AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency
101,314 news found
DiscussionsAircraft and airlines. SAS crisis: a brief summary
Stockholm, Sweden - The local governments and the European Commission are the focal points
November 2012 was probably the hardest month in the history of Scandinavian Airlines since when, in 1946, Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik AB, Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S and Det Norske Luftfartselskap... more
AirlinesGermanwings: three airplanes at the Hamburg airport
Milan, Italy - With 15 routes and 174 weekly flights from next March 31
The German low-cost airline, Germanwings, returns at the Hamburg airport from next March 31, 2013 with 15 routes, 174 weekly flights and three airplanes will be based at this airport. The carrier will... more
ReportDamascus-bound Egypt Air aircraft turns back by order of Egyptian authorities
Cairo, Egypt - Bombing along the Turkish border: Ankara's F-16s take off
Egyptian authorities ordered a Damascus-bound Egypt Air aircraft which departed from Cairo to turn back to the capital of the North-African country, because of the "Bad security situation" in the airport... more
HelicoptersEurocopter: the first two EC-725 helicopters delivered to the Royal Malaysian Air Force
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Malaysia is to receive a total of 12 aircraft through 2014
The initial two Eurocopter EC-725 helicopters for the Royal Malaysian Air Force were formally presented today during a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, with the first unit being delivered on time and the second... more
AirlinesSAS Group: three A-330/300 aircraft refinanced with USD 125 million loan
Stockholm, Sweden - The third and final tranche due in February 2013
Following on from recent announcements concerning steps taken to improve the SAS Group's financial position, a new USD 125m secured loan facility covering three A-330/300 aircraft has been entered into... more
IndustryFirst simulator for the A-320neo airplane into operation from today in China
Toulouse, France - At the Hua Ou Aviation Training Centre, jv between the industry and CAS
The first A-320 full simulator upgradable to support the flight training of A-320neo was put into operation on December 3 at the Hua Ou Aviation Training Centre in Beijing, a joint-venture between Airbus... more
IndustryAircraft and industry. EADS: shareholding structure changes in view?
Leiden, Netherlands - With the ongoing talks, some speak about a possible divestment by Daimler and Lagardère
On Monday 3 December 2012, the EADS Group, one of the most important aerospace companies in the world, the seconds in terms of year revenue after Boeing, announced that some key shareholders are discussing... more
UAS-DronesNeuron (2): the UCAV aircraft will fly in Sweden in 2014
Linkoping, Sweden - Now more flight testing will follow
Neuron, the European Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, has completed its first flight in French Istres achieving a major milestone in the Neuron programme, where defence and security... more
AirlinesIndian court fines Lufthansa for not allowing a passenger to board an aircraft in the US
New Delhi, India - The company claims that the reason of the incident is a communication issue
On Monday 3 December 2012 the Indian consumer court ordered Lufthansa, the largest European airline in terms of fleet size and passengers carried, to pay a compensation of 100,000 Indian rupees (roughly... more
AirlinesGulf Air-Sita: agreement for services of the network
Manama, Bahrain - For operations across 48 destinations
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and SITA have signed an agreement that will allow airline to use SITA’s network services to optimize its operations across 48 destinations where i... more
IndustryAlenia Aermacchi: the first flight by UCAV "Neuron" aircraft (VIDEO)
Istres, France - In front of the delegations of six industries of participating countries
The nEUROn, the first European technology demonstrator for an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), made its first flight on Saturday December 1 from the French military test center at Istres. nEuron... more
IndustryDoD-LM: agreement for production of 32 F-35 Lightning II airplanes
