The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is asking Pinnacle Airlines to turn over “all information that was not previously provided to the NTSB” regarding the training and technical qualifications of the crew involved in the fatal Colgan Air crash nearly three years ago.
Responding to a recent incident where passengers on a plane were stranded for seven hours, U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) are pressing the transportation secretary to make sure that airlines are penalized for excessive tarmac delays.
Two airlines that serve Singapore’s budget terminal have been told they may have to vacate the terminal and relocate to another passenger terminal because of planned construction work.
Representatives from the U.S. travel and tourism industries urged Congress to ease visa restrictions for citizens of countries not in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), claiming that doing so would enable the U.S. to recapture its former share of the global long-haul international travel market.
When United airlines launches its Washington Dulles-Dublin service next year, the daily flight will represent the third new long-haul operation at Dublin Airport since the new T2 terminal was opened late last year. United intends to operate a 175-seat Boeing 757-200 on the route, with 16 first-class seats and 159 in the economy section. Launch date from Dublin is June 8. United partner, Continental Airlines, operates Dublin-Newark Liberty and Shannon-Newark flights.
Thai carrier Nok Air, which recently shifted its base from Don Muang International Airport to Suvarnabhumi International Airport because of the Bangkok floods, has decided to stay on at Suvarnabhumi until early next year.
St. Cloud Regional Airport, without commercial air service for nearly two years, is preparing to make its case to airline candidates that serving Chicago or Denver from the Minnesota city will be worth the effort.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) have certified Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) as a Part 147 maintenance training organization. The Singapore-based maintenance, repair and overhaul provider now will be able to provide EASA-certified courses covering narrowbody and widebody aircraft. ST Aero President Chang Cheow Teck says this development complements the company’s pilot training business.
A top Republican senator is blocking the nomination of two new members of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) until he learns more about how the Obama administration decided to speed up LightSquared’s licensing process. The president recently nominated Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai to the FCC. But their nominations are on hold until Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) gets some answers.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has no intention of merging low-cost carriers AirAsia Japan and Peach, and believes the two can co-exist because they are based in different cities.
With overwhelming evidence of massive interference, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should promptly rule that LightSquared can never use its frequencies closest to the Global Positioning System (GPS), says a coalition opposed to the company’s plans to use satellite communications spectrum for a terrestrial broadband wireless network.
Japan’s two major carriers have both opted for eight-abreast seating for their Boeing 787 economy cabins. All Nippon Airways (ANA) President and CEO Shinichiro Ito says ANA decided to go with eight-abreast seating in economy class, rather than nine-abreast, to provide more comfort to passengers. “The 787 is more comfortable with eight-abreast seating. We want to capture high-yield traffic.” He says even though ANA has opted for eight-abreast, he anticipates most 787 operators will go for nine-abreast in economy, as Boeing has been saying publicly.
Lufthansa plans to expand its presence in Berlin significantly next year as a part of a new direct service strategy aimed at turning around its money-losing European network. “Berlin can very well serve as a blueprint for other stations,” Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa’s passenger airline, tells reporters in Berlin. According to Spohr, the airline expects the new Berlin operation to become profitable within two years.
Cathay Pacific Airways has warned that it will lobby the Hong Kong authorities to stop any “franchised low-cost carrier” that tries to start in Hong Kong.
Republic Airways says capacity purchase agreement contracts with major airline partners will expire on about half of its 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145s in the next three years.
The volatility of both crude oil and jet fuel prices has made predicting future prices difficult, adding to the complexity of airline hedging strategies, industry insiders say.
The main issue with the European Union’s planned inclusion of international aviation in its emissions trading system (ETS) is its extraterritoriality, IATA Director General Tony Tyler says, and a couple of key international groups are joining the chorus of opposition to the system.
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Costs and Statistics, 12 Months Ended March 2011, Jet Aircraft (Pages 1 and 2 of 11) DC-9-30 Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
Boeing, now formally offering radio-frequency identification (RFID) to keep parts records on aircraft already in service, is looking at introducing the technology as factory standard on commercial and military aircraft. The company expects the FAA to certify the system by the end of the year, says Program Manager Phil Coop.
Garuda Indonesia’s board is due to decide this week whether the carrier will acquire Bombardier CRJ1000s or Embraer E-190s. “We will make a decision by the end of this week,” Garuda CEO Emirsyah Satar says in an emailed response to a query from Aviation Week. Industry executives say Satar is referring to board approval.
A campaign of 75 revenue flights by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air using a biofuel blend, which begins tomorrow with flights from Seattle to Washington and Portland, is intended to show fuel producers there is demand for alternatives, the carrier says (Aviation Daily, Nov. 8).
Brazil’s Groupo TAM expects to make a final decision on its proposed investment in TRIP Linhas Aereas, the country’s fifth-largest operator, at the end of the year. The deal, unveiled earlier this year, could provide TAM with a 31% stake in TRIP’s capital stock and up to 25% of the voting stock. Due diligence has since been “satisfactorily concluded” says TAM, and the introduction of new booking, sales and check-in information technology platforms has facilitated an expanded code-share between the two companies.
