Aircraft

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev announced that the country's air force could retire its MiG-29 fighter jets in September.

The current contract for maintenance of the jets expires on September 9 and Nenchev refuses to sign a new one, as he deems that the Russian offer is unfavourable.

South Korea's top carrier Korean Air said April 23 that it had secured a 100 billion won ($92.4 million) deal with Airbus to supply parts for the European firm's new A330neo.

From 2016, Korean Air will start producing "sharklets" - specialised winglets attached to the tip of an aircraft's wings - for the twin-engine jet under development by Airbus, a spokesman said.

Dubai's Emirates Airline on April 17 awarded a lucrative engines deal worth a record $9.2-billion (8.5-billion-euro) to British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce.

"Emirates today announced an historic $9.2 billion deal with Rolls-Royce for Trent 900 engines and a long-term TotalCare package," it said in a statement.

BELGRADE - A plane carrying Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to Vatican had to make a forced landing at the Belgrade airport early Friday due to failure of one engine, so the president's visit to the Holy See has been canceled, Tanjug learned.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France on April 10 as part of a trans-Atlantic tour, with French authorities hoping to further strengthen relations with the fast-growing Asian nation amid talks about a possible fighter-jet deal.

The discomfort factor involved in modern air travel may just increase, according to the Telegraph, as new “updated” aircraft coming out in the next two years appear to show that cash-strapped carriers want to include even more seating in their planes

The crash of three military aircraft in late February and early March have prompted Turkey's defense procurement officials to accelerate their efforts to choose a conceptual trainer aircraft, a program that should progress in tandem with a plan to build an indigenous Turkish fighter jet.

The Democratic Party announced on Monday that it would file an official request to the parliamentary speaker, Maja Gojkovic, to set up a parliamentary inquiry committee to independently investigate the crash which has sparked public controversy.

BELGRADE - Crew members are primarily responsible for the recent crash of a military helicopter in which seven people were killed, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade said on Friday.

Shumen has become Bulgaria's first municipality to own a hot air balloon certified by the country's Civil Aviation Administration, BGNES news outlet reported on Friday

The municipality in northeastern Bulgaria is now looking for a licensed pilot to be able to use the balloon as a tourist attraction, according to the the head of Shumen Municipal Tourism Company Dobromir Zhekov.