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Airbus delivers first ever A321neo to Virgin America

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Hamburg, Germany, April 20, 2017 – Airbus has delivered the first-ever A321neo. The latest generation aircraft powered by CFM International’s LEAP-1A engines was handed over to U.S. airline Virgin America, an all-Airbus operator, at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany.

“After Virgin America having been the first customer signing for the A320neo back in December 2010, we are today delighted to deliver the first A321neo to them,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus Chief Operating Officer and President Commercial Aircraft. “With our largest, latest, most fuel efficient NEO Single Aisle aircraft we are turning a new page. The new A321neo powered by next generation CFM LEAP-1A engines guarantees new levels of efficiency and longer range to its operators, greater comfort to the flying public and less emissions and noise to the airport communities. Thanks to its cutting edge technologies it is today the most eco-sensitive Single Aisle aircraft available.”

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The A320neo significantly reduces noise levels, generating only half the noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft. Equipped with fuel-saving Sharklet wingtip devices nitrous oxide emissions are 50 percent below regulatory requirements as outlined by the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). In addition, the aircraft with LEAP-1A engines is proven to deliver at least a 15 percent fuel savings compared to Virgin America’s current generation aircraft, which is equivalent to cutting 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions with each plane every year.

“We have been with Virgin America from the beginning and we are excited to launch this new chapter in that relationship,” said Gael Meheust, President and CEO of CFM International. “The LEAP-1A has done extremely well in its first months of commercial service. It is proving unprecedented levels of fuel efficiency and environmental responsibility while maintaining the level of reliability Virgin America has come to expect from CFM. We think they will be very pleased with all this engine has to offer.”

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The A321neo is the largest member of the A320neo Family. It covers the entire market, from high density to long-range thin routes. There are currently over 1,300 units on order.

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“We are honored to be the first operator of this high in-demand aircraft,” said Virgin America President Peter Hunt, speaking at the ceremony attended by Virgin America teammates, Executives from Airbus, CFM and the aircraft lessor GECAS. “The new A321neo – the third member of the Airbus A320 Family to join our Virgin America fleet – will allow us to further reduce our unit costs and enable us to further reduce our carbon emissions.”

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“Increased operational efficiency, productivity, and state-of-the-art technology — this winning combination makes the A321neo an attractive investment for leasing companies like GECAS who are committed to meeting customers’ operational needs while providing the latest technology and a solid return on investment,” said Alec Burger, President and CEO at GECAS.  “The low operating costs and reliability of the LEAP powered A320neo Family make it a strong asset in GECAS’ portfolio.”

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Virgin America currently operates a fleet of 63 Airbus A320 family aircraft comprised of A319ceo and A320ceo aircraft powered by CFM’s CFM56-5B engines.

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The new A321neo will become the largest aircraft in Virgin America’s fleet, featuring 185 seats – a 24 percent higher capacity at same comfort levels than its current A320s. Inside the cabin, Virgin America flyers will continue to enjoy three custom-designed classes of service, touch-screen personal entertainment and an on-demand food and cocktail menu on every flight in addition to power outlets at every seat. The aircraft is expected to enter service on May 31, 2017 with its inaugural flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

As first announced in April 2016, Virgin America was acquired by Alaska Air Group in December 2016.

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Pakistan might be interested in replacing its F16 aircraft with a KAAN 5th gen fighter from Turkey.

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Türkiye's homegrown 5th-generation fighter jet named KAAN

Pakistan believes that Turkey’s First Fifth Generation Fighter will replace the F-16.

The air force in Pakistan is eager to replace its aging fleet. It has repeatedly asked the United States for upgrades to its F16 fleet, but the United States has refused due to pressure from its neighbors and some allies, including China.

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Later, Pakistan forcibly acquired the newest fighter jet from China, the J-10, for its fleet despite being uncertain of the aircraft’s intended use. and some aircraft were constructed in Pakistan.

US approves sale of an F16 fighter jet to Pakistan(Opens in a new browser tab)

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Now It is crucial for Pakistan to upgrade its air force fleet with the latest aircraft so that it has the option to choose Turkish defense manufacturing. The Turkish Air Force just got its first F-16 fighter plane that was upgraded locally. As part of Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Project Ozgur, the aircraft has been modernized. Pakistan also may get similar assistance to upgrade its fleet in the upcoming days.

When Turkey’s first fifth-generation fighter, the TAI Kaan, completes its developmental trials around 2030, Pakistan has indicated an interest in purchasing it from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).

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Ukraine enters a tender for the engine development for Turkey’s KAAN Fighter.(Opens in a new browser tab)

Pakistan currently has its sights set on the Turkish KAAN fighter jet, which was just completed and is rumored to be a fifth-generation fighter. Additionally, it displayed some of the aircraft’s features and perspective, which are somewhat reminiscent of those of the US F22 and Russian Su 57.

