HONG KONG, Aug 25 (Reuters) – The Chinese territory of Macau elected former legislature head Ho Iat Seng as its leader on Sunday – the sole approved candidate.
Ho, who has deep ties to China, is expected to cement Beijing’s control over the special administrative region and distance it from protests in neighbouring Hong Kong.
He secured 392 votes from a 400-member pro-Beijing committee to lead the world’s largest gambling hub for at least the next five years, public broadcaster TDM reported.
The 62-year-old’s highly scripted appointment comes as the former Portuguese colony tries to position itself as a beacon of stability and model for the Chinese government’s “one country, two systems” formula through which Beijing administers Macau and Hong Kong.
Although anti-government protests have roiled the former British colony of Hong Kong for nearly three months, Macau has seen little dissent to Beijing’s rule.
Ho said local youth could resist the influence of Hong Kong’s protesters and support measures to boost patriotism in Macau.
(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Authorized MDHI Sales Agent International Defense & Aerospace Group welcomes the first of up to 3 new, state-of-the-art MD 530F helicopters to be used for tactical and NVG flight training
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) is proud to announce the sale and delivery of a new MD 530F to International Defense & Aerospace Group, LLC (IDAG), a Pennsylvania-based authorized sales agent. The company’s first state-of-the-art MD 530F aircraft with a production all-glass cockpit, the custom-configured F-model will join an IDAG fleet of training aircraft operated by the Slovak Training Academy that also includes five (5) MD 500E-model helicopters. Its primary role will be to support the tactical and NVG flight training needs of military and paramilitary helicopter pilots from around the world.
“We are excited about the sale of this MD 530F, and the opportunity to have military and paramilitary pilots from around the world train in the MD 530F,” said Lynn Tilton, MD Helicopters, Inc. Chief Executive Officer. “MD Helicopters and International Defense & Aerospace Group are aligned in our commitment to delivering excellence in product quality, support and training, and in our belief that the MD 500E and MD 530F airframes offer the best performance in their class for training, law enforcement and military operations.”
An authorized MDHI Sales Agent for select Central and Eastern European opportunities since 2017, International Defense & Aerospace Group (IDAG) focuses on the sale and service of specialty rotorcraft solutions to military and paramilitary operators throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Global airborne law enforcement, military, and Special Forces operators worldwide also recognize IDAG for offering a comprehensive curriculum of transition and tactical flight training.
“We believe in the quality, proven performance and durability of MD Helicopters’ aircraft,” said Bob Caldwell, President and CEO of IDAG. “The MD 500-series helicopters are perfectly suited for training missions. They are incredibly robust, economical to operate, and have an unmatched safety record.”
IDAG also supports fleet operations and flight crew training for several regional national police agencies and operators.
Configuration
Powered by the Rolls-Royce 250-C30 650shp turbine engine, IDAG’s right-hand command MD 530F is the first type-certified 369FF aircraft to be produced with the company’s all-glass cockpit, and also features NVIS cockpit lighting, extended landed gear, and a 21-gallon Fargo auxiliary fuel tank.
“The MD 530F is one of our most versatile airframes,” Tilton concludes. “It is a proven performer with military and paramilitary operators worldwide, and delivers the overall performance, reliability and mission flexibility required by our growing global base of operators. We congratulate IDAG on this acquisition decision and look forward to the continued growth of their MD Helicopters fleet.”
VIDEO & IMAGE ASSETS: Click here to view a short video featuring this new, multi-mission, multi-role MD 530F. High-resolution images can be requested via MD Helicopters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it is moving to rewrite testing rules to allow for the eventual return of civil supersonic air travel.
At an event in Paris on Monday, Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell said the agency is working to “enable the return of civil supersonic travel, while ensuring the environmental impacts are understood and properly addressed.”
Later this week, the FAA will issue a proposed rule for “special flight authorization for supersonic aircraft,” Elwell said. This is the first step toward revising the FAA’s 45-year-old rules governing supersonic transport.
