Tue.Aug 06, 2024

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Cathay Group orders 30 Airbus A330-900 aircraft, reports strong H1 2024 results

Aerotime

Cathay Group has ordered 30 Airbus A350-900 widebody aircraft as part of its initiative to refresh its mid-size widebody fleet. It also secured options for an additional 30 aircraft. This decision aims to update its fleet and expand operations on high-capacity regional routes while retaining the flexibility to serve longer-range destinations. The newly-ordered aircraft will replace Cathay’s older A340-300 models and will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

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Boeing's Starliner Undocking Software Issue Complicates NASA Astronauts' Return

Simple Flying

Concerns remain over Starliner's capability to safely undock from the International Space Station (ISS). Additionally, it has emerged that Starliner's flight software is not capable of undocking autonomously, raising the risk of losing the spacecraft entirely if it is not flown back manually. The ongoing complications will also likely delay the upcoming Crew-9 mission, which would launch into space over a month later than planned and possibly with just half its crew.

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Trending Sources

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LATAM to invest US$2 billion in Brazil within next two years 

Aerotime

LATAM Airlines Group announced on August 6, 2024, that it is planning to invest US$2 billion in Brazil within the next couple of years. The announcement was made following a meeting between the airline’s executive team, headed by its CEO Roberto Alvo, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This multi-billion-dollar investment will be spread out over many different products, technologies and services not yet detailed by the airline.

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How & Why Has Southwest Airlines Lobbied Against High-Speed Rail Over The Years?

Simple Flying

While the United States is well-connected through some of the longest and most comprehensive interstate highways, it lacks the rail system seen in other first-world countries. Nevertheless, many US airlines offer convenient and economical flights to almost every part of the country.

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Melbourne Airport to host carpark sleepout for homeless awareness, fund raising

Aerotime

Melbourne Airport is hosting a car park sleepout to raise awareness and funds for women and non-binary people experiencing or at risk of homelessness due to family violence. The sleepout is scheduled for September 5, 2024. The immersive campaign, called “Live Like Them Challenge”, invites participants to sleep in their cars for one night at the top level of the Terminal 4 car park to simulate a small part of the experience that thousands of people face every night.

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Tailwind Air Seaplane Service Officially Grounds All Operations

Simple Flying

On Friday, August 2, Tailwind Air officially announced that it had grounded its seaplane service. Tailwind Air famously operated a service from New York to Boston but with a unique twist. The charter company used amphibian planes to land directly in the Boston Harbor and at the New York Skyports Seaplane Base (NYS). However, the company was not profitable enough to continue service.

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Boeing and Spirit execs first to give evidence at NTSB door plug blowout hearing

Aerotime

The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) two-day investigative hearing into the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout on January 5, 2024, begins on August 6, 2024. While by no means the conclusion of the NTSB’s investigation into the accident, the hearing does represent a seminal moment in one of aviation’s most challenging events of recent times.

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More Trending

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Microsoft Discredits Delta In Blistering Letter

One Mile at a Time

Delta recently had a massive operational meltdown , whereby 7,000 flights were canceled, and even more flights were delayed. While that was a mess, I’d argue that the company’s recovery has been even worse, as Delta has done everything it can to avoid taking accountability. The Atlanta-based airline has vowed to sue CrowdStrike and Microsoft to recover the losses from this incident, which are expected to total around $500 million.

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Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Prepares For Massive Terminal C Rebuild

Simple Flying

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has started shutting down certain areas of Terminal C so that terminal renovations can begin. As part of the renovation and expansion, more than one million square feet will be updated.

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EARTHQUAKE: Fighter Pilot, Test Pilot, Leader. The Story of Brigadier General Robert F. Titus

Vintage Aviation News

By William B. Scott Chances are, you’ve never heard of him. But rarely has an American warrior’s life-story been as varied and engaging as that of Air Force Brigadier General Robert F. Titus. His 32-year military career launched when he joined the U.S. Army on his eighteenth birthday. At the first opportunity, he volunteered for Army paratrooper training, earned his jump wings and was preparing to drop into mainland Japan, when World War II ended.

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Frontier Airlines Is Giving Away 1 Million Frequent Flyer Miles

Simple Flying

US carrier Frontier Airlines is the latest airline to give away one million frequent flyer miles this summer. The carrier is looking to turn one of its loyalty program winners into a "Miles Millionaire!" as it launches the sweepstakes in conjunction with a sale of two million seats.

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Which Airlines Release Last Minute Award Space?

