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By Benét Wilson Until October, I was the Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation for Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine. As editor, I had a front-row seat to the wild and wonderful world of business aviation in 2011. Below are my picks for the top 10 stories of the year, in no particular order. Enjoy!! The fall – and rise – …

There was plenty of airline action in the US this year, so when I was asked to come up with the ten biggest stories of 2011, I quickly realized that was a tough task. After much thought, here is my list of the ten biggest stories to hit the US airline industry in the last year in chronological order. Southwest …

German carrier Deutsche Lufthansa is warning that flyers will face higher ticket prices as it refuses to shoulder the almost €130 million (approx US$ 170 million) additional costs it faces thanks to the European Union’s new Emissions Trading System (ETS) which took effect on new year’s day, January 1. In a statement the airline explained its reasoning based on the …

Air travel and economic growth are widely recognized to be linked together; the industry typically grows at about double the rate of economic growth. However, despite the economic malaise in the United States, 2011 was not a bad year for the aviation industry here. As US airlines dealt with stagnating demand and appreciating fuel prices, they still managed to pull …

This is the official take of the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation on highlights of 2011. Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) signed with USAIndia has signed Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) with United States on 18th July, 2011. This agreement provides for mutual certification of aeronautical products. It recognizes the mutual benefit of improved procedures for the reciprocal acceptance of …

How do you paint the approximately 28,000 sq. ft. of one of the world’s largest aircraft, by hand of course. This video by Lufthansa the launch customer of the Boeing 747-8i, shows their aircraft D-ABYA getting painted in the traditional, simple and elegant white and blue livery. Boeing painter Tom Brown and his colleagues show us how to use up …

The Post and Courier of Charleston is quoting Boeing spokeswoman Candy Eslinger who has officially confirmed that Indian national carrier Air India will be the receipient of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner built at the North Charleston facility in the state of South Carolina, sometime during the sping of 2012. Air India, an early adopter of the aircraft has 27 …

Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Lufthansa) and International Airlines Group (IAG), the owner of British Airways, have signed a binding agreement for the sale of British Midland Limited (bmi) to IAG for £172.5m (approx. €207m) in cash. Lufthansa has the option of selling the ‘bmi regional’ and ‘bmibaby’ units separately before the sale is completed, expected by the end of the first …

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, one of the launch customers of the new Boeing Sky Interiors (BSI) fitted 737s took delivery of a new BSI equipped 737-800, its 18th and Boeing’s 200th such aircraft delivered. Introduced in October 2010, the 737 Boeing Sky Interior features new sculpted sidewalls and windows. LED (light emitting diode) based lighting allows the airline to provide …

Late last week, Atlanta based Delta Air Lines announced a large expansion of its focus operation in New York’s La Guardia, adding more than 100 additional daily flights to 29 new destinations. The expansion was made possible by the final approval of the carrier’s slot swap deal with US Airways that saw Delta trade landing slots at Washington’s Reagan National …

Theft of intellectual property.NDTV has joined the my “wall of shame” by stealing my picture of a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft VT-KAC and displaying it on a story sourced from Agence France Presse (AFP) without taking my permission or even acknowledging my intellectual property rights. The NDTV web page in question is here. A screen shot is posted just in case …

When Southwest Airlines announced the first firm order for the re-engined Boeing 737 MAX on Wedenesday, it represented the latest in a series of back and forths between Boeing and Airbus regarding their re-engine programs of the 737NG and Airbus A320 family respectively. Earlier this year, speaking at the Credit Suisse Aerospace Conference, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer – Customers, John …

It is official. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Kingfisher Airlines will become the first carrier from South Asia to become part of a global airline alliance when it joins oneworld® on Friday, February 10, 2012. The oneworld alliance consists of American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, and S7 …

American airframer Boeing delivered its 7,000th Boeing 737 today, a B737-800 to flydubai, a fast growing low cost carrier based in Dubai. The 737-800 will be equipped with the brand new Boeing Sky Interior, and will be the 21st Boeing 737-800 in flydubai’s fleet, with 30 more on order. According to Boeing, “The 737 is the most produced large commercial …

From the photo site of Lockheed Martin. Number six of the six C-130J Super Hercules ordered by India, under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, departed Marietta, Ga. on December 15, 2011. This aircraft, like its five predecessors, was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. A photo of tail number KC-3801. Click on the image for the high resolution …

Building an aircraft is the ultimately symphony of supply chain operations, bringing together millions of parts to the right place, at the right time, all the time. So please enjoy these videos of one of the world’s most popular aircraft being assembled. Have a great weekend.

Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Airways has released details of its new premium economy class and economy class seats which will be progressively introduced on its long-haul flights from March 2012 for operational commencement from April 2012 onwards. Unfortunately the carrier is not releasing pictures of the new cabin till next year. With the carrier intending a clear differentiation between …

The growing popularity of web, kiosk and mobile check-in has almost doubled passenger self-service check-in at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai over the year, up from 36% to 65%. The 2011 SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey found that the web check-in rate was higher in Mumbai than at any of the other airports included in the survey. 70% …

Earlier today, Boeing released the first images of the first Boeing 787 destined for Japan Airlines. From the Boeing press release: The first Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner to enter service for Japan Airlines (JAL) rolled out of the paint hangar last night. The airplane’s livery features the iconic new brand mark on its tail and underscores the airline’s commitment …

The ‘making of’ video shows 13 of Ryanair’s hottest cabin crew on location during the calendar photo-shoot in Lanzarote last September for its 2012 Ryanair Cabin Crew Charity Calendar. The video has been made in a 1940’s theme with sepia effects. Ryanair has succeeded in selling 9,000 of targeted 10,000 copies of the calendar, which are available online at www.ryanair.com …