Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters Tuesday that Monday's "well-planned terrorist attack" at Moscow Domodedovo that killed 35 exposed "breaches" in security at the country's busiest airport, and suggested passengers will have to get used to tighter, more time-consuming security "at virtually all transport hubs" in Russia.
Blue1 introduced its fifth Boeing 717 in commercial operations, on scheduled service from Helsinki to Oslo Gardermoen. The carrier will have nine 717s in its fleet by the end of March. Astraeus Airlines confirmed it repossessed one Boeing 737, based in Bournemouth, from R E Bath Travel Services (Palmair) Ltd., after that company was "unable to honor its contractual obligations," the airline said. The original contract was due to run until April 2012.
US FAA on Friday dedicated a new 233-ft. airport traffic control tower at New York LaGuardia, replacing the 151-ft. tower that had been in operation since 1964. The new tower is equipped with Sensis' ASDE-X and the Integrated Control and Monitoring System. "LaGuardia Airport plays an important role in our country's aviation infrastructure," US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “This modern tower will help enhance the safety and efficiency of air travel in and out of the New York metropolitan area."
Financially beleaguered Adria Airways said it successfully concluded negotiations to acquire much-needed liquidity ( ATW Daily News, Jan. 11). According to a statement from the state-owned airline, "the funds represent the basis for a serious and fundamental restructuring of the company." Adria acquired the cash injection by selling ordinary shares in Adria Airways Tehnika to PDP. It is expected that a similar agreement will soon follow with Aerodrom Ljubljana.
Airbus announced that GE Capital Aviation Services ordered 12 additional long-range A330-300 aircraft. GECAS said the new commitment brings the total number of A330s ordered by GECAS to 32.
Air France on Monday “acknowledged” 35 recommendations to improve flight safety outlined by the Independent Safety Review Team launched in the aftermath of the 2009 Airbus A330-200 crash in the Atlantic Ocean that killed 228, and said most of them will be “rapidly implemented.”
An explosion that occurred at Moscow Domodedovo Airport around 4:30 p.m. local time Monday is believed to have killed at least 35 people and injured dozens of others.
Includes: World Airline Traffic World Airport Traffic IATA Fuel Prices Aircraft Data Aircraft Values Aircraft Deliveries US Major and National Airline Traffic US Ontime Performance U.S. Fuel Cost and Consumption US Mishandled Baggage US Consumer Complaints
Russia likes deeply embedded traditions and practices. One area where historic etiquette decidedly lingers is in its external aviation policy. The country eschews open skies agreements and maintains a predilection to regulate airline operations on international routes through traditional bilateral agreements. It restricts market access heavily in terms of limited designation of carriers or points that may be served and of frequency and/or capacity.
[UPDATED] An explosion occurred Monday at Moscow Domodedovo, Russia's busiest airport, leading to numerous casualties and at least some fatalities, according to widespread news reports from the Russian capital.
Turkish Technic won a contract from Sky Airlines to perform re-delivery checks and paint services for the carrier's Airbus A321s. Maintenance is scheduled to end this month. Based at Antalya, the charter airline operates a fleet of six Boeing 737CLs, six 737NGs and five Airbus A320/A321s and began domestic flights Jan. 15. Separately, it announced it also signed a contract with Tailwind Airlines to perform two base maintenance C checks on Boeing 737-400 aircraft. Maintenance will be carried out at Technic's facilities in Istanbul.
The Air Line Pilots Assn. said Friday its Pinnacle Airlines Corp. pilot leaders have endorsed a tentative agreement uniting pilots from Pinnacle, Mesaba Airlines and Colgan Air under a single contract, “paving the way for the smooth integration of one of the world’s largest regional carriers.”
US FAA proposed a $1.025 million civil penalty against Singapore Technologies Aerospace subsidiary San Antonio Aerospace LP, for allegedly failing to conduct required pre-employment drug tests or waiting to verify negative drug test results before hiring 90 people to perform safety-sensitive functions between March 2007 and May 2008. The company was renamed ST Aerospace San Antonio in November 2009.
IATA reported that international premium traffic in November increased 9.6% compared to the year-ago month, but slightly down from a 10.9% increase in October. Even though the rate of premium traffic growth is” trending down slowly,” it still remains “well above the 6.4% increase reported for August ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 19, 2010), which now looks to have been no more than a dip,” IATA said in its November Premium Traffic Monitor.
Copa Airlines will in June begin four-times-weekly service from Panama City to Toronto Pearson, Porto Alegre in Brazil and Nassau, at the same time increasing daily frequencies to "several countries" in its route network from its Panama hub. "Copa Airlines continues to expand its coverage and reaffirm its leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean," Copa CEO Pedro Heilbron said. "Copa offers flights to more international destinations than any other airline from any other hub in the region."
International Lease Finance Corp. in the fourth quarter 2010 entered into 56 aircraft leases, bringing the year's total to 259 lease commitments. The lessor placed 29 Airbus aircraft (15 A319s, six A320s, four A321s, three A330s and one A340) and 35 Boeing aircraft (25 737s, two 757s, one 767, one 777 and six 787s) with 26 customers in 18 countries during the quarter.
Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad represent a new kind of competitive threat that is incompatible with the existing world aviation order and that probably needs to be dealt with through ICAO, Assn. of European Airlines Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus said last week in Washington.
