Bomb scare grounds Air India jet

An Air India flight carrying more than 150 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday after authorities received a bomb threat against the aircraft.

The Airbus A320 aircraft was en route from Kochi to New Delhi when an “unspecified call” was made to Kochi Airport about a bomb threat, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI). The flight was re-routed and forced to make an emergency landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.

The PTI reported Kamal Pant of the local police force as saying that the aircraft was searched at Bengaluru but no explosives were found.

“Nothing was found. All the baggages [sic] were searched thoroughly and the plane was cleared of any bomb or explosive material,” Pant was quoted saying.

The threat reportedly came from one of the relatives of a passenger on the aircraft, who told Kochi Airport officials that a bomb could be on board the aircraft.

The aircraft was carrying 164 passengers and crew.

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Airbus hiring non-destructive testing technicians for A320 final assembly line in Mobile

Airbus Americas is seeking two non-destructive testing technicians for its A320 final assembly line under construction at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.

NDT Technicians are responsible for examining and testing materials and components to ensure proper performance and reliability using testing processes that do not damage the structure of the object being tested.

Starting pay for the hourly position ranges from $24.50 to $41.75 depending on skills, experience and education.

The positions require a minimum of nine months training abroad and an associate's degree in aviation, mechanical or electrical engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience using testing equipment is preferred. 

Among other qualifications, candidates should have at least three years of experience in setting up and conducting tests on parts and materials as well as analyzing and reporting on their findings. 

The aircraft manufacturer also continues to seek structural liaison engineers for the Mobile facility. 

Airbus is currently building its first A320 assembly line on U.S. soil at Mobile Aeroplex, expected to figure prominently in the company’s ability to efficiently fill the mounting backlog for the popular single-aisle aircraft. The $600 million facilityis slated to come online in 2015, deliver its first Mobile-assembled aircraft the following year and employ about 1,000 people when it reaches full annual production of 40 to 50 aircraft by 2018.

The Alabama Industrial Development Training program, Airbus' employment partner,  oversees all employment postings and pre-employment training for the A320 final assembly line in Mobile. For a complete list of available positions associated with the Mobile project as they become available, check the AIDT website regularly.

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Southwest 737 wingtip strikes JetBlue A320 at Boston Logan

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 collided with a JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 at Boston Logan airport today while it was pushing back from its gate. The Southwest 737 was departing for a flight to Kansas City. While pushing back, its wingtip struck and damaged the right horizontal stabiliser of the JetBlue A320, which was parked at a neighbouring gate.

There were no passengers or crew on board the A320, registration N643, says JetBlue.

No one was injured in the incident, says Southwest. "The aircraft is out of service for repairs and inspections," it adds. There were 108 passengers on the Southwest 737, who are being re-accommodated on other flights for their journey to Kansas City.

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Airbus plans to make more A320 jets

Airbus is studying further increases in production of its best-selling A320 jet family from 2018 after reaching a targeted level of 46 a month in 2016, the chief executive of parent Airbus Group said yesterday.

Each month, Airbus currently produces 42 of the narrowbody jets, which compete with the Boeing 737.

It plans to make a transition to an upgraded A320neo version between 2016 and 2018, after which it will consider further output increases, Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders told shareholders.

The A320neo project is on track, as is the A350, the company's latest wide-body jet which is due to be delivered as scheduled this year, Enders told the annual meeting of Europe's largest aerospace group.

He said the A350 was entering a "red hot phase," in which efforts to ramp up production coincide with last-minute changes.

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Aeroflot expands fleet with new A320 and its ninth full-specification Sukhoi Superjet 100

Aeroflot has taken delivery of its new A320 fitted with state-of-the-art aerodynamic Sharklets wing-tips. The aircraft has been named in honour of Soviet military commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Georgy Zhukov.

Today, Aeroflot’s fleet includes 99 A319/320/321 family aircraft with an average age of 4.7 years. All A320 aircraft are delivered to Aeroflot directly from the manufacturer. The new A320 Georgy Zhukov is equipped with CFM56 engines and can accommodate 158 passengers in a spacious two-class configuration (8 seats in business and 150 in economy). These aircraft provide services primarily on European and domestic routes. Aeroflot is one of the world’s leading airlines in terms of operational reliability and actual hours flown per A320 aircraft.

A320 airplanes meet the highest reliability, safety and comfort standards and are considered one of the best aircraft available for medium-range flights.

Aeroflot Expands Fleet with New SSJ-100

Also, Aeroflot has taken delivery of its ninth full-specification Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100). The plane has been named in honour of Georgy Benkunsky, a Soviet pilot and veteran of World War II.

The new SSJ-100 (registration number RA-89025) has been transferred to Aeroflot under a financial lease from VEB Leasing. The aircraft can accommodate 87 passengers in a spacious dual-class configuration (12 seats in business and 75 in economy), and has a range of 2,400 km.

The SSJ-100 is a next-generation regional jet developed and produced by Sukhoi Company in collaboration with Alenia Aeronautica. The SSJ-100 made its first flight on 19 May 2008, and received certification from the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC AR) in January 2011.

