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News from July 2024
The Excalibur Flight Test Aircraft (FTA), part of the UK’s Future Combat Air System project and the tri-national Global Combat Air Program, is progressing as scheduled. 2Excel Aviation is modifying a Boeing 757 to accommodate the sensor package being developed for both FCAS and GCAP.
The Dart-750, an all-composite aerobatic basic trainer from Diamond Aircraft, made its appearance at the Farnborough Airshow 2024. This aircraft is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine and represents the latest and most powerful iteration of Diamond's trainer series, which began with the Dart-450 in 2016.
Aircraft sales broker Global Sky has agreed to purchase 15 of VoltAero’s Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft. The memorandum of understanding, signed on Monday, would make Singapore-based Global Sky the launch customer for the French start-up’s vehicle.
American Airlines does not permit passengers to purchase an extra seat specifically for their pets, unlike JetBlue. However, passengers can still buy an additional seat for themselves, which some have reportedly used as a workaround.
Textron Aviation has designated Gama Aviation as its authorized sales representative for special mission aircraft in the UK and Ireland. The announcement was made last week at the Royal International Air Tattoo airshow. This authorization builds on Textron Aviation’s longstanding partnership with UK-based Gama and covers special mission variants of the entire portfolio of Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik will become a Boeing-Licensed Service Center (BLSC) for cabin modifications to the 787 Dreamliner in its capacity as an external MRO service provider, the German company announced Monday at the Farnborough Airshow. Lufthansa operates a global network of facilities and recently completed base maintenance work on a 787 at its Malta site.
Airbus Helicopters has selected Pratt & Whitney Canada and Collins Aerospace to collaborate on a hybrid-electric propulsion system for its PioneerLab technology demonstrator. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is developing PioneerLab based on an H145 medium-twin helicopter to demonstrate the potential fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions savings that hybrid-electric propulsion could bring.
Major airline caterer Gate Gourmet is scheduled to face a worker strike starting July 30. Unless there is a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations, the strike will proceed as planned.
Cirrus Aircraft has achieved a significant production milestone with the delivery of its 10,000th SR-series piston-single airplane. The company first introduced the SR20 in 1999 and over the past quarter-century, it has become the best-selling aircraft in its class. The latest models are part of the seventh-generation (G7) editions.
ITP Aero and Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) have extended their cooperation with the signing of an agreement under which the former Rolls-Royce subsidiary will continue to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services on mid-turbine frame (MTF) and low-pressure compressor (LPC) modules of the P&WC PW800 engine until 2028. The deal, in which ITP serves as a risk and revenue partner, aligns with the company's strategic focus on expanding its presence in the MRO market.
Nine Able Flight students were honored during a wing pinning ceremony at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh on July 23.
Paraguay’s air force has confirmed an order for six of Embraer’s A-29 Super Tucano aircraft. Embraer plans to deliver the light attack and training platform starting in 2025 under a contract announced Tuesday that includes mission equipment and an integrated logistics services agreement.
Last June, Qatar Airways announced plans to eliminate its long-haul first class product, currently available only on Airbus A380 aircraft and ex-Cathay Pacific 777s. The airline's new CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, revealed in March that they would introduce a new first class product for the new planes they plan to order.
Delta Air Lines faced significant operational challenges on Monday, canceling 1,153 flights or 29% of its operations and delaying another 45%. This followed a Sunday where 36% of flights were canceled and 44% delayed. By early Tuesday morning, over 10% of the day's flights had already been canceled.
Vertical Aerospace has commenced powered ground testing of its second VX4 eVTOL prototype, preparing for flight tests pending approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The company announced on Tuesday that initial tests have included propeller balancing and spinning, with electric powertrain and battery testing scheduled to begin shortly.
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), in collaboration with John Wayne Airport (JWA), announced the arrival of a new Crash 3 vehicle. The state-of-the-art apparatus is designed to enhance emergency response capabilities, particularly for incidents involving aircraft fires and flammable liquids. To commemorate this addition, a traditional "push-in" ceremony was held on Monday, July 8, 2024, at OCFA Fire Station 33.
The FAA has initiated a safety audit of Southwest Airlines following a series of near-miss incidents. Recently, one of the airline's planes came within feet of the water while still miles from Tampa, and another descended to just over 500 feet while still nine miles out from Oklahoma City airport.
Supernal’s four-passenger S-A2 eVTOL aircraft is making its international debut at the Farnborough Airshow this week. For many, it will provide their first glimpse of a new mode of public transportation intended to alleviate crowded roads in and around cities.
Work has begun to establish a network of eVTOL air taxi services in and around Milan, northern Italy. Under a partnership launched Tuesday at the Farnborough Airshow, eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium teamed with SEA Milan Airports and Skyports Infrastructure to develop vertiports. Their first route will connect Malpensa Airport with the city center.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense signed a contract for nine Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft on Monday at the Farnborough Airshow. As part of their "Replacement of Tactical Airlift Capacity" project, the contract calls for a joint purchase in cooperation with Austria under which five aircraft will go to the Royal Netherlands Air Force and four to the Austrian Air Force.