787 goes to extremes
Boeing 787 test aircraft ZA003 has begun its nearly two week long period of extreme weather testing at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, with the commencement of “cold soak” testing. During the cold soak test the hangar’s temperature is lowered to as low as -43 degrees Celcius for a period
SIA’s loads leap in March
Singapore Airlines has recorded an impressive 11.4 percentage point rise in passenger load factor during March, signalling that the Asia Pacific region is rebounding strongly from the global financial crisis. During the month, the carrier cut passenger capacity by 2.2 per cent, while passenger kilometres increased by 13.9 per cent, resulting in the surge in
US Airways pulls out of merger talks with United
US Airways has announced that it has withdrawn from merger discussions with larger rival United Airlines, leaving it only with Continental Airlines as a potential merger partner. US Airways said that while it still believed in consolidation, the airline’s management had decided to discontinue discussions with United. It is the first acknowledgement that it has
Virgin Blue launches mobile check-in and boarding card
Virgin Blue has revealed its new ‘Check Mate’ process which will allow passengers with smartphones to use them to complete check in and board domestic flights. The airline has launched the first phase of the project, which involves its ‘mobile.virginblue.com.au’ website and a special BlackBerry application, which offer mobile check-in, seat selection and boarding via
Airports cut parking fees for stranded passengers
Sydney and Brisbane airports have both announced special concessions for passengers whose travel was disrupted by the Icelandic volcano eruption which grounded flights to and from Europe. Both airports will rebate some of the cost of car parking for passengers who have been impacted by the delay where a passenger can show that they were
‘Green Hornet’ flies for Earth Day
The US Navy flew an F/A-18F Super Hornet powered by a 50:50 mixture of JP8 jet fuel and a camelina oil based biofuel at supersonic speeds to commemorate Earth Day on April 22. The flight saw the aircraft, dubbed the ‘Green Hornet’, reach Mach 1.2 and was the first time a biofuel blend had been