Washington, Usa - As part of Low-Rate Initial Production 5
The US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin have reached an agreement in principle to manufacture 32 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters as part of Low-Rate Initial Production 5 (LRIP-5). The contract... more
AirlinesAircraft and transport. IAG seeks damages from the union of Iberia pilots
London, United Kingdom - In relation to strikes held in 2011 and 2012
International Airlines Group (IAG) the holding which includes British Airways and Iberia, lodged a claim in the High Court in London to seek damages from Sepla, a Spanish pilot union, and the International... more
ReportAfghanistan: ISAF's UAV aircraft crashes, probably because of a mechanical failure
Kabul, Afghanistan - Taliban attack NATO base in Jalalabad airport
A UAV (Unmanned Aerial vehicle, a remote controlled aircraft) operated by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) crashed on Saturday 1 December 2012, according to reports provided by the NATO-led... more
AerospaceNASA's update for Curiosity mission: in spite of rumours, no major new findings will be announced
Pasadena, USA - The press conference will be streamed online
On Monday 3 December 2012 at 9:00 am (5:00 pm GMT) the NASA, the space agency of the United States, will held a press conference during the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), in order... more
IndustryAirbus: A-330/300 aircraft to XL Airways France
Toulouse, France - The plane is powered by GE CF6-80E engines
XL Airways France expands its Airbus fleet following the delivery of its first brand new A-330/300 aircraft from the manufacturer’s headquarters in Toulouse, France. Operated under a leasing agreement w... more
Finance and economyAircraft and finance. Delta interested in acquiring a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic
Atlanta, USA - In order to boos its presence at Heathrow
Delta Air Lines, according to reports from several media among which there is "Bloomberg", is in talks to acquire a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways, probably in order to increase its presence on the... more
CuriositiesResearch by London City Airport: when the time is money
Milan, Italy - The research looked at all elements of a passenger’s experience in the airport
It’s a well-known saying that time is money, and now we know how much for business travellers. Research by London City Airport [LCY] has found that the average person travelling through the airport values o... more
AccidentsCongo aircraft crash: death toll rises to 32
Brazzaville, Congo - "We are continuing our search", the Red Cross declares
The death toll relative to the accident which, in the evening of Friday 30 November 2012, involved an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft, registration code EK-76300, which crashed near Brazzaville-Maya Maya airport... more
SecurityFAA and OSHA: strategy to protect the health of those work on the aircraft
Washington, USA - Without affecting safety, which remains the main issue
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), working with the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), on November 30 proposed a n... more
IndustryAirbus upgrades maximum takeoff weight for two A-330 aircraft versions, improving their range
Toulouse, France - Increase by 926 and 648 for the A-330/300 and the A-330/200 respectively
Airbus has improved the performances of the A-330/300 and the A-330/200 aircraft even further, by providing operators both with a 242 metric tonne maximum take-off weight (MTOW) capability and, for the... more
PeopleStar Alliance: new Chairman of the CEB of the alliance
Shenzhen, China - Calin Rovinescu replaces Rob Fyfe
Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB). He succeeds Rob Fyfe, CEO Air New Zealand, who... more
PeopleAirplanes and positions: Gulf Air CEO resigns, BoD accepts...
Manama, Bahrain - Samer Majali leaves at the end of 2012, after three years with the airline
The Board of Directors of Gulf Air announced on November 29 that it has accepted the resignation of the Chief Executive Officer, Samer Majali, submitted earlier this year following the appointment of the... more
Civil aviationIATA: hurricane "Sandy" further penalized the traffic in October, already in crisis...
