It is looking increasingly likely that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is nearing the end of its three-month long grounding order. FAA Announcement for 787 The FAA have just announced the approval of Boeing’s proposed design changes to the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries. With the approval order, Boeing will have the authority to begin retrofitting the aircraft … Continue reading “Boeing 787 Dreamliner to return to the skies”

Boeing have filed a flight plan for a 787 test flight today. Dreamliner SP-LRC The new Dreamliner, tail number SP-LRC, (line number 86) will undergo a functional check flight departing Boeing’s Everett plant, Seattle today. This flight is not a certification flight for the new battery system. These flights are expected to commence in the coming days. … Continue reading “Boeing 787 Test Flight Expected”

German airline Lufthansa AG today announced that it will order 102 Airbus planes plus a further 6 Boeing 777s for its Swiss subsidiary. In a move designed to modernise the airline’s fleet and improve fuel efficiency the planned order will comprise of 100, Airbus A320s and A321s, 2 Airbus A380s and 6 Boeing 777-300ERs. The … Continue reading “Lufthansa to order 102 new Airbus planes”

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has today approved Boeing’s certification plan for a redesigned battery system on the 787 Dreamliner. Two aircraft will soon be running test flights with a modified battery system designed to prevent a recurrence of the fires that have grounded the aircraft. A press release from Boeing stated that “Successful … Continue reading “FAA approves Boeing 787 test plan”

British Airways has today announced Los Angeles as the launch destination for their new Airbus A380 service. The first flight will be BA0269 departing from London Heathrow (LHR) on 15 October 2013 bound for Los Angeles International (LAX). One month later on 15 November 2013 British Airways A380 flights will also commence to Hong Kong. Tickets … Continue reading “British Airways announces first A380 routes”

The Harlem Shake Dance The Harlem Shake dance craze that is taking the web by storm was performed on a plane at 30,000 feet! The video staged by 18 students on their way to a Frisbee tournament in San Diego performed the dance whilst over the Rockie Mountains. Frontier flight 157, an Airbus 319, was on … Continue reading “Shakes on a plane!”

Following reports that Boeing was about to begin 787 test flights, the FAA has reacted quickly to deny this. Federal Aviation Administration An email to Reuters from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokeswoman Laura Brown  stated that “Reports that we are close to allowing 787 test flights are completely inaccurate”. Boeing Grounded for 6 Weeks All … Continue reading “FAA Not Ready to Approve 787 Test Flights”

Indian airline Kingfisher has lost its international and domestic slots. The move by India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation follows the grounding of the airline in October 2012 and the subsequent “non-utilization” of the slots. Kingfisher Airlines Kingfisher also lost its license to fly at the end of 2012 and is reported to be $1.4bn (£870m) … Continue reading “Indian Airline Kingfisher Loses Slots”