Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to launch its first flight to Tel Aviv

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the newest national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced that it will start the operation of the Tel Aviv – Abu Dhabi route on April 18, 2021, following the announcement that Israel has been added to the green list, meaning travelers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival in Abu Dhabi.

The connection between Tel Aviv and the capital of United Arab Emirates will open new opportunities for Israeli travelers and will strengthen connections between the two Middle Eastern countries. The new route will carry 3 weekly flights in April 2021. Starting from May 2021, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will operate flights between the two destinations on a daily basis.

The entry to Abu Dhabi will be available to passengers from Green Countries who hold visas to any of the Emirates. Israel is currently holding the “Green Country” status.

WIZZ AIR’S ROUTE FROM TEL AVIV TO ABU DHABI

Route

Operating Days

Starts

Fares from*

Tel Aviv – Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, Thursday,

Sunday – until 30 April

Daily – from 1 May

April 18, 2021

NIS 89

* One-way price, including administration fee. One carry-on bag (max: 40x30x20cm) is included. Trolley bag and each piece of checked-in baggage is subject to additional fees. The price applies only to bookings made on wizzair.com and the WIZZ mobile app. Number of seats at indicated prices are limited.

Above Copyright Photo: Wizz Air (Abu Dhabi) Airbus A321-271NX WL D-AVZJ (A6-WZB) (msn 9429) XFW (Gerd Beilfuss). Image: 950938.

Eurowings flies to Russia and Georgia for the first time

Eurowings issued this statement:

Starting in summer with Eurowings nonstop to Russia and Georgia: the airline launches three new direct connections starting in July, flying its passengers from Düsseldorf to Russia for the first time – to Ekaterinburg (above) and Krasnodar in Southern Russia – as well as to the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

The flights expand the range in the “Visit Friends and Relatives” segment, in which the Lufthansa subsidiary already offers numerous flights to Greece, Croatia, Algeria and Turkey, for example. Most recently, connections to Beirut in Lebanon and Erbil in northern Iraq were added to the Eurowings program in December. Eurowings is the leader in this market segment and is increasingly expanding its position in response to growing demand. As a result, even more travelers benefit from direct connections to their home countries.

The new routes will be operated by an Airbus A320.

Above Copyright Photo: Eurowings Airbus A320-214 WL D-AIZS (msn 5557) (The World’s Greatest Team) PMI (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 953364.

Eurowings flights to Russia

From Düsseldorf to Krasnodar

From July 19, passengers will fly directly from Düsseldorf to Krasnodar in Southern Russia. Flights will be operated on Mondays and Fridays, each followed by a return flight

Monday: DUS – KRR, 11:45 a.m. – 4:55 p.m.; KRR – DUS, 6:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday: DUS – KRR, 07.15 a.m. – 12.25 p.m.; KRR – DUS, 13.45 p.m. – 17.00 p.m.

From Düsseldorf to Ekaterinburg

Starting July 24, Eurowings takes it passengers from Düsseldorf to Ekaterinburg every Saturday morning. The return flight leaves in the afternoon of the same day, touching down in Düsseldorf in the evening.

Saturday: DUS – SVX, 11:10 a.m. – 6:50 p.m.; SVX – DUS, 7:40 p.m. – 9:55 p.m.

Flights to Georgia

From Düsseldorf to Tbilisi

Starting July 21, Eurowings will connect Düsseldorf with the Georgian capital Tbilisi. On Wednesdays and Sundays, an Airbus A320 will take off from the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia to Georgia. Return flights to Düsseldorf are also offered on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Wednesday: DUS – TBS, 11:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; TBS – DUS, 6:50 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: DUS – TBS, 07.15 a.m. – 1.30 p.m.; TBS – DUS, 2.20 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

All flight times are local times.

Eurowings aircraft photo gallery:

Eurowings aircraft slide show:

Frontier Airlines to add three new routes, two from Chicago O’Hare and DFW

Frontier Airlines (2nd) is adding three new routes coming in June:

Here is the full list of new routes and start dates and introductory fares:

Markets Included in this Offer	One Way Fare	Service Date	Applicable Day of Week
Chicago, IL to/from St. Louis, MO	$29	6/11/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
Dallas, TX to/from Chicago, IL	$39	6/11/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
Dallas, TX to/from Nashville, TN	$49	6/10/2021	TUESDAY AND THURSDAY

Market Intro Fares

Fares must be purchased by 11:59 pm Eastern time on Apr. 11, 2021. Fares are valid for travel on select days effective May. 20, 2021 through Sep. 2, 2021. The following blackout dates apply: Jun. 30-Jul. 7, 2021. Round trip purchase is not required.

