A New Airline Established In Tanzania , Fly-SAX has announced the appointment of Brown Francis as general manager of SAX-Tanzania

Subject to receiving regulatory approvals from Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, the new airline’s maiden flight is expected to resume operation  in the second half of 2014.

  “We are launching a new airline to meet the ever-increasing demand for low-cost, efficient and safe air travel within Tanzania from the country’s own citizens as well as international tourists visiting the country,” said Don Smith, CEO and Founder of Fly-SAX and Fly540 Kenya . Don Smith the CEO says  I look forward to him to making it a great success ,  ' “I am delighted to be working again with Brown Francis. 

Brown Francis, 49 years, is a veteran of the airline industry with over 25 years experience. He joins SAX-Tanzania from Fasjet, where he held the position of Director for Industry Affairs for Tanzania since late 2012. Prior to that, Mr Francis was General Manager of Fly540 Tanzania, where he worked closely with Don Smith from 2009 until 2012. Additionally, Mr Francis worked as operations manager for regional Air Services Arusha for 12 years. 

A New Finance Director To The BBA Group Aviation.

The BBA Aviation Group appoints new Finance Director

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The BBA Aviation plc announces that Mike Powell has been appointed to the Board as Group Finance Director with effect from 1 July 2014, succeeding Mark Hoad who, as previously announced, steps down on 30 June.

Mike Powell joins from AZ Electronic Materials, a FTSE 250 company with international reach, where he has held the role of Chief Financial Officer since 2011.  Prior to this Mike was Group Finance Director of Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd having previously spent 15 years at Pilkington plc in a variety of senior finance roles.

Commenting on the appointment, Simon Pryce, BBA Aviation Chief Executive said:

“We are delighted to welcome Mike to BBA Aviation.  He has an excellent track record as a Group Finance Director with extensive experience working across all aspects of group finance on an international basis and will be a great asset to the Group.  We look forward to working with Mike and to his positive contribution as we continue to execute effectively on our growth strategy.”

Mike Powell commented:

"I am very excited to be joining BBA Aviation, a company with a strong track record and a clear strategy to deliver on the many growth opportunities ahead of it. I look forward to playing a key role in the Company’s continued operational and strategic progress.”

Asiana Secures Its First Airbus A380 Jumbo Jet

Asiana Airlines, one of South Korea’s two major airlines, received its first Airbus A380 jumbo jet Monday, making the carrier the 11th operator of the world’s largest aircraft.

The double-deck plane is the world’s largest commercial aircraft flying today.  It was delivered to the airline’s chairman, Park Sam Koo, by Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier, in Toulouse, France.

Asiana has five additional A380s on order.  Each is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.  The planes are in a being delivered in a three-class configuration, with a total capacity of 495 passengers.  There are 12 first-class First Suites, 66 fully lie-flat business-class seats in Business Samarium, and 417 seats in coach.  ]

The airline is set to get familiar with these routes, from Seoul to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok, and will then deploy it the Seoul-Los Angeles route.

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine plane that had its first flight in 2005 and entered commercial service in October 2007.  A typical configuration is 525 seats and the plane can hold as many as 853 in an all-coach configuration.

Asiana, which has an all-Airbus fleet, also has 30 of the new Airbus A350 XWB jets on order.  It currently operates A330 and A320 planes on its routes.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

Farthest flight by a paper airplane

The farthest flight by a paper aircraft is 69.14 meters (226 feet 10 inches), achieved by Joe Ayoob and aircraft designer John M. Collins (both USA), at McClellan Air Force Base, in North Highlands, California, USA on 26 February 2012.

The plane was constructed from a single sheet of uncut A4 paper. Joe Ayoob flew the aircraft designed by John M. Collins.

Source And Photos :  Guinnessworldrecords

Cargo cult....They call it " Gift from the skies "

Cargo cult....They call it  " Gift from the skies "

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In the late 19th century certain millenarian movements started to form in the Melanesia, which subsequently became known as Cargo cults. The name derives from the apparent belief that various ritualistic acts will lead to a bestowing of material wealth ("cargo"). The Melanesians believed that Western goods are created for them by the spirits of their ancestors, but are controlled by the white people by means of deceit. This cult’s specific trait is that its religious practices involve imitation of aviation-related operations.

The most widely known period of cargo cult activity occurred among the Melanesian islanders in the years during and after World War II. A small population of indigenous peoples observed, often right in front of their dwellings, the largest war ever fought by technologically advanced nations. The vast amounts of military equipment and supplies airdropped to troops on these islands meant drastic changes to the lifestyle of the islanders, many of whom had never seen outsiders before. 

