Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews   and Vladimir Karnozov Aug 7, 2015 An August 3 ceremony at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, marked the handover of Transaero Airlines’ initial Airbus A321, delivered as part of the Russian carrier’s contract with China’s ICBC Leasing. (Photo: Airbus) With the Russian economy in retreat and as sanctions prompt airlines to turn from networks populated heavily with international routes to more domestically focused structures, managers have taken steps to decrease fleet capacity by handing back aircraft to lessors and deferring or canceling aircraft deliveries. Even Transaero—Russia’s second largest airline—has taken steps to cut capacity with plans to replace some larger Boeing types with Airbus A321s. The initial A321 delivery on July 28 at Moscow Vnukovo International Airport marked Transaero’s first experience with Airbuses since the turn of the century, when it leased a single A310 for a few...

AINONLINE by    NEELAM MATHEWS With removal from the EU’s safety black list, PAL can now fully justify its acquisition of Airbus A330s (below) along with A321s. (Image: Airbus) July 11, 2013, 12:28 PM Philippine Airlines ( PAL ) has become the Philippines’ first and only carrier removed from the  EU  air safety black list, an operating ban imposed three years ago within the 28-state European Union ( EU ). Meanwhile, the  U.S.  Federal Aviation Administration has begun to reassess the Category 2 rating it issued to  PAL  in 2009. Category 2 carriers cannot start new services to the  U.S.   FAA  safety inspectors arrived in the Philippines a few weeks ago, leaving  PAL  executives hopeful that they can soon proceed with plans to expand services into the  U.S. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines ( CAAP ) director-general William Hotchkiss said raising safety standards had r...