More commonly seen on an AC-130, but you won't see this Saab at your local airport, either.
• The Northwest overfly saga continues, as it was revealed that the aircraft had been tuned to the wrong frequency at the start of their “disappearance”. It is unclear if they tuned to the frequency by accident or if the previous controller gave them the wrong numbers, but investigators are still curious as to why the pilots still didn’t realize the mistake. The aircraft was out of contact for over an hour, and pilots rarely go 15 minutes without communicating to ATC. [CBS News]
• Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary says that their deal with Boeing on additional 737s might fall through after Boeing changed “delivery conditions”. There is no word on what those conditions are, and O’Leary said that the deal will be void if Boeing does not modify their position within a week’s time. [RTE Business]
• Boeing has announced that they have increased the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of the 787 from 439,000lbs to 502,000lbs, but only beginning with their 20th aircraft. Another modification will be that their 787-9 will have a shorter wing, using the -8 version, to conform to strength standards. [Seattle PI]
• The Pakistani Air Force has taken delivery of the first Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. This military version has a radar for detections of high and medium altitude aircraft and also has the capability to release deflective flares to protect against missile attack. [Flight Global]
• Swiss Airlines will begin flights between Zurich and San Francisco using Airbus A340 aircraft on June 2, 2010. [Swiss Airlines]
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