Criminal probe launched into Sukhoi crash
Russian investigators have launched a criminal probe into the crash of a Sukhoi Superjet 100 during a demonstration flight in Indonesia on Wednesday. A law enforcement spokesman said the investigation would focus on crew training and the technical condition... [Continue reading]
ATR delivers 1000th aircraft
Turboprop maker ATR has delivered its 1000th aircraft, an ATR 72-600 for Spanish airline Air Nostrum. The Franco-Italian company is coming off a record 2011 in which it sold 157 aircraft. High fuel prices have contributed to a resurgence in popularity... [Continue reading]
737 MAX gets new ‘dual feather’ winglets
Boeing has unveiled an unusual, fork-shaped wingtip device for its upcoming 737 MAX. According to the US planemaker, the Advanced Technology Winglet will contribute an additional 1.5 per cent to the 737 MAX’s fuel savings over longer ranges against... [Continue reading]
Lufthansa takes first 747-8I
Lufthansa’s first 747-8 Intercontinental took off from Washington state on May 1 on its way to Frankfurt, a milestone which Boeing hopes will spark demand for the newest generation of its iconic jumbo jet. Lufthansa said 747-8 commercial services... [Continue reading]
First South Carolina built 787 completed
Boeing has completed the first 787 to be assembled at its new South Carolina plant, the first time a Boeing airliner has been built in the southeastern US. The milestone 787 will now undergo system checks and engine runs before flight testing and then... [Continue reading]
First Sharklet fitted production A320 readies for flight testing
Airbus has rolled out the first production A320 fitted with its ‘Sharklet’ blending wingtips ahead of flight testing of the fuel saving device starting next month. Toulouse-built, CFM56-powered A320 MSN5098 will be the first of a number of... [Continue reading]
A350 XWB rear fuselage arrives in Toulouse
The rear fuselage section for the first A350 XWB to be assembled has arrived at Airbus’s A350 XWB Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. The rear fuselage section, assembled at Airbus’s Hamburg plant, comprises the rear fuselage barrel, produced... [Continue reading]
First Lufthansa 747-8I delivered
Lufthansa has taken delivery of the first Boeing 747-8I Intercontinental for passenger operations, with the German airline’s first of 20 updated 747s handed over at Boeing’s Everett plant on April 25. After its own preparations Lufthansa plans... [Continue reading]
JAL begins Tokyo-Boston 787 flights
Japan Airlines has launched non-stop services from Tokyo to Boston using its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The first flight arrived at Boston’s Logan Airport late Sunday morning, marking the first ever regularly scheduled non-stop commercial service between... [Continue reading]
Embraer order book drops to five year low
Weak sales of its E-Jet commercial aircraft saw Brazilian planemaker Embraer end the first quarter of the year with its lowest backlog since 2006. The results underscored doubts about long-term demand for regional jets amid soaring fuel costs and a struggling... [Continue reading]
Abu Dhabi company wins $1bn Boeing contract
Boeing has awarded a 10 year, $1 billion contract to an Abu Dhabi company for the production of carbon-composite parts for its 777 and 787 airliners. The deal with Mubadala Aerospace, the aviation wing of the Abu Dhabi government’s development and investment... [Continue reading]
