Thu.Sep 12, 2024

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Riyadh Air to operate first non-commercial flight towards certification 

Aerotime

Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier Riyadh Air is due to operate its first non-commercial flight on September 12, 2024, from Riyadh to Jeddah as part of the airline’s program of test flights required to obtain its Air Operators Certificate (AOC). Once its AOC is awarded by the Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the carrier will be permitted to commence commercial passenger and cargo services using its planned fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, as first revealed in an announcem

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Southwest Tries to End Elliott Threat By Sacrificing Gary Kelly

Cranky Flier

Southwest hasn’t broken under the weight of its activist investor, Elliott, but it has now bent. It appears that the airline is making a calculated move to save itself from being unable to control its own destiny with a human sacrifice. Whether this will work or not is unclear, but it should at least buy the airline time. Southwest says it is doing a “ comprehensive board refreshment ,” which, I believe, in Herb Kelleher’s day would mean somebody ran out to the store to g

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Heart Aerospace unveils Heart X1 full-scale hybrid-electric demonstrator

Aerotime

Heart Aerospace has revealed its first full-scale demonstrator aircraft for the ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric airplane. The demonstrator, named Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), is a 30-seat airplane with a 32-meter wingspan built at Heart’s facilities in Gothenburg. It will be used for ground-based testing initially, focusing on operations such as charging, taxiing, and turnaround procedures.

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Air France And KLM's Flying Blue Nabs 'World's Best Airline Reward Program' Title

Simple Flying

A new survey that measured the value of more than 60 frequent flyer programs worldwide named Air France , KLM , and Transavia's loyalty program Flying Blue as the world's best airline rewards program.

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Airbus BelugaXL forced to make emergency landing in Amsterdam 

Aerotime

One of Airbus’ fleet of six BelugaXL transporter planes was forced to make an emergency diversion and land in Amsterdam after its crew reported a technical issue while en route from France to Germany on September 10, 2024. The aircraft, registered F-GXLI and operated by in-house subsidiary Airbus Transport International, had departed from Saint-Nazaire Airport (SNR) in eastern France where the company has a manufacturing facility.

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Less Than 1 Hour: SWISS Plans Domestic Airbus A340 & Boeing 777 Flights In October

Simple Flying

The Swiss flag carrier occasionally deploys its widebodies from its Zurich hub to Geneva. It last did so in August 2024, when the A340-300 was flown. SWISS's latest schedule update shows it will use the aging but characterful A340-300 and the Boeing 777-300ER on the 125 nautical mile (231 km) domestic hop in October. Separately, the carrier sometimes operates its twin-aisles internationally within Europe: it flew the A330-300 to Malaga in August.

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Vertical Aerospace completes first phase of VX4 piloted flight tests

Aerotime

Vertical Aerospace has reached a significant milestone in its journey toward commercial electric flight. The company’s VX4 eVTOL aircraft successfully completed the first phase of its piloted flight test program at the Vertical Flight Test Centre. The VX4 prototype undertook 20 piloted test sorties in this phase, covering 70 test points. These included tethered flight simulations and ground tests designed to verify the aircraft’s safety under various operational conditions.

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Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse to open at LAX complete with British designer twists

Aerotime

Virgin Atlantic is set to launch its newest international Clubhouse at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with the project scheduled to be completed by the start of 2025. The exclusive Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse will be accessible to passengers travelling in the upper class or those that hold Gold Club membership, plus one guest flying with the airline.

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Over 3 Million People Booked United Airlines Flights With Miles This Summer

Simple Flying

The CEO of United Airlines confirmed this week that over three million people redeemed their frequent flyer miles on flights this summer. Already one of the largest airline loyalty programs in the world, United's MileagePlus was just named as the most valuable for US flyers in an independent study.

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Gulfstream completes first G400 sale for European dedicated charter operations  

Aerotime

At a special ceremony at Gulfstream’s Farnborough Centre, the private jet manufacturer announced that Stuttgart-based DC Aviation has placed an order for the all-new G400 aircraft. Speaking in front of media representatives, including AeroTime, on September 12, 2024, the Gulfstream Vice-President of Sales for the EMEA and APAC regions, Mike Swift, confirmed that DC Aviation’s order represented the first G400 sale for European dedicated charter operations.

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Emirates Confirms It Will Take Delivery Of 1st Airbus A350 In October

Simple Flying

Emirates is set to receive its first Airbus A350 in October 2024, having postponed the aircrafts entry into service due to delivery delays. The Dubai-based carrier had initially planned to start flying the Airbus twinjet as early as September 2024.

