AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency
101,497 news found
Science and technologySendai Airport closed: powerful quake in Japan
Tokyo, Japan - Flights from Tokyo airports were suspended
A powerful earthquake affected the north-Eastern regions of Japan this morning: at least 59 people emerged injured during the 7.2-magnitude quake. The most affected city was Sendai where the authorities... more
Civil aviationIndia: a new ruling against air hijackings
Nuova Dheli, India - Shooting down becomes quite likely to occur in case of an attempt risk
India would be about to enforce a new ruling on security, scheduling the shooting down of any civil airplane which can turn into a threat following a possible hijacking by terrorists. The new Act should... more
AccidentsATR-72 Tuninter's accident (2): carrier ready to ensure compensations for the victims
Palermo, Italy - Some EUR 20,000 each have been suggested for the deceased persons
Search for the remaining sections of the ATR-72 belonging to Tunisian carrier Tuninter and lost in the Sicily’s waters go on. Two naval units are been deployed for sounding operations trying to analyse t... more
Latest newsAerial Common Sensor: ERJ-145's requirements prove insufficient
Washington, USA - Installation of all the systems requested by US Army on board such a platform would appear impossible
All the systems needed by US Army aboard the ERJ-145 cannot be installed. This is te conclusion of a committee expected to analyse the requirements of the proposal based on the Embraer’s aircraft for t... more
HelicoptersHeliflite sold another A-119 Koala to Heli Air Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia - It is expected to be deployed for fire fighting missions
Heliflite Pty Ltd, AgustaWestland’s authorized distributor for Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea, has announced the selling of a second Agusta A-119 Koala to Heli Air Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s lea... more
AccidentsCypriot plane accident (3): the B-737 had decompression problems back
Athens, Greece - A woman would have attempted to take command of the aircraft
Low-cost carrier Helios Airways, which decided to ground all planes after the disaster, has confirmed that the Boeing 737-300 fallen last Sunday North to Athens, had already experienced cabin’s decompression p... more
AccidentsColombian plane went down in Venezuela (3): rescuers reached the area of the crash
Caracas, Venezuela - There were 8 crew members on board
The flight HK-4374X operated by Colombian carrier West Caribean Airways was bound for Fort de France Le Lamentin Airport, but pilot intended to divert to Caracas after signalling problems with engines.... more
HelicoptersTurkey: the NHI-Sikorsky challenge for the new military multirole helicopter
Ankara, Turkey - Competitors for the tender will have to show a single solution for both the armed forces and firefighting activities
While Waiting for the delivery of the offers about the new combat helicopter (to be purchased with 50 airframes) to Turkish Ministry of Defence by several makers in this sector by half September, Turkish... more
IndustryEADS Irkut Seaplane SAS: a joint-venture to promote the Be-200
Moscow, Russia - Meanwhile, the European aerospace holding acquired a 10% stake in the Russian firm
EADS acquired a 10% stake in te Russian Irkut aerospace group. In this manner the European holding reinforced its presence in the related Russian sector and encourages the growth of cooperation in major... more
AccidentsColombian plane went down in Venezuela (2): an engine failure was reported to control tower
Caracas, Venezuela - Pilot asked for guidelines for landing on the Maracaibo Airport
Military helicopters overflying the accident’s site have found no survivor to date. Meanwhile Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Jesse Chacon, said the MD-80 for the West Caribean Airways took off from Tac... more
MiscellaneousGaza: struggles between Israeli law enforcement units and settlers
Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Helicopters deployed to carry policemen and Israeli Army's soldiers to the area
The leaving of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip appears a hard one, as thought by Tel Aviv’s authorities and analysts all over the world. Struggles between the 10,000 Israeli law enforcement officers a... more
AccidentsColombian plane went down in Venezuela
Caracas, Venezuela - More than 150 people were travelling on board
An airplane MD-80 of West Caribian carrier left from Panama and bound for Martinica, has crashed in Western Venezuela near the Colombian border: there were 152 persons aboard and it fears no passenger... more
MiscellaneousIranian nuclear programme: the USA do not exclude the hypothesis of an armed attack
Teheran, Iran - Only as an extreme solution, but Iranian Government reacted stating that the country is able to defend itself
United States’ President George W. Bush seized recently a chance to comment on the Iran’s decision of resuming the uranium enrichment activities within the national nuclear programme and following the... more
