Hurricane Irene’s impact on air travel cost United Continental $40 million in revenue, the airline says. Associated cost savings from the canceled flights, particularly on fuel, will offset some of the lost revenue, but the parent company of United Airlines and Continental Airlines did not disclose the cost offset or impact on the bottom line.
Click here to view the pdf Airline Service Analysis - British Airways September 1-7, 2011 Carrier Capacity To/From World Regions Weekly % Chg. % Chg. % Chg
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) Sept. 12—A&D Finance Europe, London Sept. 14-15—Airlines, MRO, Aircraft & Engine Lessors: “The Tricky Triangle,” Dublin Sept. 26—Aircraft Composite Repair Management Forum, Zurich Sept. 27-29—MRO Europe 2011, Madrid Sept. 28—MRO Military Europe, Madrid Oct. 20-21—MRO IT, Chicago
The FAA has approved Chicago O’Hare International Airport, ranked sixth in the U.S. in cargo volume, for operations by the Boeing 747-8. Atlas Air, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific and Nippon Cargo are expecting to take delivery of the aircraft, starting this fall.
Lockheed Martin has delivered the necessary software upgrade that will enable the FAA to introduce satellite-based surveillance at its major New York air traffic control facility. The software will let the New York terminal radar approach control (Tracon) use automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) with its existing ATC system. The New York Tracon has the Lockheed-made Common Automated Radar Terminal System (Common ARTS) as its major operating platform.
Tampa International Airport’s drive for international service, which started in June, has netted its first service to Havana in 50 years, making Tampa the first of 13 U.S.-designated Cuba gateway airports to begin scheduled service. The inaugural flight on Sept. 8 was operated by Xael Charters and partner Sky King Inc. with a Boeing 737. The flights will continue operating each week on Thursday. On Sept. 10, ABC Charters is scheduled to operate its first flight to Havana with an American Airlines 737. Its weekly Saturday services will also continue.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Sept. 12-15—Practical Aeronautics Short Course “Introduction to Aeronautics: A Practical Perspective,” National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Va., www.practicalaero.com Sept. 12-15—“Introduction to Aeronautics: A Practical Perspective,” National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Va., 970-887-3155, www.practicalaero.com
Debt-ridden national carrier Air India does not have the funds to pay for the 27 Boeing 787s it has ordered, Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said Sept. 9, a day after the country’s nodal public auditing agency flayed the state-run airline’s hasty expansion plans.
Flight delays are expected this weekend at Baltimore’s Thurgood Marshall Airport as two runways are scheduled to close for completion of a pavement project. Runways 15R-33L and 10-28 are set for closure at 11 p.m. Sept. 9 through 5 a.m. Sept. 12. Pavement at the intersection of the two runways will be rehabilitated. The work is dependent on weather conditions and could be postponed to Sept. 16-19. BWI will use Runway 4-22 for most operations under the plan.
Spirit Airlines says it can break even on a fare of about $64 per flight segment—far less than its competitors offer—because of its lower costs and industry-leading, per-passenger, non-ticket revenue. The per-segment revenue from fees, travel insurance sales and other items has reached $43.
UPS and the Independent Pilots Association are laying out strategies for negotiating a new contract, which becomes amendable Jan. 1. The IPA is pushing for compensation to stay ahead of inflation and retirement program improvements on parity with FedEx. Average wages for UPS pilots are calculated by the company to be $223,385. Captains on average make $245,320. The sluggish economy prompted UPS to furlough 109 pilots last year; it operates 220 aircraft, down from 280.
AirAsia Philippines has been lobbying hard to get its air operator’s certificate (AOC) and hopes to start flying next month. The Clark-based carrier, subject to regulatory approval will offer scheduled services to Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau, AirAsia Philippines CEO Marianne Hontiveros, told reporters in Xiamen, China. She was part of a business delegation accompanying Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. Aquino, who is Filipino-Chinese, is in China for trade talks.
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Costs and Statistics, 12 Months Ended December 2010, (Jet Aircraft Page 11 of 11 DC-10-30 Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
Expanding airline service to important East Asian and South American markets is a high priority for the New Zealand government as it looks to launch new rounds of aviation negotiations. The government in July said it had given its negotiators a mandate to begin air service talks with China, Brazil and eight other countries that it declined to name. Aviation Week has learned from industry sources that the others are Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Thailand, Uruguay and Vietnam.
The Department of Homeland Security fiscal 2012 funding bill is headed to the Senate floor with a $1.50 increase in the aviation passenger security fee after the full Appropriations Committee approved the legislation Sept. 7.
Cargo is growing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest for passenger traffic, and is bracing for a boost in shipments as carriers offer new services.
American Airlines is accusing Sabre of secretly organizing “an unlawful group boycott” of the carrier by travel agents in a revised lawsuit against the GDS.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is acquiring 300 wave-based Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) full-body scanners for $44.8 million. The L-3 Communications units, which show less revealing images, will be deployed in coming months at airport checkpoints. The agency has installed 500 AIT units at 78 airports.
An International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conference may have built momentum for an alternative to rigid flight- and duty-time limitations for pilots—so much so that they might be expanded to mechanics and air traffic controllers.