One Mile at a Time

One of my best tips to redeeming miles & points for premium travel is to book last minute. Airlines often release first and business class award space as the departure date approaches. A reader recently asked me if I could recap which airlines often release last minute award space, so that’s what I wanted to do in this post. Why airlines release last minute award space Before I talk about airlines that release award space at the last minute, let’s first talk about why airlines release award

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Up To 9h 20m A Look At The Airbus A321XLRs First 2 Routes

Simple Flying

Following EASA certification, the long-awaited first passenger flight on the Airbus A321XLR is fast approaching. For now, at least, it will be between Madrid and Boston in mid-November, operated by Iberia. The Spanish carrier replaced fellow IAG member Aer Lingus as the XLR launch customer following a pilot pay dispute.

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American & Hyatt Offering Status Fast Track Promo

One Mile at a Time

American AAdvantage and World of Hyatt have a partnership that offers reciprocal perks. This offers some consistent benefits, and we also sometimes see reciprocal status fast track opportunities. We’ve just seen a new reciprocal status opportunity introduced, giving American elites access to a Hyatt fast track, and giving Hyatt elites access to an American fast track.

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Throwback: The Allegiant Flight That Broke A Temporary Flight Restriction To Make An Emergency Landing

Simple Flying

In July 2015, an Allegiant Air flight made headlines for breaking a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) to make an emergency landing at a closed airport with concerningly low fuel levelsa decision that would subsequently spark widespread concerns about the airlines safety practices and operational decision-making.

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Cathay Pacific Orders 30 Airbus A330-900neos

One Mile at a Time

Cathay Pacific has just announced a substantial aircraft order , which will see the airline refresh part of its A330 fleet… Cathay Group modernizing A330 fleet with A330-900neos Cathay Pacific has just placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. This follows an evaluation of the carrier’s mid-size wide body fleet renewal program, and it will enable Cathay Pacific to modernize its earlier generation A330-300 fleet, and expand its operations on high capacity regional routes.

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Baggage Fees & Seat Selection At Sun Country Airlines: Everything You Need To Know

Simple Flying

Navigating the world of air travel can often feel overwhelming, especially when understanding baggage and seat selection fees. Sun Country Airlines, a low-cost carrier based in Minnesota, offers travelers affordable flight options. Still, like many budget airlines, it has a variety of fees that can add up quickly.

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Ritz-Carlton Oahu Turtle Bay Resort Now Open

One Mile at a Time

Several weeks ago, we learned how one of Oahu’s more luxurious hotels would become a Ritz-Carlton, which is great for those looking to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points. There’s now a major update, as this property has now been reflagged as a Ritz-Carlton, so we now have a sense of what pricing is like (in both cash and points). Turtle Bay Resort Oahu sold, rebranded as Ritz-Carlton Host Hotels & Resorts, which is the largest lodging real estate investment trust in the United States, ha

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How Far Can the Cirrus Vision Jet Fly?

Simple Flying

The Cirrus Vision Jet, or the Cirrus Vision SF50 as it is sometimes known, is a single-engine, very light jet made by Cirrus Aircraft in the US. This distinctive aircraft with unique features has become very popular in recent years, especially with private owners. So, how far can it fly? Let's find out more.

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Redeem Alaska Mileage Plan Miles On Starlux Airlines

One Mile at a Time

In 2023, we saw Alaska Airlines and Starlux Airlines launch a partnership , coinciding with the Taiwanese carrier commencing service to the United States. As many may recall, award availability was exceptional when the partnership launched… for about a day. Starlux had virtually endless award availability, though the floodgates were closed very quickly, as I imagine the airline wasn’t anticipating the level of demand that we saw.

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EASA Certifies Airbus A321XLR LEAP-1A Engines

Simple Flying

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has officially added one of the engine options for the Airbus A321XLR to the LEAP-1As certificate in the latest revision of the document.

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Lufthansa’s Punitive Economy Light Seat Assignment Policy

One Mile at a Time

The Lufthansa Group’s Economy Light fares on long haul flights are getting even more punitive, so this is definitely something to be aware of if booking one of these tickets… Lufthansa’s Economy Light seat amendment fee Lufthansa’s Economy Light fares don’t include seat assignments in advance. Up until mid-2022, it was possible to select a seat of your choice (from the remaining unoccupied ones) at the time of check-in when booking these fares.

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Alaskan Hub: Which Carriers Offer The Most Available Seat Miles From Anchorage Airport?

Simple Flying

Since its opening in 1953, Anchorage International Airport (ANC) has played a pivotal role in Alaska's development. Over the years, the airport has served as a critical hub for passenger traffic and cargo transport.

