ArmoredD

Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:20am EDT

By Martin Roberts

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish jet heading for the Canary Islands crashed on takeoff and burst into flames at Madrid airport on Wednesday, killing 153 of the people on board, the government said.

Smoke billowed up near Terminal Four from the remains of Spanair’s Flight JK5022, an MD-82 jet bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, which broke into pieces in an accident which Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez said left 19 survivors.

The 15-year-old plane, with 166 passengers and nine crew, shot off the runway at 2:45 p.m. local time (1245 GMT), according to Spanair. The airline put the number of people aboard at a slightly higher figure than government officials.

Witnesses described a huge explosion.

“Only the tail was recognizable, there was wreckage scattered all over the place and dead bodies across a wide area. A lot of them were children,” Ervigio Corral, who headed the emergency services’ rescue effort, told reporters.

Continue reading ‘153 killed in Madrid airport plane crash’ »

By PAUL ALEXANDER, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 25, 6:23 PM ET

Yahoo News

MANILA, Philippines - The 346 passengers were cruising at 29,000 feet Friday when an explosive bang shook the Qantas jumbo jet. The plane descended rapidly. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling as debris flew through the cabin from a hole that had suddenly appeared in the floor.

It wasn’t until they were safely on the ground after an emergency landing that they realized how lucky they had been: A hole the size of a small car had been ripped into the Boeing 747-400’s metal skin and penetrated the fuselage.

The eerie scene aboard Flight QF 30, captured on a passenger’s cell phone video-camera, showed a tense quiet punctuated only by a baby’s cries as passengers sat with oxygen masks on their faces. The jerky footage showed a woman holding tightly to the seat in front of her as rapidly approaching land appeared through a window. Loud applause and relieved laughter went up as the plane touched down.

Continue reading ‘Qantas jet lands with gaping hole in fuselage’ »

17 July 2008

Press Release

Airbus

Airbus announced transactions covering 256 aircraft, valued at US$ 40.5 billion at the 2008 Farnborough Air Show. These transactions include firm orders for 247 aircraft and nine commitments. This also reflects a strong aerospace market despite the global economic uncertainties.

The highlights of the show were two large orders from Middle Eastern carriers. DAE Capital, the aircraft leasing and finance division of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) placed a 100 aircraft order valued at $12.6 billion, comprising the purchase of 30 Airbus A350-900 and 70 Airbus A320 aircraft. Meanwhile Etihad announced a 55 aircraft order comprising an additional
10 A380s, 20 A320s, and 25 A350 XWBs.

Other firm aircraft order announcements made during the show include the following: Aeroflot for five A321s; Asiana for 30 A350 XWBs; US based lessor, Aviation Capital Group (ACG) for 23 Airbus A320 Family aircraft; Saudia for eight A330-300s; Synergy Aerospace for 10 A350-800s; and Tunisair for 10 A320s, three A330-200s, and three A350-800s.

Continue reading ‘Airbus announces orders worth over US$ 40 billion at Farnborough Airshow’ »

Date: 14/07/2008

Agusta Westland

The Bell/Agusta BA609 Tiltrotor is making its first ever appearance at the Farnborough International Air Show. The second prototype, aircraft #002, is showcased by the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company having flown for the first time in November 2006 at AgustaWestland’s Cameri facility in Northern Italy. The BA609 tiltrotor flew to Farnborough from Italy demonstrating excellent performance, unique aircraft flexibility and high reliability while exercising its envelope in both vertical lift and high cruise speed airplane mode.

Continue reading ‘Bell/Agusta BA609 Tiltrotor Makes Its First Appearance At Farnborough Air Show’ »

July 9, 2008

Giz Mag

One of the most problematic hurdles for major industries operating in remote areas is trying to work out how to move heavy building materials to the worksite. Road-building is an environmental issue, as well as often being cost-prohibitive and impossible in many terrains. Some areas are unreachable by cargo ship, large cargo planes require good weather and long runways, and helicopters simply can’t carry heavy enough loads to be appropriate - which is why Skyhook’s Jess Heavy Lifter is such a significant new type of vehicle. It combines the neutral buoyancy and stability of an airship with the lifting power of four big rotors. Capable of lifting 40 tons (80,000lbs) vertically and transporting the load more than 200 miles without refuelling, the JHL-40 offers twice the load capacity of the world’s current largest cargo helicopterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter , and large industries are already modifying their operations plans to take advantage of its unprecedented cabailities.

Canadian firm Skyhook announced yesterday that it has signed a teaming agreement with aerospace giant BoeingBoeing to co-develop the JHL-40, the first of a new breed of cargo-carrying aircraft that promises to open up a new range of construction opportunities for industries operating in remote areas.

