Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

An Airbus A330neo in the colors of launch customer TAP Air Portugal has embarked on a worldwide tour to demonstrate its readiness for airline operations, Airbus announced Monday. As a final step in the aircraft certification phase, function and reliability tests planned during the tour include ETOPS missions, landing at diversion airports, and testing airport handling services. Plans call for the A330neo to fly past Airbus’s European factories and head to 15 major airports in five continents. The company expects the airplane to accumulate 150 flight test hours during three trips.

 


The first A330-900 production aircraft carries an Airspace by Airbus cabin. It first flew on May 15, when it began flight testing to check cabin systems such as air conditioning. &nbsp;

 


The route-proving tests form part of the last trials required for type certification, expected by the end of the summer.

 


Two A330-900 flight-test aircraft and the TAP customer aircraft now participate in the flight-test program, which will reach 1,000 flight hours during&nbsp;the tour of the Airbus plants.&nbsp;

 


Plans call for the certification development program for the two A330neo variants to last around 1,400 flight-test hours, comprising 1,100 flight hours for the A330-900 campaign and 300 flight hours for the smaller A330-800. Airbus launched the A330-900 and -800 simultaneously in July 2014. The company stresses the negligible extra cost of developing the smaller -800 due to the fact that the variants share 99 percent commonality.&nbsp;

 


To improve the A330neo’s attractiveness and accommodate demands from several unidentified customers, Airbus offers the aircraft with an increased maximum takeoff weight of 251 tonnes, up from 242 tonnes, enabling what it calls “true long-haul widebody operations.” The A330-800, at 251 tonnes, can fly up to 8,150 nm with full passenger load in a three-class configuration, while the A330-900 flies as far as 7,200 nm fully loaded, or another 650 nm compared to the respective standard A330neo variants. Airbus offers the higher mtow A330neo as an option and expects EIS in 2020.

 


Firm orders for the A330-900 now stand at 214, while the A330-800 lost its sole remaining customer in May, when Hawaiian Airlines canceled its order for six airplanes. Launch customer TAP Air Portugal has ordered 10 of the -900 jetliners and plans to operate a similar number on lease. AirAsia X by far ranks as the largest customer, having placed an order for 66 A330-900s.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Airbus A330neo En Route to Function and Reliability Tests

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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Only the piston aircraft segment posted a decline

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

Spain and Poland Agree to Buy A330MRTT Tanker Transports

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

GE Aerospace has tested the GE9X, Leap 1A, Leap 1B, and more with the 747.

GE Aerospace Flies Boeing 747 To Test New Engine Tech

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News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

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