Boeing Powered With “Green Diesel”?

The world’s first flight powered with a “green diesel” hybrid jet fuel was recently successfully completed by Boeing, according to a recent press statement. This first test flight was completed using the company’s ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane, and a 15% green-diesel/85% petroleum jet-fuel mix (in the left engine). The “green diesel” used in the hybrid fuel is currently widely available, and utilized in many places in ground transportation...

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Norway set to receive first drag-chute equipped F-35

When Norway’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35As comes online in 2015, there will be little to distinguish them from jets belonging to the United States and other programme partners. That will change after 2017, when the Scandinavian nation will be the first to receive a modular kit to equip its jets with drag chutes that help the aircraft land on icy Arctic runways. The chute, which the Netherlands and Canada also are eyeing as a modification...

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What has the aviation industry learned from Flight MH370?

More than five months after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar screens, there is still no trace of the passenger jet. DW examines what is being done to prevent such an incident from happening again. The fate of Flight MH370 has been shrouded in mystery ever since the Boeing 777 left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing in the early morning hours of March 8 with 239 people on board. While satellite data suggest the aircraft crashed in the...

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Southwest jet makes emergency landing after tire blows on takeoff

A Southwest Airlines Co. plane made an emergency landing on Friday at Dallas Love Field after it blew a tire on take-off. CBS 11 reported that there were no injuries in the incident. There were 125 passengers aboard the plane that was bound for Austin. The Boeing 737 circled Love Field while air traffic controllers and ground crews visually inspecte the plane for any damage before it returned to the runway, CBS 11 sai...

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US Airways retires its last Boeing 737-400

US Airways has retired the last 737 from its pre-merger fleet. The "Classic" 737-400 model made its final revenue flights for the carrier on Tuesday, FlightGlobal.com reports. The aircraft – tail number N435US – flew from Charlotte to Dallas/Fort Worth to Philadelphia before returning to Charlotte on its final passenger flight for the carrier. The flights operated as US Airways Flight 737. Piedmont Airlines, which ultimately merged with...

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Malaysia Airlines alleged sex attack victim speaks out in Sunday Night exclusive

AN Australian woman has spoken out about her alleged sexual assault on board a Malaysia Airlines flight earlier this month. The 26-year-old alleged victim will tell her story on Seven’s Sunday Night this weekend, as well as showing chilling footage taken from her phone during the reported attack. The woman, known only as Laura, claims she was assaulted by the chief steward on flight MH20 from Kuala Lumpur to Paris, August 4. “I couldn’t...

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What’s the magic date for summer travel?

At the end of every summer vacation season, there's a magic date to fly. It varies from year to year but this year it falls on Aug. 25.  Here's what makes the magic date so special, and why you should take full advantage of it. 1. It's cheap. Reuters As far as the airlines are concerned, August 24 is the last day of summer. The magic begins with big discounts to mark the start of the fall season on Aug. 25. By that date,...

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Chinese pilots told to ditch regional accents

Strong regional accents have long been a handicap in class-ridden Britain. Now pilots in communist China face ejection from the cockpit if their accents fail to pass muster. Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass. The CAAC communicated...

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EasyJet Transitions to Paperless Cockpits

British carrier EasyJet has opted to move toward paperless cockpit operations by eliminating traditional paper-based navigation charts in favor of digital ones — reducing fuel and paper costs to the airline. At the end of May 2014, the airline switched to Lido/eRouteManual cockpit solutions as well as the Lido/iRouteManual and Lido/Enroute apps. The low cost airline now relies solely on the Lufthansa Systems’ aeronautical solutions for flight...

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Suspected windshield crack grounds Air India’s B787

Air India’s woes with the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet continued on Thursday with the Delhi-Kolkata flight returning to the capital after a suspected windshield crack. The aircraft was over Lucknow when the captain suspected that the windshield had cracked and decided to turn back. Kolkata-bound passengers were transferred to another Air India aircraft and sent on their way a short while after they returned to Delhi. This is not the first...

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Airlines on Watch for Ash as Icelandic Volcano Rumbles

Airlines are on alert as one of Iceland’s biggest volcanoes rumbles to life, threatening ash clouds that could force flight cancellations across the North Atlantic, the busiest international travel market. Air France (AF), Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA), EasyJet Plc (EZJ) and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) are among carriers watching the Bardarbunga volcano. Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency began evacuating the area north...

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Chicago airports lacking in efficiency per new report

Looking for an airport that operates efficiently? Better not look at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Or Midway International Airport either. At least not right now. That's the unfortunate takeaway from the just-released 2014 ATRS Global Airport Benchmarking Report, compiled by a team of international aviation academics at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business. Each year the team examines data related...

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Hamas military warns international airlines of more airstrikes

The Hamas military warned of further rocket attacks on Israel's strategic interests, including Ben Gurion airport east of Tel Aviv, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, adding that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza had failed to kill its commander, Mohammed Deif. Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas' military wing, cautioned international airlines against flying into Israel starting Thursday, suggesting hostilities may continue....

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Chaos in Milos Airport due to Traffic Controller’s Sickness

At the peak of the tourist season, when a record number of tourists have arrived in Greece, an unexpected problem ruined the good image of the Greek island of Milos. On August 20, the morning flights from the island to Athens and vice-versa were cancelled because the only civil protection officer, who is also the air traffic controller of the airport, suffered low back pain and was transferred to Milos hospital. According...

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Some Air France Crews Won't Fly to Ebola-Hit Nations

Some Air France crews won't fly to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria -- the African nations hit hardest by the deadly Ebola virus. According to AFP, while some of Air France's employees have refused to fly to these countries, all of the airline's flights have had their usual number of crew members onboard. The Ebola outbreak is already the deadliest on record and has shown no signs of slowing. About 42.5 percent of Ebola deaths since the...

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