Air Transport

The announcement by Airbus Group that it was putting €2 billion in defense and space businesses up for sale is an important milestone not only for Airbus but also for European A&D.

To help smooth the way for follow-on 787 and 777X derivatives, Boeing is banking on using valuable and, in some cases, unexpected lessons learned during the test and development of the latest stretch model, the 787-9.

Safety concerns are now front and center for offshore helicopter operators, and initiatives are well underway to unify regulations

Industry reacts to FAA’s proposals for streamlining certification process

When a Qantas A380 landed at Dallas/Fort Worth for the first time, it marked the latest escalation in the hotly contested market between North America and Australasia.

Emphasis on Q400 sales has not slackened, even as Bombardier concentrates on CSeries

A “perfect storm” of forthcoming new airplanes, rapid advancements in cabin-related technologies, and increased passenger expectations for comfort and customization is driving a wave of investments in commercial aircraft cabins.

Among this year’s milestones: the airline began its first international flights, established a new reservations system and will wrap up its operational integration with AirTran Airways, which it acquired in 2011. And perhaps most symbolically important, from Oct. 14 Southwest will be able to fly anywhere it wants in the continental U.S. from its home base at Dallas Love Field.

Foreign investors are sought by Vietnam Airlines as it makes plans to bolster its fleet

Commercial airspace routinely takes a backseat to military airspace in China

The FAA is rushing to overhaul backup plans and technology used at 20 en route air traffic control facilities in the continental U.S. after weaknesses were exposed by one troubled employee’s sabotage of the Chicago air route traffic control center. The damage caused the complete loss of command-and-control functions for en route aircraft over a five-state area in the Midwest.

SkyWest, the U.S.’s largest regional carrier, keeps its focus on adapting to partners’ needs.

Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Center (DWC) is set for major expansion to eventually accommodate up to 240 million passengers.

Airframe suppliers are comfortable with manufacturers' plans to push narrowbody production rates up to a combined 100 per month, but express concern that anything beyond that could strain the supply chain or dampen demand after a few years, a Canaccord Genuity survey reports.

Profitability will always be a prime challenge for airlines, but jamming more and more passengers into smaller and smaller spaces for hours on end is counter-productive. Time for a re-think!

All five Airbus A350-900 test aircraft took to the skies for a formation flight on Sept 29, 2014. Watch them fly.

U.S. training schools offer distinctly different approaches to upset training

In the wake of MH370, designers work toward securing avionics systems

Many industry executives expect some kind of downward correction to demand with a corresponding rise in aircraft cancellations or postponements.

Pilot unions’ demands in Europe could spell the demise of Air France-KLM

Change in management at JetBlue could see fees for amenities being enacted

The airline is adding capacity on routes with the most financial upswing

If Air France one day goes the way of Pan Am, its pilots will have to share the blame.

Through the ups and downs of its 30-year history, Virgin Atlantic Airways has been “amazingly successful” at establishing its brand, Chief Executive Craig Kreeger recently pointed out, although less successful at making money. The carrier’s highest profit was a pretax gain of £99 million ($162 million, at today’s rate) in 1999, Kreeger told The Wall Street Journal this month.

Aviation Week Senior Editor for Avionics and Safety John Croft samples the upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) techniques and aircraft used by the two main global providers, APS and Flight Research.