The cult leaders explained that the cargo would be gifts from their own ancestors, or other sources, as had occurred with the outsider armies. In attempts to get cargo to fall by parachute or land in planes or ships again, islanders imitated the same practices they had seen the soldiers, sailors, and airmen use. Cult behaviors usually involved mimicking the day to day activities and dress styles of US soldiers, such as performing parade ground drills with wooden or salvaged rifles. The islanders carved headphones from wood and wore them while sitting in fabricated control towers. They waved the landing signals while standing on the runways. They lit signal fires and torches to light up runways and lighthouses.

Many even built life-size replicas of aeroplanes out of straw and cut new military-style landing strips out of the jungle, hoping to attract more aeroplanes. The cult members thought that the foreigners had some special connection to the deities and ancestors of the natives, who were the only beings powerful enough to produce such riches. Nevertheless, as the practises didn’t result in returning of the airplanes with the cargo, most of the Melanesians subsequently abandoned their beliefs.

Although most cargo cults have disappeared over the last sixty-five years some of then are still active. One of the most widely known of the latter is theJohn Frum cult on formed on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. This cult started before the war, and only became a cargo cult afterwards. Cult members worship certain "Americans" (such as John Frum and Tom Navy), who they claimed had brought cargo to their island during World War II, as the spiritual entity who would provide the cargo to them in the future.

Source and photo: Wikipedia

NASA's New X-48C Flying Wing Airplane Uses 50% Less Fuel Than Standard Aircraft

Researchers at NASA have developed a revolutionary flying wing aircraft that uses 50% less fuel than standard planes. The new manta ray-esque X-48C is based on the X-48B Blended Wing Body aircraft, which flew 92 flights

at NASA Dryden between 2007 and 2010. The X-48C improves upon its predecessor with its low-noise, fuel-efficient hybrid wing body (HWB) design.

The X-48C uses an extremely efficient type of engine called an ultra-high bypass ratio engine, which the aero engineering teams at NASA say could use half as much fuel as conventional aircraft. 

It may take 8 to 10 years for the technology to be implemented into conventional aircraft says the NASA manager " Fay Collier "  .

Source: Technologyreview

Photo: NASA

Air Canada Flies Dreamliner To Toronto

Air Canada has completed its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight with the arrival of AC7008 at Toronto's Pearson airport this afternoon carrying 100 of the airline's employees on its maiden voyage. Air Canada is the first Canadian airline to fly the new aircraft which, with its long-range and unsurpassed fuel efficiency, will play a starring role in the airline's international expansion strategy. Air Canada has orders for 37 Boeing 787 aircraft.

It is an exciting day for them at "Air Canada"  as they bring home their first dreamliner . The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with its range, passenger capacity and operating efficiencies is virtually custom-designed to allow us to grow in international markets on a cost-competitive basis, and our new on-board product will enhance our position as North America's leading airline," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer.

"With the Dreamliner we are premiering our new three-cabin interior. It features the next generation lie-flat pod in International Business Class, a new Premium Economy cabin and our redesigned Economy cabin with our upgraded In-Flight Entertainment system available free at every seat," added Benjamin Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.

Source and Photo: Air Canada

Heathrow set to link the whole of the UK to growth

Heathrow is to step up its campaign for expansion by telling the Airports Commission that it is the only option that can connect every part of the UK to the world’s long-haul growth markets.

New rail connections will mean that more than 70% of the UK’s population will be within three hours of Heathrow by public transport. A new fast connection to High Speed 2 at Old Oak Common means journey times between Heathrow and Birmingham will be cut by 1 hour 38 minutes, journey times to Leeds will reduce by 2 hours 08 minutes, and journey times from Manchester will reduce by 1 hour 53 minutes. New direct access to the Great Western Line will cut journey times from Cardiff by 37 minutes. Passengers will no longer face the inconvenience of having to travel to Heathrow via central London or negotiating the London Underground network with luggage.

Heathrow Chief Executive Colin Matthews said:

“If we want growth for the future we need connections to the world’s fast growing markets and that means a hub airport like Heathrow. But we also need to bring the benefits of additional trade, tourism and economic growth to the whole country, not just to London and the South-East. That is why we are setting out our ambition to connect Heathrow to every economic centre in Britain.

“New air and rail links including HS2, Western Rail, Southern Rail and Crossrail will transform journey times from Heathrow compared to today. Millions more people will have quick access to the UK’s global hub and be within easy reach of the world’s markets.”

