The German Cockpit Association (VC) has sharply criticized the closure of Lufthansa subsidiary CityLine. The regional airline is abruptly suspending all flights this Saturday, and this is for good. According to the pilots' union, the rationality of this decision is hard to find.
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Nigerian airlines are on the verge of suspending all flights starting April 20. The airlines say they can no longer bear the "crippling" costs of aviation fuel, according to the national trade association for airlines. They also suspect that those prices are being artificially inflated by fuel traders in the country.
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El Al has exercised an option to purchase six additional Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Additionally, the Israeli airline is modifying part of an existing order by converting several aircraft to the larger 787-10 variant.
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Audio footage from Washington National Airport (DCA) has revealed an unusual incident in air traffic control. Pilots of two regional jets reportedly made animal noises. The crews, who according to reports were flying for American Eagle (MQ) and Delta Connection (DL), did so on the ATC aviation frequency, after which they received a sharp reprimand from air traffic controllers.
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At Air New Zealand, economy class travelers can stretch out and sleep during long haul flights. The airline offers the option to book a berth in a private sleeping cabin during their flight. It is a small bed in a type of sleeping compartment like the ones you know from sleeper trains.
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Etihad Airways has decided at the last minute to extend its current cancellation policy until mid-May. In doing so, the airline addresses concerns from the travel industry, where the policy was set to expire in mid-April with no prospect of extension.
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Last week Delta Air Lines silently removed two key environmental goals from its sustainability page. The Atlanta-based airline has scrapped its promise to have 10 percent of its aviation fuel consist of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
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Tupolev is working on the development of a new long-haul aircraft: the Tu-454. The aircraft is intended to compete with widebody aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.

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* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)