NASA awards space taxi contract to Boeing and SpaceX

NASA has awarded the highly-anticipated space taxi contract to Boeing and SpaceX, a move which will end the agency’s reliance on Russian technology to transport U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station. The Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract aims to restore an American capability to launch astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space Station by the end of 2017. Since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, American astronauts have been transported to space… (www.foxnews.com) More...

Tail of crashed AirAsia plane found

Tail of crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501 found in Java Sea, Indonesian officials say (www.bbc.com) More...

Two planes 'clip' each other on Dublin Airport runway

There are reports that two planes have come into contact on the ground at Dublin Airport this morning. It is understood two Ryanair planes "clipped each other" in the incident on a taxiway in the airport - there are no reports of any injuries. Witnesses at the scene have shared photos on social media which appear to show damage to the wings of both aircraft. (www.breakingnews.ie) More...

MH370 search: 'Object of interest' found on Western Australian coast

Australian officials say an "object of interest" in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has been found, but Malaysia authorities said it was too early to tell if it is a real lead. Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan described the object as appearing to be sheet metal with rivets, and said it was recovered on the coast of Western Australia. "It's sufficiently interesting for us to take a look at the photographs," he said.… (edition.cnn.com) More...

Malaysian Airliner (MH17) Downed by ‘High-Energy Objects From Outside the Aircraft,’ Dutch Investigators Say

PARIS — Dutch investigators reported Tuesday that the Malaysian airliner that crashed in eastern Ukraine in July was penetrated by what they called “high-energy objects from outside the aircraft,” a finding consistent with theories that it was brought down by a missile. The objects struck the cockpit and front fuselage, the investigators reported, suggesting the missile came from the east, meaning it was fired from eastern Ukraine or western Russia. The investigators did not identify the source… (www.nytimes.com) More...

Aeroflot Suspends Low-Cost Unit Flights After European Sanctions

OAO Aeroflot, Russia’s state-run flag carrier, said it’s suspending low-cost unit Dobrolet’s flights, as European Union sanctions over Ukraine affected its operations. European companies declined to continue providing services to Dobrolet, including leasing, servicing and insurance and navigational information after the sanctions, Aeroflot said in an e-mailed statement. (www.bloomberg.com) More...

Flight 370: Underwater drones find nothing after scouring half of search area

The underwater drone scanning for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 finished its seventh mission Sunday, having covered about half its intended territory without finding any sign of the missing plane. This has been the case for 44 days now, which seems like an eternity for the relatives of the 239 passengers and crew on board, still hoping for a miracle or, at least, closure. The Bluefin-21 drone started its eighth mission soon after the previous one ended Sunday morning, surveying the bottom of the… (edition.cnn.com) More...

Flight cancellations continue after ground stop at O'Hare, Midway airports

- Flight delays and cancellations from Friday are having a ripple effect into weekend flights as airspace restrictions over the Chicago area continue. As of 9 a.m. Saturday, more than 600 flights were cancelled at O'Hare; more than 24 have been reported cancelled at Midway. However, some flights are also leaving on-time as scheduled. As many as 1,500 flights were cancelled at O'Hare Friday. Southwest Airlines said flights will continue to operate at a reduced rate Saturday.… (abc7news.com) More...

(Video) Passenger deploys emergency slide to 'get off the plane quicker'

HAINAN, China -- A passenger couldn't wait any longer to get off the plane. His solution: Open the emergency exit door and deploy the emergency slide. Surveillance video shows the plane's slide deploy around 9 p.m. Monday night at the Sanya Phoenix International Airport in the province of Hainan, China. (abc7.com) More...

5 dead in small plane crash Colorado

A small plane crash in a suburb of Erie, Colo., a Boulder suburb, killed three and injured two on Sunday, CBS Denver reports. Five people were aboard the aircraft when it crashed around noon at Erie Airpark. Witnesses said the plane was trying to land. The two survivors were taken to an area hospital in unknown condition, one was airlifted by helicopter. In a tweet, National Transportation Safety Board officials said they were investigating the incident. (www.cbsnews.com) More...