Royal Jordanian is backing off some network contraction plans, citing an ability to control costs through other routes. A week after Royal Jordanian announced plans to cut five points to improve its financial viability, President Hussein Dabbas told Aviation Week he may reverse course if the economic situation changed. The airline now is making good on that commitment, noting that the Munich service will be sustained. Dabbas says the move comes in part from assistance the airline has received from Munich Airport to operate two weekly services.
After Lockheed Martin completes flights of the flying-wing X-56A for the U.S. Air Force, NASA plans to use the experimental unmanned aircraft to develop active control systems for slender, flexible wings on future, highly efficient transport aircraft. Transfer of the aircraft from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is expected around the end of the year, with NASA flights planned to begin by the end of 2013, following development of a new research flight-control system, says NASA Dryden Flight Research Center engineer Starr Ginn.
Members of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) voted overregulation as their number one long-term concern in the association’s annual member’s survey, but uneasiness about skilled worker shortages was close behind at the number two spot, said Christian Klein, EVP, ARSA, at the association’s symposium last week in Arlington, Va. The workforce issue came in as the second most important long-term threat to the aviation maintenance industry, tied with high fuel prices and grievances with the FAA.
The U.S. Senate probably could pass a bill barring U.S. air carriers from participating in the EU’s effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions “fairly easily,” a top Senate aide said last week. Last fall, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a version of the bill aimed at blocking U.S. carriers from participating in the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS). But the Senate did not allow a companion measure to be included in the FAA reauthorization bill that passed earlier this year.
Lufthansa and Air Berlin disagree sharply on how to deal with fast-growing Persian Gulf carriers. Lufthansa CEO Christoph Franz Thursday demanded that German traffic rights held by Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways be cut back because their growth is not in Germany’s interest. Franz is worried about what he describes as the transfer of European hubs to places “close to the Iranian border.” German airlines operate 29 weekly frequencies to Gulf countries, while Gulf airlines have 129 flights per week.
Tulsa, Okla.-based BizJet International Sales and Support, a provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services, reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to pay an $11.8 million criminal penalty on charges that three of its senior executives and a sales manager bribed government officials in Latin America to secure contracts. None of the individuals involved were identified in court documents.
United Parcel Service (UPS) says it remains in “constructive discussions” with TNT Express to acquire the Netherlands-based global cargo operator, which has a particularly large presence in Europe. TNT rejected a $6.4 billion unsolicited offer from UPS in mid-February, but said it was continuing discussions with the U.S. cargo company.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) March 19-21—International Academy of Astronautics/American Astronautical Society’s Conference on Dynamics & Control of Space Systems, Hotel Ipanema, Porto, Portugal, www.astrodynamics.org.pt/ March 19-22—Practical Aeronautics Short Course: “Introduction to Aeronautics—A Practical Perspective,” National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Va., 970-887-3155, www.practicalaero.com
India Friday unveiled a 40 billion rupee ($800 million) bailout package for cash-strapped flag carrier Air India as part of the federal government’s budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1. Although the cash infusion will provide relief to the state-run carrier, which has been struggling with high fuel prices and a large debt load, the package is smaller than the 55 billion rupees that had been expected.
You can now register online for Aviation Week events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/conferences or contact: Lydia Janow, 212-904-3225 or 800-240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada only) April 3-5—MRO Americas 2012 Conference & Exhibition, Dallas April 3-5—MRO Military Conference & Exhibition, Dallas May 23—MRO Regional (Eastern Europe, Baltics and Russia) Conference & Exhibition, Vilnius, Lithuania Nov. 29-Dec. 1—Certification Together-AeroConseil, Toulouse
Republic Airways paid an investment group for Frontier Airlines pilots $100,000 late last year or early this year, effectively to maintain a cost-cutting agreement reached last June with the pilots’ former union, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). That cost-cutting agreement was critical for Frontier’s restructuring efforts.
Southwest Airlines , Dallas, named Matt Hafner, current VP-integrated operations, VP of the Operations Coordination Center. Jack Smith, current senior VP-customer service, was named VP-ground operations/AirTran. Nan Barry, current senior director to the CEO, was promoted to managing director of the Executive Office, and Jim Sturgis was appointed to the new position of managing director-quality, programs and maintenance safety.
Russia’s Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. (SCAC) will sell 10 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft to an Indian private company, marking Sukhoi’s foray into India’s commercial aircraft market. SCAC President Vladimir S. Prisyazhnyuk says a preliminary agreement was signed last year with India’s Aviotech Pvt. Ltd. for the sale of 10 aircraft. The Superjet 100, a joint venture of Sukhoi and Alenia Aeronautica Co., has an orderbook of 170 aircraft and expects to get new orders from India.
The upper house of the U.K. parliament will examine a European Union proposal to manage airport capacity included in the European Commission’s “Better Airport Package”. In particular, the House of Lords EU subcommittee on internal markets will assess whether “the proposals are the best way to expand European airport capacity and will probe the witnesses on the potential impact of the regulations.”
Roger Cohen, President of the Regional Airline Association Country Western legend Tanya Tucker sang those lyrics about a forlorn love, while we in regional aviation could be singing the same song about some recent headlines. But the facts behind those headlines suggest we’re doing a whole lot better than just “hanging on.”
After years of delay, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is placing a high priority on its long-awaited repair station security rule, but is still targeting the fourth quarter for its release, a senior TSA official says.
Norwegian Air Shuttle has become the first customer for Boeing’s GoldCare line maintenance option as the low-fare carrier commits to the fee-for-service maintenance package. The deal covers six 787s, including three technically still listed as options. Norwegian has coupled fielding of the 787 with the start of long-haul operations. In announcing the GoldCare agreement, Chief Operating Officer Asgeir Nyseth says that “for Norwegian, it is fundamental that we have the best maintenance program when we launch our long-haul operation.”