Anna Goodband, Principal, Liverpool School of English said:

“The School relies on Heathrow to attract students from across the world with new routes to China and the Far East vital for our future expansion.”

Jenny Stewart, Chief Executive of Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce said:

“An expanded Heathrow with improved rail links would bring huge benefits to Liverpool, offering speedier journey times to the airport and driving trade, jobs and growth through improved access to overseas’ markets”

Heathrow is already the UK’s best connected transport hub. It has the only dedicated non-stop airport express link. It has the UK’s busiest bus and coach station. It is the only airport with a London underground connection. It is the best connected airport to the strategic road network with the M25, M4, M40, M3 & M1 motorways all within close proximity. It is in a better geographical location for most UK passengers and companies than other options for airport expansion.

By the time a third runway opens, the major public transport improvements that will have been delivered include Crossrail, an upgrade to the Piccadilly Line, Western Rail Access, High Speed 2 and Southern Rail Access. Heathrow’s public transport mode share is expected to increase from 40% to more than 50%.

Source and photo: Heathrow

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Paine Field Aviation Day

Seattle area folks – are you ready for another Paine Field Aviation Day?! Of course you are!

Last year was another amazing year. We were able to see so many planes, like the Boeing 247 and DC-3, mixed with a Boeing 787, AN-124 (happened to be there), Boeing 747-8I and many more.

On Saturday, May 17, 2014, the Washington Pilots Association (WPA), Paine Field Airport, Flying Heritage Collection, and Historic Flight Foundation will host the 19th Annual Paine Field Aviation Day from 9am – 3pm.

I don't think we celebrate such festive period in Africa... Wish we did though.

Airline Flight Tracking Should Be Mandatory, Says UN Aviation.

The United Nations aviation agency said on Tuesday that the industry would voluntarily begin tracking more aircraft while continuing to develop binding standards for mandatory tracking following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) has decided to develop a solution before the end of september for better tracking of flight ,so that the industry can implement . I love new development , I hope the Nigeria Aviation Industry will be part of this development .

NTSB: Plane lost power before deadly AZ ( Arizona ) crash

NTSB: Plane lost power before deadly AZ ( Arizona ) crash

 

(Source: Viewer-submitted photo)

PAGE, AZ (CBS5/AP) -

A plane on a sightseeing tour in northern Arizona experienced a loss of engine power before it crashed, killing one person, federal authorities said.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the pilot had been flying for about 20 minutes over Page on Saturday when the engine partially lost power , leaving one passenger dead after being rushed to the hospital , while the other person is in a stable condition at " flagstaff medical center " .

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor confirmed the Cessna 207 crashed 400 to 500 feet short of the tarmac

Both the captain and the FAA website said the aircraft's registered owner is American Aviation Inc. of Salt Lake City.

More than 6.2 million passengers pass through Dubai International in March 2014

More than 6.2 million passengers pass through Dubai International in March 2014

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More than 6 million passengers passed through Dubai International in March 2014, driven by the expanding networks of Emirates airline and flydubai, according to the latest traffic statistics issued by operator Dubai Airports. This is the third time in four months the airport has recorded monthly traffic of more than 6 million passengers.

Passenger traffic reached 6,285,868 in March 2014, up 7.5 per cent from the 5,846,297 achieved in the same month last year. In the first three months of the year passenger traffic rose to a record 18,361,820 passengers, up 11.4 per cent from the 16,486,417 passengers welcomed in the first quarter of 2013.

Regionally, the Indian subcontinent again recorded the highest growth in passenger numbers in March (+112,953 passengers), followed by Western Europe (+75,283), the GCC (+60,280) and Asia (+58,851). Australasia was the fastest-expanding market in terms of percentage growth (+21.9 per cent) as a result of Emirates’ partnership with Qantas, followed by North America (+19.1 per cent) and Asia (+13.9 per cent).

India remained the top destination country (751,390 passengers) during the month, followed by Saudi Arabia (518,555) and the UK (460,529). London emerged as Dubai International’s busiest city destination, ahead of Doha, Jeddah and Riyadh.

Total aircraft movements rose to 32,849 in March, up 3.6 per cent from the 31,713 movements achieved in the same month last year. For the first three months of 2014, total aircraft movements totalled 94,694, 3.9 per cent higher than the 91,130 movements in the first quarter of 2013.

Cargo volumes continued to benefit from improved growth in the world’s developed economies as well as from expanding trade with emerging countries. Freight volumes reached 228,154 tonnes in March this year, rising 6.7 per cent from the 213,748 tonnes in the same month in 2013. In the first quarter of this year freight volumes climbed 5 per cent to 613,876, up from 584,847 tonnes in the same period last year.

