Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) has crashed into the Mojave Desert after experiencing an inflight “anomaly” during the first test of a new hybrid rocket motor at Mojave, California on Oct. 31.
Japan Airlines [JAL] saw its profits slip slightly in the six months through September, but falling fuel prices have prompted the carrier to raise its profitability guidance for its full fiscal year.
Lufthansa low-cost subsidiary Germanwings will take over Lufthansa’s last remaining European point-to-point service, Düsseldorf-Zurich, on Jan. 8, Germanwings spokesperson Heinz Joachim Schoettes confirmed to ATW.
Hainan Airlines (HNA) Group subsidiary Fuzhou Airlines has launched formal operations by opening eight routes from Fuzhou to Shanghai (Pudong), Tianjin, Kunming, Chongqing, Xi’an, Taiyuan, Hefei and Haikou as it aims to enhance its position in Southeast China.
Korean flag carrier Korean Air has extended its codeshare agreement with LAN Peru. The new contract will bring an extension of its existing Seoul-Santiago via Los Angeles route, with an additional schedule from Los Angeles to Peru’s capital, Lima.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) regional affiliate SilkAir will start daily flights to Bali’s Denpasar International from early December, in time for the European winter holiday season.
Qatar Airways is experiencing remarkable changes and rapid growth under the leadership of CEO Akbar Al Baker. In the last 12 months alone, Qatar has joined the oneworld global alliance, hosted the IATA AGM at its Doha hub city and taken delivery of its first Airbus A380, which began revenue flights to London Heathrow in October.
Aircraft maintenance will be healthy but continue to shift in the coming year. Volume should be up moderately and pricing relatively stable in 2015. Higher Asian prices should push some widebodies back to the US and flight-hour support will continue to grow, from OEMs, major MROs, traders and OEM-shop partnerships.
Although Panama’s Copa Airlines has been around since 1947 when Pan American World Airways provided capital and technical assistance to help launch the carrier, for most of its history it was a small, niche player in the global airline marketplace. As recently as 1998, it operated just 13 aircraft. As recently as 2001, it generated just $300 million in annual revenue.
US airlines’ impressive financial turnaround has not yet been coupled with significant growth as the country’s carriers cautiously keep capacity in check, eager to maintain profitability after years of heavy losses and restructuring. But north of the border, Canada’s evolving airlines are not shying away from aggressive growth.
US airlines’ impressive financial turnaround has not yet been coupled with significant growth as the country’s carriers cautiously keep capacity in check, eager to maintain profitability after years of heavy losses and restructuring. But north of the border, Canada’s evolving airlines are not shying away from aggressive growth.
Greg Morris, head of additive manufacturing strategy for GE Aviation, likes to talk about his Angel Trumpet engine. This tiny gas turbine will never power an aircraft, but previews how 3D printing could be applied throughout a future full-size commercial turbofan.
Etihad Airways’ first A380 emerged from behind a slowly raised hangar door on a blustery autumn evening at Airbus’ Hamburg facility. Lights and music accompanied the first public glimpse of the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s new livery, which features gold, sand and brown geometric patterns that Etihad calls “facets of Abu Dhabi.”
On the Cover 22 What’s New Inside New aircraft types and the prospect of airlines being able to differentiate their products via the GDSs are prompting innovative thinking in cabin design.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) achieved a healthy improvement in profits for the six months through September, as the airline’s rapid expansion in international markets provided a significant boost in revenue.
Etihad Airways’ plan to take a 49% shareholding in Alitalia will dilute Air France’s stake in the Italian carrier to less than 1%, according to Air France-KLM CFO Pierre-François Riolacci.
Bombardier has conducted more than 120 hours of CSeries flight testing since the test program resumed Sept. 7 after a 100-day grounding, and is holding to a second half of 2015 entry-into-service target.
