A major Australian transport lobby group is urging the government to reduce passenger taxes in its next federal budget, which is due to be released May 12. The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) says the A$55 (U.S.$43.48) Passenger Movement Charge is levied on every outbound passenger, regardless of the distance they are flying. It represents “the highest travel charge in the developed world” for short-haul trips, the TTF says.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona—While senior executives at Virgin America and United Airlines said U.S. carriers are generally holding the line on capacity discipline despite cheaper fuel, American Airlines president Scott Kirby has a different view, suggesting that “because of low fuel prices, you have more capacity in the market than you would have if oil was at $110 a barrel.”
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona—The U.S. government is “taking very seriously” the request from Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and their labor groups to pursue consultations with the governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar on alleged subsidies for the airlines from those countries, a State Department official said here.
Negotiators from Republic Airways and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have reached an agreement on about two-thirds of articles in a tentative agreement, leading airline CEO Bryan Bedford to conclude the process might be completed “in the very near future,” a development that almost certainly will improve the carrier’s operational performance.
Philippines low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific has taken another important step in the integration of its Tigerair Philippines subsidiary, rebranding it Cebgo.
The complete wing of an Avic MA60 turboprop airliner became partly detached then pivoted on the fuselage when the aircraft ran on to grass on landing on May 10.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] . (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) May 11-13—24th Air Finance for Africa Conference & Exhibition, Johannesburg, South Africa, www.africanaviation.com/Events.html
Boeing says 787 operators addressed the anomaly the manufacturer discovered in generator control units (GCUs) soon after they were notified of the issue via an alert service bulletin (SB) several weeks ago. An FAA airworthiness directive published May 1 requires operators to follow the SB by ensuring aircraft are powered off regularly until a software fix is available. Boeing discovered during lab testing that 787 GCUs enter fail-safe mode after 248 days of continuous power.
Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Tim Canoll warned against what he called “atypical employment practices” now being used by some European ultra-low-cost carriers, such as employing pilots as independent contractors, rather than employees bound by a contract.
The program gives passengers a free cup of coffee and Wi-Fi at the airport in exchange for responding to a short survey that includes queries such as passengers’ reasons for traveling and where they live.
The NTSB is calling on the FAA to issue new rules requiring controllers to withhold a landing clearance until after an aircraft has “passed all other airports that may be confused with the destination airport.”
Al Maktoum spoke as Emirates announced its financial results for the year ended March 31, and underscored that outcry from major U.S. carriers Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines will not deter his carrier.
The engine—which flew for 5.5 hr. in the No. 2 position on General Electric’s 747-100 flying testbed at Victorville, California, on April 29—becomes the third member of the family to reach the flight-test stage.
The working group and hearing were direct results of December’s arrest of two people—including one airline employee—accused of smuggling guns onboard Delta Air Lines flights between Atlanta and New York.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Managing Director Mark Reis said that SEA’s growth projection means that despite “significant investment” in a capital-improvement plan, demand will leave the airport short of gates and terminal space in the early 2020s.
The new airline may launch this year, the state-owned group that runs the province’s airports said. The carrier would presumably be based at Changchun Longjia International Airport. Changchun is the capital of Jilin.
The airline, which is majority-owned by the Finnish state, reported a net loss for the three months ended March 31 of €9.8 million ($11 million), compared with a €28.1 million loss in the year-ago period. Operating loss narrowed 17% to €28.4 million.
