Japan Grounds F-15J Fleet
The Japanese Air Self Defense Force has grounded its fleet of more than 200 F-15J fighters for inspections after part of a vertical stabiliser fell off an aircraft during an air display on November 29. The jet lost a 2.4 metre long section of the tail plane’s leading edge as it banked away after takeoff,
Boeing completes 787 static test
Boeing announced on December 1 that it has completed static tests to validate the side-of-body modification to the 787. During the test, the aircraft’s wing and trailing edges were subjected to their load limits, equivalent to approximately 2.5 times the force of gravity. “Today’s test was an important milestone for the program,” said Scott Fancher,
First Global Hawk Block 30 delivered
The USAF’s 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing has taken delivery of its first Northrop Grumman Global Hawk Block 30 UAV at Beale AFB near Sacramento in California following the type’s national airspace airworthiness certification being granted by the FAA in early November. The aircraft, a signals intelligence (SIGINT) version of the Block 20 Global Hawk, has
Regional airports struggling
A number of regional airports around Australia are struggling under the heavy hand of regulation and a lack of funding for essential development, leading to a rapid decline in the number of airports operating. The claims come from a statement by the International Quality and Productivity Centre, which is hosting the Regional Airport Development 2010
V Australia takes off from Melbourne
V Australia’s first direct service on the Melbourne-Los Angeles departed on December 1, while the airline is also preparing to operate its first service from Melbourne to Phuket on December 3. “We are delighted to welcome V Australia to Melbourne,” Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff said. “Their exciting suite of new services will provide further
Air New Zealand sees higher loads
Air New Zealand saw an increase in its revenue load factor during October, although it was primarily driven by cuts in capacity, while passenger numbers continued to fall. Capacity at the airline was 10.1 per cent lower for the month, while a fall in passenger volumes of 4.1 per cent saw revenue passenger kilometres fall
