Top Aviation and Space News- August 24th 2012

KLM Starts to Say Goodbye to the MD-11 

In July of this year, KLM started retiring their fleet of MD-11s with plans to replace them with more fuel efficient aircraft. “Phasing out the MD11 forms part of KLM’s ongoing fleet renewal programme,” a KLM spokesperson explained to AirlineReporter.com. “The last of KLM’s ten MD11s is expected to leave the fleet by the end of 2014.” For the long term, KLM plans to replace the MD-11s with 787-9s, but until then, they will Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s. More

Embraer Picked for Brazil’s $6B Border Defense Project 

The Brazilian Army has selected local contractor Embraer Defence and Security to build the initial phase of a massive surveillance and protection along the length of its 16,886-kilometer land border.More 

Singapore Airlines to invest over $16 million to revamp airport lounges 

Singapore Airlines (SQ) has contracted ONG&ONG, a Singaporean firm specializing in architectural and interior design, to develop a new concept for its lounges at airports around the world. More 

Qantas equips 767s with iPad IFE 

Qantas will deploy Panasonic inflight entertainment systems onboard 16 Boeing 767s. More 

Aircraft Relocated in Preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2012 – Pentagon officials say the military has moved aircraft out of the way of the possible path of Tropical Storm Isaac. More 

Eglin flies 200th F-35 sortie 

Eglin has flown its 200th sortie in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter... US Marine Corps Major Tye "OD" Bachmann had the distinction of flying that mission. More 

Aeronave Tejas será colocada em teste num exercício militar em fevereiro de 2013 

Os muito aguardados aviões de combate leves Tejas, desenvolvidos pela indiana HAL, serão postos a prova no futuro exercício aéreo “Iron Feast”, que será realizada em fevereiro do próximo ano, em Pokhran de Jaisalmer. Mais 

Navy SEAL book prompts warning from top special-ops officer 

WASHINGTON – The military's top special operations officer warned his troops that they face prosecution for revealing information about their covert operations as the military on Friday pored over a soon-to-be released copy of a book about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Mais 

Dilma desiste de privatizar Galeão e Confins 

Segundo matéria desta quinta-feira (23), do jornal O Globo, a presidente Dilma Rousseff desistiu de privatizar os aeroportos do Galeão, no Rio; e Confins, em Belo Horizonte, nos mesmos moldes de concessão adotado em Guarulhos (SP), Brasília, Viracopos (Campinas) e o novo terminal de São Gonçalo do Amarante (RN). Mais 

Cessna Citation Ten max Mach increased to 0.935 

Cessna has increased the speed of its Citation Ten business jet, which the company claims will make it the fastest civil aircraft in the world. More 

Stevens Aviation Adds More Gulfstream Jets to MRO Capabilities 

Greenville, S.C.-based Stevens Aviation has added the Gulfstream GIII, GIV and GIVSP aircraft to its maintenance, repair avionics refurbishment capabilities. More 

Mystery Light Columns Appear In Japan 2012 

Dozens of mystery light columns appeared in Japan following a unusual thunderstorm. Hundreds of people witnessed this rare and frightening phenomena, as fiery light columns appeared in the sky. More

Aeroméxico realiza encontro com trade em São Paulo 

A Aeroméxico realizou um encontro com 120 agentes de viagem, operadores e hoteleiros, no hotel Caesar Park Faria Lima, juntamente com o Convention & Visitor Bureau de Cancun, assim como o Conselho de Promoção Turística do México (CPTM). Mais 

Congonhas: área da antiga Vasp está contaminada 

Uma área de 170 mil m² dentro do Aeroporto de Congonhas, na zona sul de São Paulo, está contaminada por pelo menos 69 toneladas de resíduos tóxicos, entre combustível, solvente e metais pesados. Trata-se do terreno onde estavam os aviões-sucata da Vasp, que já estão sendo retirados para abrir espaço para obras de ampliação que desafogariam o aeroporto. Mais 

Cerimônia do 96° Aniversário da Aviação Naval da Marinha Brasileira apresenta os novos Seahawks 

A Marinha do Brasil comemorou nessa quinta-feira, dia 23 de agosto, o 96° Aniversário da Aviação Naval. O evento, realizado na Base Aéreo Naval de São Pedro da Aldeia (BAeNSPA), e o destaque principal foi a apresentação no solo e em voo dos dois primeiros helicópteros Sikorsky MH-16 (S-70B) Seahawk recentemente incorporados na frota. Mais

Gulfstream expands Latin American market 

Speaking last week at the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. President Larry Flynn reaffirmed his company’s commitment to expanding support for its growing Latin American fleet, especially with two new models nearing entry into service. “We have established our first factory service center in Latin America in Sorocaba, Brazil, and this will become an increasingly important hub for us,” Flynn said. More