AccidentsISAF helicopter crashed in Afghanistan: 17 Spanish soldiers have been killed
Kabul, Afghanistan - They belonged to the NATO peacekeeping forces
A helicopter for the NATO International Security Assistance Force crashed in Afghanistan today killing 17 Spanish troops. Rescuers would have already reached the site of the accident near the Herat’s b... more
Latest newsLockheed Martin awarded with a more than USD 5m contract
Washington, USA - For te provision of structural sections related to the HC-130P/N aircraft
Lockheed Martin Corp., Marietta, Ga., is being awarded a USD 5,171,913 firm fixed price contract to procure 22 square window paratroop doors and negator spring installation kits in support of the HC-130P/N... more
HelicoptersSikorsky awarded with an almost USD 9m contract
Washington, USA - Overhaul of two Egyptian UH-60s
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., was awarded on Aug. 10, 2005, an USD 8,743,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Overhaul and Refurbishment of two Egyptian Air Force UH-60L VIP Aircraft. Work will... more
HelicoptersPurdy awarded with a more than USD 17m contract
Washington, USA - For the provision of spare parts devoted to Apache helicopters
The Purdy Corp.*, Manchester, Conn., was awarded on Aug. 11, 2005, a delivery order amount of USD 9,682,400 as part of a $17,117,776 firm-fixed-price contract for Spare Parts for the Apache Helicopter.... more
AerospaceRaytheon awarded with an over USD 15m contract
Washington, USA - For distributing video, imagery, and other large data files on satellite devices
Raytheon Systems Co., Reston, Va., is being awarded a $5,140,228 cost-plus award-fee contract modification for the Global Broadcast Service (GBS) program, DoD’s satellite-based system for distributing v... more
Latest newsITT awarded with an over USD 6m contract
Washington, USA - For the electronic countermeasures ALQ-211 (V) of the F-16
ITT Avionics, Clifton, N.J., is being awarded a USD 6,412,222 firm fixed price, time and materials contract modification. This requirement is for the Foreign Military Sale of ALQ-211 (V)4 Advanced Integrated... more
AerospaceLockheed Martin awarded with a more than USD 48m contract
Washington, USA - For SBIRS Geosynchronous Elliptical Orbit Satellites
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a USD 48,583,774 cost-plus award-fee contract modification to provide extended engineering and technical support to conduct planning and... more
AccidentsCypriot plane accident (2): signs of "Solid freeze" found on the victims' bodies
Athens, Greece - The most serious air accident in the history of Greek civil aviation
The pilot would have informed the control tower that the plane was suffering for air conditioning problems before communication was lost. Alarm started at 10:35 local time after the Cypriot aircraft entered... more
AccidentsATR-72 Tuninter accident: Bari-Djerba flights started again by Tunisair
Rome, Italy - Italian Air Force to begin analyses on fuel and filters of the fallen aircraft tomorrow
Italian Air Force will begin the analysis of fuel and filters of the ATR-72 Tuninter at Pratica di Mare Base (Rome) tomorrow and at least some days will be necessary before knowing results. In the meantime,... more
AirlinesAlitalia: a deal with SEA on handling services
Rome, Italy - In the meantime, SULT is ready to set procedures for the transport sector strike called on August 30 and 31
Alitalia and Milan airports operator SEA signed an agreement which should ensure handling services worth about EUR 100m per year. FIT-CISL trade union immediately commented in Lombardia region that is... more
AccidentsCypriot plane accident: no survivor
Athens, Greece - A depressurization problem caused the tragedy
A Boeing 737-300 belonging to the Cypriot carrier Helios crashed into a mountainous area North of Athens last Sunday maybe suffering for problems with cabin’s air supply. Plane took off from Larnaca (... more
AirlinesAlitalia (2): Avia union's flight assistants going on strike on September 6
Rome, Italy - Avoiding to protest during the trade unions demonstration truce period whose deadline is scheduled on September 5
Avia, another trade union not allowed by Alitalia following its unwillingness in signing the implementation agreement related to flight assistants’ contract, decided to call on strike against the Italian n... more
AirlinesThai Airways: crisis delayed the delivery of new airplanes
Bangkok, Thailandia - The delicate situation would depend on the rising fuel cost and the economic effects of tsunami occurred last December
The rising aviation fuel cost and the economic effects of the seaquake occurred in Asia on last December 26, 2004 contributed to the worsening of the financial condition of Thai airline Thai Airways, to... more
PeopleDassault aims to achieve a 50% stake in the Chinese business jet market segment
Paris, France - The French company thinks that such a sector is strongly rising and can be encouraged by a proper ruling
