The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is moving to partially marketize the runway slot-allocation process, which would replace a system based upon purely administrative allocation that officials and airlines have repeatedly corrupted with bribes.
For a complete list of Aviation Week’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.awin.aviationweek.com/events Jan. 21-22, 2016—MRO Latin America, Lima, Peru. Feb. 3-4, 2016—MRO Middle East, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. Mar. 3, 2016—Laureate Awards, The National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
65 Years Ago Dec. 7, 1950 —“Unicom” VHF-frequency two-way radio was approved by the Federal Communications Commission for use in “advisory” stations communicating runway conditions, fuel availability and weather to aircraft, but not for air traffic control. 25 Years Ago
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Dec. 14-16—ACI-NA/ACC Planning & NEPA Workshop, Washington, D.C., http://www.aci-na.org/event/6455 Jan. 4-8, 2016—AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, California, www.aiaa-scitech.org/GNC/
To cope with Brazil’s volatile economy, Sao Paulo-based GOL will reduce the number of takeoffs on domestic routes by between 4-6% in the first half of 2016, the airline announced on Dec. 7 at its annual investor day.
European airline associations are taking a hard look at the EU’s new aviation strategy, expressing concerns about liberalizing air service with certain countries.
Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley told a Washington audience that government policy has not kept pace with changes in the airline industry, limiting smaller carriers’ market access.
New Chinese carrier Northeastern Airlines plans to begin flying in June 2016. Its local government owners have given the airline a mission to improve connections between the northeast of the country and the rest of China.
During a Dec. 3 discussion with analysts at the Credit Suisse Industrials Conference, Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza called Delta Air Lines’ Basic Economy fare an example of “good creative management,” saying Delta’s strategy makes it “hard for us to grow in their markets.”
Etihad Airways upgauged one of its New York-Abu Dhabi flights to an Airbus A380, adding about 5% more capacity to the market as the carrier seeks to capture more high-value leisure and business travel, CEO James Hogan said in an interview.
A drop in global freight ton-kilometers (FTKs) from September to October underscores the air-cargo sector’s continued doldrums, particularly in markets affected most by passenger belly-freight capacity expansion.
Yangtze River Airlines will begin flying passenger services on Dec. 14, commencing HNA Group’s attempt at wresting more domestic traffic from the Shanghai market.
General Electric has begun testing the high-pressure (HP) core of its GE9X engine in development for the Boeing 777X, paving the way for the first full-engine tests planned in the first half of 2016.
More than 40 years after proposals were made to use the Boeing 747 for air-launching everything from cruise missiles to intercontinental ballistic rockets, the aircraft has been selected by Virgin Galactic as a unique carrier aircraft for its LauncherOne satellite launch vehicle.
Alaska Airlines will retrofit its aircraft to include a premium-class section in addition to its economy- and first-class seats, the airline announced on Dec. 3 at its annual investor day in New York.
