FAA and airport funding are already emerging as key issues as Congress begins initial preparations for the next FAA reauthorization bill. Airport groups are urging a $4 increase in the passenger facility charge (PFC), airlines are appealing to Congress to refrain from looking at them as a piggy bank and business aviation groups are stressing the importance of retaining current fuel taxes.
After a two-year pause in negotiations, the Star Alliance has re-invited Air India to become a member. The Star Chief Executive Board (CEB) voted unanimously in favor of the decision in an effort to improve the group’s presence in one of the largest and fastest-growing emerging markets.
Prepare for a nail-biter in the Senate this week as the upper chamber considers the two-year budget framework deal that sailed through the House Wednesday night on a 332-94 vote. Struck by House and Senate Budget committee chairmen Rep. Paul Ryan ( R-Wis .) and Sen. Patty Murray ( D-Wash .) the deal helps avert the threat of a government shutdown, at least temporarily—but it would also, among other proposals, double the post-9/11 security fee charged to passengers for one-way flights from $2.50 now to $5 this fiscal year, then to $5.60 in fiscal 2015.
Brazil’s Synergy Group is still exploring ways to invest in a European airline and TAP Portugal and LOT Polish Airlines are serious candidates for an investment, according to Synergy Chairman German Efromovich. “We might put an offer in for TAP if the conditions are still the same as a year ago,” Efromovich told Aviation Week on the sidelines of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board meeting in Vienna/Austria. “But you need two partners to agree to a marriage.”
Thomson Airways recently launched Direct Maintenance’s Boeing 787 line maintenance services, the second current-generation Boeing widebody support capability added by the Dutch aftermarket provider in as many weeks. Direct is helping Thomson turn 787s at the airline’s Mombasa, Kenya line station. The work started following Thomson’s inaugural 787 service between London Gatwick Airport and Moi International Airport Dec. 3. The charter carrier had been operating 767-300ERs on the route.
Jan. 21-22, 2014—MRO Latin America, Rio de Janerio, Brazil Feb. 4-6—MRO Middle East, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE Feb. 10—Air Transport World’s 40th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards, Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel, Singapore March 4-5—Defense Technology & Affordability Requirements, Washington, D.C. March 6—57th Annual Laureates Awards, National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. April 8-10—MRO Americas 2014, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
Austrian Airlines CEO Jaan Albrecht says 2014 will be the year during which the airline will have to demonstrate that its drastic restructuring and cost-cutting efforts have been worthwhile.
Introducing the Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index Designed for anyone with risk on the future level of airfares – for example Airlines, Banks/Credit Card Companies, Corporate Travel Managers, etc. The Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index tracks daily airfares within the domestic airline market. The Aero 100 delivers financial risk mitigation and protection against constant fluctuation of airline ticket prices by providing the price settling mechanism for Commodity Futures Contracts.
Deployment of a new satellite-based surveillance network is expected to be complete for the vast majority of U.S. domestic airspace by the end of this year, although some of the more remote ground stations will need to be finished in 2014. Together with contractor Exelis, the FAA is introducing what will be the world’s largest automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) network. The use of ADS-B “Out” will give controllers more accurate data than provided by radar, which is expected to allow reduced separation in some airspace.
Asiana Airlines has made significant changes to its pilot training programs in the aftermath of the Boeing 777-200ER accident at the San Francisco International Airport on July 6. Though the National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined the cause of the crash, the focus of an initial factual hearing in Washington on Dec. 11 has been pilot monitoring lapses and potential confusion about the 777’s autopilot and autothrottle systems, both of which reflect on Asiana’s pilot training programs.
The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is preparing to formally allow its airlines to seek approval for expanding passenger usage of portable electronic devices (PEDs) to all phases of flight. CAA says it is preparing a notice for airlines that will explain the approval-request process for “gate-to-gate” usage by passengers of devices without cellular signals. CAA’s move follows the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA’s) approval of guidance that European airlines can use to broaden PED usage under current regulations (DAILY, Dec. 11).
Next year should be the most profitable ever for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts. IATA upped its profit forecast for 2013 and 2014 based on several beneficial factors. The group believes that the industry will post a combined net profit of $19.7 billion in 2014, $3.3 billion higher than the last forecast in September. This year is also going to be better than expected as profits will rise to $12.9 billion, up from the previous prediction of $11.7 billion.
Delta Air Lines’ strategy to grow through upgauging combined with plans to replace 50-seat regional jets with Boeing 717s means the carrier will meet its capacity target without maxing out its allowable regional jet (RJs) lift, the airline’s top executive says. “We aren’t going to buy all the 76-seaters we’re entitled to buy under our scope clause,” CEO Richard Anderson said at the airline’s annual investor day Dec. 11. “I don’t know where we’ll end up, but we have room right now for 30 more that we don’t have earmarked.”
Air Canada has announced plans to renew its mainline single-aisle fleet with orders, options and commitments for up to 109 Boeing 737 MAX, replacing its current fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft and becoming one of the first major Airbus operators to defect to the re-engined Boeing twinjet.
Although it has received the smaller half of the newly merged American Airlines’ order for 76-seat regional jets, Bombardier’s contract for up to 70 CRJ900s will keep the aircraft in production and on the market as the Canadian manufacturer focuses on its CSeries narrowbody airliner. For Embraer, the orders and options from American for 150 E175s are a boost following JetBlue Airways’ October decision to defer delivery of 24 E190s to 2020-22, from 2014-18, and cap its fleet at 60 aircraft, down from the originally placed 100 firm orders and 100 options.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of December 12, 2013, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
Luxair Executive Vice President-airline Martin Isler says 2013 was an “excellent year” for the carrier, with a 14% increase in passengers carried compared with last year, despite of the arrival of low-cost carriers (LCC) in the Luxembourg market.
The highly publicized failure of the right engine of a Thomas Cook Airbus A330-200 (G-OMYT) taking off from Manchester, England, on June 24 was caused by the failure of a single turbine blade in the high-pressure section of the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 turbofan.
TAP Portugal will expand its fleet in 2014 with two Airbus A330s and four A320 family aircraft and add several new destinations, including two in Brazil which will further strengthen its leading market position on routes between Europe and Brazil. “Six additional aircraft to a fleet of 71 aircraft is a pretty good growth,” CEO Fernando Pinto told Aviation Week on the sidelines of the Aviation Leadership Summit organized by the Association of European Airlines (AEA) in Brussels.
