The International Civil Aviation Organziation (ICAO) has the bandwidth both to work on market-based emissions mitigation efforts and to process an Article 84 complaint against the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS), says Nancy Young, Airlines for America VP-environmental affairs.
Comac is hiring 40-60 foreign experts to help it with the development of the C919 narrowbody airliner, and will go back to the market for more if it judges that the first group contributes to keeping it on track. One major role of the foreigners is managing suppliers, which has been a considerable challenge for Comac, says a senior program official.
A second group of investors has approached Mexicana de Aviacion’s bankruptcy judge with a possible takeover bid. The group, called Swiss Union, still has to prove it has sufficient funds to proceed with the bid and is only in the early stages of its offer. Conversely, another group of investors, known as MedAtlantica, apparently has passed regulatory review, at least in proving its access to the requisite $250 million.
The deadline of Sept. 30, 2015, for integration of unmanned aircraft systems into U.S. civil airspace, set in the new FAA reauthorization bill, is expected to be met using ground-based sense-and-avoid (GBSAA), a Pentagon official says. Using ground radars, GBSAA will allow “routine access” to airspace for unmanned aircraft transiting between their bases and restricted areas used for training, says Steven Pennington, U.S. Air Force director of bases, ranges and airspace.
India’s debt-crippled Kingfisher Airlines canceled more flights last week as efforts to find a solution to its financial woes hit a roadblock. Despite approval from the country’s central bank, the airline’s consortium of 16 lenders, which includes the State Bank of India (SBI), has not agreed to extend further loans to the beleaguered airline. India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has categorically refused a government bailout like the one extended to state-run Air India.
While it awaits a final ruling from the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the Airbus versus Boeing subsidies battle, the U.S. is preparing to use the results as a platform from which to launch a case against Canada alleging illegal launch aid for the Bombardier CSeries. “The case against Boeing is still under appeal, but the case against Airbus is complete, and the WTO found that every Airbus model included subsidies that violated WTO rules,” says Maureen Smith, assistant deputy undersecretary for manufacturing and services at the U.S. Commerce Department.
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Costs and Statistics 12 Months Ended June 2011 Jet Aircraft Pages 9 and 10 of 11 MD11 Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
Eirtech Aviation opened a two-bay paint facility for narrowbody aircraft in Ostrava, Czech Republic, to support its growing aircraft painting and interior refurbishment business.
Geopolitics—not supply and demand—is keeping the price of oil above $100 per barrel, and there are slim prospects for relief, which could augur lean times ahead for airlines, analysts say.
Larry Loftis, a veteran of Boeing 737, 757 and 777 production, has been named VP and general manager of the 787 program, succeeding Scott Fancher, who takes over management of the 777 and responsibilities for defining new variants of the best-selling twin-aisle jet. The moves signal two things: the importance Boeing places on transition of the 787 from development into production by bringing in a long-time production expert, and the key role that is foreseen for new 777 variants by putting a development specialist in a full-time role for that program.
Airlines need to be prepared to justify the amount of their fuel surcharges if passengers ask, and those charges “must be an accurate reflection of the fuel cost over some reasonable baseline for an individual passenger for that trip,” the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) says in a new notice to carriers and ticket agents.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Feb. 27-29—Defense Maintenance Sustainment Summit, Hilton Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Calif., www.wbresearch.com/dms/ Feb. 28-29—2012 Air Charter Safety Symposium, NTSB Training Center, Dulles, Va., www.acsf.aero/symposium Feb. 28-March 1—Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, Shanghai, China, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org
The latest ruling in the long-running dispute between the EU and the U.S. over state subsidies to Airbus and Boeing is due this week and, if tradition holds, claims of victory will be issued from both sides of the Atlantic. The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body is expected to issue its ruling on Wednesday in the case that the EU brought against the U.S. and Boeing. This week’s findings, due to be issued in Geneva, are confidential; a public report will be issued at a later date.
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) March 7—54th Annual Laureate Awards, Washington, D.C. March 13-14—Innovation Supply Chain Showcase, Orlando, Fla. 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
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle, named Larry Loftis VP and general manager of the 787 program, succeeding Scott Fancher, who becomes VP and general manager of the 777 program.
GOL is modifying its fleet plan to accommodate the revised domestic outlook and to update the fleet of takeover target Webjet Linhas Aereas Economicas.
The Moscow Declaration opposing the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) proposed filing a formal complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to block what is seen as Europe’s unilateral approach, but none of the 23 signatory countries has come forward to file such a complaint.
