Aviation Daily Roundup: Nov. 09, 2022

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the FAA and manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have agreed on a common datalink technology for future air-to-ground communications between pilots and controllers, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky has announced.

When American Airlines suffered an operational meltdown over the Fourth of July travel period, CEO Robert Isom blamed staffing issues and a pilot training backlog that was exacerbated by a dearth of instructors. 

European drone cargo airline Dronamics has partnered with the UK’s Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to integrate hydrogen fuel cell propulsion into its Black Swan long-range uncrewed cargo aircraft.

As airlines continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are putting more emphasis than ever on shrinking their environmental footprint and increasing profits. 

Braathens Regional Airlines is teaming up with Volvo Group to use 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on what the two groups say will be the world’s first 50% SAF commercial route.

Vertical Aerospace has completed 14 piloted flights of its VX4 full-scale demonstrator since beginning tethered hover tests of the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft on Sept. 24.

Delta Air Lines has rolled out GE Digital’s personalized FlightPulse flight data review platform to its 12,000 pilots and will evaluate its next steps based on interaction and feedback from the voluntary program. 

The privatization of Azores Airlines will begin soon, according to the CEO of parent SATA Air Açores. 

The planned merger between Colombian carriers Avianca and Viva Air has been rejected by the country’s civil aviation authority Aerocivil, which said Nov. 8 that the tie-up would damage competition and create a monopoly on 16 domestic routes.

Boeing says demand for freighters will remain strong, even as the air cargo market normalizes after its peak during the COVID-19 crisis.  

Cathay Pacific has named a new senior leadership team to steer the carrier into the post-pandemic recovery phase, and the changes also include a new head for LCC subsidiary HK Express.

A string of seven China-based lessors have signed orders for a total of 300 Comac C919 narrowbody aircraft, as well as 30 ARJ21 regional jets.