Dassault Aviation believes in the great potentialities of the Chinese market concerning the business jet segment and is trying to promote its own products in this class (the Falcon 50, 900 and 2000). The... more
AirlinesPassengers get fatter, FAA thinks about new weight limits on board
Washington, USA – Meanwhile, some of the main US carriers increased the fuel surcharge on the ticket price
United, Delta and Continental intend to increase the fuel surcharge on the ticket price for all the domestic routes. The rising oil cost is going on affecting the main American carriers which must face... more
DefenseRussia: military exercises to fight against terrorism
Moscow, Russia - Joint operations with Tajikistan and India in August and October
Russia thinks that joint military exercises with other countries are a major mean to train its military personnel to face the terroristic threat re-deploying all (or almost all) the available weapon system... more
AccidentsHelicopter fell headlong in the sea in Estonia: recovery of passengers' bodies started
Tallinn, Estonia - The attempt hypothesis has been excluded, there are doubts on weather condition while the idea of a technical failure is getting more support
Recovery operations for the bodies of the persons who were on board the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter fallen headlong in the Baltic Sea on last August 10 go on (see for details AVIONEWS). All the 14 subjects... more
Science and technologyOperation "Secure Summer" at Fiumicino
Fiumicino, Italy - An increase of law enforcement units' activities against drug traffic, theft, false documents ownership and support to illegal immigration
Operation "Secure Summer": that is how the increase of security and checks measures at the "Leonardo da Vinci" Rome-Fiumicino Airport has been named, as a consequence most of all of the recent dramatic... more
MiscellaneousFiumicino: airplanes full of Pope-boys bound for Cologne
Fiumicino, Italy - On the occasion of the XX World Youth Day Edition
There is a number of young persons leaving in these days bound for Cologne, as the site where is going to occur the XX World Youth Day Edition. Several various class flights have been set at "Leonardo... more
Civil defenseThe X-45A completed its test cycle
Washington, USA – Great satisfaction also after the last trial concerning a SEAD coordinated mission by employing two UCAVs
The Boeing X-45A remote-controlled combat stealth aircraft accomplished recently its test cycle started in 2003. After about 60 missions, the UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) showed it is a reliable... more
Civil aviationIran: "IAEA's Resolution proves unacceptable and politically biased"
Teheran, Iran - The firm Iranian Islamic Republic's reaction after the International Atomic Energy Agency's request to stop the nuclear programme again
Iranian Islamic Republic firmly reacted against the Resolution voted by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the Teheran’s nuclear programme (see for details AVIONEWS). Iranian Minister of Foreign A... more
Civil aviationRoad tankers against fuel stations: the USA fear about a new September 11
Washington, USA – This hypothesis would have been described by the American intelligence services and considered as plausible by US Administration
Road tankers to be used as bombs to make fuel stations explode in the major US cities: this would be the horrific scenario described by the US law enforcement and national security units which would appear... more
AirlinesHeathrow: British Airways' planes grounded "with an empty belly"
London, UK - All flights from and to the capital's airport have been cancelled till this evening due to a sudden strike by personnel in sympathy with workers fired by Gate Gourmet catering firm
All the British Airways’ airplanes are stopped on the ground till this evening at London-Heathrow International Airport. The reason must be put down to a sudden strike by a large part of the carrier’s per... more
IndustryPegasus Aviation Finance Company orders Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s
Seattle, Usa - The deliveries will start next year
The Boeing Company and Pegasus Aviation Finance Company yesterday announced that the leasing company has ordered six Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 jetliners – the first direct purchase from Boeing by S... more
Civil aviationUSA: man arrested for trying to get on board a plane carrying explosive material
Washington, USA – No apparent relation with terrorism would have been found but meanwhile worry for the quality of checks grows most of all in the cargo sector
A young 24 years old man was arrested in the United States yesterday while trying to get on board a plane bound from Oklahoma City for Philadelphia. Security services’ devices would have detected the p... more
AerospaceAriane 5 put the biggest worldwide tele-communications satellite into orbit
Kourou, French Guiana - The Thaicom 4 is added to a three Thai-managed satellites network
