10,000 HOURS FOR NHV H175S
Airbus Helicopters H175 launch operator NHV Group has passed its fi rst 10,000 hours since the super-medium-sized helicopter entered service in December 2014. The company’s eight H175s are used to supply offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea and Ghana. Separately, Airbus Helicopters has announced a payload and range improvement adding 300kg (661lb) to the type’s maximum take-off weight or an extra 40 nautical miles (74km). Mark Broadbent
20 MORE AEROFLOT SSJ-100S?
Aerofl ot is in negotiations for 20 further Sukhoi SSJ-100 Superjets. Under a fi xed-price follow-on order from the United Aircraft Corporation, 12 aircraft would be delivered in 2017 and eight in 2018. Aerofl ot currently operates 30 SSJ-100s. Meanwhile, Russian energy minister Aleksandr Novak has said an unidentifi ed Iranian airline is interested in 12 SSJ-100s. David C Isby
Boeing
9,032 MILES ON LONGEST ROUTE
Qatar Airways now claims to be fl ying the world’s longest commercial air route. Its new service between Doha and Auckland is 9,032 miles (14,535km), the furthest distance between any two cities linked by direct fl ights. The record for the longest route was previously held by Emirates with its 8,823-mile (14,199km) Dubai-Dallas-Fort Worth service. Mark Broadbent
2 G600S NOW FLYING
Two Gulfstream G600 fl ight test aircraft are now fl ying. The second jet undertook its fi rst fl ight from Savannah, Georgia, on February 24. The aircraft will be used for fl ightloads testing. The fi rst G600, which fl ew on December 17, 2016, is conducting fl utter and fl ight envelope trials. It has achieved more than 150 fl ight hours. Additionally, Gulfstream recently completed ultimate load testing of the G600 structural test article. Certifi cation of the new longrange business jet is expected in 2018. Mark Broadbent
