China has agreed to purchase 50 Airbus A320s, including variants in the series, following a diplomatic business trip by German chancellor Angela Merkel. The deal, estimated to be worth around $3.5 billion (£2.2 billion), according to bbc.co.uk, is a major victory for the European airplane manufacturer. It has previously failed to sell planes to China [...]

Here at planefinder.net we are delighted to announce a stunning update to our Plane Finder apps. Highlights include… Near real time tracking of ALL scheduled traffic across North America! Huge increase in general aviation tracking in the USA and Canada Beautiful new icons with accurate detailing New white aircraft icon set – this looks great [...]

Two F-16 Dutch fighters were scrambled this afternoon in response to a hijack alert at Schiphol Airport, Holland. The plane was also surrounded by security personnel who feared that passengers had been taken hostage. Vueling flight VY8366 (callsign VLG8366) from Malaga triggered the alert after what is now reported to be an miscommunication between the [...]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is to reassess its position on the use of electronic devices during flights. The American aviation body is to form a group that will investigate the effects of using consumer electronics on commercial passenger aircraft, reports informationweek.com. While any changes to the current guidance could see airlines lift bans on [...]

Here at planefinder.net we are delighted to announce a major update to the site. Highlights include… Near real time tracking of ALL scheduled traffic across North America! Huge increase in general aviation tracking in the USA and Canada. Stunning new icons with accurate detailing. Customizable labels. Search by flight number or callsign. Various performance and [...]

Ethiopian Airlines is today celebrating the receipt of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, travel.usatoday.com reports. With all eyes of the nation’s flight tracking crew prepped for the plane’s safe delivery, it was a relief to see it touch down at the carrier’s hub in Addis Ababa yesterday (August 16) on its journey from Washington Dulles [...]

Advances in three-dimensional flight radar systems will allow pilots to detect adverse weather conditions from up to 70 miles away. Usatoday.com reports that the latest 3D radar, from manufacturer Honeywell, will not only be able to detect turbulence from this distance, but also lightning and hail. The advancement is a great improvement over the 2D [...]

United Airlines has given the media and aviation fans a sneak peak of the first ever Boeing 787 Dreamliner sporting a North American colour scheme. While United won’t be taking ownership of the jet until September, travel.usatoday.com says that the atmosphere at Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington, yesterday (August 2) was electric. Comments from around [...]

We are tracking the very first arrival of an Airbus A380 into Schiphol Airport today. Emirates flight EK147 from Dubai will soon become the first scheduled A380 flight to touch down in Holland. You can see this flight live on the Plane Finder apps or planefinder.net The flight call sign is UAE147 and the Airbus [...]