GoAir (G8, Mumbai Int'l) is considering leasing additional aircraft over the next two to three years, in light of mounting operating costs and tougher local competition. “We are in discussion with Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) and leasing companies. No decision has been taken. We are evaluating plans,” GoAir’s chief executive officer, Giorgio De Roni, told India's Business Standard. The smallest of India's domestic carriers with a market share of a little less than eight per cent, GoAir operates a fleet of twelve A320-200s and five A320-200 (sl)s. Mr De Roni also said the LCC was open to partnering strategic investors. “The strategy should be win-win for us. Foreign direct investment is a significant opportunity for GoAir, as for any airline. The main thing is that we should not finalise an agreement only to oblige Indian travellers to go via an intermediate point to reach a final destination,” he remarked. With Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi Int'l) taking a 24% stake in Jet Airways (9W, Mumbai Int'l), India's aviation scene has witnessed a dramatic rise in foreign carriers willing to partner or acquire stakes in local operators. Thus far, AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) and Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) have pushed ahead with plans to partner Tata Group in establishing an LCC, AirAsia India (Chennai), and a full service carrier, Tata SIA Airlines (Delhi Int'l), respectively.
Boeing (NYSE: BA) today delivered the first 747-8 with performance-improved GEnx-2B engines as part of the airplane's Performance Improvement Package (PIP.) A Cathay Pacific Airways 747-8 Freighter was the first 747 to deliver with the PIP engines.
The AirMule is made by Israel's Tactical Robotics Ltd., and can be flown either by remote control or using its own autonomous control system – there's no onboard human pilot. Among other things, it's intended for the evacuation of wounded personnel in war zones while under anti-aircraft fire.
In its current form, it weighs 770 kg (1,700 lb), can carry a payload of up to 640 kg (1,400 lb), has a potential top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph), and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,000 ft (3,658 m).

What makes it particularly Batwingish, however, are the internal rotor blades contained within its body (as distinct from the shrouded props at the back). This design feature should allow it to land in tight or uneven areas where the open blades of a regular helicopter could be damaged by striking objects ... objects such as people. It can presently land and take-off within an area of 40 square meters (430.5 sq ft).
The internal rotor blades are reportedly also much quieter than those of a helicopter, giving the matte-black AirMule some added stealth.
In the latest tests, announced yesterday, it autonomously performed a vertical take-off, flew to the end of a runway, then turned around on the spot and flew back to its starting point. It maintained altitude using two laser altimeters (a radar altimeter is also on the way), while maintaining positioning via a combination of GPS, an inertial navigation system, and optical reference to markers on the ground.
Plans now call for "full mission demonstrations" next year, utilizing a second prototype that is currently under construction.
A video of the tests can be seen below.
Source: Tactical Robotics Ltd.
Over five years since Qantas expected to commence Boeing 787 flights, its low-cost offshoot Jetstar this week launched the Dreamliner onto its first international flight between Melbourne and Bali.
Jetstar's first Boeing 787 will spend the summer plying on this popular holiday route as flight JQ35, following a month-long series of domestic flights between its Melbourne base and the Gold Coast and Cairns.
Additional Boeing 787 routes are being rolled out as more Dreamliners join the Jetstar fleet – including Sydney-Bali from January 15th 2014, Sydney-Phuket from February 3rd and Brisbane-Bali from April 16th.
With the resumption of EC225 commercial flights by BHS Helicopter, OMNI and Aeróleo Taxi Aéreo in Brazil, all operators using this Eurocopter helicopter around the globe have now reinstated service.
The EC225 oil and gas fleet’s return-to-service began in July 2013 in Angola, and now has been completed with all three Brazilian operators back in crew change operations for Petrobras.
These companies join other oil and gas industry operators in restoring EC225 missions: CHC Helicopter, Bristow, Bond, Sonair, Blueway DanCopter, Era, and MHS Aviation Berhad. Collectively, they cover the world’s major regions for offshore heli-lift for the energy sector – from the North Sea and Asia to Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and South America.
BAE SYSTEM has missed out on a £6bn contract to supply fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, in a blow to British export hopes and David Cameron's own attempts to secure a deal.
The UK arms manufacturer revealed on Thursday that more than a year of talks to supply 60 Typhoon aircraft to the UAE had failed. It also said vital negotiations with the Saudi government over the pricing of an existing Typhoon contract, keenly anticipated by shareholders, will drag into next year.
The news is a serious setback for BAE as it seeks to reduce its reliance on US and British defence markets that have been hit by government spending cuts.
Officials in China have instructed pilots flying into Beijing's hazy airports to ensure they're appropriately-qualified in instrument landing system use.
Referencing the Chinese civil aviation regulator, the China Daily reports that, from 1 January onwards, only ILS-qualified pilots will be allowed into the Chinese capital's major airports on days when visibility is 400 metres or less.
According to a source quoted by the China Daily, the instrument landing system requirement '...is part of a series of measures the administration took recently to raise the flights' on-time performance.'
While having made major investments in airport infrastructure and the latest airliner technology, China still experiences significant flight delays, on account of various factors. The smoggy weather is one such cause; so too, the tight airspace restrictions imposed by the China's People's Liberation Army.
The Airports Commission has published future UK airport expansion options, including the addition of new runways at London Heathrow and Gatwick.
Some 50 proposals were sent the commission's way and, from these, it has singled out three. These are a new 3,000+ metre Gatwick Airport runway, a new 3,500 metre Heathrow Airport runway and an extension of Heathrow's existing westerly runway, taking it to a minimum of 6,000 metres in length.
Also still in the consideration frame - although much less so at this stage than Heathrow and Gatwick's futures - are a brand new airport in the Thames Estuary area and projected Birmingham and/or Stansted airport expansions, with the Airports Commission's final report due out in mid-2015.
Flight operations at India's busiest airport have been severely affected by fog, with sub-50m metre visibility causing some 140 flight diversions and delays. Passengers have had to endure waits of up to three hours while waiting for conditions at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International to improve.
Meanwhile, airports in other Indian cities have all been accepting diverted flights with the visibility at IGI airport just below the minimum required for ILS (instrument landing system) landings.
The Indira Gandhi airport fog has since lifted considerably but, still, delays are expected to continue for some time yet. It arrived on the scene at approximately 0000hrs but really started to take hold at around 0630hrs. Between 0700hrs and 0900hrs, nine scheduled inbound flights were rerouted and, during the same period, there were no takeoffs whatsoever.
Air Onix (OG, Simferopol) has been forced to amend its operations in light of the political upheavals currently affecting Ukraine. In its press statement, Air Onix said that effective December 15, it had suspended its Kiev Borispol to Donetsk service owing to substantial decline in demand. The route had catered mainly to business. In addition, owing to an unspecified aircraft fault, Air Onix has had to
Six Americans have been killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan,
One person on board the aircraft was injured and survived, two U.S. defense officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.
In Washington, an official originally said the helicopter had experienced engine failure before the crash, but later said that it was unclear whether that was the case.
The service members were part of the International Security Assistance Force.
NATO says there is currently no fighting in the area.