U.S. startups Aerion, Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are working to reintroduce supersonic passenger travel for the first time since the Anglo-French Concorde retired in 2003.
The rule “modifies and clarifies existing regulatory procedures for a more efficient way to obtain FAA approval to test supersonic aircraft.”
The rule “will provide a streamlined, clear line of sight on how to gain approval to conduct flight testing. This is a necessary, key step for further research and development in an emerging segment – and ultimately bring their aircraft to market,” Elwell added in remarks provided by the FAA.
According to a draft of the FAA proposal reviewed by Reuters, the agency said the proposed updates “are intended to support the growth of the civil supersonic industry” and will “provide increased clarity and information to applications as to the requirements for special flight authorizations to test supersonic aircraft.”
In February, Boeing Co said it had made a significant investment in supersonic business jet developer Aerion, as the world’s biggest planemaker looks to tap into rising demand for high-end aircraft that can reduce travel time.
Boeing will provide engineering, manufacturing and flight testing services for Aerion’s $120 million supersonic business jet, which is slated for its first flight in 2023.
Congress last year approved legislation directing the FAA to issue proposed rules setting noise standards for landing and takeoff, and noise test requirements for civil supersonic aircraft by March 2020, and modernizing the application process by December 2019.
Next generation supersonic jets, while quieter and more fuel efficient than the Concorde, have difficulty meeting existing noise levels and carbon emissions standards for conventional planes due to engine constraints and higher fuel burn.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Ottawa, Ontario, May 29th, 2019: Today during the CANSEC Defence & Security show, Viking Air Limited of Victoria, British Columbia has announced its plans to hold a world demonstration tour for its Guardian 400 aircraft, the special missions variant of the Viking Series 400 Twin Otter. The world tour will include detailed briefings and demonstration flights in Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, South East Asia, Oceania, and North America.
For the past six months, a production Series 400 Twin Otter has been undergoing modifications to transform into Viking’s Guardian 400 demonstrator aircraft for the proposed world tour. It will feature a right-hand SCAR pod with Hensoldt Argos EO/IR imaging turret, multi-spectral HDTV camera, mega-pixel HD Thermal imager, laser range finder, multi-mode auto tracker, and Remote Image Bus (RIB) video feed for display on the cockpit MFD or crew workstation. The demonstrator will also feature a left-hand SCAR pod with Leonardo Osprey Radar System and Sentient Vidar Camera system.
In addition to its mission sensor package, the Guardian 400 prototype will be equipped with an Airborne Technologies’ tactical workstation with high-definition touchscreen monitors, data/voice/video recorder, Mission Management Unit (MMU), mission radio communications, intuitive hand controller for MCU & SLR camera targeting, CarteNav AIMS mission system software, Kestrel MTI targeting software, and IKHANA ergonomic mission seat for optimized crew comfort. The prototype will also be equipped with Viking conformal bubble windows, left and right wing-mounted hard points by IKHANA, Thunder Bay Aviation stretcher racks, and an aft lavatory for crew comfort.
With a target launch date of September 2019, the Guardian 400 world tour has briefing and demonstration flights proposed throughout Europe, North Africa, Central Africa, Southeastern Africa, the Middle East, Southern Asia, Asia Pacific, North America and will culminate in Ottawa, Canada to coincide with the 2020 CANSEC Defence & Security show.
“As we’ve anticipated development of a Guardian 400 technical demonstrator for many years, to now be able to show off its unique performance capabilities and incredible versatility to interested military and government organizations in their home countries is exciting to say the least,” said Robert Mauracher, Viking executive vice president, Sales & Marketing. “While the tour details are still under development, we encourage interested parties to contact us if they wish to participate in a flight demonstration.”
