Aircraft & Propulsion

An Air France pilot has reported a debris sighting just off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, where a part of the Boeing 777-200 that operated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was found on July 29.

The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) has won orders for 10 150-seat C919s and 10 ARJ21 regional aircraft from Thailand’s City Airways and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Financial Leasing Co. (ICBC).

Embraer Commercial Aviation forecasts that China will take delivery of 1,020 new 70- to 130-seat aircraft in the next 20 years.

Aircraft News-Sept. 15, 2015

Alaska Airlines will turn some of its passenger aircraft into full freighters, as part of a larger strategy to retire its aging fleet of Boeing 737-400s.

Inmarsat has published the results of evaluation trials conducted earlier this year with Australia’s air navigation services provider (ANSP), Airservices Australia, to demonstrate oceanic flight tracking using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) to meet ICAO’s new global standard of a minimum 15-minute reporting interval from the end of 2016.

Boeing has begun final assembly on schedule of the first 737 MAX 8 at its Renton, Washington, facility, the US manufacturer said in a statement.

Embraer has confirmed the 18 E-175s SkyWest Airlines is adding to United Express service are new firm orders

SkyWest Airlines and United Airlines have amended their Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) to add 18 Embraer E-175s to SkyWest’s United Express service.

The Bombardier Q400 has gained Brazilian type certification, enabling the aircraft to operate in the South American nation.

Airbus believes the opening of its first US-based factory will help it gain more narrowbody sales from North American carriers.

Garuda Indonesia low-cost carrier (LCC) subsidiary Citilink Indonesia plans to lease nine new Airbus A320 aircraft to boost fleet numbers and regional service schedules.

The first two Airbus A321 aircraft to be assembled at the new assembly-and-delivery facility in Mobile, Alabama, were shown to the media Sept. 13, one day ahead of the formal opening of the factory.

Fast-growing Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air has formalized the memorandum of understanding (MOU) it announced at the Paris Air Show in June to purchase 110 Airbus A321neos.

Airbus will hold inaugural ceremonies in Mobile, Alabama, Sept. 14 as top executives and US dignitaries celebrate the opening of the company’s first US manufacturing facility.

Newly reconstituted Malaysian flag carrier Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) will add four new Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft to its fleet, to begin services from late 2017.

Gulf Air is in talks with Airbus over a potential major fleet replacement order.

The left GE90 engine on the British Airways Boeing 777 that caught fire on a Las Vegas runway has “multiple breaches of the engine case,” investigators said.

A hypersonic plane that could carry 100 passengers between Europe and Australia in 90 minutes could be a reality by 2050, according to the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

The CSeries is 85% through certification tests and about to enter “the final flight testing phase,” according to Bombardier.

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will dispose at least 10 aircraft mothballed on the airport’s apron.

Boeing has again projected the Asia-Pacific region will have the greatest demand for commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians with 40% of the global need, according to its 2015 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook.

Airbus’ year-to-date order book for commercial aircraft soared to a gross total of 748 as of Aug. 31; Boeing has booked orders for 462.

Oman Air is to take 11 new aircraft—three Boeing 737-800s, seven 737-8 MAXs and one 787-9—as well as three used Boeing 737s on long-term lease from Air Lease Corp.

An investigation is underway after a British Airways (BA) Boeing 777-200ER suffered a major engine fire as it was preparing for takeoff at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada.