UAE to buy 12 L15s from China

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defense has announced that it intends to procure 12 L15 supersonic forward jet trainers and light attack aircraft from the Chinese company CATIC.

According to the news in the official news agency of the UAE, WAM, the agreement between the UAE and China has reached the final stage. The agreement is expected to be signed soon.

UAE officials also emphasize that they are confident in the CATIC selection and that the aircraft has a highly advanced technology.

The L-15 was also on the agenda of Ethiopia recently.

Ethiopia appeared to be the second largest export customer of China's L-15 Light Strike Fighter after Zambia. The L-15s are expected to replace the legacy MiG-23 aircraft that form the backbone of the country's war fleet, along with the Ethiopian Air Force's Su-27 Flanker fleet.

The falling helicopter turned into a fireball!

In Venezuela, a military helicopter crashed into a wasteland. In the accident, 2 soldiers died at the scene and 2 soldiers were injured.

In the South American country of Venezuela, in the statement made by the Venezuelan Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), it was stated that the military helicopter crashed on an empty field in the city of Barquisimeto in the state of Lara.

2 SOLDIERS LOSE LIVES

Russian-made helicopter crashed, 2 soldiers died at the scene, 2 soldiers were injured. An investigation has been launched regarding the accident in which the injured were taken to hospital. Images showing the moment of the helicopter crash were shared on social media.

In Venezuela, between 2001 and 2021, 83 accidents involving the armed forces occurred, 169 civilians and soldiers were killed and 55 injured in these accidents.

Plane crash in Australia... Pilot died!

It has been reported that the pilot of the small plane crashed in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria died.

According to a statement from the Victorian State Police, the small plane with only the pilot aboard crashed into an empty space on rough terrain in the Gippsland region for unknown reasons.

Announcing that the plane crashed at 07:15 local time, the police reported that the pilot, whose identity has not yet been determined, died at the scene.

The investigation, initiated by the police to determine the cause of the crash, continues

Russia takes action for 4 new visa types!

Russian Interior Ministry official Valentina Kazakova announced that four new visa types will enter into force in the country: “investor”, “medicine”, “universal” and “special”. With the new visas, it is aimed to facilitate the entry of business people to Russia.

A law recently signed by President Vladimir Putin in Russia provides for the fingerprinting of all foreigners who come for business or stay in the country for more than 90 days

Numbers worst in 40 years at Heathrow

One of the world's busiest airports, Heathrow has recorded the lowest annual passenger numbers since 1972.

Heathrow Airport officials in London, the capital of England, announced that the number of passengers fell to 19.4 million last year. This figure was recorded as the lowest level since 1972.

Passenger numbers dropped by 23 percent at Britain's largest airport, which recorded a pre-tax loss of £1.79 billion for 2021.

However, with the activity expected to increase in the summer months, it is aimed to reach the target of 45.5 million passengers this year. CEO John Holland-Kaye announced that they are hopeful for this year

US military helicopter crashed: 4 dead!

Four people were killed in a helicopter that crashed near a US base in Hawaii.

In the statement made by the US military, it was stated that the helicopter supported the training activities of the navy. It was reported that 4 people in the helicopter that crashed during the training exercise lost their lives.

After the incident, it was noted that the security forces and firefighters started investigations at the accident site, and an investigation into the accident was initiated.

 

Etna volcano erupted, air traffic stopped!

Etna, one of Italy's active volcanoes, has spewed ash and lava again.

On the island of Sicily in the south of the country, Etna Volcano, whose height is around 3 thousand 200 meters, experienced the second volcanic activity of this year after the intense volcanic activity on February 10.

It was stated that the air space around the volcano was closed due to the ash cloud, and air transportation at Catania Fontanarossa Airport was stopped as a precaution.

It was noted that many planes were diverted to the surrounding squares.

It was stated that ash fell on the houses in the settlements close to the volcano due to intense ash spraying

Head of FAA Resigns!