About the Guardian 400 Twin Otter:
Viking developed the Guardian 400 in response to foreign military and government agency demand for a medium-range maritime patrol, SAR and critical infrastructure platform based on the new Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft. Designed as an economical force multiplier for 21st century surveillance and security requirements, the Guardian 400’s low acquisition and operating costs combined with its modern, flexible architecture allows it to be customized to suit operators’ financial and mission requirements.
The Guardian 400’s robust design, minimal maintenance requirements, and exceptional short-field performance capabilities make it ideally suited for specialized government operations in extreme environments. Certified under the restricted category, the Guardian 400’s increased take-off weight and extended range internal Patrol Tank allow for operational sorties over 10 hours in duration.
Trusted by the governments of Peru, Panama, the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, over thirty Twin Otter Guardian 400 aircraft have now entered service in various roles, including maritime surveillance, search & rescue, parachute operations, pipeline monitoring, drug enforcement, medevac, and critical infrastructure support.
SAN ANTONIO — Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, the last of World War II’s Doolittle Raiders, passed away early Monday morning in San Antonio with his daughter, Cindy, and son, Rich, at his side, according to reports from family and friends.
Cole was 103 years old. Arrangements are being made for a memorial service at Randolph Air Force Base, and Cole will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. He had been scheduled to be honored in Sarasota on April 7 but was unable to attend the ceremony after being hospitalized.
The Doolittle Raiders were group of 80 Army Air Force aviators who participated in a daring aerial raid on Japan during World War II, bombing seven cities just months after the Japanese had laid waste to American naval power at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Cole, though, was humble about his role in the historic raid, which was planned and led by Army Air Force Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle of the United States Army Air Forces.
“I don’t think that the Raiders should be remembered any more than the millions of other people who took part in World War II,” he said during a recent interview at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base.
The Doolittle Raiders are woven tightly into the historical fabric of this area. For a little more than two weeks in March 1942, they trained at what was then Eglin Field for their improbable mission: launching stripped-down B-25 bombers off the deck of an aircraft carrier and flying hundreds of miles across the Pacific Ocean to bomb Japan.
Less than a month after leaving Eglin Field, on April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raiders — all volunteers and none of whom had flown a combat mission — boarded 16 B-25 bombers on the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet in the Pacific to start their mission. Cole was in the copilot’s seat of the lead B-25, which was piloted by Doolittle.
Cole also was among the airmen who had to bail out of the the B-25s after the raid. Asked recently about his sharpest memory of the raid, after more than 76 years, Cole had a quick response.
“The thing I remember most is my parachute opening,” he smiled.
Cole was in the area last month, attending a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, headquarters of Air Force Special Operations Command, for a 75th anniversary commemoration of Operation Thursday, another piece of World War II history in which he was involved. Cole was among the aviators involved in the 1944 operation in the China-Burma-India war theater in which early American air pioneers worked alongside British special operations soldiers known as Chindits to extract British soldiers from the forests of Burma. The operation marked the birth of Air Commandos as part of U.S. military aviation forces.
B-25 bombers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, departing San Francisco bound for Tokyo, Japan
ANA becomes Japan’s first carrier with Airbus’ double-deck jetliner and joins airlines that use A380s to serve the Tokyo Narita – Honolulu route
Japan’s All
Nippon Airways (ANA) today took delivery of its initial A380, which will
serve the popular Japan-to-Hawaii routing – and is appropriately
painted in a special livery depicting the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle,
also known as the Honu.
ANA becomes the world’s 15th operator – and Japan’s first – of this widebody passenger aircraft. It has ordered a total of three A380s.
Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, the jetliner features ANA’s very latest in-flight entertainment systems, as well as full connectivity in all classes. It will enable the airline to almost double the capacity between Japan and the U.S. island state of Hawaii, generating value for the airline.
As the world’s largest and most spacious passenger aircraft, the A380 will be operated on ANA’s popular Japan-to-Hawaii route.
