Sensis said US FAA has introduced its wide-area multilateration surveillance system at four Colorado airports to enable ATC to track aircraft not covered by radar in the state's remote mountainous regions. FAA is sharing the cost of the system with the Colorado Dept. of Transportation. Initial operations began on Sept. 12 at Yampa Valley-Hayden, Craig-Moffat, Steamboat Springs and Garfield County Regional-Rifle. "The new system is comprised of a network of relatively small sensors deployed in remote areas," FAA said.
TAP Portugal pilots called a 48-hr. strike today and Friday over pay. The airline said it expected "some disruptions in its operations" but that it "has taken all measures to minimize its impact." Flights operated by its PGA Portugalia Airlines subsidiary will be unaffected and connections between Lisbon and the Azores, Madeira, Luanda and Luxembourg will be maintained, TAP said. It estimated that the stoppage will cost the company around €10 million ($14.8 million), according to the Associated Press.
Commercial Jet of Miami named M7 Aerospace VP-MRO Sales and Service John Schildroth as VP-business development and Leading Edge Aviation Services GM Dale Mullinax as VP-operations.
Emirates may be in the market for more aircraft at November's Dubai Airshow and is revisiting the prospect of operating up to 30 A330s during off-peak periods, President Tim Clark hinted when speaking to ATWOnline yesterday. EK signed a letter of intent for 30 A330s in July, 2008 when it took delivery of its first A380, but the order was never confirmed and eventually lapsed as fuel prices soared and the economic downturn took hold ( ATWOnline, July 29, 2008).
Air France KLM Group hopes to reach breakeven by the April 1 start of the 2010-11 fiscal year excluding its fuel hedge contracts, CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told Les Echos. The hedges will continue to have a negative impact, but previously announced cost cuts should stop the deterioration in cash flow, he said, adding that he does not expect a return to 2008 traffic levels until 2012. Gourgeon insisted that AF is not evolving toward a low-cost service concept on its medium- and short-haul network, but "passengers are moving toward the low-cost.
Nexcelle is the new name for the joint venture company created by GE's Middle River Aircraft Systems and Safran Group's Aircelle last year to develop engine nacelles for next-generation integrated propulsion systems. According to a statement from the companies, Nexcelle's responsibility covers complete nacelles and nacelle subsystems for CFM International engines in applications on both new and existing aircraft. The collaboration was announced at last year's Farnborough Airshow ( ATWOnline, July 16, 2008).
US National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. elected Executive VP Paul Rinaldi as president for a three-year term beginning Oct. 17. Rinaldi works at Washington Dulles. Jazz Air promoted Senior VP-Employee Relations Colin Copp to CAO and Senior VP-Operations Support Jolene Mahody to COO.
Naverus said China Eastern Airlines, supported by CAAC, successfully completed an RNP-validation flight at Yushu Airport in the Himalayas using an A319 on Sept. 15.
Sukhoi Superjet 100 successfully completed a high-altitude test campaign in Armenia this week. Gyumri's Shirak Airport is 1,524 m. above sea level. Aircraft conducted single-engine takeoffs and missed approaches and "proved compliance with the certification requirements," Sukhoi said.
Lufthansa Flight Training last week took delivery of an A380 cockpit simulator from Thales. Training sessions at its Frankfurt center will begin in January.
Chinese regulator CAAC is planning a series of measures designed to lift domestic freight carriers out of the red, including increasing shipping rates, providing subsidies and encouraging mergers and consolidation. Foreign airlines currently hold an 85% share of the Chinese international cargo market. There are nine domestic freight carriers operating 70 aircraft as of Dec. 31, 2008.
Airports Council International-North America came out in support of limits to runway and tarmac delays, with President Greg Principato saying the organization "supports airlines working with Congress and the Dept. of Transportation to determine specific deadlines," and that "airlines should be held accountable for adhering to the predetermined deadlines." ACI-NA has filed motions with DOT supporting enhanced protections for passengers, such as increased compensation for delayed or cancelled flights and lost baggage.
News from Travel Technology Update: For the last few years, airlines and other travel companies have tried to figure out what to do about social media. Since the advent of TripAdvisor in 2000, suppliers at one industry conference after another were warned that they should not ignore the phenomenon. "It's out there," speakers would say. "You can't ignore it." But suggestions about the appropriate response were uniformly vague.
Kingfisher Airlines plans to raise $150-$175 million through both a rights issue and global depository receipts, parent UB Group CFO Ravi Nedugandi told Press Trust of India. "Timing will be before March 2010," he said, adding that the carrier is carrying debt of approximately INR60 billion ($1.23 billion).
Pratt & Whitney has decided to close its Cheshire, Conn., MRO center and its Connecticut Airfoil Repair Operation facility in East Hartford, resulting in the loss of some 1,000 jobs and prompting a lawsuit from the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Cabot Aviation arranged the sale of two BAe 146-300s from KLM cityhopper to Cologne-based WDL Aviation, which will operate the aircraft on ACMI and charter contracts.
Airline leaders presented the industry's proposals for reducing aviation's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions at a United Nations forum on climate change yesterday. The airline delegation, led by British Airways CEO Willie Walsh and SAS Group President and CEO Mats Jansson and including representatives from Air France KLM, Qatar Airways and IATA, was attending the UN Secretary General's Summit on Climate Change in New York.
Lufthansa Technik won a contract to provide line maintenance at Brussels Charleroi for eight Ryanair 737-800s. Deal includes an option for increased support if the LCC expands at the airport.
Japan Airlines President Haruka Nishimatsu is scheduled to meet with new Japanese Transport Minister Seiji Maehara Thursday for the first time to discuss the airline's restructuring plan, Nikkei reported. There is speculation in Japan that JAL's restructuring may be revised in the wake of the Democratic Party of Japan's recent election triumph.
Porter Airlines expects to turn a profit in 2009, President and CEO Robert Deluce told Reuters. The Toronto-based regional is privately held and does not release its financial results. Deluce also said that "there is likely to be a follow-on aircraft order of some sort" to its commitment for 20 Q400s ( ATWOnline, June 30). It will be operating 18 Q400s by next month, the news service reported.
FedEx yesterday took delivery of the first of 30 777 freighters on order. By April 2010 it plans to have four 777Fs flying between Asia and the US. It said flight time will be 1-3 hr. faster than the MD-11. Deliveries will continue through 2019.
Aer Lingus may stop operating its loss-making routes to the US, especially those from Shannon, and transfer them to a third party or codeshare partner as part of initiatives to address its long-haul deficits, according to Irish press reports. EI CEO Christoph Mueller stated that he appreciates the "national importance" of the carrier's American routes but said his airline is "not a charity," suggesting that the Shannon-New York JFK route has survived only because of pressure from the Irish government, IrishCentral reported.