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easyJet to close Toulouse base and plans other operational changes in France 

Aerotime

Low-cost carrier easyJet has taken many by surprise in announcing that it will close its operating base at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) in Southwest France. The announcement comes as the carrier plans other changes to its French route network citing sluggish post-COVID recovery and the prevailing economic situation in France and across Europe for its change of strategy in the country.

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Edinburgh Airport Safely Rehomes Swarm Of Bees After 'Unauthorized Landing'

Simple Flying

Edinburgh Airport management will relocate a swarm of bees found at the airport's parking lot earlier this month. To ensure a safe transfer and further testing to see if the bees were carrying any disease, the airport management has called on an expert with apiary facilities to help re-homing the swarm.

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Qantas focuses on Perth for further international and cargo development 

Aerotime

Qantas will be developing its operation at Perth International Airport (PER) in Western Australia as the carrier looks to open up new passenger markets and build its cargo network, according to the airline’s Head of International and Cargo division. Speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2024 being held in Brisbane between September 11 to 13, 2024, Cam Wallace told attendees that the Australian national carrier sees Perth as offering an ideal facility to develop into the ai

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British Airways Lounge Miami Airport Opening 2025

One Mile at a Time

In late 2023, British Airways revealed plans to open its own lounge in Miami. There’s now an update, as the airline has confirmed that this lounge is expected to open in 2025, which is earlier than initially expected. British Airways Lounge coming to Miami Concourse E A British Airways Lounge is expected to open at Miami International Airport (MIA) at some point in 2025.

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Doubling up Down Under – Turkish Airlines to start Sydney flights   

Aerotime

Turkish Airlines has revealed plans to commence flights between Istanbul and Sydney by the end of 2024. The carrier will operate one-stop flights between the Turkish city and Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith International Airport (SYD) from December 2024 with services operating via Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. However, direct flights are expected to replace these services when the carrier receives its first Airbus A350-1000 in 2026, the airline has said.

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LATAM Is Investing $360 Million To Upgrade Boeing 787 Interiors

Simple Flying

LATAM continues to work on its aircraft interiors and has now announced an investment of more than $350 million to refurbish over 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Some of these planes will fly in the domestic Chilean market, whereas others will operate flights out of the greater South American region.

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NTSB Issues Deicing Safety Alert

AV Web

As winter approaches, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued Safety Alert SA-097 reminding pilots about the dangers of flying in icing conditions—namely the adverse effects of airframe and propeller icing on aircraft performance. SA-097 emphasizes “as little as 1/4 -inch of wing-leading edge ice accumulation can increase the stall speed by 25 to 40 knots and cause sudden departure from controlled flight.

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Alaska Airlines Pilot Details 737 MAX Door Panel Explosion For The 1st Time

Simple Flying

The Alaska Airlines midair blowout incident in January this year has been dissected and analyzed in great detail by relevant authorities. But one of the pilots who flew the plane and handled the emergency situation recently spoke about it for the first time. In an interview, she detailed the initial chaos when the door plug detached and everything that followed next.

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A Pilot, a Passion, a Calling

Inspire

By Sharon Puschmann, EAA 1382843 Pilots come in all shapes and sizes with different motivations, drives, and desires. Some are inspired by family members, military ambitions, or dreams of becoming an airline pilot. Our 2023 Ray scholar, Josiah Harding, EAA 1481653, opened our eyes to something more. The Ray Aviation Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship […] The post A Pilot, a Passion, a Calling first appeared on Hangar Flying.

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Heart Aerospace Unveils ES-30 HX-1 Demonstrator

Simple Flying

Computer renders and model planes are stock in trade for new aircraft proponents, but having a full-scale demonstrator sitting on an airport apron shows that real progress is being made. This week, Swedish hybrid-electric innovator Heart Aerospace rolled out its first ES-30 demonstrator, designated as Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), built almost entirely in-house at its Gothenburg facility.

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Growth Frontiers London: “A good amount of optimism for the widebody market”

Airline Economics

There is currently a strong demand for classic widebody aircraft, driven by manufacturer delays. This was noted at the widebody focused commercial aviation finance and investments panel at this years London Growth Frontiers conference.

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The US Air Force Needs More Trainee Pilots Who Don't Want To Fly Fighters Or Bombers

Simple Flying

Pilot shortages have forced a major change of policy at the United States Air Force (USAF). Under the changes, graduates who have trained to operate fighters or bombers will be tracked into flying other non-combat aircraft, such as lifters, refuelers or trainers, to fill the gaps.

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American Airlines Flight Attendants Ratify New Contract

Airline Geeks

Association of Professional Flight Attendants members voted on Thursday to ratify the union’s tentative agreement with American Airlines.