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Pakistan may variety of options with Turkey. even it can ask for the domestic production of the Turkish fighter jet and also it can import most of the weapons. Turkish is also willing to make the agreement with Pakistan, it is already looking for buyers for its newly developed products.

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Turkish engineers hope to make their fifth-generation aircraft more competitive with the US F35 or the Russian Su-57. However, it will take some time as the Turkish manufacturing industry’s biggest problems are the engines and avionics, which they are always working to resolve.

Currently, Turkey manages the majority of aircraft, although it is working to acquire engines, many of which may come from Rolls-Royce for its KAAN TFX fighter.

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French government provides €5.6M funding to boost for VoltAero Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft

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French government provides a €5.6M funding boost for VoltAero Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft

A new €5.6 million grant from the French government through BPI France, the organization that supports France’s economic growth by aiding its entrepreneurs, has bolstered VoltAero’s funding for the development of its Cassio 330 electric-hybrid aircraft.

The funding was made available through the “France 2030” investment plan, which was formed by the French government with the aim of sustainably modernizing important areas of the nation’s economy, including aviation.

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The Cassio 330 is the first of three electric-hybrid aircraft models from VoltAero that have a lot in common and are highly flexible. The family’s design is based on the sleek, aerodynamically-optimized aircraft from VoltAero’s clean-sheet configuration.

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The Cassio family will be a highly skilled and dependable product line for local commercial operators, air taxi/charter firms, individual owners, as well as utility-category service for cargo, mail delivery and medical evacuation (Medevac) applications.

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Cassio will perform orders of magnitude better than the competition by incorporating VoltAero’s proprietary electric-hybrid propulsion system into the specially designed aircraft, and it will have much lower operating expenses.

The Cassio 330, an electric-hybrid vehicle with five seats and a 330-kilowatt propulsion system, will be the first version to enter service. The six-seat Cassio 480 from VoltAero will have an electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, while the 12-seat Cassio 600 has a propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.

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Bringing back its Boeing 777 aircraft from Russia is currently a nightmare for Air India

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On June 6, an Air India direct flight AI173 carrying over 200 people from Delhi to San Francisco, California, had to make an emergency landing in Magadan, Far Eastern Russia. After 40 or so hours, the stranded passengers were finally transported to San Francisco by a different airline.

Bringing back its Boeing 777 aircraft from Russia is currently a nightmare for Air India. Since there was a technical issue and the plane had to land in Magadan, efforts were made to transport the passengers from the ferry flight.

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Let’s learn more about the problems with aviation. The majority of long-haul flights have technical problems, mostly engine-related. Now that certain airlines have received necessary ground support from other airlines, flying foreign airlines into Russia, which has already received sanctions from Western countries, has been restricted.

231 Air India passengers were from India, the U.S., and Canada. Due to an engine issue, Boeing spent over two days in Magadan. The travelers’ sleeping arrangements were made at a school, a dorm, and the House of Culture. Everyone was fed, given water, and loaded onto a backup aircraft.

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How passengers of Air India AI173 were hosted in Russia.(Opens in a new browser tab)

However, the Air India AI173 flight from Delhi to Magadan is still present in the Russian tundra. As officials work to find a means to bring the aircraft out and back to India, it is likely to stay that way for a while, perhaps months.

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The GE90-115B engine from GE Aerospace powers the Boeing 777 operated by Air India.

There are various factors to take into account regarding the shipment if Air India is required to transport a spare engine and receives approval as well.

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Trucks are the greatest option for moving aircraft engines, however, flying is also an option for farther distances.

Air India resumes its most popular Bengaluru & San Francisco non-stop service(Opens in a new browser tab)

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The only option for plane India is plane travel. Specialized equipment is necessary for this as well.

The majority of AN 132 and other aircraft can carry a spare engine, however owing to the Ukraine issue, this aircraft may not be available, thus it must approve other cargo aircraft to carry additional engines.

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According to the Dutch air freight company VRR Aero, the PZE engine stands pallet is the best and only option for transferring jet engines to the main deck of wide-bodied aircraft like the Boeing 777.

Air India aircraft AI173’s emergency landing in Russia en route to San Francisco(Opens in a new browser tab)

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In addition, there are more airborne methods for moving aircraft engines. Air freight is frequently transported by the enormous Antonov 124 aircraft.

The problem, though, is that a sizable portion of these Antonov freight planes are either in Russia or Ukraine. One of these airplanes, Mriya, was damaged during the battle in Ukraine. There are just five, mostly in Europe, outside of Russia and the Ukraine.

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Air India resumes its non-stop service between Mumbai and New York(Opens in a new browser tab)

Given that GE is an American corporation, a Russian aircraft cannot be purchased there.

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Boeing is one of the companies that rent Antonov cargo aircraft to ship big engine parts across the globe.

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