Travel days are indicated by each market below.

Markets Included	One Way Fare	Service Start	Applicable Day of Week
Buffalo, NY to/from Myrtle Beach, SC	$39	6/11/2021	MONDAY AND FRIDAY
Myrtle Beach, SC to/from Providence, RI	$39	6/10/2021	THURSDAY AND SUNDAY
Myrtle Beach, SC to/from Portland, ME	$49	6/12/2021	SATURDAY
Orlando, FL to/from Rochester, NY	$49	5/20/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY
Miami, FL to/from Montego Bay, Jamaica	$89	5/28/2021	MONDAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Market Intro Fares

Fares must be purchased by 11:59 pm Eastern time on Apr. 11, 2021. Fares are valid for travel on select days effective Jun. 10, 2021 through Oct. 11, 2021. The following blackout dates apply: Jun. 30-Jul. 7, 2021; Sep. 1-7, 2021. Round trip purchase is not required.

Travel days are indicated by each market below.

Market Included	One Way Fare	Service Start	Applicable Day of Week
Atlanta, GA to/from Hartford, CT	$49	6/11/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
Atlanta, GA to/from Cleveland, OH	$29	6/11/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
Atlanta, GA to/from Providence, RI	$49	7/12/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
Atlanta, GA to/from Portland, ME	$49	7/13/2021	TUESDAY THURSDAY AND SATURDAY
Atlanta, GA to/from Dallas, TX	$39	6/11/2021	MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY
Atlanta, GA to/from Phoenix, AZ	$69	6/10/2021	TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
Philadelphia, PA to/from Providence, RI	$29	7/12/2021	TO PVD MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY. FROM PVD TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
Philadelphia, PA to/from Portland, ME	$29	7/13/2021	TO PWM TUESDAY THURDAY AND SATURDAY. FROM PWM MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY

Frontier Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Frontier Airlines aircraft slide show:

Ethiopian Airlines celebrates 75 years of flying

Ethiopian Airline Group, the largest Pan-African aviation group, celebrates its 75th anniversary today, April 8, 2021.

Ethiopian made its maiden international flight on April 8, 1946 to Cairo. Since then, the Airline overcame the ups and downs of the aviation industry and the challenges unique to Africa to become Africa’s largest, most profitable and award-winning Aviation Group.

Ethiopian kicks off a yearlong celebration under the theme “Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence”.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said, “As we celebrate 75 years of excellence, we take stock of our accomplishments over three quarters of a century. Among the many firsts introduced by Ethiopian are the first Jet aircraft in Africa, the first East Africa to West Africa scheduled flight, the first airline from the Western Hemisphere to fly to China, the first scheduled service between the capitals of the most populous nations in the world (from New Delhi to Beijing), the first airline in Africa to introduce the B767, B777-200LR, B787(the Dreamliner) and later on the A350 to Africa. Today, our industry faces a serious challenge posed by COVID19. The route we chose to overcome this challenge is to tighten our belt, change the way we do business and be agile. We remain the only commercial airline that hasn’t sought government bailout and didn’t lay off a single employee. I would like to take this opportunity to cement our commitment to sustainable aviation and continue to work with all stakeholders to enhance Africa’s air connectivity. While congratulating all Ethiopian families, I would like to thank our esteemed customers for their strong vote of confidence, their loyalty and support.’’

Today, our industry faces a serious challenge posed by COVID19. The route we chose to overcome this challenge is to tighten our belt, change the way we do business and be agile. We remain the only commercial airline that hasn’t sought government bailout and didn’t lay off a single employee. I would like to take this opportunity to cement our commitment to sustainable aviation and continue to work with all stakeholders to enhance Africa’s air connectivity. While congratulating all Ethiopian families, I would like to thank our esteemed customers for their strong vote of confidence, their loyalty and support.’’