China Airlines (CI, Taipei Taoyuan) has beaten local rivals TransAsia Airways (GE, Taipei Sung Shan) in the race to establish Taiwan's first Low Cost Carrier with the signing of a joint-venture agreement with Singapore's Tigerair (TR, Singapore Changi) establishing Tigerair Taiwan (Taipei Taoyuan). In a statement issued to mark the event on December 15, Tigerair Group CEO, Koay Peng-Yen, said: “The agreement will help us enter new markets in Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The combination of China Airlines' familiarity with these markets and our experience in the LCC industry makes us even more confident in establishing a competitive LCC that will continue to grow.” Under the terms of the agreement, Tigerair Taiwan will be capitalized to the tune of TWD2billion (USD66.7million) with China Airlines Group holding a 90% stake and Tigerair holding the remaining 10%. Based in Taiwan, the new LCC is now in the process of being certified by both the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Taiwanese Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and expects to launch at the end of 2014. Once operational, Tigerair Taiwan will serve major destinations in Northeast and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok, Macau Int'l, mainland China and Taiwan. According to CAPA, the LCC will use its Singaporean parent's website as its main sales and distribution platform.
Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l) has ruled out acquiring a stake in struggling partner, Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingford Smith), even if Canberra moves to change existing legislation allowing it to do so. Responding to questions from the West Australian newspaper, Emirates CEO Tim Clark said that his airline was not "a bottomless pit of cash" but did admit that Emirates was watching Qantas "carefully."

AAR announced that it will release financial results for its second quarter of Fiscal Year 2014, ended November 30, 2013, after the market closes on Thursday, December 19, 2013.
On Thursday, December 19, 2013, at 3:45 p.m. CST, AAR will hold a conference call to discuss the results. The conference call can be accessed by calling 866-802-4322 from inside the U.S. or 703-639-1319 from outside the U.S.