Engineering, Leasing & Finance
Iraqi Airways gets first A220 (via Manchester)
Iraqi Airways has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A220 aircraft, the first of five it has on order. The aircraft, A220-300 YI-ARE, was delivered to Baghdad, Iraq on Friday 7th January from the Airbus assembly line in Mirabel Canada, stopping off at Manchester Airport in the early hours [read more]
News
Ryanair to close Frankfurt base in response to fee increases
Irish budget airline Ryanair is closing its base at Frankfurt Airport (FRA/EDDF) on 31st March after 5 years citing increased landing fees as the main reason. Ryanair had previously enjoyed discounted fees at the FRAPORT owned airport which reportedly expired in 2022. This action suggests that they have not been [read more]
Civil Aviation
PIA to return to UK this spring after fake pilot scandal ban
Pakistan International Airlines (PK/PIA) is planning to resume flights to the UK this spring for the first time since it was banned from European & UK airspace six months last year. The ban came after it emerged that hundreds of PIA pilots had “dubious” licences with many having paid others [read more]
Civil Aviation
Flybe 2.0 selects Bytron’s Skybook for dispatch and operations
The new incarnation of British regional airline Flybe has selected Bytron Aviation Systems’ Skybook software for its Flight Dispatch and Operations Systems. The software also includes the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) system that Flybe pilots will use once they commence operations later this year. Edward Pomfrett, Flight Operations Systems Engineer, [read more]
Engineering, Leasing & Finance
All Airbus US carrier Allegiant Air backs Boeing
US budget carrier Allegiant Air (G4/AAY) has bucked the recent single-aisle trend by placing an order for 50 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, despite being an all-airbus fleet operator currently. The order will come as welcome news to Boeing and it is likely that Allegient Air received significant incentives from the [read more]
News
Coronavirus travel rules: pre-departure PCR dropped
The UK Government is dropping the need for pre-departure Coronavirus PCR tests for double-vaccinated passengers arriving into England from Friday. Passengers will still need to take a Day 2 PCR Test after arriving but fully vaccinated passengers will no longer need to self-isolate whilst waiting for the results however from [read more]
Civil Aviation
Less than half of Ryanair passengers satisfied with refund handling
According to the latest Which? airline customer satisfaction survey Ryanair is the worst UK short-haul airline with less than half of its passengers satisfied with the way the airline deals with refunds. The Irish budget airline achieved a customer score of just 60% in the survey but its refund satisfaction [read more]
Civil Aviation
Coronavirus wipes out over a decade of airline growth but shares up
The Coronavirus pandemic has wiped out almost 15 years of growth in the airline industry according to data from the latest Cirium Airline Insights Report. Passenger traffic across Europe was down almost 66% between January to September 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. The Middle East and Asia-Pacific [read more]
Airshow News
Aviation withdrawals? What airshows can you head to in 2022?
2020 was a total flop for airshows and let’s be honest, 2021 wasn’t that much better. Whilst some airshows did go ahead, many of the big ones such as Yeovilton Air Day, RIAT and Cosford didn’t. But 2022 is looking optimistic, even with the current Omicron variant hitting out big [read more]
Air Travel
Channel Islands
Eastern Airways to launch Humberside to Jersey flights
Regional airline Eastern Airways (T3/EZE) has announced it is launching flights from its home base of Humberside (HUY/EGNJ) to Jersey in the Channel Islands. The new service will commence on 21st May 2022 and run weekly on a Saturday throughout the Summer season until September. Operated by Eastern Airways in [read more]
Civil Aviation
Flybe, FlyPOP and Hans Airway, three to watch in 2022
No one can deny it has been a turbulent couple of years for the aviation industry but signs of recovery are starting to appear and the 2022 outlook is getting more positive by the day with the peak of Omicron apparently behind us. But still, some might say that starting [read more]
News
Ryanair to close Frankfurt base in response to fee increases
Irish budget airline Ryanair is closing its base at Frankfurt Airport (FRA/EDDF) on 31st March after 5 years citing increased landing fees as the main reason. Ryanair had previously enjoyed discounted fees at the FRAPORT owned airport which reportedly expired in 2022. This action suggests that they have not been [read more]
Engineering & MRO
Engineering, Leasing & Finance
Airbus hits delivery targets for 2021 as sales remain strong
The latest figures from European airframer Airbus shows that the company hit its delivery target in 2021 and delivered 611 aircraft to 88 customers, an 8% increase on the previous year. Airbus says that around a quarter of these deliveries were using the now established e-Delivery system which provides a [read more]
Engineering, Leasing & Finance
Iraqi Airways gets first A220 (via Manchester)
Iraqi Airways has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A220 aircraft, the first of five it has on order. The aircraft, A220-300 YI-ARE, was delivered to Baghdad, Iraq on Friday 7th January from the Airbus assembly line in Mirabel Canada, stopping off at Manchester Airport in the early hours [read more]
