The largest U.S. airline trade group, Airlines for America (A4A) is applauding a resolution passed by the lower house of Australia’s parliament opposing the EU emissions trading system (ETS). Australia’s House of Representatives is urging the government to take all necessary “political, legal and diplomatic tools” to ensure the ETS does not apply to Australian carriers and seeks possible intervention by the World Trade Organization.
Russia is considering an overhaul of its regional airline sector, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev calling for a new or modernized short-distance, small-capacity aircraft to be built, perhaps with a foreign company’s assistance, and extolling plans to increase financial aid to regional operators. This effort may also include a re-engining effort using U.S. powerplants for the old Antonov An-2 aircraft, about 1,400 of which are currently serving Russia’s civil aviation industry.
A newly updated FAA order that specifies baseline assessment functions for safety inspectors marks the final phase of a three-part rollout of the agency’s Flight Standards Service Geographic Surveillance Program. The FAA has revised the National Flight Standards Work Program Guidelines to incorporate all Part 121 schedule carriers, all foreign airlines operating to the U.S. and Part 135 charter operators except single-pilot operators.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Cape Town - Johannesburg, October 10-16, 2011, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Cape Town - Johannesburg, October 10-16, 2011, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats
The UK’s Virgin Atlantic, which has focused on serving long-haul markets since its launch in 1984, next year plans to inaugurate domestic services with the launch of Airbus A319 flights between Manchester and London Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic hopes the move will be the first of several steps to develop a short-haul network from Heathrow, although the plan’s success is dependent on the airline obtaining many of the 12 slot pairs that International Airlines Group (IAG) must relinquish as part of its acquisition of BMI earlier this year.
Air New Zealand plans to return seven grounded Beechcraft 1900Ds to service sometime next month, as it works to repair hairline cracks that were discovered in the tail structures of the aircraft. The carrier grounded its entire fleet of 18 1900Ds on Aug. 7 after the cracking was found near the top of the vertical stabilizer during a routine inspection of one aircraft. Since then, 11 aircraft have been returned to service after being inspected and “were found to meet operational standards,” an airline spokeswoman says.
UK airport operator BAA will divest its holding in Stansted Airport after an appeal against a ruling by the country’s Competition Commission was rejected. The rejection by the UK’s second highest court could be challenged, but BAA has been advised that further legal action would be futile. The case centers on a 2008 ruling by the Competition Commission that judged BAA’s holding in Stansted, located north of London, and London Heathrow airports is anti-competitive.
The FAA does not expect further extensions of the comment period for proposed repair station certification and classification requirements beyond the additional 90 days the agency has allotted for trade associations to review and address concerns with the proposed overhaul of Part 145 rules.
The average age of active-service widebody fleet at Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, which includes Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, is 14.8 years when including 10 aircraft it operates for other customers and 12.5 years when only company owned or leased widebody aircraft are considered, the company says. An Aviation Week article reported on the average age solely for aircraft operated by its Atlas Air subsidiary and use a different criteria for defining its fleet.
Click here to view the pdf Arab Air Carrier Organization Monthly Traffic - June 2012 Arab Air Carrier Organization Monthly Traffic - June 2012 RPK % Chg. ASK % Chg.
American Airlines’ flight attendants union took a different tack from the pilots union by approving management’s “last, best and final” contract offer, but both labor groups maintain that their goals are the same: replacing American’s current management team.
General Electric’s decision to assume responsibility for the engine, nacelle and thrust reverser—rather than just the engine—for its Passport business jet engine project has worked so well that it hopes to replicate the approach in future programs, a GE Aviation executive tells Aviation Week.
The FAA is moving to decommission the last of the direction finders (DF) in the U.S.–29 DFs in Alaska–saying the technology is “beyond its useful life cycle.” The agency, which decommissioned DFs outside of Alaska in 2007, requested comments on a plan to shut down the remaining DFs. In a recent notice, the FAA says their usage for pilot orientation “has become almost nonexistent.” The Alaska Flight Service Information Area Groups has documented eight flight assists involving lost or disoriented pilots over the past eight years.
Regional carrier Pinnacle Airlines is proposing significant cuts to pilot wages and benefits and giving them less than a month to reach an agreement under a new concessions package that expands the airline’s cost cutting some 77%. Pinnacle will be asking all of its employees to agree to wage reductions, according to an Aug. 16 letter to employees that it also filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
FAA has added 90 days to the comment period for the new Part 145 repair station re-write. The new deadline is November 9. A number of industry organizations requested an extension, including a group of nine associations that teamed up to submit a formal request.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Guayaquil - Quito - August 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Guayaquil - Quito - August 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way
