connected to Airbus many years and currently operates a fleet Read more

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Dominican Republic launches Caribbean’s first ultra-low-cost carrier

New low-cost carrier Arajet takes off ©AirTeamImages

Newly launched Arajet is the Dominican Republic and Caribbean’s first ultra-low-cost airline and is based in the capital, Santo Domingo, on the south-western side of the island. The flag-carrying airline will serve 22 destinations in 12 countries over the upcoming months, expanding its operations later this month with the addition of routes to Saint Maarten in the Caribbean, Lima in Peru, Mexico City, Monterrey and Cancun in Mexico and Guatemala City in Guatemala. In October, Arajet will add Curaçao, San José in Costa Rica, Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador, Medellín and Bogotá in Colombia as well as destinations in North Read more

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