The fuels subcommittee of ASTM last month approved a new specification for alternative jet fuel derived from the Fischer-Tropsch method. The approval means that this fuel has cleared a significant milestone and once approved by ASTM and endorsed by FAA, synthetic paraffinic kerosene from the FT process can be blended with conventional fuels and used as a substitute for crude oil-derived jet fuel by airlines, private aviation and the military. Approval of FT-SPK will pave the way for near-term approval of sustainable plant-based biofuels.
Clear, which offered passengers the opportunity to speed through designated security lanes at 18 US airports for a $200 annual fee, abruptly ceased operations in June. Parent Verified Identity Pass said on its website that it "has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations" and that it "will continue to secure [customer data] and will take appropriate steps to delete the information." However, it said it could not issue refunds "because of its financial condition."
European Commission Director-Air Transport Daniel Calleja defended ICAO against those who suggest that it has failed to deliver on a plan to reduce aviation emissions ( Eco-Aviation Today, 6/09). Speaking at last month's Paris Air Show, he claimed that although there have been difficulties, the recent report by ICAO's Group on International Aviation and Climate Change is a "workable framework for which ICAO should be given a mandate post-Copenhagen to develop a global agreement."
As our World Airline Report (beginning on p. 24) makes clear, the past 12 months have not been kind to commercial air transport. ICAO has estimated that the scheduled airline industry posted an operating loss of $9.6 billion in 2008, or $3.8 billion if fuel hedges are excluded, while IATA puts the net loss at $10.4 billion and expects a further $9 billion in red ink this year.
United Airlines told a group of congressmen and senators that it would delay by up to 60 days the implementation of a policy that denies certain agencies the right to use the carrier's credit card merchant accounts to process credit card sales for United tickets.
As passenger traffic continues a downward trend, airports must deal with the immediate impact while not losing sight of the need to plan for long-term growth. That was the consensus at the ACI-Europe Annual Assembly and Conference in Manchester in June.
As ATW detailed last year, IATA has been making a strong "e-freight" push, calling on carriers to eliminate the piles of paper that accompany the movement of cargo by air ( ATWOnline, June 1, 2008). IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani has pointed out repeatedly that the documents traveling with air cargo could fill 39 747 freighters annually and that they add an estimated $1.2 billion to the global industry's yearly costs.
World airport traffic remained "stubbornly low" in May, according to Airports Council International, but there are indications that the downturn may be bottoming out. Airports participating in the association's passenger and freight "flash reports" recorded an 8% decrease in passenger traffic compared to the same month in 2008, with international traffic down 9.3% and domestic down 6.8%. Through the first five months of the year, total traffic was off 7.5% compared to last year while the rolling 12-month decline was 5%.
If you disappoint your passengers, "it will be public, and it will live forever," Forrester Research analyst Henry Harteveldt said at the recent SITA IT Summit in Cannes, France. Harteveldt was talking about social media phenomena such as Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, which allow travelers to broadcast their experiences immediately to hundreds, thousands, even millions of people.
Airservices Australia and Naverus signed a contract that will lay the foundation for the world's first nationwide Performance-Based Navigation network, which will deliver significant reductions in aircraft emissions and noise, reduced flight miles and substantial fuel savings.
BAA has set targets to reduce its absolute CO2 emissions from fixed sources by 15% by March 2010 and 30% by March 2020 compared with 1990 levels. For 2008, BAA met its target of reducing emissions at London Heathrow by 3% and in fact lowered them by 8.6%, with the additional 5.6% largely due to reduced flying. While BAA conceded that it is not likely to be able to meet next year's target, it is confident that the 2020 target will be met through "focused energy reduction and efficiency strategies" across all of its airports.
Nearly half the proceeds--about $59.5 million--of St. Louis's new $125 million bond issue will pay for the next phase of Lambert Field's Airport Experience terminal and concourse modernization program, continuing through 2012.
After spending $1 million over the past year in an airline incentive program that offered a 75% reduction in landing fees at Myrtle Beach Airport, officials decided to extend it through mid-2010 in an effort to protect the current domestic air service program. The fee structure will continue for a nine-month period starting in September.
The airline industry has weathered a stormy year, marked by the swiftest and broadest economic collapse since at least the early 1970s, a spate of high-profile accidents, soaring jet fuel prices and historic losses by both LCC and legacy airlines.
Boeing and its industry partners released high-level elements at the Paris Air Show of a study that proves sustainable biofuels analyzed in a series of pioneering test flights over the past six months performed favorably in comparison to petroleum-based fuel. According to the study, "Evaluation of Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK)," a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A.
ACI-Europe launched an Airport Carbon Accreditation program that will assess and recognize airports' efforts to manage and reduce CO2 emissions within their control.
Israel Aerospace Industries and Airbus signed an MOU at the Paris Air Show to develop and test an innovative pilot-controlled semirobotic towing system. The Taxibot Dispatch Towing system, designed by IAI, can be used by both widebody and single-aisle aircraft to taxi to and from the gate and runway without engine power. Potential fuel savings reductions are expected to be $6 billion along with 16 billion tons of CO2.
A new accreditation plan dubbed Airport Carbon Accreditation was launched last month at the 19th Airports Council International annual congress in Manchester. ACA will "assess and recognize airports' efforts to manage and reduce CO2 emissions within their direct control" while taking into account collaborative efforts with airlines, air traffic controllers, ground handlers and others on the airport site, ACI said.
Long Beach Airport can move forward with planned terminal improvements following a ruling from a California District Court in Orange County that confirmed an environmental impact study conducted by the City of Long Beach was adequate. The Long Beach Parent Teachers Assn. brought a lawsuit alleging that the report did not consider the noise impact of airport operations. LGB drew attention in April when JetBlue CEO Dave Barger publicly stated that he was considering pulling service unless there were terminal improvements.
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport formally launched a new corporate structure July 1 that will manage and oversee airport operations. The restructuring and privatization of the airport first was announced in August 2007. The CAAS group will focus on development of the air hub and aviation industry in Singapore as well as provision of air navigation services. Changi Airport Group will manage and operate the airport. Luton Airport announced that three new carriers launched service there in the last three months.
American Airlines parent AMR Corp. said it plans to issue $520.1 million in 20-year notes to finance the acquisition of 16 737-800s scheduled for delivery by the end of 2010 and to refinance four 777s. Separately, AA said it is closing down its Windsor, Conn., reservations center, according to reports.
AirBaltic will launch service from Riga to Warsaw (daily on Sept. 17) and Pskov (twice-weekly on Sept. 1) aboard F50s. Singapore Airlines will add a fourth daily Singapore-Manila 777 flight on July 10. Qatar Airways will launch thrice-weekly Doha--Melbourne on Dec. 6 aboard a 777-200LR, becoming daily with the delivery of another -200LR in early 2010. Safi Airways launched thrice-weekly Kabul-Frankfurt aboard a 767-200ER.
Boeing said it completed the joining of the center wing box to the fuselage on the first 747-8 freighter in Everett and the assembly is being prepared to be connected to the forward and aft fuselage sections. "The airplane is coming together well and will be ready to fly later this year as planned," 747 Program VP and GM Mo Yahyavi said. The aircraft has garnered 78 orders.