Ethiopian attributes its success to the four pillars of its growth strategy. These pillars are human resource development, modern fleet, infrastructure development and technology. It will continue to focus on these pillars with renewed emphasis on sustainability. It will also continue partnering with other African airlines and governments to create a robust, competitive airline industry in Africa by sharing its technical and management expertise.

Air Tunilik receives $5 million to support and improve air service north of the 49th parallel in Canada

The Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, is pleased to announce the allocation of $5 million of financial assistance to Air Tunilik in order to support its expansion project, which will ensure better air services for tourists wishing to visit northern Québec.

The Minister made the announcement today, accompanied by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Côte-Nord region, Jonatan Julien, and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Tunilik, Simon Contant. On the same occasion, the two Ministers announced $8 million of support for the creation of an incubator-accelerator, which will have the objective of stimulating tourism projects north of the 49^th parallel.

The Air Tunilik project involves the acquisition of several assets of Location Air Saguenay, which is no longer in service since 2019, to maintain tourism aviation activities and increase traffic in the Nord-du-Québec and Côte-Nord regions. It will contribute to structuring the tourism offering by ensuring tourist transportation to the attractions of these regions.

The financial assistance is granted under the Programme d’appui au développement des attraits touristiques (PADAT), managed by Investissement Québec. More specifically, an amount of $2 million is allocated in the form of a grant and $3 million in the form of a loan. The total cost of the project is valued at over $10 million.

Passenger travel in South America is hampered by border closures, air cargo surges

Surging cases of COVID-19 in South America is forcing governments to restrict between borders which is affecting air travel.

Chile has closed its borders for the month of April.

Bolivia has closed its border Brazil.

Peru had an Easter lockdown.

While passenger air travel remains low in South America, while air cargo is surging.

Previously LATAM Airlines Group announced a significant expansion of its cargo operations with the conversion of up to eight Boeing 767-300ER aircraft into Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) in the next three years. This represents a freighter capacity growth of up to 80%. This plan seeks to increase the service options and leverage the synergies of operating a single type of aircraft.

The plan is divided in two gradual stages. The first phase is based on four confirmed conversion slots with Boeing with re-deliveries between 2021 and 2022. Upon completion of that phase, LATAM’s cargo operators’ fleet would reach a total of 15 Boeing 767-300ER freighters. The second phase includes four conversion options with Boeing that would allow aircraft to be added between 2022 and 2023. If all options are executed LATAM would operate a total of 19 767-300ER freighters.

“Despite the deep crisis the industry is enduring due to the pandemic, we maintain our commitment to support the region’s exporters and importers by providing them with more and better options to carry their cargo to their destinations. As a result, we growth plan have been accelerated with conversion of up to eight Boeing 767-300ERs in the next 30 months. This investment, together with the significant cost efficiencies that we have generated during the Chapter 11 process, puts us closer to achieving our aspiration of being the best alternative for cargo customers,” said Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group.

Andrés Bianchi, LATAM Cargo’s CEO, highlighted the advantages of the Boeing 767-300ER freighter. “Combining the passenger belly operations of LATAM Airlines Group with 15 to 19 Boeing 767-300ER freighters efficiently strengthens our customer value proposition. These conversions will enable the cargo affiliates to grow in key segments such the Colombian flower market or imports to Brazil. It also allows our affiliates to expand their network in domestic markets where e-commerce is rapidly generating an increase in air cargo traffic. Growing with Boeing 767-300CFs freighters is extremely efficient as it is the optimal aircraft for all these undertakings and we can take advantage of the benefit of operating a single fleet type.”

Throughout 2020, LATAM Cargo played an active and vital role in ensuring essential supplies reached Latin American countries, especially in places with extreme and difficult-to-access areas like in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. LATAM also worked to safeguard the supply from the import and export sectors in South America, even increasing their shipment frequencies by more than 40% in some markets. To achieve these results, LATAM operated passenger planes for the exclusive transport of cargo.

In addition, during the pandemic, LATAM landed for the first time in China, searching for medical supplies for South America, ultimately making more than 80 flights to the Asian continent. LATAM currently continues to make trips to Europe and China to transport COVID-19 vaccines into the region, and the LATAM Group’s Solidarity Plane Program has made its resources available for the free transport of vaccines in domestic markets.

IATA: Negative passenger demand trend continues in February

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in February 2021, both compared to pre-COVID levels (February 2019) and compared to the immediate month prior (January 2021).

Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to February 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern.

Total demand for air travel in February 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 74.7% compared to February 2019. That was worse than the 72.2% decline recorded in January 2021 versus two years ago.
International passenger demand in February was 88.7% below February 2019, a further drop from the 85.7% year-to-year decline recorded in January and the worst growth outcome since July 2020. Performance in all regions worsened compared to January 2021.
Total domestic demand was down 51.0% versus pre-crisis (February 2019) levels. In January it was down 47.8% on the 2019 period. This largely was owing to weakness in China travel, driven by government requests that citizens stay at home during the Lunar New Year travel period.

“February showed no indication of a recovery in demand for international air travel. In fact, most indicators went in the wrong direction as travel restrictions tightened in the face of continuing concerns over new coronavirus variants. An important exception was the Australian domestic market. A relaxation of restrictions on domestic flying resulted in significantly more travel. This tells us that people have not lost their desire travel. They will fly, provided they can do so without facing quarantine measures,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

FEBRUARY 2021 (% VS FEB 2019)	WORLD SHARE1	RPK	ASK	PLF (%-PT)²	PLF (LEVEL)³
Total Market	100.0%	-74.7%	-63.1%	-25.3%	55.4%
Africa	1.9%	-66.1%	-53.6%	-19.0%	51.6%
Asia Pacific	38.6%	-74.9%	-64.8%	-23.8%	59.1%
Europe	23.6%	-82.8%	-75.0%	-25.4%	56.3%
Latin America	5.7%	-62.4%	-55.1%	-13.3%	68.3%
Middle East	7.4%	-81.7%	-66.8%	-32.5%	39.8%
North America	22.7%	-66.1%	-48.1%	-27.9%	52.7%

1) % of industry RPKs in 2020 2) Change in load factor vs. the same month in 2019 3) Load Factor Level

International Passenger Markets

Asia-Pacific airlines’ February traffic was down 95.2% compared to February 2019, little changed from the 94.8% decline registered for January 2021 compared to January 2019. The region continued to suffer from the steepest traffic declines for an eighth consecutive month. Capacity was down 87.5% and the load factor sank 50.0 percentage points to 31.1%, the lowest among regions.

European carriers recorded an 89.0% decline in traffic in February versus February 2019, substantially worse than the 83.4% decline in January compared to the same month in 2019. Capacity sank 80.5% and load factor fell by 36.0 percentage points to 46.4%.

Middle Eastern airlines saw demand fall 83.1% in February compared to February 2019, worsened from an 82.1% demand drop in January, versus the same month in 2019. Capacity fell 68.6%, and load factor declined 33.4 percentage points to 39.0%.

North American carriers’ February traffic sank 83.1% compared to the 2019 period, a deterioration from a 79.2% decline in January year to year. Capacity sagged 63.9%, and load factor dropped 41.9 percentage points to 36.7%.

Latin American airlines experienced an 83.5% demand drop in February, compared to the same month in 2019, markedly worse than the 78.5% decline in January 2019. February capacity was 75.4% down compared to February 2019 and load factor dropped 26.7 percentage points to 54.6%, highest among the regions for a fifth consecutive month.

African airlines’ traffic dropped 68.0% in February versus February two years ago, which was a setback compared to a 66.1% decline recorded in January compared to January 2019. February capacity contracted 54.6% versus February 2019, and load factor fell 20.5 percentage points to 49.1%.

Domestic Passenger Markets

FEBRUARY 2021 (%VS FEB 2019)	WORLD SHARE1	RPK	ASK	PLF (%-PT)²	PLF (LEVEL)³
Domestic	54.3%	-51.04%	-37.1%	-18.3%	64.3%
Dom. Australia	0.7%	-60.5%	-59.4%	-2.1%	75.8%
Dom. Brazil	1.6%	-34.9%	-30.3%	-5.4%	77.0%
Dom. China P.R.	19.9%	-51.2%	-34.7%	-22.2%	65.5%
Dom India	2.1%	-30.8%	-17.5%	-14.4%	74.9%
Dom. Japan	1.4%	-72.8%	-59.4%	-23.7%	48.1%
Dom. Russian Fed.	3.4%	2.9%	-5.4%	6.7%	83.4%
Dom. US	16.6%	-56.1%	-38.3%	-23.5%	58.0%

1) % of industry RPKs in 2020 2) Change in load factor vs. the same month in 2019 3) Load Factor Level

Australia’s domestic traffic was down 60.5% in February compared to February 2019, dramatically improved compared to the 77.3% decline in January over 2019. Some state border restrictions were eased in early February.

US domestic traffic declined 56.1% in February versus the same month in 2019, improved from the 58.4% decline in January compared to two years ago. The improvement was driven by falling rates of contagion and accelerating vaccinations.

The Bottom Line

“The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently stated that vaccinated individuals can travel safely. That is good news. We have also recently seen Oxera-Edge Health research highlighting the efficacy of fast, accurate and affordable rapid tests for COVID-19. These developments should reassure governments that there are ways to efficiently manage the risks of COVID-19 without relying on demand-killing quarantine measures and/or expensive and time-consuming PCR testing,” said Walsh.

“Two key components for an efficient restart of travel need to be urgently progressed. The first is the development of global standards for digital COVID-19 test and/or vaccination certificates. The second is government agreement to accept certificates digitally. Our experiences to date already demonstrate that paper-based systems are not a sustainable option. They are vulnerable to fraud. And, even with the limited amount of flying today, the check-in process needs pre-COVID-19 staffing levels just to handle the paperwork.
Paper processes will not be sustainable when travel ramps up. The IATA Travel Pass app was developed precisely in anticipation of this need to manage health credentials digitally. Its first full implementation trial is focused on Singapore, where the government has already announced that it will accept health certificates through the app. This will be an essential consideration for all governments when they are ready to relink their economies with the world through air travel,” said Walsh.

Alaska Airlines announces new plans to open Lounge at San Francisco International Airport by summer 2021

Alaska Airlines made this announcement:

Alaska Airlines guests will have the opportunity to relax in the new Alaska Lounge at San Francisco International Airport by late summer, as the airline announces updated plans for Bay Area travelers. Under this new plan, Alaska will move into the former American Airlines Admirals Club space in Terminal 2, enabling the airline to open a new lounge just as guests start to return to travel.

The announcement comes as Alaska Airlines continues to expand its presence in the Bay Area. Alaska now operates more than 80 daily flights out of the Bay Area (including SFO, San Jose and Oakland) and has more than 1,700 Bay Area-based employees. In June, Alaska will begin service to Anchorage and Bozeman, Montana, from SFO. Other recent service announcements include:

Recently resumed service to Honolulu and Maui from SFO as of April 4
Resumed service to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta from SJC in early April
New service to Missoula, Mont., from SJC starting in May

When completed, this new lounge will be the second-largest of the Alaska Lounges at just under 10,000 sq. ft., behind Alaska’s flagship lounge in Seattle’s North Satellite Terminal. This space is also centrally located in Terminal 2, with easy access to additional dining and shopping options for guests. The Alaska Lounge at SFO joins seven other lounge locations in the Alaska Airlines portfolio, in Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles; New York – JFK; and Anchorage.

The Lounge will include an espresso bar staffed by a trained barista, a full bar featuring complimentary local craft brews, West Coast wines and spirits and a wide selection of guest favorites like made-to-order pancakes, steel-cut oatmeal, fresh salads and hearty soups.

When it opens, Alaska expects the Lounge to create 30 jobs in the Bay Area. More details and timing will be announced over the coming months.

New Alaska Lounge membership pricing

In October 2021, Alaska Airlines will update its Lounge membership structure to give members more options and flexibility. Starting this fall, Alaska will offer two tiers for Lounge memberships: Alaska Lounge and Alaska Lounge Plus. With the standard Alaska Lounge membership, members will receive access to all Alaska Lounges they know and love when flying on any airline. With the optional addition of a Lounge Plus membership, members will also receive access to an extended network of partner airline lounges across the country when flying Alaska – including all American Airlines Admirals Clubs. Pricing will also be updated as follows, remaining as one of the best values for lounge membership in the industry:

Alaska Lounge membership: $450 annually ($350 for Alaska Airlines MVP, MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75k members)
Alaska Lounge Plus membership: $600 annually ($500 for Alaska Airlines MVP, MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75k members)
New Lounge membership enrollments and renewals made before Alaska’s two-tier structure goes into effect in October will be grandfathered into an Alaska Lounge Plus membership for the year.

