Aviation Daily

By Graham Warwick
NASA will begin quiet supersonic research flights at Galveston, Texas, Nov. 5 as it prepares for the X-59 QueSST low-boom flight demonstrator now under development by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.
Air Transport

By Sean Broderick
Aircraft lessor Aircastle—citing program slippage but not soft customer demand—will not take three Embraer EJet E2s as scheduled in 2019, the company’s top executive confirmed.
Air Transport

By Guy Norris
NASA has rolled out its Grand Challenge plan to help guide, foster and enable the coming generation of urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles and is seeking feedback from industry to fine tune and guide the initiative.
Air Transport

By Jens Flottau
International Airlines Group (IAG) low-cost unit Level plans to operate 43 aircraft in 2023 and has “aspirational targets beyond that,” the company’s new CEO Vincent Hodder said.
Air Transport

By Maksim Pyadushkin
Aeroflot Group plans to double its passenger traffic within the next five years, according to a new strategy first outlined by Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev to Russian President Vladimir Putin Oct. 29.
Air Transport

By Alan Dron
The Swedish Energy Agency has approved an application by a consortium, including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, to pursue a project for biofuel production in Småland province in southern Sweden.
Air Transport

By Jens Flottau
Emirates Airline is close to signing up for more Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines for its incoming fleet of Airbus A380s, according to Emirates President Tim Clark.
Air Transport

By Mark Nensel
The Joint Business Agreement (JBA) between Dallas/Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Santiago, Chile-based LATAM Airlines Group was approved by the Chilean Court of Free Competition (TDLC) Oct. 31, bringing the long-gestating link-up closer to completion, pending remaining approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Air Transport

By Adrian Schofield
More details are emerging about problems with the previous day’s flight of the Lion Air Boeing 737-8 that crashed into the sea on Oct. 29, according to wire reports. The aircraft – PK-LQP – flew from Bali to Jakarta the evening before the crash. The pilots on the aircraft during its Oct. 28 flight requested a return to the airport in Bali, Reuters reported, citing airport authorities. The pilots apparently gave the “pan-pan” radio alert that signifies urgency. However, the pilots canceled the request soon after and continued to Jakarta.
Air Transport

View the Airline Snapshot: Alaska Airlines chart in PDF format.

By Sean Broderick
Purchase, New York-based Atlas Air Worldwide (AAW) posted third-quarter 2018 net earnings of $71.1 million and raised its full-year outlook for the third straight quarter, citing continued demand for its freighter-focused leasing and charter businesses.
Air Transport

Norwegian began nonstop Boeing 787 service to Tampa from London Nov. 1, making the Florida Gulf coast city its 15th U.S. destination.
Air Transport

Cape Town International Airport will realign its primary runway and upgrade terminal facilities as international traffic continues to grow at South Africa’s second-largest airport.
Air Transport

By Graham Warwick
The UK’s University of Nottingham is to develop a facility for ground testing of high-speed, high-power electric propulsion systems for aircraft.
Air Transport

By Alan Dron
The UK signaled another rise in its Air Passenger Duty (APD)—a departure tax—on the same day the country’s transport minister made a speech stressing how important its airports were to its future prosperity.
Air Transport

By Bradley Perrett
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will increase its stake in Mitsubishi Aircraft to 86.7% from 64% with a capital injection that will pay for delays in development of the MRJ regional jet, the company announced Oct. 31.
Air Transport

By Adrian Schofield
AirAsia X Berhad has named Nadda Buranasiri, the head of its Thai affiliate, as the new group CEO.
Air Transport

By Adrian Schofield
European aircraft manufacturer ATR is confident there are market opportunities for turboprops in South Korea, even though such aircraft have not yet gained a foothold there.
Air Transport

By Graham Warwick
Working with Spanish hybrid-electric light aircraft developer Axter Aerospace, U.S. startup Wright Electric plans to fly a nine-seat demonstrator in 2019 as a step toward its ultimate goal of developing a 186-seat, electric-powered narrowbody airliner.
Air Transport

Adrian Schofield, Chen Chuanren
Divers appear to have located and retrieved the flight data recorder (FDR) from Lion Air flight JT610 which crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29.
Air Transport

By Victoria Moores
African LCC Fastjet has managed to extend its funding deadline past October, but needs to raise cash and reach creditor agreements in the coming days to continue operations.
Air Transport

Jack Wittman
Air Canada reported an adjusted net income of C$516 million ($392 million) for the third-quarter (3Q), a substantial decline from a restated adjusted net income of C$922 for the year-ago quarter.
Air Transport

By Helen Massy-Beresford
Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) has bid for Alitalia, paving the way for the possible creation of an integrated transport company, Italy’s economic development minister Luigi Di Maio said, as he also confirmed several other companies have submitted offers.
Air Transport

By Alan Dron
Ireland-based LCC Ryanair has filled in one of the few dark areas on its European route map with the launch of flights from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Air Transport