Stunner jet

REUTERS: Boeing Co-backed supersonic jet maker Aerion said on Wednesday Berkshire Hathaway's private aircraft firm, NetJets, has obtained purchase rights for 20 of its AS2 business jets. The AS2 will be powered by engineered synthetic fuel and can reach supersonic speeds of up to Mach 1.4, or about 1,000 miles (1,610 km) per hour, which is 150per cent faster than conventional business jets, Aerion said. Production of the jets will begin in 2023 at the firm's Aerion Park facility in Melbourne, Florida, with the first 300 AS2 aircraft planned for the first decade of production, the company said. Aerion's global order backlog for the AS2 is now valued at more than US$10 billion. The company said it will also develop a supersonic flight training academy for civil, commercial and military supersonic aircraft in collaboration with Berkshire's professional aviation training provider, FlightSafety International. U.S. startups Aerion, Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are … [Read more...] about Boeing-backed Aerion says NetJets takes purchase rights for 20 supersonic jets

NEW DELHI: India ordered an investigation on Thursday (Jul 4) into alleged mismanagement of funds at Jet Airways , which halted operations in April after running out of cash. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has ordered India's Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to carry out the investigation, a government order seen by Reuters showed. READ: Jet Airways suspends services to and from Singapore The order refers to alleged siphoning of funds and unspecified financial irregularities at Jet Airways, which was once India's largest private airline, but did not include details on the allegations or name any individuals. A Jet Airways spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the order, which also called for investigations into Jet's group companies including low-cost Jet Lite and Jet Privilege, which manages its loyalty programme. READ: Jet Airways is not the only Asian airline facing challenges In a separate development, a government … [Read more...] about India to investigate Jet Airways over alleged funds mismanagement

SINGAPORE: Struggling Indian carrier Jet Airways has halted flights to and from Singapore until further notice, Changi Airport said in a Facebook post on Thursday (April 11). "Passengers are advised to contact their booking agent or the airline directly ([email protected]) for available options," the airport said. The debt-laden carrier, India's second largest airline by market share, once blazed trails in one of the world's fastest-growing air travel markets. Jet Airways’s problems began when it embarked on an aggressive international expansion plan in 2006, said an industry executive who has been associated with the airline. As low-cost Indian carriers heated up the competition, Jet Airways lowered its prices without reducing its expensive services. High fuel prices and hefty taxes compounded its spending issues. The 26-year-old airline posted losses in eight of the past 10 years and its share of the domestic passenger market has fallen to about 15.5 per cent in 2018 … [Read more...] about Jet Airways suspends services to and from Singapore

SINGAPORE: A dedicated facility for travellers on private jets entering and leaving Singapore aims to grow Seletar Airport into a "hub" for the luxury market. The business aviation centre (BAC), unveiled to the media on Tuesday (Jun 11), has a private drop-off area, a lounge, dedicated immigration security screening as well as other personalised services. With faster clearance processes, passengers can expect to take no more than 10 minutes to breeze through the BAC from entry to exit, before boarding their jet. This is the latest facility to open at Seletar Airport after its new S$80 million passenger terminal welcomed its first business passengers in November 2018. Spanning 10,000 sq m, the two-storey terminal is designed to handle up to 700,000 passengers a year. Business travellers are a key part of the Seletar development, which was built to cater to the growing private and business jet market, as well as to free up space at Changi Airport. Since November … [Read more...] about Dedicated facility for private jet passengers aims to make Seletar Airport a ‘hub’ for luxury market

BATAM, Indonesia: Indonesia's Lion Air "urgently requires" more Boeing Co 737 MAX jets to support its growth strategy once regulators approve the grounded model's return to service, the airline's co-founder, Rusdi Kirana, told Reuters on Wednesday (Aug 3). He said the low-cost airline, which had previously threatened to cancel its order for 187 jets worth US$21 billion at list prices, would need to be satisfied with the outcome of negotiations with Boeing before taking the planes. "If they don't satisfy us, we will cancel the contract," Kirana said. All 189 passengers and crew on board one of Lion Air's new 737 MAX jets died when the plane crashed into the Java Sea last October, the first of two deadly crashes that led to the craft being grounded worldwide. READ: Lion Air crash raises uncomfortable questions about Indonesia’s flight safety regime, a commentary In April, Kirana lashed out over Boeing's handling of the accidents and accused the US manufacturer of looking … [Read more...] about Lion Air ‘urgently requires’ more 737 MAX jets to support growth, says co-founder