“This marks a new milestone in our relationship
with ANA – our longest-standing customer in Japan,” said Tom Enders,
Airbus Chief Executive Officer, during today’s delivery ceremony at
Toulouse, France. “We are confident the A380 will be a huge success in
service with All Nippon Airways, and we remain committed to supporting
the airline’s A380 operation – as we will for all operators of this
magnificent aircraft.”
Each of ANA’s A380s will feature the special livery depicting the
Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle. The no. 1 aircraft is blue, the second will
be green and the third orange. This elaborate paint scheme covers a
surface of 3,600 square metres and took the Airbus team 21 days to
paint, using 16 different shades of colour.
With this character design of
Honu, All Nippon Airways aims to raise awareness about environmental
issues and contribute to saving sea turtles and the environment.
Shohei Hattori, ANA Corporate Planning Manager
“Customers around the world were asked to create
an attractive design to be painted on Japan’s first A380 as part of a
contest – and the Honu, a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hawaii,
was among the numerous ideas,” explained Shohei Hattori, the ANA
Corporate Planning Manager.
Airbus’ longstanding relationship with Japan
The relationship between Airbus and Japan’s All
Nippon Airways began in 1986, when the airline placed its first order
for 20 single-aisle A320s, the first of which entered service in 1991. Since then, ANA has operated a fleet of A320 Family
aircraft, consistently ranking among the top Airbus operators for
technical performance and achieving more than 99.5% operational
reliability with its latest A321neo fleet.
In recent years, Airbus also extended its operator base in Japan with
ANA subsidiaries Peach Aviation and Vanilla Air, both of which
exclusively fly Airbus A320 Family aircraft.
At the end of 2018, Airbus reached a milestone with 100 of its aircraft in Japanese operators’ service, representing 20% of total fleet flying in the country – with a target to reach 30% by 2020, and 50% in the long term.
As the first Japanese
customer for Airbus’ double-deck jetliner, ANA’s no. 1 A380 bears the
representation of a Hawaiian turtle – and will be part of promotions to
save sea turtles and the environment.
The unique A380 experience
More than 230 A380s have been delivered to 15
airlines worldwide, with the jetliners operated on 120-plus routes and
60 destinations.
An estimated250 million passengers already have flown aboard
the double-deck aircraft – and people actively seek out A380 flights for
the unique travel experience. To assist passengers, Airbus created a
dedicated iflyA380 website, where travellers can search and book their preferred flights – which now also include those operated by ANA.
Some 50% of weekly global A380 flights take place in Asia-Pacific –
with flights performed within the region, to or from it, demonstrating
that the jetliner offers the best solution for traffic growth in Asia.
As the world’s largest and most spacious passenger aircraft, the A380 is a favourite among travellers, with unmatched comfort and wider seats. For airlines, the jetliner has the lowest cost per seat of any competing widebody, delivering comfort and economic benefits and maximising revenue. With passenger traffic doubling every 15 years, the A380 is the solution to transportation growth and airport congestion, carrying more people with fewer flights at lower cost and reduced emissions.
As the first Japanese customer for Airbus’ double-deck jetliner, ANA’s no. 1 A380 bears the representation of a Hawaiian turtle – and will be part of promotions to save sea turtles and the environment.
LONDON (Reuters) – The future of Alitalia was plunged further into uncertainty on Monday after British budget airline easyJet pulled out of talks to rescue the Italian carrier two weeks before a deadline to save it.
EasyJet said it had decided to withdraw from the process after discussions with Italy’s state-controlled railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and U.S. airline Delta Air Lines.
Alitalia was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected the latest in a long line of rescue plans, leaving the government once again seeking a buyer to save the airline.
Ferrovie is racing against the clock to meet deadline of the end of the month set by the Italian government to present a rescue plan for Alitalia, and had been in talks with easyJet and Delta over a possible deal.
But the parties had not seen see eye to eye on the structure of a deal. Without an industrial partner fully on board, a source said last week that Alitalia could soon find itself in trouble since neither Ferrovie nor the state have the skills to run the carrier.