Belavia takes delivery of its first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8

Belavia Belarusian Airlines (Minsk) on April 7 took delivery of their first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8, registered as EW-528PA (msn 43344, ln 7602).

ALC issued this statement:

Air Lease Corporation announced the delivery of one new Boeing 737-8 aircraft on long-term lease to Belavia Belarusian Airlines. Featuring CFM LEAP-1B engines, this is the first of five new Boeing 737-8s confirmed to deliver to Belavia from ALC’s order book with Boeing.

Joe Walker reporting from Seattle

Top Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker.

The aircraft left Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle bound for Keflavik (KEF) as

flight”BRU 2026″.

The airline mentioned the new arrival on social media:

Soon from the windows of the new aircraft you will be able to see Minsk, but for now we will show you the beautiful views of Seattle during the test flight of the new Boeing 737-8.

Our team checked everything: the integrity of the design, the performance of systems and engines, all of the avionics.

In other news, the airline starting on April 11, is resuming regular flights from Minsk to Nizhniy Novgorod and from April 13 – to Kazan.

The departure from Minsk to Nizhniy Novgorod is planned to be performed on Sundays at 00:25 with arrival in Nizhniy Novgorod at 02:20. The return flight will be performed from Nizhniy Novgorod at 03:30 with arrival in Minsk at 05:50.

The flights to Kazan will be performed on Tuesdays with departure from Minsk at 23:50 and with arrival to Kazan at 02:10. The return flight from Kazan will be performed on Wednesdays at 03:40 with arrival to Minsk at 06:00.

Belavia aircraft photo gallery:

Belavia aircraft slide show:

Irkut MS-21-300 successfully completes certification test program in natural icing conditions

PJSC Irkut Corporation (part of United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec) has successfully completed certification tests of the MS-21-300 airliner (above) under natural icing conditions. The aircraft attained normal performance even when covered with 8 cm thick layer of ice. This fully complies with Russian and European aviation standards: according to certification rules, performance characteristics must be maintained with a layer of ice 7.6 cm thick.

Top Photo: Denis Fedorko.

The plane made 14 test flights lasting between 3 to 5 hours over the coast of the White Sea, the Pechora Bay of the Barents Sea, south of Novaya Zemlya, as well as in the region of the Subpolar Urals. The plane returned today from the Arkhangelsk airport to the Ramenskoye airfield in Zhukovsky.

The spring conditions in White and Barents Seas create multilayered clouds, constant precipitation and sharp changes in pressure that cause constant icing hazards on aircraft. The main danger caused by ice is the distortion of the delicate shape of the wing and other surfaces of the aircraft, as a result of which its flight performance can significantly deteriorate.

MS-21-300 test flights from Arkhangelsk Airport were organized in several stages. During the first stage, the aircraft crew used meteorological service data to search for clouds that would cause icing comparable to the conditions for the aircraft certification. When flying in these clouds, the crew used special instruments to monitor the formation of ice on the surfaces of the aircraft. Upon reaching the required ice thickness, the plane flew to a given altitude, at which its behavior under natural icing conditions could be observed. The thickness of the ice layer increased from flight to flight.

In addition to the stability and controllability of the aircraft, the operation of the anti-icing systems of the MS-21-300 aircraft was also tested. According to the current regulations, the tests also have to confirm the ability of the aircraft to continue flying even when the anti-icing system is inoperative. Several separate aircraft systems were tested under these conditions, in particular, external lighting equipment, radio communication equipment and landing gear.

The flights were performed by the Irkut Corporation crew consisting of test pilot Vasily Sevastyanov, test navigator Sergei Kudryashov, test engineers Nikolai Fonurin and Alexander Popov. The crew also included Nikolai Grigoriev, a pilot working with the certification process of the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation.

MC-21 is a perspective commercial aircraft with a capacity of 150 to 211 passengers. Irkut Corporation (a UAC company) is creating the plane within a wide international cooperation • First aircraft for flight and strength tests are in production at the plant in the Irkutsk city • An extensive program of aerodynamic, strength and endurance test confirm design solutions • An extensive upgrading program of Russian enterprises resulted with radically new technological environment • A system of technical and financial customers support is developed • The total number of orders for MC-21-300 and MC-21-200 aircraft is 273–175 of them are firm orders.

Video: