Global Eagle is ending the year on a high note, at least in one market. Just over a year after announcing a deal to install Ku-band satellite connectivity services on a large portion of the Turkish Airlines single-aisle fleet the company confirmed on Monday that the first of those aircraft is now equipped with its Ku-band satellite connectivity solution.
EASA
Airbus, EASA warn on parked aircraft battery issues
With thousands of aircraft parked around the globe this year the industry is learning more and more about the impact of these long-term storage actions. This week Airbus and EASA issued an advisory regarding battery systems on the A320, A330, A340 and A380 family aircraft that “could lead to reduced battery endurance performance, possibly resulting […]
Airbus aims to ease "COVID Combi" temporary freighter conversions
How quickly can an airline convert a passenger plane to freighter service? Airbus hope to ease the process for the A330 and A350 with a new Service Bulletin modification.
Airbus, Thales bring touch screens to the A350 flight deck
Pinch-and-zoom and panning gesture controls familiar to smartphone and tablet users the world over are now availalbe to the flight deck for the first time in a commercial aircraft. Airbus and Thales delivered the first certified and equipped plane to China Eastern, kicking off a new generation of interactive experiences for pilots.
MAX groundings bring adjusted schedules and big questions about fix certification
No one knows how much longer the 737 MAX will remain grounded. And, perhaps more worrisome, multiple regulators are skeptical that the FAA can be trusted to approve its return to service.
PaxEx Premium: Easing the 2Ku backlog
TAP takes delivery of first A330neo, Airbus teases changes
As the first A330neo is handed off to TAP Airbus is teasing the idea of a “regional” version of the type, an aircraft far better suited to serve the vast majority of flights the A330 operates today. Why wait so long and will it ever really happen??
IATA ratchets up rhetoric on Brexit negotiations
IATA issued updated guidance on the potential impact of Brexit this morning and the news is not good. The lack of agreement on the future of the air travel market presents massive challenges and IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac predicts chaos if significant progress is not realized soon.
Loose ELT antenna impacts 2Ku deployments
Earlier this month EASA issued an Airworthiness Directive affecting certain of Gogo’s 2Ku inflight connectivity installations. Air vortices created by the 2Ku radome cause excessive vibration in the ELT antenna, potentially shaking it loose or causing structural issues in the fuselage. Fortunately the issue was discovered relatively quickly, the number of aircraft affected is low and a revised installation process is expected to be in place in the near future.