The flight tracker that powered @ElonJet has taken a left turn

A major independent flight tracking platform, which has made enemies of the Saudi royal family and Elon Musk, has been sold to a subsidiary of a private equity firm. And its users are furious. ADS-B Exchange has made headlines in recent months for, as AFP put it, irking “billionaires and baddies.” But in a Wednesday morning press release, aviation intelligence firm Jetnet announced it had acquired the scrappy open source operation for an undisclosed sum. (arstechnica.com) More...

Textron Soars in Q4 Performance

U.S. general aviation giant Textron Aviation has reported numerous profits and revenue and large amounts of turboprop and jet aircraft produced and delivered in the fourth quarter of 2022. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Lufthansa Names its A380 Routes

FRANKFURT, GERMANY — The German flag carrier Lufthansa has confirmed plans to bring back the Airbus A380, with the first destinations for the aircraft being in the United States. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

ZeroAvia Makes History with Largest Hydrogen-Electric Powered Aircraft

A California manufacturer named ZeroAvia has just paved a significantly bigger path toward the mass use of sustainable aviation fuel with a Dornier 228. (aeroxplorer.com) More...

Financial woes at Norwegian airline Flyr after failed business plan

A serious financial situation for Norwegian airline Flyr as on Monday morning, the board of the airline informed Oslo Børs about the failure to restructure the airline. The board will now look into alternatives for a continued operation. Today’s flights are running as expected, the airline confirmed. (www.aviation24.be) More...

REGENT's Electric Seagliders Get Funding From Japan Airlines

Electric seaglider company REGENT has secured additional funding from another airline. The company that pioneers sustainable maritime transportation announced a strategic investment from Japan Airlines (JAL) last week. The announcement comes as REGENT’s new category of electric vehicles that operate exclusively over water has generated more than $5 billion in orders. Along with JAL’s investment, the two groups will work together to promote ecosystem development in underserved markets. (www.msn.com) More...

U.S. Navy Begins Multi-Engine Trainer Replacement Program

U.S. Naval Air Systems Command has awarded a single-source contract to Textron Aviation for 10 Beechcraft T-54A aircraft to fulfil its requirement for a Multi-Engine Training System (METS) aircraft. The new aircraft—which are based on the commercial King Air 260 model—are part of a $113.1 million contract that also includes support equipment, spares and training. Ultimately the Navy intends to acquire up to 64 T-54As in a deal that could be worth $677.2 million. They are scheduled for delivery… (www.ainonline.com) More...

Finnair Modifies 10 Airbus A350s With Increased Maximum Take Off Weight

Finnish flag carrier and oneworld alliance member Finnair announced on January 30th that it has modified 10 of its 17 Airbus A350-900s to carry more customers and cargo. Let's examine what the carrier did to accomplish this increase in capacity. In cooperation with Airbus According to Finnair, the modifications were carried out in cooperation with Airbus. The main factor was to safely increase the aircraft's maximum take-off weight (MTOW) for the specific aircraft. The purpose of this… (www.msn.com) More...

Spirit Airlines to Phase Out its A319-100 Fleet by 2025

MIRAMAR, FLORIDA — The U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has revealed plans to retire its entire fleet of 31 A319-100 aircraft by the end of 2025. The company has also entered into an agreement to sell 29 of its owned A319-100s to Gryphon Trading Company, a subsidiary of Gryphon Aviation Leasing. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

Boom Breaks Ground on North Carolina Overture Plant

Boom Supersonic has started construction of a 400,000-sq-ft factory in Greensboro, North Carolina, meant to house production of its Overture supersonic airliner, the Colorado-based company said on Thursday. What the company calls its Overture Superfactory sits on a 62-acre campus at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. Plans call for the facility to house the final assembly line, a test facility, and a customer delivery center for the Overture. "Today's groundbreaking for the… (www.ainonline.com) More...

How Entebbe Airport Certification Status Is Stopping Uganda Airlines Flying To The UK

Uganda Airlines' plans to fly directly to London have been stopped as the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has failed to update its certification from the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO). The national carrier plans to operate flights between the United Kingdom and Entebbe International Airport, Uganda's single international hub. According to local sources, the UCAA has been trying to update the airport's certification since the last ICAO inspection in 2014. The… (www.msn.com) More...

Supreme Court Supports Order For Jet Airways To Clear Employee Dues

Jet Airways is staring at a payment of millions to its former employees after India’s Supreme Court declined to interfere with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s (NCLAT) order regarding the same. The airline is in the middle of a clean-up drive of its financial mess to restart operations but has faced several setbacks along the way. Supreme Court backs order India’s Supreme Court has sided with the NCLAT, which has asked Jet Airways to take responsibility for clearing former employee… (www.msn.com) More...

Air India Group Could Reportedly Post Consolidated Annual Profit

The Air India Group, which includes its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, could end this financial year with a consolidated profit. The airline recently completed one year under the Tata Group and has already witnessed several positive changes, including a significant increase in revenue and fleet optimization. Its transformation requires massive cash infusion, but the new owners expect good results in the coming years. Record revenues Air India and Air India Express together could post… (www.msn.com) More...

Yet Another Qantas Turnback: Dash 8 Returns To Sydney With Landing Gear Issue

Qantas Airways has once again had mechanical issues on one of its flights. QF2401 was headed from Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS) when a fault indicator indicated a potential issue with the landing gear, which forced the aircraft to divert back to Sydney. The 11-year-old De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 (registration VH-LQF) is operated by regional subsidiary Sunstate Airlines as QantasLink. Pilots followed standard procedure The QantasLink flight… (www.msn.com) More...

Boeing Teases a New Jet that Could Replace 737 MAX

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Boeing is exploring the possibility of introducing a cutting-edge plane it has been developing alongside NASA into its lineup in the next decade, Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun confirmed. (www.airlinerwatch.com) More...

Air Force orders 15 more KC-46A Pegasus tankers under $2.3 billion contract

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a $2.3 billion contract for the ninth production lot of 15 KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft, expanding its fleet of multi-mission aerial refuelers. (dcnewsroom.blogspot.com) More...

Frontier Airlines Names Plane in Honor of Sustainable Aviation Pioneer Maria Della Posta

Frontier Airlines has announced a new addition to its animal tail menagerie. The airline's second Airbus A321neo, powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, will carry the moniker 'Maria the Bald Eagle.' The aircraft, with its tail featuring a bald eagle livery, was named in honor of Maria Della Posta, the president of Pratt & Whitney Canada and a recognized leader in sustainable aviation. In a statement, Ms. Della Posta said, “Frontier and Pratt & Whitney share a common… (www.msn.com) More...

Fleet Simplification: Air Europa Retires Last Embraer E195

The last Embraer 195 operating for Air Europa has conducted its final commercial flights. The aircraft, registered EC-LLR, had an exceptionally busy day on its final day of operations. The aircraft departed from its base at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 06:35 on Friday for its first rotation to the Spanish hotspot of Malaga. Returning just under three hours later, it continued to A Coruña and returned to its base in Madrid in the early afternoon. Following a turnaround of just… (www.msn.com) More...