European airframer Airbus has rolled out the first of its next-generation super transporters, the BelugaXL at its main assembly line in Toulouse, France. Named after the white whale it represents, the BelugaXL will succeed the current fleet of the A300-600ST (super transporter) Beluga, which is based on the A300 airframe. The BelugaXL programme began in 2014 and Airbus will build …
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American airframer Boeing has set a new record for number of aircraft delivered in a year by surpassing it’s 2015 record of 762 deliveries by one. The company also grew it’s order backlog to a record 5,864 aircraft. The order backlog which equates to around seven years of production was spurred by a 35% increase in 737 orders from 550 …
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European airframer Airbus has rolled out the first A321neo ACF (Airbus Cabin Flex) aircraft which can seat up to 240 passengers. The airframe powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines will now begin testing, first on the ground and then in-flight. The first delivery of the A321neo ACF is scheduled for mid-2018. The ACF concept was introduced in July 2014. It uses …
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I regularly get questions from novice fliers about various aspects of flying, especially with regards to safety. US airframer Boeing has published an excellent “FAQ” (frequently asked questions) page for answering questions and concerns about aviation safety. Some of the questions answered are: Are four engined aircraft safer than two engined aircraft? Are older aircraft safe to fly in? Which …
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Middle-eastern low cost carrier flydubai has signed an agreement for 225 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The order which is valued at $27 billion at list prices represents the largest single-aisle jet order from a middle-eastern carrier. The agreement includes a commitment for 175 MAX airplanes and an option for 50 additional MAXs. The initial order of 175 aircraft will be …
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American equity firm Indigo Partners’ has placed an additional order for 430 A320neo family aircraft for it’s four portfolio airlines. The aircraft will be allocated among the ultra low-cost airlines Frontier Airlines (United States), JetSMART (Chile), Volaris (Mexico) and Wizz Air (Hungary). The deal which is valued at $49.5 billion at current list prices, is the largest single order in …
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American airframer Boeing and middle-eastern carrier Emirates have announced a $15.1 billion deal to purchase 40 787-10 Dreamliners and related equipment at the opening day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow. The airline previously had an order for 70 Airbus A350’s which it cancelled in 2014. This order for 787’s will likely be used to replace some of Emirates’ older 777’s …
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The first Airbus A330neo has taken off on it’s maiden flight. The aircraft bearing the registration F-WTTN took off from Airbus’ plant in Toulouse. The A330neo is the upgraded re-engined variant of Airbus’ best selling wide body line. The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. See our #Trent7000 in action, powering the @Airbus #A330neo for the first time …
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At its final assembly line (FAL) in Charleston, South Carolina, US air-framer Boeing has rolled out the first 787-10 Dreamliner built for launch customer Singapore Airlines. The airplane will be painted in the airline’s livery before commencing system checks, fuelling, and engine runs before its delivery scheduled for some time during the first half of next year. The 787-10 is …
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Emirates and flydubai have entered a partnership which will see the two Dubai-based airlines partner in code sharing and collaborate their network with coordinated scheduling. The agreement will allow Emirates to make use of flydubai’s regional network and allow flydubai to make use of Emirates expansive global network to allow both airlines passengers more destinations. The goal of this partnership …
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European airframer Airbus unveiled a development study for an enhanced version of the A380 superjumbo, the “A380plus”. The study is a bid by the company to re-engergise sales of the world’s largest passenger aircraft that have been stagnant for over a year. It also appears to be an effort to bridge the requests of the largest A380 customer, Emirates airline, …
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European airframer Airbus has developed a new cabin concept for its best-selling narrow body A320 family of jetliners called Airspace. Just as its competitor Boeing borrowed cabin concepts from the 787 Dreamliner and incorporated it in to the 737, Airbus has borrowed concepts from the A350 and the A330neo for the Airspace interior to offer similar designs in both the …
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The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is making it’s European debut at the 2017 Paris Air show at Le Bourget Airport. The aircraft on display is FTA-3, the third test aircraft. Mitsubishi ferried the aircraft from the MRJ Flight Test Center, Moses Lake, Washington via Winnipeg and Goose Bay, Canada and Keflavik, Iceland to Paris. FTA-3 originally bore the Mitsubishi corporate livery …
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Low cost carrier SpiceJet has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for 40 737 MAX airplanes at the 2017 Paris airshow which kicked off today. The deal, valued at $4.74 billion at current list prices, includes 20 new orders for 737 MAX 10’s and converts 20 of the carriers existing MAX 8 orders to MAX 10’s. With this order …
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Russian airframer Irkut completed the maiden flight of it’s new MC-21-300 aircraft yesterday. The test flight was conducted at the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant and reportedly lasted 30 minutes. The MC-21 program was launched in 2007 with the first prototype being rolled out in 2016. The program is headed by Irkut which is a subsidiary of the Russian government …
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Earlier this month, on the 9th of May, India’s largest domestic airline Indigo, announced that they had signed a term-sheet with French turbo-prop airframer ATR, for the induction of 50 ATR72-600 regional aircraft. The announcement caught the aviation and investment community completely by surprise. Since its inception 12 years ago in 2005, IndiGo had slavishly adhered to the “one airframe …
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Low cost carrier Indigo has won the Airbus’ award for Best Operational Excellence for the second consecutive year. Indigo won the award after outperforming 46 other airlines globally. The selection criteria for the award is based on data covering two years of operation and taking into consideration the number of aircraft in the fleet, daily utilization rate, technical reliability and …
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US airframer Boeing, delivered the first new 737 MAX aircraft to launch customer Malindo Air of Malaysia. The 737 MAX 8 was delivered at Boeing’s Seattle Delivery Center in Washington state on May 16th. The airline will be the first to operate the 737 MAX in commercial service on May 22. The MAX is the newest variant of the world’s …
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The first COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) C919 has successfully completed it’s first flight. The aircraft took off from Shanghai’s Pudong airport and landed back at the airport after a 79 minute flight. The first aircraft bearing the registration B-001A has been undergoing extensive ground testing since it was rolled out of the assembly hanger in 2015. The aircraft …
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Boeing’s 737 MAX 9 completed it’s first flight today. The aircraft piloted by Boeing Test & Evaluation Capts. Christine Walsh and Ed Wilson completed a successful 2 hour, 42-minute flight, taking off from Renton Municipal Airport and landing the nearby Boeing Field. The flight of the brand new 737 comes just around 50 years after the first flight of the …
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Bangalore Aviation News, Reviews, Analysis and opinions of Indian Aviation