Cargo
Feature: The Guppies of the air
In the tumultuous era of the Space Race, NASA found itself with the ever-growing problem of transportation. With large pieces of equipment needing moving from factories to the launch pad, transport methods were slow and cumbersome. Through the Fifties, NASA would have to transport its machinery via land and/or sea [read more]
Military Aviation
Military
RAF takes delivery of final P-8A Poseidon
The Royal Air Force (RAF) took delivery of the last of 9 Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth yesterday completing the deliveries of the type. Known in the UK as Poseidon MRA1, the submarine-hunting aircraft is based on the Boeing 737 airliner and replaces the capability previously carried out [read more]
Air Safety
British F35 lost at sea after pilot ejects
A British F35B has crashed into the Mediterranean sea after its pilot was forced to eject from the aircraft. The pilot was safely rescued from the sea. No other aircraft or hostile action is believed to have caused the crash of the aircraft after taking off from the British aircraft [read more]
Military
Bye Bye Bones – US B1 Bombers return home from RAF Fairford
The four US Air Force (USAF) Rockwell B1-B ‘Lancer’ Bombers that had been deployed to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire have returned to their home base in Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. The bombers have spent just over a month at RAF Fairford carrying out training missions and a show [read more]
General Aviation
General Aviation
FlightAware agrees sale to Collins Aerospace
The leading flight tracking website, FlightAware is to be sold to Collins Aerospace for an undisclosed amount after the Raytheon Technologies-owned company signed a definitive agreement to purchase the privately-owned business. FlightAware has been a market leader since it was created in 2005 and its flight tracking technology is used by [read more]
Air Safety
Two killed in Goodwood crash
Two men have been killed when the light aircraft they were in came down near Goodwood yesterday evening. The accident occurred just after 4:30pm yesterday and despite the best efforts of the emergency services the two men, 65 and 58, were pronounced dead at the scene. Local Fire & Ambulance [read more]
Air Safety
Impact of stress on flight safety downplayed by pilots according to new study
A new study suggests that General Aviation (GA) pilots downplay the impact of stress on flight safety compared to factors such as inclement weather. The research, conducted by the University of Aberdeen, presented 101 pilots with a series of 12 take-off scenarios across four categories – compromised performance (pilot stressed, [read more]
Air Sports
Air Sports
WCAR Air Race to operate on Carbon Net-Zero fuel
The World Championship Air Race (WCAR) which launches in 2022 has announced the aircraft will operate on a new carbon net-zero aviation fuel. WCAR has partner with Prometheus Fuels to use its Titan Fuel Forge™ technology to create ‘fuel from air’. It does this by reclaiming atmospheric carbon through a [read more]
Air Sports
Wales Airshow cancelled for 2021
Organisers of the Wales Airshow have announced that the 2021 event has been cancelled. The airshow was due to take place in July along Swansea seafront but like many events, has fallen victim to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Airshow organisers Swansea Council say that the event will now return 2nd [read more]
Air Sports
Red Arrows return to UK & where to see them in 2021
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT) The Red Arrows returned to their UK home at RAF Scampton earlier this week after gaining their Public Display Authority (PDA) for 2021. The team has been undergoing pre-season training in Greece to perfect their routines and before this years display routines were [read more]
Air Safety
Air Safety
Lockerbie: 33 years on from Britain’s worst terrorist incident
33 years today at 19:02 local time Pan Am Boeing 747 crashed into the small Scottish borders town of Lockerbie killing 270 people. This was no accident though and even today questions are still being asked about who really brought down Flight 103. The aircraft, Boeing 747-100 N739PA “Clipper Maid of the Seas” departed [read more]
Air Safety
How to improve commercial aviation safety
It goes without saying that keeping aviation and passengers safe is the top priority of the industry. All decisions and authorizations, from new aircraft designs and airport procedures to individual flight plan approvals, are made with this in mind. Aviation safety and security is integral to everything that happens in [read more]
Air Safety
British F35 lost at sea after pilot ejects
A British F35B has crashed into the Mediterranean sea after its pilot was forced to eject from the aircraft. The pilot was safely rescued from the sea. No other aircraft or hostile action is believed to have caused the crash of the aircraft after taking off from the British aircraft [read more]
Space
Cargo
Feature: The Guppies of the air
In the tumultuous era of the Space Race, NASA found itself with the ever-growing problem of transportation. With large pieces of equipment needing moving from factories to the launch pad, transport methods were slow and cumbersome. Through the Fifties, NASA would have to transport its machinery via land and/or sea [read more]
News
