NEWS First Chinese-built passenger plane successfully completes maiden flight

The first large made-in-China passenger plane successfully completed its maiden test flight Friday, marking a key milestone on the country’s ambitious journey to compete with the world’s leading aircraft makers. The narrow-body C919 jet took off off from Pudong international airport in the commercial hub Shanghai. It successfully landed some 80 minutes later and the five-member…

NEWS Alitalia starts bankruptcy proceedings

Alitalia started bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in a decade, throwing the survival of Italy’s flag carrier in doubt after workers rejected job cuts and concessions linked to a 2 billion-euro ($2.2 billion) refinancing plan. Shareholders voted unanimously to file for insolvency administration, the carrier said in a statement following a meeting on Tuesday. Under…

EMERGENCY One of Kuala Lumpur runways closed after Malaysia Airlines #MH726 tyres deflated

One of the runways at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has been closed until further notice, after a Malaysia Airlines plane’s tyres deflated upon landing. Flight MH726 from Jakarta had two tyres deflate after it landed at 7.13am on Tuesday. In a statement, Malaysia Airlines said the Boeing 738 aircraft’s passengers and crew safely disembarked and…