Aviation
Commercial plane crashes in southern Iran, killing 66 people
TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian commercial plane crashed on Sunday in a foggy, mountainous region of southern Iran, killing all 66 people on board, state media reported. An Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down near its destination of the southern Iranian city of Yasuj, some 780 kilometers (485 miles) south of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on Flight No. 3704 were killed. The plane carried 60 passengers, including one child, and six crew members.
Due to foggy condition, rescue helicopters couldn’t reach the crash site in the Zagros Mountains, state TV reported. Tabatabai said the plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is about 440-meters (1,440-feet) tall. Aseman Airlines, owned by Iran’s civil service pension foundation, is a semi-private air carrier headquartered in Tehran that specializes in flights to remote airfields across the country. It also flies internationally.
The carrier has a fleet of 29 aircraft, including six ATR aircraft, according to FlightRadar24, a plane-tracking website. It is Iran’s third-largest airline by fleet size, behind state carrier Iran Air and Mahan Air. The Iranian Red Crescent said it has deployed to the area. Authorities said they would be investigating. Locals described hearing the crash, though no one had found the crash site yet, according to state TV.
European airplane manufacturer ATR, a Toulouse, France-based partnership of Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo S.p.A., said it had no immediate information about the crash. The manufacturer specializes in regional turboprop aircraft of 90 seats or less. Under decades of international sanctions, Iran’s commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly in recent years.
Following the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, Iran signed deals with both Airbus and Boeing to buy scores of passenger planes worth tens of billions of dollars. U.S. politicians have expressed concern about the airplane sales to Iran. President Donald Trump remains skeptical of the atomic accord overall and has refused to re-certify it, putting the deal in question. Home to 80 million people, Iran represents one of the last untapped aviation markets in the world. However, Western analysts are skeptical that there is demand for so many jets or available financing for deals worth billions of dollars. In April 2017, ATR sealed a $536-million sale with Iran Air for at least 20 aircraft. Chicago-based Boeing also signed a $3 billion deal that month to sell 30 737 MAX aircraft to Aseman Airlines.
Courtesy : Associated Press
Airlines
Lufthansa is interested in deepening its partnership with Air India to expand its cargo operations
Lufthansa is willing to expand its cargo collaboration with Air India in order to increase cargo volumes.
“We believe that a strong Air India is good for both India and global aviation.” “We are always looking for ways to strengthen our ties with Air India,” Lufthansa stated According to the report.
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In the midst of a robust revival in its cargo sector, the German airline is eager to work more closely with Air India. The ambitious growth plan for Air India includes the installation of wide-body aircraft, which will expand its cargo capacity by 300%.
“Lufthansa Cargo has seen a strong recovery in India, with cargo volumes recovering to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2023,” the company said. Positive forecasts for the remainder of the year include continuous expansion, according to the airline. “India is one of the world’s air freight markets with the quickest rate of growth. As India’s economy continues to expand and its exports rise, there will likely be a rise in the demand for air cargo, it added.
Airlines
LATAM Airlines takes delivery of its first A321neo, adds 13 more to order book
LATAM Airlines has taken possession of the first A321neo it had leased from AerCap and placed an order for 13 more of the aircraft to boost regional expansion and expand its route network. This A321neo aircraft is the first in a committed backlog of 76 to be delivered. LATAM will receive 111 A320 Family aircraft in total.
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The recently arrived A321neo for LATAM has Airbus’ Airspace XL bins in the cabin and can accommodate 224 passengers. The larger bins enable 60% more carry-on baggage and 40% more storage space, allowing passengers and cabin crew to board flights more leisurely. 49% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) was used to propel the just-delivered A321neo to its destination.
The largest single-aisle A320 Family model sold by Airbus is the A321neo. The lowest seat-mile cost of any single-aisle aircraft on the market is provided by the A321neo, allowing operators to serve the entire market. Customers from all across the world have ordered more than 5,200 A321neos so far.
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The LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates are the major airline group in Latin America, operating internationally throughout Europe, Oceania, the United States, and the Caribbean in addition to five local markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. LATAM is currently Latin America’s largest Airbus operator, flying 240 Airbus aircraft. LATAM received a brand-new Airbus A320neo in July of this year, marking the first delivery made with 30% SAF.
Airbus has sold over 1,150 aircraft in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 750 are in operation throughout the region, with more than 520 in the order backlog, representing a market share of 58% of in-service passenger aircraft. Since 1994, Airbus has secured 75% of net orders in the region.
Airlines
Wings of Growth: India’s Need for 130-150 Additional Wide-Body Aircraft
According to Vikram Rai, CEO of GE Aerospace South Asia, India’s civil aviation market, one of the fastest-growing in the world, has the potential to add 130-150 more wide-body aircraft to its fleet. In India, there are now about 700 commercial aircraft in service, although only about 50 of them are wide-body aircraft.
India, the third-largest aviation market in the world with about 1,500 aircraft on order from domestic airlines, is viewed as having “great potential” by GE Aerospace, a key manufacturer of aircraft engines.
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India is a focus market and a priority market for GE Aerospace” and added that in his opinion, domestic airlines would think about adding more wide-body aircraft to their fleet and using them on busy domestic routes.
The government is attempting to create international aviation hubs in India in order for domestic airlines to transport passengers directly to a variety of foreign locations as a result of the growing air passenger traffic.
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Currently, the majority of passengers flying out of India to distant locations do so on connecting flights run by foreign airlines.”We need to reach a stage where we can transport our passengers from end to finish. We are talking about the next stage of growth here, Rai added.
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