The fourth Thai Thaicom Ipstar satellite, devoted to tele-communications, was put into geostationary orbit yesterday. It deals with the biggest and heaviest satellite even produced in this class and the... more
AccidentsATR-72 Tuninter accident (2): worry in Europe due to problems related to on board communication
Rome, Italy - No flight assistant would have been able to speak Italian to warn passengers about the danger, so showing again in the worst manner an issue on which AVIONEWS had already focused in the past
Italian Vice-Minister of Infrastructures and Transport, Mario Tassone, commented recently on the accident which affected an ATR-72 of Tuninter, focusing also on the two emergency landings at Linate and... more
HelicoptersAustralian Tigers to be combat ready by 2009
Canberra, Australia - There are 22 combat helicopters ordered and 18 of them will be manufactured in the Australian territory
Australian Army will have some 22 Eurocopter Tiger combat helicopters available by 2009. Four vehicles of this type have been already manufactured in the French territory but the remaining ones will be... more
IndustryBoeing confirmed Jet Airways' order for B-737
Seattle, Usa - The carrier announced its intention to order the aircraft at the Paris Air Show in June
The Boeing Company yesterday confirmed the completion of an order agreement with India-based Jet Airways for 10 Next-Generation 737-800s. Jet Airways announced its intention to order the aircraft, valued... more
Press release"Telefono Blu": carriers' black list published on website
Rome, Italy - Also after recent events
"’Telefono Blu’ (Italian Association for the tourists’ tutelage) will publish on the website (www.telefonoblu.it), also after recent events, the ’Black list’ of carriers, indicated by FAA in USA which... more
AirlinesAlitalia: SULT union announced 192 h strikes
Rome, Italy - The carrier considered the 48 h stop late in August as illegal while Italian Government aims to encourage the resume of talks between the sides
SULT union threatened a total number of some 192 h strikes to face the attitude expressed by Alitalia against it. Only the 48 h stopping on August 30 and 31 have been confirmed so far by the flight assistants... more
AccidentsATR-72 Tuninter accident: "dirt" fuel hypothesis proves less and less probable
Palermo, Italy - In the meantime, second pilot reminded that no mistake was performed aboard in managing the emergency
According to the first analyses related to the fuel aboard the ATR-72 Tuninter, it would seem that its quality was a good one. Nevertheless, Palermo’s Attorney reminded that it is still soon to be sure o... more
Civil aviationFAA (Correction) AD on Rolls-Royce Corporation models 250-C28, -C28B, and -C28C turboshaft engines
Washington, Usa - To prevent loss of power and uncommanded engine shutdown due to failure of third-stage turbine blades and shrouds
Airworthiness Directive Federal Register Information [Federal Register: August 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 154)] [Page 46754] Header Information DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal... more
Civil aviationFAA (Revision) AD on Boeing model 757-200, 757-200CB, and 757-200PF series airplanes equipped with Rolls Royce model RB211 engines
Washington, Usa - To detect and correct migration of shims at the joint of the mid-bulkhead and the upper link fittings and cracking of the mid-bulkhead, which could result in cracking of the strut and consequent loss of the strut and engine
Airworthiness Directive Federal Register Information [Federal Register: August 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 154)] [Page 46747-46752] Header Information DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal... more
Civil aviationFAA AD on Robinson Helicopter Company model R-22 series helicopters
Washington, Usa - To prevent separation of a door window or door assembly from the helicopter, which could damage the tail rotor during flight and result in loss of control of the helicopter
Airworthiness Directive Federal Register Information [Federal Register: August 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 154)] [Page 46743-46747] Header Information DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal... more
Civil aviationFAA AD on Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG model BR700-715A1-30, BR700-715B1-30, and BR700-715C1-30 turbofan engines
Washington, Usa - To prevent inadvertent dual-engine in-flight shutdown
Airworthiness Directive Federal Register Information [Federal Register: August 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 154)] [Page 46752-46753] Header Information DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal... more
Press releaseEnac about the checks system on foreign carriers and on publishing of the airlines' list with Icao reliefs
Rome, Italy - The Italian Civil Aviation Authority has already convoked a meeting for next August 23
"ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) remembers that the request to adopt similar positions has been presented by General Director last October 2004 in community ambit, regarding the news about the... more