Steve Dickson, the head of the US Federal Aviation Administration, announced that he will leave the post with a flash decision.

Steve Dickson, who took over the US Federal Aviation Administration following two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes, announced his resignation, effective March 31.

Dickson's unexpected decision to resign came midway through his five-year tenure. Announcing that he will leave with an e-mail to the staff, Dickson stated that he has been separated from his family for a long time and now wants to devote all his time to them. "As I wrote in my letter to President Biden, it's time to go home." said.

Dickson lives in Washington DC due to his tenure with the FAA and his family is in Georgia. 

Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines captain and head of flight operations, was appointed FAA Chairman by President Donald Trump, days after the two fatal crashes of Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX aircraft.

Virgin Galactic begins ticket sales

Virgin Galactic announced its plans to open ticket sales to the public as of yesterday. We are looking for 1000 people who are ready to give 450 thousand dollars, including a deposit of 150 thousand dollars for a 90-minute trip.

Virgin Galactic, the commercial space transportation company founded by British billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson, started selling tickets with a deposit of 150 thousand dollars and a total of 450 thousand dollars as of February 16.

"We plan to get our first 1,000 customers on board at the start of commercial service this year, which provides an incredibly strong foundation as we begin regular operations and scale our fleet," said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier.

Passengers will make a 90-minute journey at the edge of space for this 450 thousand dollars.

Passengers, who will be transported to an altitude of approximately 49,000 feet by the White Knight Two aircraft carrier, will spend a few minutes in a zero-gravity environment through the 17 windows of the vehicle when the spacecraft reaches a sufficient height.

The ticket will also include several days of astronaut training, a matching Under Armor spacesuit, and membership in the Future Astronaut community. On the other hand, all flights will be from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

While sub-orbital spaceflights may seem expensive, that figure is far less than the $55 million required for a 10-day SpaceX flight. While Virgin Galactic's main competitor is Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' company has yet to set a final price for suborbital tickets. Approximately 700 people, including Elon Musk, have booked this $450 thousand flight of Virgin Galactic

JetBlue and Airbus sign contract for 30 aircraft

JetBlue Airways signed a firm order for 30 more A220-300 aircraft with Airbus, bringing the total number of orders for the A220-300 aircraft to 100. With this latest agreement, the total number of orders for the A220 has increased to 740.

"We are already seeing the benefits of the 8 A220s we have added to the fleet and we are very happy that more are on the way," said Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue. “We have seen double-digit increases in customer satisfaction scores, and these fuel-efficient aircraft support our leadership in reducing carbon emissions. With 30 additional A220s on order, we are in a position to accelerate our fleet modernization plans to deliver stronger cost performance and support our focused city network strategy.” said.

Christian Scherer, Airbus Executive Vice President of Trade and President of Airbus International, said: “It is very satisfying to see a satisfied customer arriving with more aircraft orders one year after the first A220 entered service. We congratulate our colleagues at JetBlue for this landmark agreement.” “We have created a strong market for our new single-aisle aircraft, proving this once again, with more than 700 A220 orders to date.” said.

Jetblue began A220-300 operations in April 2021 and currently operates eight A220s in 140-seat configuration with USB-C, USB-A and AC power in each seat. The A220 also offers the largest cabin in its class, the highest ceiling, the largest windows and the largest overhead compartments.

The Airbus A220 is the only aircraft specially manufactured for the 100-150 seat market and flies with state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials, and Pratt & Whitney's latest generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Utilizing the latest technologies, the A220 is shown as the quietest, cleanest and most environmentally friendly aircraft in its category. Compared to previous generation aircraft, the aircraft is 50 percent quieter and has up to 25 percent lower fuel consumption per seat, as well as approximately 50 percent lower NOx emissions than industry standards.

With approximately 15 airlines operating nearly 200 A220 aircraft on four continents, the A220 is cited as the most suitable aircraft for both regional and long-haul routes.