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

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Airbus certification for its higher-maximum-takeoff-weight A330-900, the company said Thursday. The 251-tonne mtow allows for 650-nm boost in range – or six tonnes more payload – when compared with the A330-900’s current 242-tonne version.

 


This increase in range responds to evolving market needs, said Airbus, enabling airlines to benefit from missions lasting as much as 17 hours. France’s Corsair has agreed to become the first airline to operate the variant.

 


According to Airbus, the new mtow option makes the A330-900 “the perfect fit” for longer transpacific or Asia-Europe routes. The longer of the two A330neos, the A330-900 seats 260 to 300 passengers in a typical three-class cabin configuration. The manufacturer said certification at the new 251-tonne mtow variant of the shorter-fuselage A330-800, which holds 220 to 260 passengers in three classes, will take place next year. &nbsp;

 


While retaining 99 percent spares commonality, Airbus managed to achieve the mtow increase achieved through a combination of weight-neutral structural reinforcements and landing gear adaptations. Modifications to the nose and main landing gear have also allowed Airbus engineers to extend the airplane’s time-before-overhaul (TBO), prolonging the previous 10-year interval to a new 12-year timeframe.

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.

EASA Certifies Higher-mtow A330-900

At a maximum takeoff weight of 251 tonnes, the new A330-900 variant can fly 650 nautical miles farther.

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News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

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