Southwest Airlines’ chief operating officer, Mike Van de Ven, has hailed the start of a “new era” for the operator, after it received the first shipment of its new 737-800 Boeing aircraft. Reuters.com cited Van de Ven’s remarks, which he made at a launch party for the airline’s new fleet of Boeing aircraft. This marks … Continue reading “Southwest Airlines Pushes Ahead with Regeneration Plans”

Vietnam Airlines is planning an aggressive aviation expansion; moving into European markets such as Amsterdam, Berlin and Milan in the coming years. To carry out its ambitious plans, president and CEO Pham Ngoc Minh told Aviation Week the carrier will be looking to double its fleet over the next eight years. The majority of the aircraft will … Continue reading “Vietnam Airlines talks of doubling fleet within decade”

A Delta Boeing 737-700 Tail number N309DE rolled off the runway and down an embankment at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport earlier today (March 13 2012). No passengers were on board at the time and there were no reports of injuries although the aircraft is reported to have suffered significant damage! The incident occurred around 05:00 … Continue reading “Delta 737 rolls off runway in Atlanta”

Qatar Executive is showcasing the luxurious Bombardier Challenger 605 at the Abu Dhabi Air Expo, much to aviation fans’ delight. Breaking Travel News says that Qatar Executive, Qatar Airways’ corporate jet division, is taking advantage of the airshow, which draws over 10,000 major global aviation players, to showcase its product portfolio. The Challenger 605, Qatar Executive’s … Continue reading “Qatar Airways shows off Bombardier Challenger 605”

A quick peek into the order books of some of the world’s biggest airliners and airplane manufacturers suggests that the purchase market for used aircraft is diminishing. Aviation Week’s Robert Wall notes that while Airbus and Boeing quite happily booked orders for more than 1,500 combined narrowbody craft last year – a number that looks set to … Continue reading “Second-hand plane market flagging, numbers suggest”

Seattle February 28 2012 – The first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental has been delivered to Qatar Amiri Flight today. The aircraft, tail number A7-HHE, left Paine Field in Everett Washington at midday PST and is probably going to Hamburg to be fitted out. We saw the aircraft here on Plane Finder: The 747-8 is the latest … Continue reading “First Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Delivered to Qatar Amiri Flight”

An Airbus A380 capable of carrying an extra six tonnes more than the current heaviest variant will be offered to customers from next year, the company has announced. FlyAwaySimulation.com reports that the new version of the A380 will be able to handle a maximum take-off weight of 575 tonnes. Range will not be affected, and in … Continue reading “Airbus Promises Weightier Payloads for New A380”

Re-engineered planes from Embraer’s E-Jet line could be available from as early as 2016 – two years ahead of schedule. New Embraer E-Jets Speaking to FlightGlobal.com, Paolo Cesar de Sousa e Silva – the president of the Embraer Commercial Aviation – confirmed that the timing of a newly re-engineered fleet really depends on when the firm … Continue reading “New Embraer E-Jets ‘by 2016’, CEO hints”

More bad news from the airline industry as Air Australia entered receivership on February 17 2012. The Australian budget charter airline flew local Australian routes operating out of Brisbane and Melbourne and internationally to Bali, Phuket and Honolulu. As many as 4,000 passengers are currently stranded including in Phuket and Honolulu with Qantas and JetStar … Continue reading “Air Australia in Administration”

Aviation giant Boeing has shaken hands on its biggest deal to date, supplying 230 planes to a little known Indonesian airline. According to WBez.org, the deal with Lion Air, Indonesia’s largest private airline, costs an eye-watering $22.4 billion (£14.28bn). The majority of the planes will be from Boeing’s fuel-efficient 737 MAX range, with 201 units ordered. … Continue reading “Boeing secures largest ever order in 737 MAX deal”