New aircraft form part of Aeroflot’s strategy to expand its route network and strengthen its leadership in the domestic air transport market. SSJ-100 jets are an important part of Aeroflot’s fleet, which is among Europe’s most modern and technologically advanced. The total order for SSJ-100 stands at 30 aircraft. - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/60530#sthash.iOeXzjrv.dpuf

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JetBlue Airways Introduces the Binary Code Livery

Award-winning JetBlue Airways today introduced its newest custom livery, 'Binary Code,' to celebrate its Fly-Fi service, which delivers broadband Internet in the sky. This one-of-a-kind livery joins JetBlue's fleet on the newly re-christened Airbus 320, "CONNECTED TO 01000010 01001100 01010101 01000101" (N709JB).

In December, JetBlue partnered with LiveTV and satellite provider ViaSat to bring Fly-Fi to life. Just six months later, nearly one third of JetBlue's Airbus 320 aircraft are equipped with Fly-Fi, and the service is being added at an average rate of 10 aircraft per month. JetBlue's Fly-Fi Ka-band satellite connectivity, powered by ViaSat's Exede Internet, is eight times faster than older, slower inflight connections offered by other U.S. airlines.

"This beauty of a plane truly represents the pride we have in providing our game-changing Fly-Fi service," said Jamie Perry, Director of Product Development at JetBlue. "We recently saw a record 136 connected devices on one of our flights -- all enjoying a great high-speed connection. We've never seen anything like that from other inflight Wi-Fi products!"

"It is great to see JetBlue showcasing its industry leading internet product," said Glenn Latta, President of LiveTV. "JetBlue gave us the challenge of creating one of the industry's best internet experience and we're proud to have delivered a solution that, combined with our live television offering, is a truly 'At Home in the Air' experience."

"JetBlue always seems to add something special to whatever they do and this creative design is another example," said Don Buchman, VP Exede Mobility, "We appreciate JetBlue highlighting our Exede Internet consumer network that powers Fly-Fi, which is how passengers get the same great satellite Internet in-flight as they can at home."

"CONNECTED TO 01000010 01001100 01010101 01000101" rejoins JetBlue's fleet of 196 aircraft and can be spotted flying throughout JetBlue's route network, providing customers with the next-generation of inflight Wi-Fi.

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British Airways unveils new flight simulator

British Airways has powered up its newest flight simulator, taking the number used by the airline to train its pilots to 18 – the highest ever. 

The new addition, a full-motion Airbus A320 simulator, features the latest in flight training technology, allowing pilot instructors to link their iPads to the simulator to control each training session.

British Airways’ head of flight technical and training, Captain David Thomas, said: “We’re proud to continue to provide our pilots with cutting-edge technology to train on.

“We have a long history of training our own pilots using flight simulators, which has seen huge technological advances over the decades.

“With additions like this new A320 simulator, we can continue to set the highest standards in flight safety and training that our customers expect from British Airways.”

The simulator will be used to train some of British Airways’ 3,600 pilots who fly any of the A320 family of aircraft – serving domestic and European destinations on the airline’s network. The investment in the new simulator reflects increased demand following the airline’s introduction of new A320s, A380s, 787s and 777-300s.

British Airways’ pilot numbers have also been increasing following the success of the airline’s pilot cadet scheme, now in its third year. The programme sees newly trained pilots start their British Airways flying career on its A320 fleet. The new A320 simulator is part of the company’s £5bn investment in new products and technology to provide the best possible flying experience for British Airways’ customers.

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Airbus Plans 186-Seat A320

Airbus has started working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to have its A320 recertified for a maximum load of 186 passengers, Aviation Week has learned. Airlines are currently allowed to fly the aircraft with a maximum of 180 seats, but Airbus would like to add an extra row to further increase efficiency. The manufacturer officially says that the 186-seat configuration is “one of the things we are looking at among others,” but EASA confirms that “the process for this significant modification has started” without providing details.

The move was triggered by Airbus’ win of the Vueling fleet order last August. The low-cost carrier, a subsidiary of International Airlines Group (IAG), placed a firm order for 30 A320s and 32 A320neos. The deal also included options for 58 more aircraft that could go to Vueling and an additional 100 A320neos that could end up at any of the IAG Group’s carriers – Vueling, British Airways or Iberia. The aircraft on firm order are to be delivered between 2015 and 2020.

According to industry sources, one key element for Airbus to be able to win the Vueling order was the promise to be able to fit 186 seats in the cabin. Airbus has done some significant interior redesign work and has more in the works. Many airlines have either already installed or are in the process of installing slim backrest seats that allow the airlines to reduce pitch and gain space for several more seat rows. Also, as part of the Spaceflex concept, airlines can opt to move the rear lavatories to immediately in front of the rear pressure bulkhead if they accept a smaller galley at the same time. That way, another row of seats can be added.

The A320 was originally designed for and has typically been flown in a 150-seat configuration in the past, but airlines have been looking for ways to expand capacity. Neither Airbus nor EASA will say exactly what is needed to change the certification. But it is unlikely that Airbus would have to prove that the aircraft still complies with emergency evacuation limits by doing another actual evacuation test. In past cases, computer modeling has been accepted as sufficient. The move to 186 seats is likely to trigger other changes, too. Airbus is looking at installing movable bins that would be aimed at increasing overhead storage space. The cabin work is not limited to the neo, but modifications would also be available on the current standard A320s.

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Air Serbia leases third A320

Air Serbia has leased a third Airbus A320 for the summer season, the airline has confirmed. The Serbian carrier has leased two former Jetstar Airways A320s and a Bingo Airways aircraft of the same type. 

The additional A320 is being leased as a result of the late arrival of the A319s, which have been delayed due to bureaucratic procedures. The first A320

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