Heather Cho, daughter of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho and the former head of in-flight service, violated the law by ordering the plane to return to the gate after it started to taxi on Dec. 5. Cho had demanded the flight crew chief be expelled from the flight after a first class stewardess served her…
South Korea’s Asiana Airlines has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Airbus for the purchase of 25 A321neo single aisle aircraft as part of its ongoing fleet modernisation programme. Seating 180 passengers in a two class layout, the new aircraft will be operated on the carrier’s regional services, as well as on selected domestic…
Enstrom Helicopter has reported that its TH180 — a new, two-seat training helicopter based on the F28F — made its first flight Feb. 6. The ground and flight test took about an hour, Enstrom reported, describing the aircraft’s flight speed and maneuvers as “remarkable.” Link
Qatar Airways plans to operate the Airbus A350 XWB on its Doha-Singapore service, replacing Boeing 787 aircraft that were introduced on the route less than a year ago. The carrier will also upgrade from two to three flights a day using the new aircraft. Link
Boeing vice-president Randy Tinseth says the company has studied reviving and re-engining the 757 “a couple” of times, but concluded that the economics do not make sense. “We’re not studying 757 re-engined replacements right now. It just doesn’t work,” says Tinseth, addressing the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA) conference in Seattle. Link
Fed up with poorly-dressed passengers at airport lounges? Qantas has announced a crackdown across its Australian airport lounges, with the airline set to more rigorously enforce a “minimum smart casual” dress code. Link
Boeing’s next new jetliner could be a version of an old one it stopped making a decade ago. Link
Whatever the outcome, it could precipitate an aggressive move by Boeing, the No. 2 U.S. defense contractor, to acquire the aircraft unit of No. 3 defense player Northrop Grumman. Link
