ATW Photo Gallery-In the News-March 2016

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has opened its new Midfield Concourse (MFC). As the first and one of the main carriers using MFC, Hong Kong Airlines has more than 80% of its flights—including both departure and arrival—using MFC.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has opened its new Midfield Concourse (MFC). As the first and one of the main carriers using MFC, Hong Kong Airlines has more than 80% of its flights—including both departure and arrival—using MFC.

A picture taken on March 29, 2016 in Zaventem shows tents at Brussels Airport, where authorities are running a series of tests to see if makeshift check-in facilities are good enough to restart some flights and that repair work and new security measures are adequate after the deadly March 22 attacks. Brussels Airport could “'at best” resume very limited services on March 30, but it will take months to get back to normal after two suicide bombers destroyed the departure terminal, chief executive Arnaud Feist said.

A man believed to be the hijacker of the EgyptAir Airbus A-320, which was diverted to Cyprus, leaves the plane on March 29, 2016. The hijacker who seized the Egyptian airliner and forced it to land in Cyprus has been detained.

A man climbs out of the cockpit window of an EgyptAir Airbus A-320 parked at the tarmac of Larnaca airport after being hijacked and diverted to Cyprus.

Passengers leave EgyptAir A320 at Larnaca, Cyprus after being diverted from Cairo following a hijacking.

Richard Branson’s Virgin empire is now involved with a Silicon Valley-backed startup that wants to develop a small supersonic airliner.

The first Airbus A350-900 for Cathay Pacific Airways has completed its maiden flight in Toulouse, France.

The first French long-haul low-cost carrier (LCC) will make its debut later this year, as French Blue begins services to the Caribbean. Photo: French Blue A330 takes shape at Airbus’ final assembly line in Toulouse

Belgian security forces tighten security measures around Zaventem Airport following Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attacks. The airport remains closed indefinitely.

Bombardier has completed its CSeries CS100 route-proving flights, which included more than 30 city-pair flights in European cities over a three-week period. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is due to take delivery of its first CS100 in the second quarter.

KLM Cityhopper, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’ regional subsidiary, took delivery of its first of 17 Embraer 175s on March 20. KLM Cityhopper also holds 15 options on the type. Its first scheduled flight will be from Amsterdam to Stavanger on March 27.

Airbus is hoping to appeal directly to passengers with the launch of a modern cabin interior look, branded Airspace, which will debut on the Airbus A330neo in 2017 and will be displayed as a mock-up at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg from April 5-7.

A picture shows the shattered glass facade of the departure hall at Brussels Airport in Zaventem on March 22, 2016, following twin blasts.

Airbus has completed the first test flight of its first aircraft built in the US, an A321 to be delivered to JetBlue Airways this spring.

A flydubai Boeing 737, en route from Dubai to Russia’s Rostov-on-Don Airport, crashed on landing March 19. The airline said all 55 passengers and seven crew members on board the aircraft were killed.

The aircraft, which had flown from Dubai as FZ981, had been in a holding pattern for almost two hours and aborted an earlier attempt to land because of the weather. Other aircraft had also aborted landing attempts.

Video showed the aircraft rapidly and steeply descending before exploding on impact. The voice and flight data recorders were recovered.

A flydubai Boeing 737, en route from Dubai to Russia’s Rostov-on-Don Airport, crashed on landing March 19. The airline said all 55 passengers and seven crew members on board the aircraft were killed.

The aircraft, which had flown from Dubai as FZ981, had been in a holding pattern for almost two hours and aborted an earlier attempt to land because of the weather. Other aircraft had also aborted landing attempts.

Video showed the aircraft rapidly and steeply descending before exploding on impact. The voice and flight data recorders were recovered.

Avolon, an Irish-based lessor, has delivered one Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Fuzhou Airlines, a subsidiary of the Hainan Airlines group. This is the third Avolon aircraft on lease to the Hainan Airlines group.                   

Brussels Airlines unveiled an A320 in Magritte livery, dedicated to the famous Belgian artist René Magritte.

Russian charter carrier Azur Air, which plans to start scheduled services to Europe this summer, has gained 180-minute ETOPS approval. Photo: Azur Air 767-300

Aegean Airlines has taken delivery of the final of seven Airbus A320ceos. It has 61 of the type in its fleet.

Boeing has delivered the first 787-9 to SMBC Aviation Capital to be leased to Spanish carrier Air Europa.

Major assembly on the Boeing 787-10, which the manufacturer describes as a straightforward stretch of the 787-9, has started. Boeing partner Kawasaki Heavy Industries began installing the circular frames into the midforward section of the fuselage on March 14.

Cathay Pacific Airways plans to retire all of its Airbus A340-300s by the end of 2017, according to the carrier’s latest fleet plan.

Estonia’s new national carrier, Nordic Aviation Group (NAG), has rebranded, taking the name Nordica. Unveiled March 11, the company uses a dragonfly as its logo.

Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo, making it the first Asian airline to receive the new aircraft type, and the second operator of the aircraft after launch customer Lufthansa. Pictured, from left: Airbus EVP-marketing and strategy Kiran Rao and IndiGo VP-flight operations Ashim Mittra at the handover of IndiGo’s and Asia’s first A320neo in Toulouse.

The first CSeries CS300 for launch operator airBaltic is on the final assembly line at Bombardier Commercial Aircraft’s plant in Mirabel, near Montreal.

Pratt & Whitney's PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines completed their first test flight on the Airbus A321neo.

United Airlines has decided to place a firm order for 25 new Boeing 737-700s in addition to the order for 40 737-700s previously announced. United also said that, by the end of 2018, it will no longer fly 747s in scheduled service.

Sunrise Airways began Port-au-Prince-Camaguey, Cuba, service with a new leased ATR 42-320.

The first Airbus A320-family aircraft built in the US has been rolled out of Airbus’s Mobile, Alabama final assembly plant. The aircraft is painted in the livery of JetBlue Airways and Airbus said it is on target to deliver the A321 to the New York-based airline in the 2016 spring. MAAS Aviation did the paintwork.

Bombardier has started route-proving flights with its CSeries CS100 regional jet in Europe as the aircraft nears service entry with Swiss International Air Lines. SWISS is due to take delivery of its first CS100 in 2Q.

A photo taken on March 3, 2016 shows a piece of suspected aircraft wreckage found off the east African coast of Mozambique at Mozambique's Civil Aviation Institute (IACM) in Maputo. Malaysia’s transport minister said there is a “high possibility” that aircraft debris found off the coast of Mozambique is from a Boeing 777, though he urged caution in linking the debris to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB in Toulouse, France, becoming the fifth operator of the all-new widebody airliner. Pictured: From left: Airbus EVP-programs Didier Evrard, Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong, and Rolls-Royce president-civil large engines Eric Schulz

Airbus has begun construction on a new A330 Completion and Delivery Center (C&DC) in Tianjin, China, as it seeks to expand its global footprint and strategic partnership with China.

Boeing has developed a self-cleaning lavatory prototype that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to kill 99.99% of germs. According to Boeing, the cleaning system “can disinfect all surfaces after every use in just three seconds. Boeing believes this self-cleaning technology, combined with touchless features, will enhance the passenger experience on commercial flights.” According to Boeing, the lavatory uses Far UV light that would be activated only when the lavatory is unoccupied. Far UV is different from the UVA or UVB light in tanning beds, and is not harmful to people. Boeing engineers said they have shown through testing on their prototype that this innovation can minimize the growth and potential transmission of micro-organisms. Boeing has filed for a patent on this concept.