Continue reading ‘Skyhook and Boeing build the world’s largest VTOL aircraft’ »

From Aero Gizmo

Giz Mag

March 18, 2008 Since the 1960s, the Gulfstream jet has been synonymous with the fastest, ultra luxury business travel regardless of cost – only 1600 have ever been made but now, the company is raising the bar with a new ultra-large cabin G650 due in 2012. The US$58.5 million G650 is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles (8055 miles) at 0.85 Mach (647 ph/1,041 km/h) or 5,000 nautical miles (5,753 miles) at 0.90 Mach (685 mph/1,102 km/h) and has a top speed of 0.925 Mach (794 mph/1,133 km/h), which will make it the fastest non-military aircraft flying. It will even cruise at 51,000 ft, in order to avoid airline-traffic congestion and adverse weather.

The G650 offers the longest range, largest cabin and the most-advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream fleet but the jet’s fastest operating speed is what’s drawing the attention – at .925 Mach, the jet approaches the speed of sound (Mach 1) and will cruise at close to 800 mph

Continue reading ‘The 800mph Gulfstream G650 - fastest civil aircraft ever’ »

Toulouse, 23 April 2008

EADS

Airbus foresees that Brazilian airlines will need more than 330 passenger aircraft above 100 seats over the next 20 years to meet demand for traffic growth as well as aircraft replacement. This will represent a value at current list price of US$ 32 billion. Overall demand of new aircraft in Latin America is around 1,450 aircraft.

The Brazilian passenger aircraft fleet of above 100 seats is expected to more than double in the 20 year period, growing from 208 aircraft in service in 2006 to more than 460 by 2026. Taking retirements into account, the new aircraft will include some 250 short haul – single-aisle aircraft, which are currently prominent in the region’s fleet, some 80 medium to long-range wide-body aircraft and eight very large aircraft to satisfy strong international travel growth.

The increase in demand for new aircraft is the consequence of the strong passenger traffic growth in Brazil. Since the 1990s, international passenger traffic doubled while domestic traffic risen 77 per cent in the past ten years alone. With a yearly forecast growth of 5.3 per cent for the next 20 years, Latin American travel growth is well above the world average of 4.9 per cent.

This sustained demand for air transport in Brazil is driven by high economic growth, and is forecast to further increase by nearly four per cent per year over the next 20 years. With 31 per cent of all Latin America’s GDP, Brazil is the transport focal point for South America and beyond. Strong tourism development, especially from the Americas and Europe, has also strongly contributed to the fivefold increase in international arrivals into the country over the last 15 years. Domestic traffic is driven by concentration of population in large cities and long internal distances.

“Brazil being the major economic player in Latin America, air traffic has grown immensely in this country over the 90s, and will do so with even more amplitude over the next twenty years period. Increase in passenger demand is high, and so is the need for new, efficient aircraft in this competitive and dynamic market. We have already won 61 per cent of the order intake in the past ten years. We expect to become even more present in the future, with the A380, the brand new A350 XWB and the best-selling A320 Family which responds perfectly to market needs”, said Rafael Alonso, Senior Vice President Latin America, Spain and Caribbean of Airbus.

Brazilian airlines have already chosen Airbus as the right answer for the demand of their market. In 1999 TAM of Brazil started operating the first of its A330-200s, and now operates with 103 Airbus aircraft the biggest Airbus fleet in the region (71 A320s and 15 A319s, three A321s, 12 A330s and two A340s). The presence of Airbus aircraft in the fleet of the Brazilian flag carrier will further increase in the future. As an important vote of confidence for the partnership with Airbus, TAM signed a firm contract for the purchase of 22 new A350 XWB aircraft, 20 A320 Family aircraft and four A330s at the beginning of 2008.

Furthermore, Airbus has signed important contracts this year with MatlinPatterson, major shareholder of Varig Logistica in Brazil (six A330-200Fs) and Synergy Aerospace, major shareholder of OceanAir (firm contract for ten A330s, 20 A319s/A320s, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding for ten A350 XWBs).

Since 1998, Airbus has taken 63 per cent of the order intake in Latin America to date. Today, 305 Airbus aircraft are flying with 22 Latin American airlines, which represents around 35 per cent of the passenger fleet in service today. By 2010, this figure will have risen to 50 per cent.

Airbus is an EADS Company.

By La Société - April 24, 08 at 18:15

Edu Bourse

Airbus forecasts that the Chinese Mainland will need some 2,800 new passenger aircraft and freighters from 2007 to 2026, with a total market value of US$ 329 billion. It represents 11.6 per cent of the world total demand for over 24,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years.

