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ANA to buy 8.8% stake in Vietnam Airlines

Move over, James Bond and Iron Man, here comes my jetpack …

Who hasn’t wished at one time or another for a jetpack? Ever since James Bond used one in Thunderball in 1965, they have been a talisman of the hi-tech future. In every decade since, jetpacks have threatened to lift off. The world watched during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Oly...

January 10, 1990: The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 First Flight

On January 10, 1990 the first McDonnell Douglas MD-11 took off to the skies. Praised by enthusiasts and passengers, crews had mixed feelings about the trijet and operators somewhat despised it. From the beginning, the aircraft failed to deliver on its fuel burn and range promises. A PIP (p...

Niki Lauda to return to aviation through Amira Air

Veteran Formula 1 driver and aviation pioneer Niki Lauda is set to return to the airline industry following his acquisition of Amira Air (Vienna) late last year. Lauda told Die Presse newspaper that he had acquired the Austrian VIP/business charter operator from former owner Ronny Pecik but did not disclose either the terms or the value of the deal. Founded in 2004, Amira Air currently opera...

OPINION: What accident statistics don't tell us

With 2015 having proven – at least conditionally – to be the safest year on record for airline passenger transport operations, the inquiry into the Tatarstan 737 crash at Kazanis a reminder that such statistics are, to some extent, still dependent on good fortune. Investigators frequently use the ‘Swiss cheese’ model to illustrate the manner in which weak elements c...

New Aviation and Science Museum in Istanbul

The new Aviation and Science Museum is located in Yeşilköy district, south-west of Istanbul in the same area where Ataturk International Airport is located and where the old aviation museum reside. An area where no horizontal boundaries could be found, only vertical boundaries (strict ones posed by air-traffic control from the nearby airport) and an ill-defined site that expands in all direct...

Corrosion warning for Bell 429 operators

Operators of Bell 429 helicopters have been instructed to conduct urgent inspections of a tail rotor component after an investigation revealed a potentially dangerous manufacturing defect. In an emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) effective from 19 January, certification agency Transport Canada warns that corrosion on the part could lead to its failure and subsequent loss of control of the...

Chinese drone maker unveils human-carrying drone

Chinese drone maker Ehang Inc. on Wednesday unveiled what it calls the world's first drone capable of carrying a human passenger. The Guangzhou, China-based company pulled the cloth off the Ehang 184 at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the CES gadget show. In a company video showing it flying, it looks like a small helicopter but with four doubled propellers spinning parallel to the g...

Airbus introduces a system to jam drones out of the sky

For every cheap flying robot, there is an elaborate, expensive system to counter it. The latest anti-drone tool comes from European aerospace and defense giant Airbus, and promises a high-tech solution to small flying robots. They’re showing off the system at the Consumer Electronics Exposition in Las Vegas, though no word yet on if they’ve caused any nearby drones to crash. From Ai...

André Turcat, Concorde pilot - obituary

André Turcat, who has died aged 94, was the chief test pilot for the Concorde programme and was at the controls of the supersonic airliner on its first flight; a few weeks later he took the jet through the sound barrier for the first time. The idea of a supersonic transport (SST) was first conceived in the late 1950s and led to an Anglo-French agreement to develop an airliner – Con...

Qantas plane flies with an extra engine on the wing

You've probably never thought too much about how to quickly transport a 10-tonne plane engine, but Qantas has the answer. Just strap it to the wing of a Boeing 747. Qantas Flight 63 took off from Sydney with an extra Rolls Royce turbofan attached to the left wing between an inner engine and the plane's body. The engine was not powered; it just came along for the ride to Johannesburg,...

Boeing Achieves Record Commercial Airplanes Deliveries in 2015

Boeing delivered 762 commercial airplanes in 2015, 39 more than the previous year and most ever for the company as it enters its centennial year. “The Boeing team has worked hard to achieve strong performance,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. “Our team did a fantastic job achieving higher deliveries and getting our products to our custo...

BOC Aviation orders 30 more A320s

BOC Aviation has announced an additional order for 18 A320neo and 12 A320ceo family aircraft. The lessor says in a statement that the order was placed in late December 2015, and will help it to fulfil customer demand. “This order underscores our continued confidence in the reliability and operational efficiency of the A320 family aircraft, and reflects its popularity among our customer...

Dassault Falcon Sales, Deliveries Drop in 2015

Dassault Falcon sales declined by 72 percent last year compared with 2014, according to preliminary numbers released today by the French aircraft manufacturer. In 2015, Dassault reported 45 gross Falcon sales, but a NetJets cancellation of 20 Falcon 2000s brought the net tally to just 25 aircraft. The previous year totaled 90 net Falcon orders. For 2015, Dassault cited “the economic...

JetPack Aviation And Airwolf 3D Team Up To 3D Print JetPacks

Airwolf 3D and JetPack Aviation have joined forces to create a number 3D-printed JetPack components. According to JetPack Aviation, a JetPack should be able to handle vertical take-off and landing, but it should also be lightweight and compact. The JetPack that the team has created is small enough to fit into the trunk of a car and can carry the pilot thousands of feet into the air. In fact,...

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Boeing and Icelease sign deal for up to three 767-300 converted freighters

Boeing and Icelease have signed an agreement for one 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF), with options for up to two additional aircraft, as the Icelandic lessor continues to expand its dedicated...

From fryer to flyer: converting used cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel

Sustainable Aviation Fuel often begins its journey in an unexpected place: the restaurant deep fryer. Through a long-term partnership, Phillips 66 and Restaurant Technologies, Inc....

