Air Transport

Package delivery giant UPS has applied to the U.S. FAA for a Part 135 air carrier certificate to operate a commercial drone delivery service.

A proposed start-up carrier in South Korea has taken a major step forward with the delivery of its first two ATR 72-500 turboprops.

Chinese carrier Genghis Khan Airlines plans to begin commercial operations July 26, using COMAC ARJ21 regional jets.

AirAsia Group could soon be making a return to Europe after seven years’ absence thanks to more economical aircraft.

An industry task force recommends the FAA and Transport Canada expedite drone remote identification requirements.

The pressure is on the low-boom supersonic demonstrator and the stakes are high.

Machine learning that can explain its predictions is a key to enabling use of artificial intelligence in safety-critical applications.

British Airways (BA) on July 23 failed in a legal attempt to block a planned strike action by pilots, but immediately said it intends to appeal the decision.

Strong performance from legacy aerospace business and the recently integrated Rockwell Collins line helped propel United Technologies Corp. (UTC) to “another strong quarter,” UTC President and CEO Greg Hayes said July 23.

Airbus is warning operators against teaching pilots how to react to a “total Pitot blocked” failure in climb or descent, which the airframer deems unrealistic and the simulation of which can create confusion about aircraft systems.

The U.S. Senate voted along party lines July 23 to end debate on the nomination of Steve Dickson to serve as FAA administrator, clearing the way for the former Delta Air Lines executive’s likely confirmation.

An £80 million ($100 million) investment announced July 22 by the UK government will help develop the next-generation of electric vehicles and hybrid-electric aircraft.

JetBlue’s near-term growth plans are being scaled back due to ongoing delivery delays with its Airbus A321neos, forcing the New York-based carrier to modify its schedules and cabin-refresh programs to help make up for the lost capacity.

An Australian regulator has confirmed its rejection of a proposed expansion of codesharing between Qantas and Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways, dismissing calls from Qantas to reverse its initial decision.

Icelandair Group has sold a 75% stake in Icelandair Hotels and related real estate to Berjaya Property Ireland, a subsidiary of Malaysia-based Berjaya Land Berhad.

Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) will need a RUB300 billion ($4.8 billion) capital injection “to complete the financial restructuring,” Rostec Corp. CEO Sergey Chemezov said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin July 22.

Airbus UK’s Bird of Prey concept will never fly, but may inspire more unconventional approaches to future aircraft design.

The Boeing 737 MAX grounding is having little measurable influence on aftermarket spending, largely because demand for lift is so strong that MRO providers already had nearly-full pipelines, a Canaccord Genuity analysis concludes.

Pilots at British Airways (BA) have voted 93% in favor of strike action, after three days of arbitration talks yielded no progress.

Industry trade association IATA is closely monitoring the potential aviation impact of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reiterating World Health Organization (WHO) guidance that air connectivity should be maintained.

Korean Air has finalized a deal with Boeing that will see the airline significantly boost its fleet of 787s.

A timetable has been set for applicants to bid for the remaining assets of India’s Jet Airways as the bankruptcy process begins.

Dublin-based aircraft lessor SMBC Aviation Capital is spinning off part of its portfolio into a new fund aimed specifically at Japanese investors.

Italian infrastructure group Atlantia is set to join the consortium of investors led by railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) to rescue Alitalia, paving the way to relaunch the Italian flag carrier, more than two years after filing for bankruptcy.

Airbus has urged A321neo operators to implement a temporary center-of-gravity (CG) limitation to eliminate an already-remote risk of an excessive pitch-up condition while it finalizes a software update that addresses the issue.