Air Berlin expects a task force established to assess the damage incurred by the delayed opening of Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) to report its findings within the next 10 days, after which the airline will seek a claim against operator Berlin Airports.
Industry organizations disagree on who should manage and operate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites, but they all believe a test program should be used to gather critical safety data, develop certification and training standards and ensure sense-and-avoid capabilities.
Cessna has launched the Citation Longitude as its latest attempt to break the super mid-size market three years after canceling the Columbus program. In an effort to curtail costs, the Longitude will have virtually the same performance capabilities as the Columbus, although the fuselage cross section mirrors the manufacturer's Citation Latitude, which is six inches narrower than the Columbus. Also, the main seating area will be seven inches shorter.
Embraer this quarter expects to receive clearance from Chinese authorities to build Legacy 650s in China. The wait to convert the Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry Co. facility from building ERJ-145s, all of which have been delivered, to Legacy 650s has been long, but according to Ernest Edwards, president of Embraer executive aviation, approval is expected before July. After receiving this approval, Embraer expects to deliver the first aircraft in about 18 months, the facility will support only deliveries to Chinese customers.
Southwest Airlines sees many airports outside of Houston Hobby as potential growth areas for international traffic on its AirTran Airways subsidiary and eventually Southwest’s own aircraft, says John Kirby, Southwest’s senior director-domestic and international planning.
AMR Corp.’s admission that it is open to merger or sale proposals during its Chapter 11 reorganization should placate the company’s unsecured creditors committee (UCC) in advance of 10 days of submissions by unions against proposed concessions.
Qatar Airways’ negotiations to buy the Bombardier CSeries are on hold as the airline deals with other expansion issues. “We are very busy [and] have our hands full,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Geneva, pointing to the airline’s plans to introduce Boeing 787, Airbus A380, A350 and A320NEO into its fleet.
Lufthansa and Air Berlin will claim damages from Berlin Airports to compensate for the delayed opening of Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI). The airport company last week conceded that the planned June 3 opening date for BBI cannot be maintained, with CEO Rainer Schwarz citing issues with the terminal fire protection system. Numerous reports have since indicated that other aspects of the projects also are lacking, and according to one article, the airport’s completion is two months behind schedule.
Mexicana de Aviacion is in talks with its two largest creditors to bring its bankruptcy proceedings to a close, now that a Mexican bankruptcy judge has approved the transfer of the carrier’s shares to a group of investors led by Med Atlantica. The company is formalizing its agreements with Banorte and Bancomext, a source close to the airline tells Aviation Week, although it is uncertain when the talks, which began May 14, will conclude.
Delta Air Lines’ revised Bombardier CRJ200 contract with Pinnacle Airlines includes a provision allowing the major, at its “option and sole discretion,” to place 163 more of the 50-seat regional jets in the regional operator’s fleet. Delta also can place 24 more spare engines for the aircraft with Pinnacle, under the contract terms disclosed in a Pinnacle filing in its Chapter 11 restructuring case. No one from Delta or Pinnacle immediately responded to Aviation Week requests for an explanation for the provision’s inclusion.
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The long wait for Bombardier to unveil replacements for the Learjet 40XR and 45XR is over with the launch of the Learjet 70 and 75 at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition this week in Geneva. The new models, which are scheduled to enter service in the second half of 2013, will offer more thrust, improved takeoff performance, faster climb to cruise altitude, better fuel efficiency and lower operating costs.
Neither Grupo TAM nor LAN Airlines is shedding any light on a time line for their proposed merger, which has just been granted final approval from the requisite government agencies to create the largest airline in Latin America and one of the biggest carriers in the world.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers - Kuala Lumpur, May 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Top Carriers - Kuala Lumpur, May 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Departures Airport Shar
Pilots and the European airline industry are still battling over the revision of flight time limitations (FTL), with the European Cockpit Association (ECA) staging a rally in front of the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA’s) headquarters in Cologne on Monday to highlight what it regards as serious deficiencies in the proposals.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the proposed merger of Chile’s LAN Airlines and Brazil’s Grupo TAM to create the largest carrier in Latin America and one of the largest in the world, just days after Brazil’s securities regulator, CVM, issued its own permission.
Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is expected to continue an aviation consulting career following the May 10 dismissal of drunk driving charges that led to his resignation from the agency late last year. A district court judge in Virginia dismissed the charges, ruling that the police had stopped him without sufficient reason.
International Airlines Group (IAG) expects its financial performance to fall to breakeven this year as the deteriorating performance of Iberia, high fuel costs and the integration of BMI pressure a company that recorded a €485 million (US$626.7 million) operating profit in 2011.
An article titled “Schumer Raises Concerns About Potential Merger” incorrectly described the rank of Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). As the vice chairman of the Senate Democratic Conference he is the third-ranking Senate Democrat (Aviation Daily, May 11).
Skyguide , Geneva, elected Jean-Yves Bonvin, an attorney and partner in a legal practice, to the board of directors, succeeding Pierre Moreillon, who stepped down after 12 years of board service.
The integration of BMI into British Airways will occur “as soon as possible,” with a first tranche of BMI flights to be sold on May 23 and a second following in June, says BA CEO Keith Williams.
