First Boeing 737 MAX jet lands in Antarctica

PRAGUE, CZECHIA — Low-cost Czech carrier Smartwings became the first airline to land in Antarctica with a Boeing 737 MAX 8. The landing at Troll Airfield at the northern tip of Antarctica took place on January 26, 2022. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Plus d'info...

Lufthansa, Air France join forces against EU's climate plans for aviation

BERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - An alliance of airlines and airports called for changes to the European Union's planned climate change legislation on Monday, arguing it will make them less competitive with non-European rivals. (www.reuters.com) Plus d'info...

WHO Calls for the Lifting of Travel Bans

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO), recommended that countries around the world lift all COVID-19 travel restrictions. The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the organization stated in a report that blanket travel bans "are not effective in suppressing international spread (as clearly demonstrated by the Omicron experience), and may discourage transparent and rapid reporting of emerging VOC [Variants of Concern]." (aeroxplorer.com) Plus d'info...

US Air Force spends $60 million on supersonic commercial airliner

The US military has indicated its interest in commercial supersonic flight by granting as much as $60 million to Boom Supersonic for its airliner development efforts. The Colorado-based company has announced that the Air Force awarded a three-year contract to Boom to accelerate research and development of its Overture airliner. Separately this week, Boom selected Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the site of its first full-scale manufacturing facility. There,… (arstechnica.com) Plus d'info...

Phillipine Airlines Returns To Tel Aviv After 60+ Years

The flag carrier of the Philippines announced that they will be making their long-awaited return to Tel Aviv this April. Per Simple Flying. (simpleflying.com) Plus d'info...

New Mexico Considers Taxing Virgin Galactic Tickets

Proposed bill would tax passengers on Virgin Galactic suborbital flights from the State-owned Spaceport America near Las Cruces. Millions in public funds went toward building the site in expectation of economic and tax benefits. Tax hit on VG's $450K tickets, 700 of which are now reserved, is $31,000 (6.9%). When shopping for future half-million dollar suborbital flights, don't be surprised by the big add-on at check-out. (apnews.com) Plus d'info...

Hong Kong Airport Passenger Volumes Lowest Since 1967: Chart

Just 1.3 million passengers passed through Hong Kong International Airport in 2021, less than 2% of pre-COVID volume and the lowest total since 1967 when LBJ was still President and the 737-100 took its maiden flight. Hong Kong's Draconian travel restrictions were the obvious trigger. Air cargo volume, on the other hand, was virtually unaffected. (www.bloombergquint.com) Plus d'info...

Boeing and Qatar Airways is close to a deal for 50 B777X freighters, sources

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — The talks between Boeing and Qatar Airways about the order of the B777X freighter variant are closing to a deal, according to the sources familiar with the matter. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Plus d'info...

Battery breakthrough achieves energy density necessary for electric planes

Researchers have achieved a world-leading energy density with a next-generation battery design, paving the way for long-distance electric planes. The lithium-air battery, developed at the Japanese National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), had an energy density of over 500Wh/kg. By comparison, lithium-ion batteries found in Tesla vehicles have an energy density of 260Wh/kg. (uk.finance.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...

Italian Shipping Magnate Gianluigi Aponte Wants to Move Into Aviation

Gianluigi Aponte, founder and chair of family-owned Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC), world's largest container ship line with 570 vessels, is joining Deutsche Lufthansa in a bid to acquire ITA Airways, successor to Italy's historically unprofitable Alitalia. Sitting on a huge cash pile from a sea shipment boom that seems never-ending, Aponte sees ITA, if re-tooled as an LCC with deep cargo expertise, as a ripe investment target. (www.bloombergquint.com) Plus d'info...

Boeing sinks to loss on $3.5 bln charge related to 787 delays

Boeing Co said on Wednesday it incurred a $3.5 billion charge in the fourth quarter due to longer-than-expected delivery delays of its problem-plagued 787 Dreamliner. (finance.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...

Airbus to create own airline to rent out whale plane

Airbus plans to charter out its whale-shaped Beluga transport planes - whose main job until now has been to ferry aircraft parts between its plants in Europe - to help other industries haul urgently-needed outsized machinery by air. Airbus said the move to rent out spare capacity on its existing Beluga ST and new Beluga XL transporters would lead to the creation of a commercial-cargo airline subsidiary from 2023. Weeks after ending output of the world's largest passenger jet, the A380,… (www.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...

Safety Board tight-lipped about two pilots’ in-flight health emergencies

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is citing privacy concerns and regulations after refusing to provide details concerning two WestJet pilots, one who collapsed in-flight and another who ended up hospitalized. The two incidents occurred on separate flights. On Dec. 6, 2021, a pilot flying from Calgary to Atlanta on WestJet flight 1590 had a health emergency and collapsed as passengers with medical training were in attendance. The flight was forced to turn around with a replacement pilot over… (tnc.news) Plus d'info...

Alaska/Horizon cancel all flights at WA’s Paine Field Monday as 5G bars regional jets

As fog shrouded Paine Field in Everett Monday, Alaska Air regional carrier Horizon Air was forced to cancel all commercial flights in and out of the airfield because of limitations on low visibility flying imposed to avoid 5G interference. Horizon is currently the sole airline operating commercial flights out of Paine Field and all those are flown on the Embraer E175, a 76-seat regional jet. (www.yahoo.com) Plus d'info...

Embraer (ERJ) Successfully Completes Reintegration of the Commercial Aviation Business

The reorganization resulting from this process began in May 2020 and, since then, has been one of Embraer's main focuses... (cmsherbert.blogspot.com) Plus d'info...

FAA bars three Boeing models from landing at airports with 5G interference

The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday barred several Boeing aircraft from landing at airports where 5G wireless signals could cause interference. (www.upi.com) Plus d'info...

Airbus’s Semi-Morphing Wing Completes First Flight In Spain

Airbus is on a mission to improve efficiency through semi-morphing wings and a control system that can change their shape in flight. (simpleflying.com) Plus d'info...

TCAS Saves Two Air Mauritius A350s From Mid-Air Collision

Two Air Mauritius Airbus A350 flights headed in opposite directions narrowly avoided a mid-air collision as a result of what appears to be air traffic controller negligence. (www.gatechecked.com) Plus d'info...

FedEx, UPS operate large Boeing freighters FAA says vulnerable to 5G

Some major U.S. cargo airlines have planes that could be restricted from landing at airports under a new FAA directive related to 5G wireless. (www.freightwaves.com) Plus d'info...