Gama Aviation’s U.S. aviation division received third-country operator authorization from EASA, becoming one of the first operators to receive the recognition. Beginning in November, the authorization is slated to become a requirement for commercial operators outside Europe to operate within the European Union countries/territories and the European Free Trade Asso...
Lockheed Martin’s unmanned SR-72 aircraft concept has surfaced again with renewed vigour, with company leadership now pushing a reusable, air-breathing hypersonic vehicle as an “affordable” way to validate a new propulsion concept for achieving speeds within the atmosphere between Mach 6.0 to Mach 20. Speaking at a Lockheed media event in Washington DC on 15 March, company chi...
A powerful competition watchdog in Europe has quietly begun asking the industry for its views on issues surrounding airline distribution. Airlines, intermediaries and travel technology companies are being asked to share their views with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition on how tickets are sold by airlines to travellers, either by the direct route or via interme...
Southwest Airlines is phasing out its Boeing 737 Classic aircraft by about 2017 and is finding ways to use engine inventory from that fleet to decrease its maintenance costs. Mandy Gower, Southwest Airlines’ powerplant supply chain manager, told Aviation Week that the airline employs MTU Canada and BP Aerospace in Irvine, Calif., to tear down its CFMI CFM56-3s that pow...
Our world is a dangerous place these days, with the threats of international and domestic terrorism mingling with more common hazards, such as vengeful ex-employees, vandals or other unhinged individuals. While some in the aviation service industry might ask Why us?, the answer is simple: private aviation by its nature attracts high-profile individuals such as celebrities or company executive...
Cochin International Airport, the world’s first 100 percent solar airport, is generating so much power from its massive solar array that the airport no longer pays for electricity. “We wanted to be independent of the electricity utility grid,” Jose Thomas, the airport’s general manager, told the CNNMoney. Cochin started its solar journey three years ago when...
If you've ever taken a long-haul flight, you'll be familiar with the sensation of jetlag - that groggy feeling you get when your body's been through too many time zones in quick succession. There are all kinds of tricks you can use to beat it - some of which make more sense than others - but how do the professionals deal with this long-distance travel? BBC Future's Katia Moskvit...
Direct flights between Russia and Egypt are about to resume, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They will start shortly in accordance with air safety, said Lavrov after meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. According to Lavrov, Cairo responded positively to Russia’s recommendations for airport and flight security. "We have agreed that measures will...
UK safety investigators have called for a raft of new Europe-wide regulations to be introduced covering the operation of offshore transportation helicopters in the wake of a fatal accident off the north coast of Scotland. The recommendations are contained in the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch’s final report into the 23 August 2013 crash of a CHC Scotia-operated Airbus Helicopters A...
Despite high fuel prices and sluggish economies, airlines have stabilized their finances by cutting costs to the bone and finding new products to sell, or old products to sell differently. Airline ancillary services may be unbundled traditional services, or they may be innovative new services. Successful MROs and OEMs prosper in much the same ways as airlines: by leaning out costs and finding n...
Single-engine turbine commercial operations in instrument meteorological conditions (SET-IMC) could be possible for the first time as a blanket rule across Europe by the end of the year and even sooner in the UK. The UK CAA has confirmed informally that it is “now a question of when not if” SET-IMC is passed, an industry panel noted March 10 during the...
The government has approved the acquisition of a second batch of four P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. Acquisition of eight Boeing P-8As was approved in 2014 (and the first aircraft are now under assembly), but the recently released Defence White Paper’s accompanying Integrated Investment Program (IIP) revealed that, “Eight Poseidon aircraft will be introduced in the ea...
