Air Transport World

By Victoria Moores
Fastjet Mozambique, one of the few remaining fastjet airlines, has announced plans to suspend flights at midnight on Oct. 26 because of stiff competition.
Airlines & Lessors

After months of speculation, the Malaysian government has confirmed that the country’s sovereign fund has shortlisted four investors as a potential strategic partner in loss-making Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB).
Airlines & Lessors

By Tony Osborne
The UK is looking to form a mobile national counter-drone capability to respond to “challenging drone security incidents” such as the shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport around the 2018 Christmas holiday.
Aircraft & Propulsion

A bipartisan effort to keep the FAA funded during future US federal government shutdowns has more than 260 co-sponsors in the House, according to the senior counsel of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I).
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Michael Bruno
The prospects of Boeing cutting or halting 737 production have grown, financial analysts and others said Oct. 21 after an internal Boeing pilot conversation over the MAX and the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) became public.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt said that the recently issued Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) of the Boeing 737 MAX certification highlights how the FAA must “rethink assumptions” held about the qualifications of foreign pilots who fly aircraft certified in the US.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Alan Dron
South African regional carrier CemAir is on the verge of restarting services following a nine-month hiatus and a bitter dispute with the country’s aviation regulator.
Airlines & Lessors

By Victoria Moores
UK regional Virgin Connect, formerly known as Flybe, plans to ultimately consider larger aircraft once things have settled under its new ownership.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Alan Dron
Turkmenistan Airlines has been granted permission to resume services to and from the European Union (EU), following an eight-month ban.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Victoria Moores
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark urged regulators to reach a consensus on the Boeing 737 MAX’s return to service to avoid confusing the traveling public with piecemeal approvals across different jurisdictions.

By Victoria Moores
Telecommunications provider Nokia has sold its air-to-ground (A2G) aviation connectivity assets through a management buyout, leading to the creation of a new company called SkyFive that will play a key role in the worldwide roll-out of A2G.
Interiors & Connectivity

By Victoria Moores
EXCLUSIVE: SkyFive CEO Thorsten Robrecht on his management buy-out from Nokia and the worldwide roll out of air to ground (A2G) connectivity.
Interiors & Connectivity

By Adrian Schofield
While Qantas has completed the first trial flight of its proposed ultra-long-haul services, known as Project Sunrise, the Australian airline continues to stress it is still yet to make a decision whether to officially launch such routes.
Airports & Networks

By Sean Broderick
Boeing is countering accusations that it hid key information about development of the 737 maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) from regulators, insisting that it kept officials in the loop as the design changed, and regulators were briefed on its final configuration “multiple” times.
Aircraft & Propulsion

IATA is urging the Hong Kong government to provide financial relief for the local aviation industry, which is reeling from prolonged civic unrest in the region.
Airlines & Lessors

By Thierry Dubois
UK air navigation service provider NATS and Eurocontrol have begun cross-border arrival management (XMAN) operations at London Gatwick Airport, a move aimed at streamlining inbound traffic and saving fuel.
Airports & Networks

By Bill Carey
Wing Aviation and FedEx Express on Oct. 18 completed the first scheduled package delivery by drone to a house in Christiansburg, Virginia, FedEx announced.
Aircraft & Propulsion

FAA administrator Steve Dickson is seeking answers from Boeing related to an instant message exchange between two Boeing employees that suggests the company may have misled regulators about the safety of the 737 MAX’s flight-control system.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Bradley Perrett
China’s Colorful Guizhou Airlines will receive its first Airbus A320neo in October, stepping up from the regional jet operations for which the carrier was established in 2015.
Airlines & Lessors

Southwest Airlines has removed all Boeing 737 MAX flying from its schedule to early February, later than other US carriers that have yet to revise their estimates from an early January return-to-service.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Thierry Dubois
Positioning, navigation and timing equipment manufacturer Orolia is targeting the end of 2020 for the first delivery of its new-generation survival emergency locator transmitter (ELT).
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Qatar Airways and LATAM Airlines Brazil have expanded their codeshare agreement, which began Oct. 15.
Airports & Networks

China’s Hainan Airlines will transfer 48% of Tianjin Airlines to parent company HNA Group in a transaction worth CNY6.7 billion ($946.7 million).
Airlines & Lessors

Cathay Pacific Airways continues to see passenger numbers fall in September as anti-government protests in Hong Kong drag into the 20th week.
Airlines & Lessors

By Alan Dron
Ryanair will begin operations from Armenia, which will become the Irish LCC’s 40th country.
Airports & Networks