“The growth in passenger and freight traffic supports our continued investment in expanding and improving our facilities at Dubai International. We not only want to increase our capacity to accommodate more passengers but continually refine the service we offer our customers,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

“A key element of this programme is the upgrading and refurbishment of both Dubai International’s runways over 80 days beginning May 1. We have focused our efforts over the past few months to ensure smooth operations during this period and minimising any inconvenience to our passengers while in the long run boosting safety, service and capacity levels at the airport,” he said.

Source and photo: Dubai International

Is There A Luxury Competition Between Emirate Airline And Etihad Airways ?

Both Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways are planning to launch fully enclosed private bedrooms on aircraft, where customers can experience the same modern technology in the sky that they are accustomed to enjoying at home.

"It's all about privacy," Emirates President Tim Clark said in an interview. "Our new bedroom concept will take it to the next level."

Emirates, the biggest operator of Airbus Group NV's A380 superjumbo and the largest customer of Boeing Co. BA +0.17% 's new long-range 777X jet, is in the advanced stages of launching bedrooms that will likely feature on both sets of aircraft and include room service. The Dubai-based airline already has 1,562 private podlike structures it calls "suites" on its fleet of 218 aircraft.

Emirates wouldn't disclose the price it will charge for its bedrooms. But a return ticket on a New York to Dubai flight retails for around $26,000 in one of the suites, which cost around $500,000 each to produce—roughly the same as the price of a studio flat in downtown Manhattan.

With $500,000 , i can comfortably buy a house in Nigeria , lolzzz

Bedroom On Etihad Airways...Luxury At Its Finest !

Source: Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, will soon let passengers book a three-room suite with a living room, bedroom, bathroom and shower. Also included: a personal butler, trained at the Savoy Butler Academy in London, Luxury At Its Best... Tempting  ! "At $20,000 for a single journey it is aimed at dignitaries and high net-worth individuals on the Abu Dhabi to London, Paris and New York routes, which are among the very few routes where such 'beyond first' class will meet demand." The accommodation  will be available on the airline's new A380 airplanes in a 125-square-foot cabin on the forward upper-deck. Available for single or double occupancy, each Residence will have Ferrari-quality leather, table marquetry, custom carpets, a two-seat reclining sofa and an 82-inch-long double bed. 

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Air France-KLM signs the most important agreement in its history in terms of maintenance

Air France-KLM signs the most important agreement in its history in terms of maintenance

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Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M), the specialist maintenance division of the Air France-KLM Group, has signed a major agreement for the maintenance of the GE90 engines powering Air China’s fleet of Boeing 777.

For a period of fifteen years, this new agreement is the most important in the history of AFI KLM E&M. It is part of a wider cooperation and is an extension of a successful relationship in the field of aircraft maintenance between AFI KLM E&M and Air China, which operates twenty 777-300ER aircraft and eight 777-200 freighters as part of its joint venture with Air China Cargo.

Leader for GE90 maintenance, with close to 400 engines maintained in the long term

Following an industrial scale development programme, AFI KLM E&M has acquired unique industrial means and expertise in the field of GE90 engine maintenance. With 80 years of experience as an operator and provider of aircraft maintenance, AFI KLM E&M offers a solid and competitive alternative to the services of the engine manufacturer thanks to its vast in-house repair, overhaul and testing capacities, as well as its expertise developed maintaining the engines of many international airlines. In 2014, AFI KLM E&M was named MRO of the Year by the magazine Airline Economics.

Certified solutions, means and procedures

To gain Air China’s trust and illustrate the performance and conformity of its facilities and working methods, AFI KLM E&M has followed the auditing and certification procedures of the CAAC, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration and its customer. In 2012, the Group was given the CAAC’s approval for its new engine test bed dedicated to Very Big Engines (VBE), including the GE90.

“This agreement illustrates our ability to expand in a highly competitive sector. It is an additional success story for our maintenance division and positive for employment in a growing sector within the Group and confirms our development strategy within the framework of Transform 2015.” Commented the chairman and CEO of Air France Alexandre de Juniac.

“Air China has been a privileged partner of AFI KLM E&M for several years. This agreement illustrates the high value and reputation of the services offered by AFI KLM E&M on the global market, especially in China. The offer was specifically designed to be in line with Air China’s needs, and shows Air China that AFI KLM E&M’s solutions provide the best guarantees in terms of reliability and performance.” Commented Franck Terner, EVP Engineering and Maintenance at Air France-KLM.

Source: Air France KLM