The Airbus A350 XWB completed cold weather trials at Iqaluit, Canada. ATW Courtesy, Airbus
Boeing 747-8 Freighter Painted in Seattle Seahawks Livery
Boeing revealed a 747-8 Freighter painted in the livery of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. The livery commemorates the team’s National Football Conference Championship and upcoming appearance in Super Bowl XLVIII. Courtesy, Boeing
Airbus making progress on Mobile Assembly Line construction
Construction of the first building in the Airbus Mobile Assembly Line complex reached an important milestone with placement of the final truss atop its roof, which was celebrated by construction crew and project team members. ATW Courtesy, Airbus
Etihad Regional's first flight takes off
Etihad Regional’s first commercial flight F7154 took to the skies Jan. 23, with a newly branded 50-seat Saab 2000 aircraft. The flight departed from the airline’s hub in Geneva, Switzerland and landed on schedule at Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy. ATW Photo: Courtesy, Etihad
Etihad Regional livery revealed
The first aircraft painted in Etihad Regional livery was unveiled Jan. 16, marking the reinvention of Swiss regional Darwin Airline following Etihad’s decision to take a 33.3% stake in the carrier. ATW
Photo by Victoria Moores
Bombardier delays CSeries service entry to 2015
Bombardier has pushed its service-entry target for the CSeries airliner back by at least 12 months, saying it will take longer than planned to complete certification flight testing. ATW Courtesy photo: Bombardier CSeries aircraft at Mirabel
Boeing Begins 777X High-Speed Wind Tunnel Tests
Boeing has started high-speed wind tunnel testing for the 777X at its Boeing Transonic Wind Tunnel in Seattle, Wash. Data from the high-speed tests will help engineers with the configuration development of the airplane, validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions and support preliminary loads cycle development. ATW Courtesy, Boeing
Skymark Airlines’ first Airbus A380 enters FAL
Japan’s Skymark Airlines’ first Airbus A380 started final assembly (FAL) in Toulouse. The vertical tailplane has been painted with the Japanese airline’s logo at Airbus’ facilities in Hamburg and transported by Beluga to Toulouse, where final assembly of the aircraft is now underway. ATW Courtesy, Airbus
Airberlin, Etihad announce further expansion of partnership
Airberlin and Etihad Airways, which have been in a strategic partnership for two years, have unveiled an Airbus A320 aircraft in a specially designed joint livery at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport. ATW Photo by Kurt Hofmann
Poland’s Bingo Airways plans scheduled launch
Polish charter carrier Bingo Airways, which launched in 2012, has revealed plans to branch out into scheduled operations. ATW
Courtesy, Bingo Airways
Airbus A350 XWB starts high-altitude testing
Airbus has begun the latest stage in the A350 XWB development program with the arrival of the third development aircraft, MSN3, in Bolivia for high-altitude testing. ATW Courtesy, Airbus
Monarch Airlines to retire last Airbus A300-600 in April
UK leisure carrier Monarch Airlines will retire its last Airbus A300-600s April 13, marking the end of 23 years’ service for the carrier. The final flight will be operated by G-OJMR, which was delivered new to the carrier in 1991. ATW Monarch A300-600 G-OJMR. Courtesy, Monarch Airlines
Flydubai finalizes Boeing 737 order
Flydubai finalized an order for 75 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 11 737-800s, valued at $8.8 billion at list prices. In addition, the airline retains purchase rights for 25 more 737 MAXs. The order was first announced as a commitment at the Dubai Air Show. ATW
Photo: Rendering of Boeing 737 MAX in flydubai livery. Courtesy, Boeing
Boeing 787-9 flies to New Zealand in international debut
Boeing has flown the 787-9 Dreamliner to Auckland, home of launch customer Air New Zealand, marking the 787-9's international debut and longest flight since the robust test program began. The aircraft is scheduled to continue on to Alice Springs, Australia, for testing in hot weather.
American Airlines to retain new ‘flag’ tail design
American Airlines’ red, white and blue flag-like tail design, revealed when the company unveiled a new livery last January, will remain, CEO Doug Parker said. ATW Photo: American Airlines Boeing 737-800. By Rob Finlayson
Airbus rolls out A350 XWB MSN2 in ‘Carbon’ livery
Airbus has rolled out its third A350 XWB flight-test aircraft, MSN2, from the paint shop in Toulouse. ATW Photo: A350 XWB MSN2 with ‘Carbon’ signature livery. Courtesy, Airbus
Startup Greenland Express Air aims for 2014 launch
Greenland Express has merged with two other airlines, Eyjaflug and Air Arctic, and is aiming to launch Embraer E-190 services in March or April. ATW Photo: Greenland Express E-190. Courtesy, Greenland Express Facebook