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Royal Jordanian Oneworld Status Match Opportunity

One Mile at a Time

Royal Jordanian, a oneworld member airline, has a lucrative status match opportunity , which could be a great way to get oneworld Sapphire benefits. While this promotion has been live for some time, there’s now an update, as Royal Jordanian has expanded this to also match status from hotels, and not just airlines. I don’t want to bury the lede, though — this has geographic restrictions, and it’s not open to those in the United States.

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Britain's Piston Engined Transatlantic Hope: The Story Of The Bristol Brabazon

Simple Flying

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the UK's Brabazon Committee was assigned to manage Britain's post-war commercial aircraft production. Starting behind American manufacturers, which had gained an early start with long-range military transports, UK plane makers were stuck with a handful of short-range bombers.

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United to Phase Out Inflight Print Magazine

Airline Geeks

United is reportedly phasing out the print version of its inflight magazine, becoming the last legacy U.S. carrier to offer the onboard reading material.

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United Airlines Starts Contract Negotiations With Union Covering Maintenance Workers

Simple Flying

United Airlines has entered negotiations with labor union regarding a new contract covering thousands of maintenance workers around the country. The airline has posted profit in recent months, and workers want that to be reflected in their salaries and other benefits as well.

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Non-Certificated Instructor Faces Manslaughter Charge In Student’s Death

AV Web

A flight instructor who flew students for almost a year after surrendering his certificate has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the crash that killed one of those students. ABC News is reporting Phillip Everton McPherson II, 36, of Haddon Township, New Jersey is facing the charge after the Piper Arrow he and the 49-year-old student, identified only as K.K., crashed and caught fire shortly after takeoff from Queen City Airport in Allentown on Sept. 28, 2022.

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The Planes That Never Were: Examining History's Most Ambitious But Unsuccessful Aircraft Designs

Simple Flying

After years of experimentation with aircraft designs, the industry has somewhat settled on what a commercial airliner looks like today: a long fuselage with low wings, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, wing-mounted engines, and tricycle-style landing gear. Similarly, combat jets have settled on a conventional design with highly swept delta wings, pointed noses, and engines with afterburners.

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Delta Connection’s Single CRJ-200

Airline Geeks

The 50-seat CRJ-200, one of the most unanimously hated aircraft in the skies today, is still flying within the Delta network after its late 2023 retirement.

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What Does Airbus Do In Alabama?

Simple Flying

The European aircraft manufacturing giant, Airbus , operates a one-million-square-foot final assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. Spanned over 53 acres of flatland, it is the companys only manufacturing hub in the western hemisphere.

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Merlin Tests Autonomous Controls On KC-135

AV Web

Robotics company Merlin says it has flown the first three flights in its autonomous control program on the KC-135. The flights were conducted at the Pittsburgh Air National Guard Base under a waiver from the Air Force. Merlin has contracts to develop autonomous flight systems for several Air Force platforms and the 1960s-era tankers are the first in line.

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Bravery In The Skies: Clark Gable's Service As A WWII Boeing B-17 Gunner

Simple Flying

Clark Gable was at the height of his fame as an actor, when he decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps. Braving the deadly skies over Germany, this actor-turned-airman set a sterling example of courage, selflessness, and duty to the country for his countrymen to emulate.

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A Thousand F-35s and Counting

Aviation News

With a global fleet of more than 1,000 F-35s, the program has reached a new level of size and strength, fundamentally transforming the way allied forces train, operate and dominate the skies, together.

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French bee To Bring Very High Capacity 480-Seat Airbus A350-1000s To Newark

Simple Flying

French bee is a low-cost, long-haul airline. It only has six aircraft: four A350-900s and, the subject of this article, two A350-1000s. What makes it unusual is that its A350-1000s have a considerable 480 seats, which is by far the highest of the variants operators. It reflects the high volume and relatively low yields of where they are flown.

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SITA unveils its new global wireless solution

Airline Economics

Technology company SITA is set to launch a new version of its wireless solution, SITA mobile data access (MDA) 2.0. The solution provides cellular eSIM and SIM connectivity across multiple technologies, with reach to over 200 countries.

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Air Astana Adds 6 Airbus A320 Family Jets And Boosts First Half Revenue By 13%

Simple Flying

In a busy and highly successful start to 2024, the Air Astana Group has quietly worked through its Pratt & Whitney engine issues while adding new aircraft and carrying 15% more passengers than in the first half of 2023. After successfully listing on various stock exchanges in February, the new shareholders will be pleased to see that the Group has also increased revenue by 13% and adjusted EBITDAR by 10% in the first half (H1 2024).

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