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Riyadh Air Operates First Non-Commercial Flights With Saudia 787 For AOC Approval

Simple Flying

Saudi Arabia's new airline, Riyadh Air, completed its first few non-commercial flights today, using a Dreamliner aircraft from fellow airline Saudia. These flights are part of the carrier's roadway to gaining its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the nation's Civil Aviation Authority.

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How to Become a Flight Dispatcher

Airline Geeks

Flight dispatchers diligently work behind the scenes to plan and monitor each flight to help ensure the safety and efficiency of an airline’s operations.

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Examined: The Average Age Of Retired Aircraft & What Happens After They're Withdrawn

Simple Flying

The lifetimes of commercial aircraft (as well as military planes and private jets) are often marked by constant flying, with planes in the skies around the clock completing missions for their respective operators. However, usually after over a decade in the skies, it is finally time for planes to touch back down one last time, and they will naturally enter into the next stage of their life.

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Gulfstream Secures First G400 Sale

AV Web

On Thursday, Gulfstream Aerospace announced the first sale of its new Gulfstream G400 to German-based DC Aviation for charter operations. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony at Gulfstream’s Customer Support facility in Farnborough, England. Scott Neal, Gulfstream’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales said, “We appreciate DC Aviation’s commitment to and confidence in the G400, bringing this category-leading aircraft to European charter customers.

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What Are The World's Most Expensive Jet Engines?

Simple Flying

How much do jet engines cost ? The engine is a very large share of the overall cost of purchasing the aircraft - and then a large share of the maintenance cost of the aircraft over its lifetime. While the cost for a Cessna piston engine can cost as little as $40,000, the cost of the latest GE9X is around $40 million (the price of jet engines for larger business jets is normally between $1.5 and $3.5 million).

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Etihad Boosts Paris Flights, As Air France Cuts Abu Dhabi

One Mile at a Time

In late 2023, Etihad and Air France-KLM expanded their partnership , which included Air France launching flights to Abu Dhabi. Air France recently revealed it would cut its Abu Dhabi route , just a year after it launched. There’s now an interesting update, as Etihad is increasing service in the market. Etihad introduces double daily Paris flights Etihad has announced that it will introduce double daily flights to Paris as of January 15, 2025, just over two months after Air France discontinues it

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A Closer Look At The Unique History Of Viking Air

Simple Flying

Viking Air Ltd. was an operator and manufacturer of aircraft, parts and systems based at Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. They provided upgrades to the DHC-2 Beaver and DC-6 Twin Otter and supplied parts for the old de Havilland Canada aircraft as well as making components for Bell Helicopter Textron. The company became a subsidiary of De Havilland Canada before being merged again in August 2024.

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British Airways Bolsters North America Network

Airline Geeks

British Airways is gearing up for a bolstered summer schedule in 2025, with plans to operate a record number of flights to North America.

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Turboprop Market Leaders: How Dash 8s Compare To ATR Aircraft

Simple Flying

ATR and De Havilland Canada are two of the world's leading turboprop aircraft manufacturers. Between the aircraft from both manufacturers, there are more than 200,000 flights scheduled this month.

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AOPA seeks to limit aircraft tracking for airport fees

AOPA

The use of aircraft tracking data to create virtual tollbooths on airport runways was never the intent of aircraft awareness technology required on airplanes to enhance safety for pilots and assist air traffic controllers.

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Electrifying Regional Aviation: Everything You Need To Know About Heart Aerospace & Its ES-30 Aircraft

Simple Flying

As the aviation industry intensifies its quest for sustainability, Swedish aerospace startup Heart Aerospace has emerged as a leader in hybrid-electric aircraft development. With its ES-30 aircraft, Heart Aerospace is aiming to revolutionize regional aviation by introducing a hybrid-electric solution that drastically reduces emissions, improves cost efficiency, and revitalizes short-haul air travel.

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Southwest Implements Additional Pilot Training Amid Safety Incidents

AV Web

Southwest Airlines pilots will be required to complete additional training following a series of safety incidents that triggered a review by U.S. regulators Bloomberg , which obtained the company memo, reports that these one-day training sessions are designed to facilitate discussions among crew members about specific incidents and enhance collaboration for better risk management.

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The First Cessna Citation? A Look At The Cessna Citation I

Simple Flying

The Cessna 500 or Citation I is a small light business jet and at the very basis of the top-selling Cessna Citation family. It was a challenge of its time and although successful and sturdy, it was often ridiculed for its lack of speed in comparison to other aircraft at the time. A popular little private jet, the aircraft is still in use today. Let's take a further look at the Cessna Citation I.

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