Virgin Galactic has signed up 625 individuals for its planned suborbital spaceflights, lining up revenue of at least $125 million, in what CEO George Whitesides asserts is a strong sign of the excitement and potential of commercial space ventures.
Lawyers for AMR Corp. and US Airways are focused on battling the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) in court rather than striking a concessions deal to gain approval for the carriers’ proposed merger.
The FAA’s fire safety branch is ordering 45,800 lithium-ion batteries for “large scale” fire tests to be conducted this fall by its fire safety branch at the William J. Hughes Technical Center. According to a request for quote issued Aug. 13, the batteries are to be used as part of on-going research “in support of a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and FAA rulemaking on the shipment of lithium-ion batteries by air.
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All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines yesterday conducted inspections of their Boeing 787 fleets after faulty wiring was discovered by ANA in an engine fire extinguisher. ANA discovered improper wiring in the engine fire extinguisher of a 787 during a pre-takeoff inspection, and subsequently found the problem in two more of its 787s.
Indian civil aviation authorities are analyzing whether the bilateral air services agreements (ASAs) with Austria and Switzerland should be reviewed, and more specifically if these countries’ national airlines Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines are still majority owned and controlled by national interests. There are no Indian airlines operating between India and Austria or Switzerland, and only Austrian Airlines and Swiss make use of the allocated traffic rights between their country and India.
Five decades after jets wiped out large Western propeller airliners, the turboprop is pushing back. Until the arrival of the much-heralded propfan, it will not recover the trunkline ground it occupied until the 1960s, but pressure is building to expand the turboprop in the role that it has held since then as a fuel-efficient, short-haul passenger aircraft.
Click here to view the pdf Nonstop Passengers Per Day Each Way, Los Angeles - Seoul Nonstop Passengers Per Day Each Way, Los Angeles - Seoul Korean Air Asiana Others 2008Q1 624 581 43
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Statistics, 12 Months Ended March 2013, Turboprops and Regional Jets (Sorted By Seats Per Departure) Aircraft Stage Seats/ Aircraft Carrier In Fleet
Russia’s largest international airline, Aeroflot, plans to launch a low-fare unit in 2014, according to Russian media reports. The new carrier will eventually operate a fleet of up to 40 narrowbodies, initially Boeing 737s. Largely owing to strict regulation, Russia has not seen the successful establishment of low-cost carriers. The most high profile attempt, Sky Express, failed in 2011. However, Russia has been served by European budget carriers, including EasyJet, Air Berlin or Germanwings.
Lion Air says its proposed joint venture low-cost carrier in Thailand is making progress towards gaining government approval, although it is not yet providing a launch date. The Indonesian carrier is attempting to set up the joint venture with an unnamed Thai partner to meet that country’s requirement that any airline be at least 51% locally owned. A Lion Air spokesman tells Aviation Week that a launch date will not be announced until the air operator’s certificate (AOC) has been approved.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has given firm backing to Ryanair’s safety standards after a pilots group criticized the airline for trying to intimidate crews to accept potentially negative consequences on safety. According to a survey conducted by the Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG)—an informal collection of pilots trying to become the labor group’s official representative—89% of the low-cost carrier’s pilots say that the airline does not have an open and transparent safety culture.
Commercial banks are expected to be the leading aircraft finance instrument in 2013, but the title will be short-lived as regulatory reforms and risk-aversion drive the traditional players away. Banks are projected to fund about $29 billion of the $104 billion in 2013 deliveries, a Boeing analysis shows. The 28% share gives banking a slim lead over cash, at 25% of the financing pie, and export credit agencies, at 23%.
U.S. cargo carrier Ameriflight is cautioning the FAA that a mandate to equip aircraft with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) “out” avionics by January 2020 may be too optimistic. The operator has filed a request for exemption from the FAA rule, noting that it anticipates “supply problems for some components” in the ADS-B installations “due to high demand upon manufacturers and vendors” that may be exacerbated by “a last-minute rush” as operators attempt to meet the deadline.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday filed a lawsuit that says the proposed merger between AMR Corp. and US Airways could be illegal on more than 1,000 domestic city pairs and must be dismantled to stop a clique of national carriers from manipulating services and ticket prices.
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Costs, 12 Months Ended March 2013, Turboprops and Regional Jets (Sorted By Seats Per Departure) Cost Per Block Hour
Click here to view the pdf Nonstop Passengers Per Day Each Way, Los Angeles - Sydney Nonstop Passengers Per Day Each Way, Los Angeles - Sydney Qantas United Others 2008Q1 605 304 -
While budget worries are clouding the future of the FAA’s NextGen program, the agency is making significant progress in deploying an automation system that will be a crucial foundation of the modernization effort.
A group of European researchers has started a five-week test phase of an ultraviolet lidar (light detection and ranging)-based instrument mounted on a Cessna Citation aircraft to detect clear air turbulence (CAT). The trials will involve 50 flight hours and are part of the European Union-funded program Delicat (Demonstration of lidar-based clear air turbulence detection).
Click here to view the pdf Nonstop Passengers Per Day Each Way: Hong Kong - San Francisco Nonstop Passengers Per Day Each Way: Hong Kong - San Francisco Cathay Pacific Singapore Airlines Others
