Red tape, funding problems hamper Lion Air black box search

Weeks of delays in the search for the second ‘black box’ may complicate the task of explaining how 189 people died when the Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29. (uk.reuters.com) More...

Huge Chaff Cloud That Lit Up Radars As It Drifted Across The Midwest Remains A Mystery

Yesterday, meteorologists, and anyone else watching weather radar in southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana, and western Kentucky, noticed an unusual formation drifting through the area. Although evidence remains limited, this was likely a burst of chaff released from a U.S. military aircraft, but there is still no clear explanation as to why the plane released the radar-reflecting countermeasures in this particular area. (www.thedrive.com) More...

Airbus delivers 100th A320 Family aircraft assembled in the U.S.

Airbus has delivered its 100th aircraft from the company’s U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama. The A320neo, serial number (MSN) 8580, was delivered to Frontier Airlines. (www.airbus.com) More...

Boeing launches business jet capable of world's longest flight

Boeing has unveiled its newest line of business jets, which the company says will allow VIP travelers to fly non-stop between "any two cities on earth." (www.cnn.com) More...

Lion Air Stands Firm on Canceling $22 Billion Boeing Jet Orders

Lion Air Mentari’s owner is sketching out plans to become one of the world’s largest budget carriers, while also preparing to scrap $22 billion in Boeing Co. jet orders out of anger at the manufacturer’s response to an October air disaster. Rusdi Kirana, the co-founder of Lion Air, Indonesia’s biggest airline, mapped out the seemingly contradictory goals in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday. The crash that killed all 189 people aboard a Boeing 737 Max won’t derail his ambition to expand the… (www.yahoo.com) More...

Middle East Airlines Orders Four Airbus A330-900neo

Middle East Airlines (MEA), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has placed an order for four Airbus A330-900neos, the largest and most popular variant of the wide-body program. Additionally, an agreement was signed between the airline and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, the sole engine provider for the A330neo program, with the all-new Trent 7000 engines. (airwaysmag.com) More...

USAF completes critical design review of B-21 stealth bomber

The US Air Force has completed its critical design review of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, marking another milestone in development of the next-generation stealth bomber. The technical review, completed on 30 November, ensured the proposed aircraft has a stable and mature design before the USAF moves the programme into manufacturing and flight testing. (www.flightglobal.com) More...

Avianca Brazil files for Brazilian bankruptcy protection

Avianca Brazil has filed for bankruptcy protection with a Brazilian court in a move that comes after lessors sought to repossess some of the carrier's aircraft, two sources tell FlightGlobal. The carrier, Brazil's fourth largest airline, had been working with lessors to reach tenable lease agreements but failed to find common ground, one person close to the proceedings says. The company leases 50 of its 58 aircraft. (www.flightglobal.com) More...