Air Transport World

First-class passengers on select British Airways (BA) flights will have access to virtual reality headsets in a trial announced Aug. 14.

Taiwan’s Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) is considering its future narrowbody fleet as it phases out all its aging MD-82s over the next three years.

Dubai-based LCC flydubai will expand services to Thailand and Myanmar by adding Krabi and Yangon routes to its network this winter.

Air Canada will deploy its initial Airbus A220-300s on two new routes that support its long-term strategies of growing transborder revenues and driving more intercontinental connecting traffic through its hubs.

Airport operations staff at London's Heathrow Airport have suspended a 48-hour strike, planned for Aug. 23-24, pending a ballot on an improved pay offer.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) reported a 2019 second-quarter net loss of PHP2.3 billion ($43.6 million), widened from a PHP173.4 million loss in the year-ago quarter.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has secured an injunction that will prevent pro-democracy protesters from “unlawfully and willfully obstructing” airport operations.

Tajikistan will upgrade its air navigation system to bring the local service into compliance with ICAO standards.

The Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) is calling on the FAA and White House to speed the development of regulations allowing the commercial use of large unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs).

Drone delivery system developer Flytrex and jet charter and management company Causey Aviation said they have received FAA approval to begin food deliveries by drone in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

UK long-haul specialist Virgin Atlantic has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000. The aircraft flew into London Heathrow Aug. 10 from Airbus’s Toulouse plant.

The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has given turboprop manufacturer ATR permission to supply Iran Air with spares to keep its fleet in the air.

MRO Briefs-Aug. 13, 2019

Ethiopian Airlines will expand services to India and within Africa by adding Bangalore and Beira (Mozambique) routes to its network this fall.

Cambodia’s three international airports recorded a 15.5% year-over-year (YOY) increase in passenger numbers for the first half of 2019.

A federal judge in Northern Texas on Aug. 12 ordered unionized mechanics at American Airlines (AA) to end a work slowdown that contributed to a spike in delays and cancellations over the first half of 2019.

Ryanair subsidiary LaudaMotion and its pilots have reached an agreement on two labor issues, avoiding the possibility of job cuts at the Vienna-based LCC, according to a local news report.

Hanover, Germany-based TUI Group has seen a negative financial impact by the global Boeing 737 MAX grounding as well as delayed bookings for the 2019 third quarter (April-June).

Continuing uncertainty over the Boeing 737 MAX’s return to service has prompted LCC Norwegian to end all routes between Ireland and North America from Sept. 15.

Hawaiian Airlines is continuing to boost services at its secondary hub in Maui by opening new routes to the US mainland with Airbus A321neos.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) was forced to suspend departure flights for the second successive day after pro-democracy protesters continued to disrupt operations Aug. 13.

Steve Dickson pledged in his first remarks as FAA administrator not to allow the Boeing 737 MAX to re-enter commercial service until he is “completely assured that it is safe to do so.”

An investigation is underway into the apparent inflight failure of a Rolls-Royce Trent engine on a Norwegian Boeing 787 as it began a flight from Rome to Los Angeles.

Aircraft Briefs-Aug. 12, 2019

Russian engine manufacturer Aviadvigatel is promoting its PD-35 as the preferred engine choice for the Chinese-Russian commercial aircraft consortium (CRAIC) CR929 widebody airliner, despite an existing agreement for a jointly developed turbofan for the Russian-Chinese aircraft.