Nice, France | AFP | A French pilot hailed for bravery during a hijacking drama targeting Jews on an Air France flight in 1976 has died aged 95, his son told AFP on Wednesday. Michel Bacos was flying from Tel Aviv to Paris when Palestinian and German radicals hijacked the …
Read More »Gov’t to take over Soroti flying school ahead of Uganda Airlines relaunch
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cabinet has approved a proposal by the Ministry of Works and Transport for government to take over ownership of the East African Civil Aviation Academy(EACAA) in Soroti ahead of the re-launch of Uganda Airlines. The facility, will be used fully to train commercial Pilots …
Read More »‘Why would you die?’ Bereaved seek answers at plane crash site
Tulu Fara, Ethiopia | AFP | From a quiet farmland at the base of rolling hills outside Ethiopia’s capital, the sound of wailing rang through the air. Devastated mourners flung themselves onto a ground littered with business cards, seat covers and shards of aluminium. They cried the names of loved …
Read More »More nations ban Boeing 737 MAX jets after Ethiopia crash
Paris, France | AFP | The EU closed its airspace to Boeing 737 MAX planes on Tuesday, joining similar action by nations across the globe following a second deadly accident in just five months. Fleets of the best-selling workhorse plane were also grounded by airlines as safety concerns swirled, sending …
Read More »Five years on, five theories about MH370’s disappearance
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, triggering the biggest hunt in aviation history. Only a few fragments of the jet have been found, all on western Indian Ocean shores, and search efforts ended …
Read More »Black boxes: crucial to air crash probes
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | One of the first priorities for air crash investigators is to locate a plane’s two black boxes, which hold vital clues on what caused it to go down. On Monday, Indonesian authorities found the cockpit voice recorder from a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX that …
Read More »UK police get extra powers to control drones
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Drone exclusion zones around British airports will be extended and operators made to register under new rules announced after drone sightings wrought havoc at London’s Gatwick in the run-up to Christmas. Police will also be allowed to fine users up to £100 (112 euros, …
Read More »Air Tanzania takes delivery of Airbus A220
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tanzania’s national carrier, Air Tanzania, has delivered its first Airbus A220-300 aircraft, making it the first airline in Africa to take on the type. The name The Wings of Kilimanjaro was given to the aircraft – a fitting name to complement their other aircraft. The airlines acting …
Read More »Uganda revises aviation law
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda has revised its aviation regulations, giving more powers to regulator Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. Under the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill 2017 that was recently passed by parliament, the CAA now has oversight over all public and private aerodromes as well as civil aviation training …
Read More »Fatal air crashes and deaths up in 2018: watchdog
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | A total of 556 people died in 15 plane crashes in 2018, significantly more than the previous year, but long-term trends show safety improving, an aviation watchdog reported. The year 2017 was the safest year in aviation history with only 44 people killed in …
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