Tag: aircraft

Indonesian Lion Air plane crashes into sea with 188 passengers, crew

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — An Indonesian Lion Air plane carrying 188 passengers and crew crashed into the sea Monday, officials said, moments after it had asked to be allowed to return to Jakarta. The jet vanished from radar just 13 minutes after taking off from the Indonesian capital, plunging into the ocean. Search and Rescue Agency spokesman Yusuf Latif said authorities were still searching for the remains of the plane, which lost contact with air […]

Airbus to pay 81 mn euros to end German corruption probe

by Michelle FITZPATRICK Agence France-Presse FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Friday said it had agreed to pay a fine of 81.25 million euros ($99 million) to end a German corruption probe into the 2003 sale of Eurofighter jets to Austria. Prosecutors in Munich said in a statement that their investigation did not find evidence of bribery to secure the lucrative contract. But they said Airbus management had failed in […]

World’s largest amphibious aircraft takes off in China

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s home-grown AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight. The plane, codenamed “Kunlong” according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight. With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127 feet) and powered by four turboprop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne […]

US ends search for sailors after Philippine Sea air crash

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The US Navy on Friday called off its search for three American sailors missing since their plane crashed in the Philippine Sea. A C-2A “Greyhound” aircraft with 11 people on board went down Wednesday afternoon around 930 kilometers (500 nautical miles) southeast of Okinawa. Eight sailors were rescued shortly after the accident. All eight “are in good condition at this time,” the navy said in a statement. The decision to abandon […]

S. Korea to join three US aircraft carriers in drills

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean warships will take part in upcoming joint drills involving three US aircraft carriers in a fresh show of force against North Korea, a Seoul military official said Friday. The US Navy said Thursday that the three vessels — the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt — will conduct “coordinated operations in international waters” in the western Pacific between Saturday and Tuesday. It is unusual for […]

China signs $37 billion deal to buy 300 Boeing planes

BEIJING, China (AFP) – China signed a $37 billion agreement on Thursday to buy 300 airplanes from US airspace giant Boeing. The deal for the single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft was among the $250 billion in agreements announced during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. (Agence France-Presse)

Lebanese army gets two A-29 light-attack aircraft from U.S.

HAMAT, Lebanon (Reuters) — The United States delivered two A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Lebanon’s army on Tuesday (October 31), a sign of continued US support despite Israeli accusations that the Lebanese military is controlled by Hezbollah. The planes are the first of six promised by the US and will be used as armed observation aircraft, a security source in Lebanon said. They represent a big upgrade for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). […]

Electric jet startup could become ‘Uber in the sky’

by Glenn Chapman Agence France-Presse LAGUNA BEACH, United States (AFP) — Eviation Aircraft chief executive Omer Bar-Yohay pictures a day not too far away when summoning a bargain plane ride with a smartphone will be as easy as hailing Uber. The Israel-based startup working on a self-piloting, electric aircraft was at the WSJD Live conference here Tuesday with a vision of “Uber meeting Tesla in the sky.” Bar-Yohay spoke of a future in which people […]

Go weightless in Zero-G aircraft and help science

MERIGNAC, France (Reuters) — This aircraft has a very special mission. It allows its passengers to experience zero gravity – or weightlessness – the next best thing to being in the International Space Station. Passengers of the Zero-G plane, an Airbus A310, can experience zero gravity for over 20 seconds at a time when the plane leaps through the sky. Company Novespace runs the program with French space agency CNES, allowing researchers to study the […]

Chinese aircraft carrier fleet conducts drill

BEIJING, China (CCTV) — A fleet of Chinese warships led by China’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, conducted a training exercise aimed at testing the operational readiness of the naval vessels and the carrier-based fighter jets upon arrival in an unidentified sea area on Thursday. The drill, which also involved the destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan and the frigate Yantai, focused on examining the fleet’s combat deployment, reconnaissance and early-warning systems, as well as air maneuvers of […]

China says it opposes overflight after US bombers fly over South China Sea

BEIJING, China (Reuters) – China opposes the use of freedom of overflight as an excuse to harm its security, the country’s foreign ministry said on Friday (July 7), after two United States bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea. The flight by the B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam on Thursday (July 6) came as US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit […]

Chinese aircraft carrier sails into Hong Kong on maiden visit

  Hong Kong, China (Reuters) — China’s first aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong waters on Friday (July 7) in the latest show of the country’s growing military might at a time of heightened regional tensions. Tourists and residents gathered early to catch a glimpse of the massive carrier on its maiden visit to Hong Kong, part of celebrations marking 20 years since the handover of the city from British to Chinese rule. The Liaoning […]