Bipartisan legislation has been unanimously approved by a U.S. House of Representatives committee to reform the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aircraft certification procedures after the fatal crashes of a Lion Air 737 MAX and Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX jet, killing all passengers and crew on board in both instances. The beleaguered jet has been grounded
The International Air Transport Association has downgraded its 2020 traffic forecast from down 63% to down 66% when compared to 2019 traffic volume on the back of poor August figures that have reflected a weaker-than expected recovery from the effects of the global pandemic. August revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) were down 75.3% when compared to
SAMAD aerospace, the British hybrid electric VTOL aviation company, is launching its concept for Q-Starling, a high-end Personal Air Vehicle (PAV). With an innovative modern design taking elements from both fast jets and VTOL aircraft, the Q- Starling represents a new pinnacle in future sustainable aircraft design. Combining the benefits of traditional flight with VTOL
There is optimism at Boeing that its beleaguered 737 MAX may obtain its certification of airworthiness by November and enter back into service by the end of the year. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is due to conduct an evaluation flight this week, with Chief Steve Dickson at the controls. Previously a commercial pilot, Dickson
Rolls-Royce’s aerospace division has announced the completion of ground testing for the U.K.-government-backed ACCEL program – ACCEL being short for ‘Accelerating the Electrification of Flight – for its 500hp electric powertrain ‘ionBird’. The engine will be used early next year in an attempt to break world speed records in its ‘Spirit of Innovation’ plane which
Talking on French radio station RTL, Guillaume Faury, CEO of Europe’s Airbus, the world’s largest commercial plane manufacturer, confirmed that the company cannot guarantee there will be no compulsory redundancies as it struggles to deal with the fallout from a continuation of the global pandemic. As many airlines are only operating at a fraction of
LCI, a leading helicopter lessor and the aviation division of the Libra Group, and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited (SMFL) have agreed to establish and operate a joint venture helicopter leasing business. The vehicle has launched with the initial acquisition of 19 next-generation helicopters with a value of US$230 million. SMFL and LCI
The resurgence of the coronavirus across parts of Europe has further hit airlines as long-haul routes and business travel remain stagnant. Germany’s Lufthansa has been particularly hard hit through its particular reliance on demand for Asian flights and now anticipates operating at between 20% and 30% capacity for the fourth quarter of the year. As
Rolls-Royce, the British jet engine manufacturer, has announced its intention to raise approximately £2.5 billion in an attempt to strengthen its balance sheet as the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic affect demand both for jet engines and ancillary services. One of the options being considered by the company is a rights issue, though debt
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines (Delta) has announced it is to raise US$9.0 billion, up from a previous estimate of US$6.5 billion, through a series of bonds and loans which will be backed by its SkyMiles loyalty program. The carrier is currently burning through US$27 million on a daily basis and the capital is being raised
