AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency
101,329 news found

Finance and economyAircraft and finance. Fastjet wants to acquire 1time
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - The new low-cost carrier would carry out a rapid re-fleeting with modern aircraft
Fastjet, the newborn pan-African airline which started its operations just one week ago (AVIONEWS), has ambitious development plans, and it is already considering the acquisition of other companies. Specifically,... more

IndustryLM: 5,000 flight hours for the F-35 aircraft program (VIDEO)
Fort Worth, Usa - The three variants participated in achievement of this goal
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program surpassed 5,000 flight hours last month. This milestone was reached by the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft flying at Edwards... more

AirlinesAircraft and airlines. British Airways is planning to cut 400 cabin crew
London, United Kingdom - The carrier will offer voluntary redundancies to its senior employees
On Tuesday 4 December 2012 British Airways communicated it is planning to cut 400 Heathrow-based flight attendants. "We are offering voluntary redundancy to some members of our senior cabin crew (that... more

HelicoptersAW-169 and AW-139 helicopters to Kaan Air
Cascina Costa, Italy - For VIP/corporate missions
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, announced that Kaan Air has signed an additional preliminary order for one AW-169 light intermediate twin-engine helicopter and a contract for one AW-139 intermediate... more

Science and technologyWide Area Multilateration, ATC technologies at low-cost
Denever, Usa - The US FAA applied them in Colorado
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) on December 3 announced the activation of new NextGen technology that will help p... more

AirportsAbu Dhabi Special by AVIONEWS: the "Who's who" of the airport executives
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - CEO James Bennett has an experience of almost 30 years in the airport management
On the occasion of the inauguration of the new flight (AVIONEWS) from Rome to Abu Dhabi, operated by Alitalia in code-sharing with Etihad Airways, AVIONEWS provides a brief presentation of the top executives... more

IndustryThe fifth A-330 MRTT airplane delivered to Royal Australian Air Force
Seville, Spain - Designated the KC-30A by the RAAF
Airbus Military has formally delivered the fifth and final new generation A-330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The handover of the aircraft marks a major... more

AirportsAbu Dhabi Special by AVIONEWS: the fastest growing airport in the fastest growing region...
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Passengers growing by almost 20% in 2012
The fastest among the fastest: this could be a good slogan to describe the performance of Abu Dhabi International Airport, which is experiencing the fastest growth in a region, the Middle East, which is... more

Press releaseAbu Dhabi Special by AVIONEWS: inauguration ceremony for the first Rome-Abu Dhabi aircraft
Rome, Italy - In code-share agreement with Etihad Airways
The inauguration ceremony for the first Abu Dhabi-bound aircraft from Rome took place on December 4 at the "Leonardo da Vinci" airport in the Italian capital. The connection is operated by Alitalia, in... more

IndustrySSJ-100 airplane: Full Flight Simulator arrives in Venice-Tessera
Venice, Italy - 30 days for the installation and then the EASA certification at the beginning of 2013: then the "Type Rating" courses by pilots
A new Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for training on the SSJ-100 aircraft arrived for installation at the SuperJet International (SJI) Training Center in Venice (Italy), close to the International "Marco... more

IndustryAirplanes and fuel-saving. EASA certification Sharklet for the Airbus A-320
Toulouse, France - Very soon the green light by the US FAA
Airbus has achieved on schedule certification for its new fuel-saving Sharklets for the A-320 aircraft with CFM engines. This certification received from the European airworthiness authorities (EASA) will... more

Weather forecastsBad weather in Italy: rains and strong winds on the centre and the south
Rome, Italy - From today on December 4
The Italian Civil Defense Department, on the basis of available forecasts, has diffused a bulletin for adverse weather conditions. The notice indicates for December 4 strong winds with reinforcement... more

IndustryAirbus-Qatar Airways: agreement to convert A-350 aircraft in versions with larger capacity
Toulouse, France - The current order is for 80 airplanes
The State of Qatar’s national airline, Qatar Airways and Airbus have signed an amendment to convert its existing firm order for twenty (20) A-350/800s, forty (40) A-350/900s and twenty (20) A-350/1000s t... more

IndustryAircraft and traffic. Selex Sistemi Integrati: agreements for radar systems for the ATC in China
Rome, Italy - To the Chinese CAAC
SELEX Sistemi Integrati, a Finmeccanica company, proves to be the first supplier of radar systems for air traffic control in China, thanks to new contracts signed to provide primary and secondary radar... more

Finance and economyAircraft and finance. Etihad: news stakes in Jet Airways and Aer Lingus?
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - The acquisition of new shares in the Irish carrier is conditional to the decision of the European Commission on Ryanair's offer
Etihad Airways continues with its strategy of acquiring stakes in several companies: the Abu Dhabi-based carrier is considering the acquisition of relevant stakes in India's Jet Airways and Ireland's Aer... more

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