According to Airbus’ 2007-2008 Global Market Forecast (China) issued today, mainland China will need some 2,800 new passenger and freighter aircraft over the next 20 years, including more than 1,900 single aisle aircraft, nearly 700 twin-aisles and 190 very large aircraft (VLA). The number of VLAs, such as A380, needed on the Chinese mainland is forecast to be on rise as international traffic from and to China is to greatly increase and to be highly concentrated.

The passenger traffic is expected to grow five-fold and the passenger aircraft fleet will triple on the Chinese mainland. A total of 2,670 new passenger aircraft are needed in the next 20 years on the Chinese mainland.

Freighter traffic in China is expected to grow six-fold and will need some 130 new freighter aircraft over the next 20 years. China’s freighter traffic demand will remain at a high level with an average domestic market growth rate of 10.5 per cent per year and an average international market growth rate of 8.5 per cent per year. China’s dedicated freighter fleet will grow eleven-fold over the next 20 years, from 45 freighters to 471 in 2026.

“In terms of in-service aircraft, Airbus’ share of the in-service fleet on the Chinese mainland has already increased from 7 per cent in 1995 to the current 38 per cent. Our aim is to reach 50 per cent in 2012,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers. “In the next 20 years, the greatest demand for passenger aircraft will come from China, second only to the United States,” he added.

Drivers of China’s dynamic air transport growth include the country’s long-term economic and trade growth, fast growth in real consumer spending of the Chinese people and the large Chinese outbound tourist wave. All these drivers plus the more concentrated population in mega cities such as Beijing and Shanghai will translate into a substantial demand for VLAs such as A380. According to IATA statistics, international traffic to China in 2007 is highly concentrated as 87 per cent of Europe-China passengers and 85 per cent of USA-China passengers want to go to Beijing or Shanghai. The intra Asia demand is also concentrated between such big cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, and Singapore. There will be 80 very large aircraft daily flights to Beijing by 2020. A380, which can carry more passengers with less flights, less fuel consumption, less noise, and less CO2 emission, will bring advantages to Chinese airlines.

“Airbus will contribute to the long-term sustainable development of China’s air transportation by providing Chinese airlines with modern and eco-efficient aircraft and excellent support and service,” Mr Leahy said. “But we are not just supplying aircraft to Chinese airlines. We are building long-term relationships with Chinese aviation industry.”

In 2007, the total value of sub-contracting in China has exceeded the company’s US$ 60 million target to reach US$ 70 million. Six Chinese enterprises are already involved in manufacturing parts for Airbus aircraft. The Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, a joint venture between Airbus and the Chinese consortium comprising Tianjin Free Trade Zone, AVIC I and AVIC II, will start assemble the first aircraft in August this year and deliver the first plane in mid 2009.

Airbus is an EADS Company.
Contact

Airbus Press Department
31707 Blagnac Cedex
France
www.airbus.com
mailto: media@airbus.com

Apr 11, 2008

Aviation Week

By Jennifer Michels

Frontier Airlines — unlike Skybus, Aloha and ATA — intends to continue flying while it restructures after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late yesterday.

The airline filed the petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York after an “unexpected attempt by Frontier’s principal credit card processor to substantially increase a ‘hold-back’ of customer receipts, which threatened to severely impact Frontier’s liquidity,” the airline said in a statement.

The credit card processor informed the airline of its intent to start holding back more money from tickets, effective today. CEO Sean Menke said, “By filing for Chapter 11, we will now have the time and legal protection necessary to obtain additional financing and enhance our liquidity. Fortunately, we believe that we currently have adequate cash on hand to meet our operating needs while we take steps to further strengthen our company.”

While it restructures, the airline intends to operate its full schedule, honor all tickets and reservations, and pay its suppliers, and meet its payroll.

Photo: Airbus

Published: April 5, 2008 at 8:43 AM

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) — Maintenance violations by Southwest Airlines have prompted congressional probes into some Federal Aviation Administration policies, U.S. officials said.

Lawmakers are concerned about safety lapses at Southwest and other U.S airlines, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard from witnesses Thursday, including the Department of Transportation’s inspector general and the union that represents FAA safety inspectors.

A Senate aviation safety and security subcommittee is planning to also investigate airline safety lapses.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat who heads the panel, said revelations of Southwest’s safety issues “have thrown a cloud over” the FAA.

He said lawmakers will pursue “a comprehensive review of the FAA’s safety operations” and likely resulting in “additional steps to make sure our aviation system remains the safest in the world.”

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