Riga Airport seeks strategic investors for new aircraft maintenance centre

RIX Riga Airport has launched a tender process to attract investors for the development of new aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, advancing its ambitions to become a major avia...

Greece orders up to six Embraer KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft

The Hellenic Ministry of National Defense has signed an agreement for the acquisition of three Embraer KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft, with options for three additional units. The deal was c...

New IADA-ASA partnership enhances aircraft appraisal education across the industry

The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) and the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) have formed a new educational partnership aimed at expanding professional develop...

Rolls-Royce launches transformational jet engine technology programme to drive economic growth and advanced manufacturing

The UK Government and Rolls-Royce have unveiled plans for a joint £2.5 billion, 10-year research and technology programme aimed at advancing next-generation gas turbine technologies fo...

Emirates expands Premium Economy to Durban with deployment of A350

Emirates will introduce its Airbus A350 on the daily EK775/776 service between Dubai and Durban from 1 March 2027, extending its Premium Economy offering to all three of its South African destina...

Unifi Aviation brings professional aircraft cleaning and detailing services to Jersey

Unifi Aviation, part of Unifi LLC, has strengthened its presence in Europe with the launch of Unifi Aviation Jersey, bringing premium aircraft detailing and cleaning services to business aviation...

De Havilland Canada expands Canadair 515 production following strategic agreement

De Havilland Canada has announced a landmark agreement with the Government of Canada and Export Development Canada (EDC) that will enable the manufacturer to significantly expand p...

Boeing and Lufthansa Technik extend strategic tailored parts agreement

Boeing and Lufthansa Technik have extended their long-standing Tailored Parts Package agreement, reinforcing a partnership aimed at enhancing parts availability, simplifying supply...

Boeing predicts air cargo boom will push global freighter fleet beyond 4,000 aircraft by 2045

Boeing forecasts that global air cargo traffic will double over the next two decades, driving the worldwide freighter fleet beyond 4,000 aircraft by 2045, according to its 2026 World Air Car...

Joby brings future air mobility to Florida with eVTOL air taxi demonstration

Joby Aviation has launched a week-long series of piloted electric air taxi demonstration flights across Florida, with its eVTOL aircraft operating in Tampa, Orlando, and along the Space Coast. Th...

Airbus Corporate Jets research reveals growing government demand for business aviation

  According to Airbus Corporate Jets’ latest industry insight, based on feedback from 280 business aviation financiers and brokers globally, governments and public sector organisations a...

MEBAA Show 2026 highlights growing demand for inflight connectivity as business aviation priorities evolve

As demand for seamless onboard connectivity continues to grow, aircraft owners and operators are placing increasing emphasis on selecting connectivity solutions that align with their operational needs...

Qantas Group strengthens regional network with strategic turboprop fleet investment

  Qantas has announced a major investment in its De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop fleet, reinforcing its long-term commitment to maintaining reliable air links across regional Australia. As part...

Daher highlights growing role of Kodiak and TBM Aircraft in wildfire response operations

From the forests of Canada and the Pacific Northwest to the fire-prone landscapes of Florida, Daher Aircraft’s Kodiak and TBM platforms are playing an increasingly critical role in wildfire resp...

Jet Excellence upgrades Citation X fleet with Gogo Galileo HDX connectivity

Jet Excellence, a leading U.S. charter operator, will retrofit its entire fleet of Cessna Citation X aircraft with the advanced Gogo Galileo HDX connectivity solution. To support the fleet-w...

Embraer and Austrian Airlines strengthen E-Jets fleet support with new component pool agreement

Embraer and Austrian Airlines have signed a Component Pool Program agreement to support the carrier’s fleet of 13 E195 aircraft. Under the agreement, Austrian Airlines will gain access to Embrae...

Archer and ITA Airways drive forward vision for sustainable air taxi travel in Italy

Archer Aviation Inc. and ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier and a member of the Lufthansa Group, have entered into a strategic partnership to advance the deployment of an all-e...

Airbus and Air France-KLM finalize joint venture for A350 component support

Airbus has launched Alpha Component Solutions, a 50:50 joint venture with Air France dedicated to delivering comprehensive A350 component support services. Jointly operated by Airbus and Air Fran...

Boston MedFlight expands critical care air transport fleet with order for three Airbus H145 helicopters

Boston MedFlight, the internationally recognized nonprofit provider of critical care transport services, has signed an agreement with Airbus Helicopters for three new H145 helicopt...

Embraer appoints FL Technics as authorized E-Jet service center in Lithuania

Embraer has appointed FL Technics as an Embraer Authorized Service Center (EASC) for its commercial aircraft fleet in Lithuania. The designation covers the E170 and E190 aircraft, further strengt...

ALSIM and ADMAL Flying Academy reinforce pilot training excellence in Malaysia with AL250 simulator

ALSIM is supporting the advancement of pilot training in Malaysia through ADMAL Flying Academy’s acquisition of an AL250 simulator. The addition of the device will enhance the academy’s Co...

FL Technics Indonesia secures EASA approval for Bali hangar, expanding European fleet maintenance capabilities

FL Technics Indonesia has successfully obtained EASA Part-145 certification for its Bali maintenance facility, authorising the company to perform maintenance on aircraft registered within the European...

The best (and cheapest) ways to buy Avios points

What’s the point of buying Avios? You might think that Avios points are the frequent flyer currency of British Airways, and you’re not wrong. The airline launched the currency back in t...