Webb Space Telescope arrives in Guiana ahead of launch
One of the most anticipated new pieces of Space hardware has arrived in French Guiana ahead of its scheduled launch on 18th December. The Webb Space Telescope (WST) is an orbiting infrared telescope that, Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Airbus Space Systems, “will change the way we see the universe”. About [read more]
News
Virgin Galactic flights grounded after ‘mishap’
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ground Virgin Galactic flights pending an investigation into a mishap during its recent publicity flight which had, among others, Sir Richard Branson onboard. In a brief statement, the FAA said it was investigating a mishap that occurred over Spaceport America, New Mexico on [read more]
Wales
Cardiff Airport News
Aer Lingus return to Cardiff Airport with two routes
Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Stobart Air, is returning to Cardiff Airport (CWL/EGFF) for the first time since 2016 reviving two routes to Northern Ireland and Eire. The new route to Belfast City will commence on 28th June and will operate four times per week on Monday, Friday, Saturday, and [read more]
Cardiff Airport News
Welsh First Minister accused of double standards over Spain flights
Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford has been accused of double standards after allowing flights between Cardiff Airport and Spain to operate despite Wales still being in full lockdown under his authority. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies led the calls saying it cannot be right that peoplee can “fly from [read more]
Cardiff Airport News
Your Pictures: The last flight of a British Airways Boeing 747
British Airways Boeing 747-400 G-BYGC left Cardiff Airport today for the short flight to St Athan marking the end of the Boeing 747 in service with British Airways. The aircraft will now be preserved at St Athan by eCube Solutions and is due to be opened to the public in [read more]
Scotland
Military
F-35 jets take part in HMS Queen Elizabeth’s maiden deployment
F-35 fighter jets from RAF Marham have been deployed as part of the Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) which will see them take part in Exercise Strike Warrior in Scotland before deploying on operational duties around the world. They will be based on the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier HMS [read more]
Civil Aviation
Engine fault forces Loganair’s North Sea flight to turn around
An Aberdeen to Shetland flight was forced to return to Aberdeen International Airport following a potential engine fault Thursday morning. The 06.50 am Loganair flight LM901 (18 February), was travelling to Shetland’s Sumburgh Airport when the crew received an alert of a fault with the right-hand engine. Following the alert, [read more]
Air Safety
Man dies in Scottish gyrocopter crash
Police Scotland has confirmed that the pilot of a gyrocopter has died after his aircraft went down near Avoch at 12:55pm. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. He was the sole occupant of the gyrocopter. A spokesperson from the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has [read more]
Northern Ireland
News
Manchester to Belfast City route takes off
The new Manchester (MAN/EGCC) to Belfast City Airport (BHD/EGAC) t route has got underway today when the first of four daily return services took off The Aer Lingus Regional service is operated by Stobart Air using an ATR72-600. Julian Carr, Aviation Director at Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great to see [read more]
Civil Aviation
Loganair increases Belfast City routes
Loganair (LM/LOG) is re-establishing the Belfast City to Glasgow Airport route. The service, which starts on 4th September, will operate twice-daily Monday to Friday and a single flight on a Saturday using an Embraer EMB145 Regional Jet. The routes from Belfast City to Aberdeen and Inverness are due to restart [read more]
Air Safety
Aer Lingus under fire over packed flights
Irish carrier Aer Lingus (EI/EIN) has come under fire after images appeared on social media showing a packed flight from London to Belfast. The images posted on twitter by BBC NI journalist Kelly Bonner show a packed flight with most of the seats taken in breach of social distancing guidelines. [read more]
Channel Islands
Channel Islands
Eastern Airways to launch Humberside to Jersey flights
Regional airline Eastern Airways (T3/EZE) has announced it is launching flights from its home base of Humberside (HUY/EGNJ) to Jersey in the Channel Islands. The new service will commence on 21st May 2022 and run weekly on a Saturday throughout the Summer season until September. Operated by Eastern Airways in [read more]
Channel Islands
Aurigny Airlines joins the Jerusalema Challenge
Aurigny Airlines is the latest airline to join the Jersulema dance challenge which is sweeping across airlines around the world. You may have seen the video with some of the worlds biggest airlines that we featured recently but now Aurigny has raised the bar for the UK with this brilliant [read more]
Channel Islands
Aurigny to stay grounded until September
Guernsey-based airline Aurigny (GR/AUR) has confirmed its flights will remain grounded until the end of August. The airline says that the disruption to flights is as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and that its grounding until the end of summer is in line with the Coronavirus Exit Strategy produced [read more]