Delta said it was still in talks with Ferrovie.
“Discussions remain ongoing as Alitalia is a long-standing partner of Delta,” the U.S. airline said in a statement.
Alitalia and Ferrovie could not immediately be reached for a comment.
EasyJet, whose shares were unaffected by Monday’s announcement, had said several times it was interested in Alitalia’s short-haul operations and positions at primary airports.
A source familiar with the talks said easyJet still believed it could be a good partner for Alitalia, but that a deal was not feasible with the current approach.
“EasyJet pulled out because it wanted to control (Alitalia’s) Milan hub and use it for point-to-point flights. This could not be done,” another source with knowledge of the matter said.
EasyJet said it remained committed to Italy, as a key market for the company.
“We continue to invest in the three bases in Milan, Naples, (and) Venice,” it said in a statement.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout in London and Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak in Milan and Giselda Vagnoni in Rome; Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter)
British pilot Kate McWilliams became the world’s youngest ever commercial airline captain at age 26 with easyJet.
ROME
(Reuters) – Delta Air Lines and easyJet have set strict conditions for
investing in Alitalia that could jeopardise a government-led plan to
rescue the troubled Italian airline, a source close to the matter said.
Alitalia was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected the latest in a long line of rescue plans.
Italy’s
populist government, which has made the re-launch of the flagship
carrier one of its priorities, is sponsoring a plan that would see
state-owned railway Ferrovie inject fresh funds and revamp the carrier
together with industrial partners.
Delta
and easyJet, which have expressed interest in Alitalia, are in talks
with Ferrovie, but the three investors do not see eye to eye on the
structure of the deal.
Without
an industrial partner fully on board, Alitalia could soon find itself
in trouble since neither Ferrovie nor the state have the skills to run
the carrier, the source said.
EasyJet
has said several times it is interested in Alitalia’s short-haul
operations and positions at primary airports, adding the alliance should
be commercially viable.
The
British low-cost carrier would be open to taking a stake of 15 percent
in the Italian airline but only if it wins control of certain Alitalia
assets, the source said.
That
condition has irritated the three special commissioners in charge of
the airline, who fear it could lead to a break-up of the company. The
administrators have the power to decide on the offers.
At
the same time Delta is also planning to take a 15 percent stake,
spending around 100 million euros in the proposed 900 million euro
(773.6 million pounds) rescue plan, but does not want to inject more
than that, the source said.
A
participation of 30 percent or less by the industrial partners,
compared with a stake of around 40 percent Ferrovie was counting on,
would force the government to find additional investors, probably among
state-controlled companies, a second source said.
Ferrovie
is expected to take a stake of between 30 and 49 percent in the new
carrier, the second source said, making a full involvement of Delta and
easyJet crucial.
According
to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, Ferrovie CEO Gianfranco Battisti
will fly to Atlanta in the coming days to try to convince Delta’s CEO Ed
Bastian to pump more money into the rescue plan.
Ferrovie, easyJet declined to comment on the issue, while Delta was not immediately available for comment.
Ferrovie
is racing against the clock to meet a March 31 deadline set by the
Italian government to present a rescue plan for Alitalia.
Should
that deadline be missed, it would jeopardise the repayment of 900
million euro state loan to the airline, which must take place by the end
of June.
(By Giselda Vagnoni. Additional reporting by Francesca Landini in Milan, Alistair Smout in London, Tracy Rucinski in Chicago, Writing by Francesca Landini; Editing by Keith Weir)
— JetBlue Scores Big by Renewing its Partnership with the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center —
BROOKLYN, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline®, today revealed its latest special livery dedicated to the Brooklyn Nets. “BK Blue” joins JetBlue’s legion of New York-themed aircraft. JetBlue was named the Official Domestic Airline of Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 and has renewed its partnership for another five-year term.
This press release features multimedia. You can view the full release here:
