Business & Military

Textron Aviation announced on Monday that it has successfully completed initial ground engine tests on the prototype of its Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine turboprop. According to the company, initial testing covered verifying fuel systems and engine function along with avionics and electrical systems interfaces. The SkyCourier is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines. “The […]

Emirates has virtually shut down and parked 85 percent of its fleet as airspace and border closures due to the spread of coronavirus strikes at the heart of its business model. Emirates is based in Dubai but the base functions mainly as a legally necessary intermediate stop for intercontinental flights. If it can’t fly globally, […]

On an airliner, engines are a source of noise heard on the ground, but so is airflow over landing gear, flaps and slats. Using massive supercomputers to model airflow, NASA is seeking ways to reduce such noise. This AVweb video explains the project. view on YouTube

Textron Aviation announced on Wednesday that it plans to implement four-week furloughs for “most” of its U.S-based employees as part of the company’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Textron also said it will be “adjusting production to align with anticipated market demand.” According to the company, employees will be furloughed from March 23 through […]

Airbus has announced that it will halt production and assembly activities at its facilities in France and Spain for four days due to “the implementation of new measures in France and Spain to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to the company, it is also working to maximize work-from-home options where possible for employees in those […]

Boeing is calling for the U.S. government to provide a minimum of $60 billion in “access to public and private liquidity, including loan guarantees” to help the aerospace manufacturing industry weather the economic impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Boeing’s production facilities remain open with “enhanced cleaning procedures” in place. The company also said it […]

Italy-based Piaggio has put out a call for buyers for its Piaggio Aero Industries branch and subsidiary Piaggio Aviation, which together operate as Piaggio Aerospace. Piaggio Aerospace is currently under extraordinary administration, a procedure designed to protect the “assets, goodwill and employees” of large insolvent companies. Potential buyers will be screened by Extraordinary Commissioner Vincenzo […]

Boeing has discovered foreign object debris (FOD) in the fuel tanks of several stored 737 MAX aircraft. Production of the MAX, which is manufactured at Boeing’s facility in Renton, Washington, was suspended last December pending the recertification of the grounded model. The exact number of aircraft found to have FOD in their fuel tanks has […]

Gulfstream’s new flagship G700 business jet had its first flight on Friday. The flight lasted two hours and 32 minutes and covered all the basic flight characteristics and system checks. The company says it’s on track to deliver airplanes in 2022 under an aggressive development campaign that it also managed to keep under wraps for […]

As many as eight airliners were briefly delayed at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday to isolate and remove passengers who exhibited COVID-19 symptoms. Heathrow and local health officials refused to release details of what local media described as a “lockdown” of the airliners but United Airlines confirmed that its flight from San Francisco was involved […]