Geneva, Switzerland - The cancellation of flights demonstrated the importance of aircraft in global links
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global traffic results for October showing a persistent softening of passenger traffic growth and a significant deterioration in freight demand.... more
AccidentsIndian Air Force Jaguar aircraft crashes, the pilot is suffering critical injuries
Gangtok, India - The accident happened in the State of Sikkim (North-East India)
On Friday 30 November 2012 a Jaguar aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in a forest in the State of Sikkim, north-eastern India: the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Yogesh Yadav, even if survived to... more
IndustryATR-42 and 72 aircraft: /600 series certified to operate in Russia
Toulouse, France - After the certification by EASA
ATR has obtained Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) approval for the ATR-42/600 aircraft and ATR-72/600 to operate in Russia and the Community of Independent States (CIS). IAC’s certification val... more
IndustrySelex Sistemi Integrati signs MoU with ADSI
Rome, Italy - The Memorandum identifies ten projects for a total value of 25 Million Euros
Selex Sistemi Integrati, a Finmeccanica company, and Abu Dhabi Systems Integration (a joint-venture between Abu Dhabi Ship Building and Selex Sistemi Integrati) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for... more
Military aviationChina rejects plagiarism allegations for its J-15 fighter aircraft (VIDEO)
Beijing, China - ""The assertion is unprofessional, if not an intentional attack"
Several reports about the first test on the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning (AVIONEWS) suggested the idea that the new fighter aircraft is a copy of the Sukhoi Su-33: the ministry for Defense of the... more
DefenseRussia warns NATO about possible risks of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles in Turkey
Brussels, Belgium - "This involvement could become irrevocable in case of an incident or provocation"
On Friday 30 November 2012 Russia's NATO envoy Alexander Grushko warned the organization about the possible risks implied by the deployment of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles along the border between Syria... more
AccidentsKorean aerobatic team aircraft crash: it was the mistake of a maintenance officer (VIDEO)
Seoul, South Korea - The superior of the worker who materially made the mistake committed suicide
The technical issue which, on Thursday 15 November 2012, caused the crash of an aircraft of the Black Eagles, the South-Korean aerobatic team (AVIONEWS), was caused by the mistake of a maintenance worker,... more
AirlinesUS Airways prices its 546-million-dollar offering EETCs to finance the purchase of 11 Airbus aircraft
Tempe, USA - The certificates will be issued on December 13
US Airways announced that it priced an offering of two classes of Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) in the aggregate face amount of approximately 546 million dollars. The company intends to... more
Civil aviationAir transport strike in Italy: just a few aircraft have remained grounded so far
Rome, Italy - The situation in the two most important Italian hubs
The strike of the Italian workers of the air transport sector is ongoing: so far, at about 12:00 am, inconvenience has been limited, with just a few aircraft which have remained grounded, but worsening... more
AirlinesAfter Budapest, Ryanair takes its aircraft away from Spain
Madrid, Spain - "Unavoidable response to the unjustified and unnecessary doubling of airport taxes"
Just a few days after its disengagement In Budapest, which will cause the cut of 40% of the capacity in the Hungarian capital (AVIONEWS), Ryanair confirmed heavy downsizing of its operations also in Spain,... more
Airlines20th anniversary for Ukrainian International Airlines
Rome, Italy - Its first flight from Kiev to London
Ukraine International Airlines celebrated the 20th anniversary of its operations. 25 November 1992, when UIA operated its first ever Kiev–London–Kiev flight is considered to be the airline’s birthday. In 20 ye... more
Press releaseEC releases over EUR 1 bn for projects of infrastructures and TEN-T transports (airplanes and not only...)
Brussels, Belgium - Two calls for proposals and deadline is next February 28, 2013
The European Commission has launched two Calls for Proposals under the 2012 Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) multi-annual and annual programmes, making €1.265 billion available to finance European t... more
AirlinesAircraft and transport. Strike ahead of Christmas holidays confirmed by unions of Iberia workers
Madrid, Spain - The company CEO: "Inopportune, inappropriate and completely unjustified"
The Spanish unions which represent the workers of Iberia confirmed the six-day strike which was hypothesized in the past days (AVIONEWS), which will take place in the days ahead of Christmas holidays,... more
Weather forecastsBad weather in Italy: alert extended on the Tyrrhenian central-meridional regions
Rome, Italy - A further bulletin for adverse conditions has been issued
The Italian Civil Defense Department, on the basis of available forecasts, has issued an additional bulletin for unfavourable weather conditions that extends and expands those previously diffused in the... more
AirlinesTurkish Airlines is looking for "Alternative financing" for its aircraft fleet expansion
Istanbul, Turkey - The board is evaluating several possibilities
Turkish Airlines is planning to double the size of its fleet, passing from 200 to 400 aircraft by 2020 and, according to reports from the press agency "Reuters", it is currently in talks for a leasing... more
HelicoptersOne AW-169 helicopter to Starspeed Ltd.
