Star Alliance is working on a conditional agreement with US Airways to leave the alliance as the carrier moves closer to implementing its planned merger with American Airlines. At the Phoenix Aviation Symposium last week, Star’s CEO Mark Schwab told Aviation Week that he expects US Airways to leave the alliance in the next few months. Schwab this week met with US Airways CEO Doug Parker and President Scott Kirby, who are based near Phoenix, to talk about the departure. “It is tough to see them go,” says Schwab.
Indonesia Air, the scheduled arm of charter carrier Indonesia Air Transport (IAT), has added its first Airbus A320. At the Airlines and Airports conference and exhibition in Jakarta last week, officials from the airline told Aviation Week the A320 will operate from Bandung’s Husein Sastranegara International Airport to Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, Sultan Syarif Qasim II International Airport in Pekanbaru, Palembang International Airport and Polonia International Airport in Medan.
European and Japanese regulators, following the FAA’s lead, have cleared the way for Boeing 787 operators to resume revenue flights following modification of the aircraft’s battery systems and, in Japan’s case, taking added precautions to monitor the aircraft’s safety.
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Lufthansa’s pilots are demanding a 4.6% pay increase in the current round of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. Talks with the pilots have been ongoing for the past year, the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union said on April 26, adding that formal negotiations for a new deal that would continue into 2014 started this week. VC’s wage demand covers pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings.
Southwest Airlines in November will finish converting operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from hub-and-spoke to point-to-point, which will result in additional daytime flights that are more appealing to business travelers, and potentially a bigger challenge to the airport’s dominant operator, Delta Air Lines.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday moved to end the FAA’s air traffic controller furloughs and avert the closure of 149 contract towers with the passage of a bill allowing the agency to reallocate funds. This bill mirrors legislation passed late April 25 by the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the coming days is planning to issue a proposed policy to shift the cost burden for monitoring passenger exits to airport operators, an Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) executive says. By proposing an airport security program change, the TSA will avoid using the Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) process or the need for Congressional approval before implementing the cost shift, which is valued at almost $90 million a year.
April 29-30—Aircraft Electronics Association Regional Meeting, Munich, Germany, www.aea.net/events.asp April 30-May 2—NBAA 2013 Maintenance Management Conference, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, Tex., www.nbaa.org/events/mmc/2013/ May 1-2—SpeedNews 11th Aerospace and Defense Industry Suppliers Conference, The Jonathan Club, Los Angeles, Calif., www.speednews.com/ConferenceInfo.aspx?conferenceID=22 May 3—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, Washington, D.C., 703-783-9000, www.nbaa.org
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Mexico City - Monterrey, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Mexico City - Monterrey, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way
Lion Air’s new full-service Indonesian carrier, Batik Air, has secured its air operator certificate (AOC) and intends to operate its inaugural flight May 3. Lion’s President Director, Rusdi Kirana, told Aviation Week earlier this month that Batik’s first route will be between Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado.
The FAA in an airworthiness directive due to be released today says the cost of modifying the auxiliary power unit battery systems on United Airlines’ six Boeing 787 will total almost $2.8 million, or $464,678 per aircraft. Boeing has not disclosed the total cost of its modification program. Mike Sinnett, 787 Chief Project Engineer, says installations will take five days per aircraft.
The FAA considered targeted controller furloughs to mitigate delays at the country’s busiest airports, but decided it would make little difference from broader furloughs and could poison the work environment, says the agency’s Administrator Michael Huerta says. “We came to the conclusion that the national airspace system is an interconnected network,” Huerta said in response to a question about the furlough distribution during testimony before the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee.
JetBlue Airways says it spent $20 million in the first quarter to accelerate “engine performance restorations” on General Electric CF34-10s that power its Embraer 190s. CFO Mark Powers, during the company’s April 25 first quarter earnings call, said early restorations are being performed on its “higher flight hour” engines to improve their operational reliability and time on-wing, but was not more specific on the level of engine hours.
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) dominance of the engine overhaul market is increasing as newer-generation models roll out, putting independent MRO providers under increasing pressure to team up with manufacturers, consultancy TeamSAI reports. “The new generation of engines is being designed by OEMs with the expectation that they will control the MRO over their life,” says TeamSAI Senior Vice President and Principal Tom Cooper.
Faced with surging tourist demand and a government mandate to satisfy it, Cuba’s state-controlled Cubana this year is turning to a mix of aircraft from Cold War-era allies and a smattering of Western aircraft leases to refresh its aircraft fleet.
Suppliers to Avic’s MA60 program will be given a priority should they bid for work on the proposed successor aircraft, the MA700 turboprop, says Avic Aircraft Vice President Chen Fusheng. “We hope that the excellent suppliers of the MA60 and MA600 programs can also participate in the development of our successor type,” Chen said this week during the China Commercial Aircraft Convention in Shanghai, noting that the company is now requesting proposals from suppliers. Chen emphasized that the bidding is open to other suppliers.