Cascina Costa, Italy - Plus an option for an additional aircraft
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, announced that Starspeed Ltd. of the UK has signed a preliminary sale contract for one AW-169 light intermediate helicopter plus an option for an additional aircraft.... more
Science and technologyAirbus' iPad Electronic Flight Bag to Qantas
Blagnac, France - The solution was announced at the "Farnborough Air Show" earlier this year
Qantas has become a launch customer for the ‘FlySmart with Airbus’ cockpit applications on iPad. These ‘Electronic Flight Bag’ (EFB) applications will be used by all pilots in the airline who fly Airbus... more
ReportAircraft and transport. Clashes in Damascus: roads to the airport closed
Damascus, Syria - Emirates suspends its flights to the Syrian capital
The violent clashes ongoing close to Damascus International Airport between the rebels who are trying to overthrow the regime of president Bashar al-Assad and Syrian armed forces have caused the closure... more
AccidentsContinental Airlines cleared for the Concorde aircraft crash
Paris, France - The mistakes by the mechanics of the company were not enough to make it legally responsible
On Thursday 29 November 2012 a French appeal court cleared Continental Airlines and one of its employees of every criminal responsibility for the crash which, in July 2000 at Paris "Charles De Gaulle"... more
Military aviationMissed rendez-vous between military aircraft along the border: China-India tensions?
New Delhi, India - On October 30 two Beijing's Su-27s with nuclear weapons were dispatched to scramble Indian jets in 'Arunachal Pradesh
On Thursday 29 November 2012 the Indian newspaper "Mail Today" published a report sent by the Air Force of the South-Asian country (IAF) to the ministry for Defense, in which it is described a dangerous... more
AirportsAutogrill-Burger King Worldwide: agreement at Marseille Airport, in France
Milan, Italy - The international collaboration between the two Groups started up in the USA in 1982
Autogrill Group and Burger King Worldwide have entered a new agreement to extend their partnership to France, Switzerland, Poland and further restaurants expected to open in Italy, Czech Republic, Germany... more
AirlinesOman Air launched Muscat-Jaaluni route
Muscat, Oman - Three times per week
The inauguration of Oman Air’s direct flight between Muscat and Jaaluni airport at Al Wusta Governorate located on the southern coast of Oman, took place last November 19, 2012, on the sidelines of "42nd N... more
Military aviationThe Pentagon is ready to invest to preserve innovative engineering for airplanes and helicopters
New York, USA - "We haven't done a new attack helicopter in quite a long time"
The Pentagon is ready to invest in new prototypes of airplanes and helicopters, in order to preserve the country's design talents, according to the declarations of Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense... more
Civil aviationStar Alliance: Shenzhen Airlines joins the alliance network
Shenzhen, China - The ceremony held at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport
Shenzhen Airlines on November 29 became the latest carrier to join the Star Alliance network. At a ceremony held at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Mark Schwab, CEO Star Alliance, welcomed the airline... more
IndustryAircraft and industry. Hawker Beechcraft restructuring: financial forecasts filed with the bankruptcy court
Wichita, USA - The company will probably leave the business jet sector
Hawker Beechcraft, the American aerospace firm which is trying to emerge from Chapter 11, a part of the United States' Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the US,... more
Weather forecastsAlert expanded for bad weather risk on all Italy
Rome, Italy - Still strong winds on the center-south
The Italian Civil Defense Department, on the basis of the available forecasts, has issued an additional bulletin of adverse weather conditions that integrates and extends those warnings already diffused... more
Finance and economyFinmeccanica launched issue of bonds for EUR 600 million in the capital markets
Rome, Italy - The proceeds will be used to refinance a portion of existing indebtedness maturing in December 2013
On November 28 Finmeccanica, through its wholly owned subsidiary Finmeccanica Finance SA, issued EUR 600 million of bonds in the capital markets. The bonds, available only to institutional investors, have... more