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) May 17-18—Aviation Week Events, Affordability Requirements Forum, “Creating Leaner Defense Programs,” National Press Club, Washington, www.aviationweek.com/events May 24-25—A&D Cybersecurity Conference, Washington, www.aviationweek.com/events May 26-27—Inventory & Engine Asset Management Forum, Zurich, www.aviationweek.com/events
Work to develop and approve specifications for synthetic jet fuel produced from cellulosic biomass, such as corn stover and forest waste, via an alcohol route similar to that for ethanol, is moving forward. Viewed as having significant potential to produce biofuel in commercial quantities, "alcohol oligomerization" will be the third alternative jet-fuel pathway to be approved after Fischer-Trospch fuels from coal, gas and biomass and hydrotreated renewable jet fuels from animal and plant oils.
Thai Airways International has posted a 94% drop in first quarter net profit partly due to higher fuel prices. Net profit was THB618.5 million ($20 million) for the three months ending March 31, compared to THB10.6 billion the same time a year ago, Thai Airways tells the Bangkok stock exchange. The THB10.6 billion profit number is a revised figure. The carrier attributes its profit slump to higher fuel prices, a weakening baht and the fall-out of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Thailand’s currency has failed to appreciate as strongly against the U.S.
International Air Cargo Association elected new directors: Oliver Evans, chief cargo officer of Swiss International Airlines; Neel Shah, senior VP and chief cargo officer of Delta Air Lines; Vladimir Zubkov, VP of Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies; and Jason Foote, VP-international air and charter operations at UPS Airlines.
SkyWest, the holding company for U.S. regional carriers SkyWest Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) and ExpressJet Airlines, restructured its management and promoted Bradford Rich to president. Rich has been CFO since 1991 and led negotiations for the company’s acquisition of ASA in 2005 and ExpressJet in 2010.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Mongolia’s largest privately owned carrier, Eznis Airways, have forged an alliance, a move that could see the Japanese carrier operate charter flights to Mongolia on behalf of Eznis. The two sides have signed a strategic cooperation agreement, says ANA, adding that the two will look to see how they can “cooperate in a broad range of areas such as management, operations, and charter flight services between Mongolia and Japan to aid the long-term development of air transportation between two countries and beyond.”
Canines trained to sniff bomb residue on persons are part of an enhanced security program in place at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The K-9 program was developed after a review of potential gaps in airport security procedures. Canine teams, comprising a police officer handler and a dog, were trained to discreetly screen passengers for Human Borne Improvised Explosive Devices. Funding came from the Los Angeles Police Foundation and Los Angeles World Airports, which operates the airport.
With four big issues still awaiting resolution, House leaders introduced another extension to the FAA reauthorization bill on Friday. This one, the 19th, will last one month, giving Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) more time to come to an agreement over the final sticking points—a provision only in the House bill altering union election rules at the National Mediation Board, different funding levels for the Airport Improvement Program and the Essential Air Service program, and release of slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, which represents 1,600 of Qantas Airways’ maintenance engineers, has called off strike action planned for May 16 and 17. “These tactics from the union of threatening strike action and canceling it at the last minute causes uncertainty for passengers, staff and the airline,” says Qantas Group’s chief executive, corporate affairs Olivia Wirth. The union had also planned to go on strike on May 13, only to cancel the action yesterday afternoon.
EADS within days will make a decision on whether to increase Airbus single-aisle production rates beyond the 40 aircraft a month now planned as the commercial aircraft business shows increasing signs of recovery.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) May 16-17—“Introduction to Jet Engines, A Practical Perspective,” Ohio Aerospace Institute, Cleveland, 970-887-3155, www.practicalaero.com May 16-19—Regional Airline Association Annual Convention, Nashville Convention Center, www.raa.org/AnnualConvention/tabid/171/Default.aspx May 17-19—11th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, Geneva, 202-783-9000, www.nbaa.org
Japanese carrier SkyNet Asia Airways will change its livery and name to Solaseed Air, which goes into effect July 1. “From July, it will take to the skies under its new brand name—Solaseed Air—and the first aircraft in its fleet to wear the distinctive pistachio green and white insignia will be a brand new Boeing 737-800 complete with Boeing Sky Interior,” says the airline.
More than 200 aerospace companies—from small suppliers to OEMs such as Bombardier and Bell Helicopter—have operations in a 30-km radius in Quebec, and this is no accident, thanks to the provincial government’s active role in fostering the region’s industry, executives and government officials say.
Southwest Airlines reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract with the union representing approximately 260 appearance technicians who are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the carrier's fleet and aircraft parts. The current collective bargaining agreement became amendable in February 2009, so if the tentative agreement is ratified by union members it would become amendable in February 2015.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) posted a massive increase in profits in the last fiscal year, but its profit in the last quarter slumped as higher fuel prices began to bite. The Star Alliance carrier says it posted a net profit of SG$1.09 billion ($877 million) for the fiscal year ending March 31, which is much higher than 2009/2010’s fiscal year net profit of SG$216 million. The year 2009/2010 was at the height of the global financial economic crisis.
ACE Aviation, once the largest single shareholder of Air Canada stock, lost C$4 million (US$4.2 million) in the first three months of the year, down from the C$28 million posted in the same period last year and proportionate to its share of Air Canada’s losses. The company also confirms it paid C$37.7 million to Revenu Quebec after an audit relating to business activity in 2007 and that the same reassessment has allowed it to recover some C$35.1 million, mostly from Air Canada. ACE expects to fold by yearend.
United Airlines attained the top ranking among major U.S. carriers for domestic on-time performance in March, with 84% of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule, the U.S. Transportation Department reported May 10. US Airways ranked second-best among the majors, at 82.8%. AirTran Airways ranked third at 82.8%.
Rising fuel prices raise the single largest threat to credit ratings of U.S. airports, which continue to pass through a “soft transition” to a stable outlook, according to a Fitch Ratings outlook issued May 12. Consistently high fuel prices will increase airline fares and affect airline capacity decisions and habits of travelers, all of which impact airport revenues, debt and eventually credit ratings, says Seth Lehman, lead airport analyst. Thus far in 2011, traffic is “softly rebounding” from recession negatives, he says.
The departure this month of Transportation Security Administration GM of general aviation Brian Delauter is raising questions about the fate of key initiatives—revision of the proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) and expansion of gateways at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport among them. DeLauter wooed industry leaders with his collaborative approach, overseeing changes to LASP and improving business aviation’s access to DCA. It is uncertain how long the position will be open, but TSA is believed to have some prospects in mind.
The U.S. House of Representatives looks like it is going after the Transportation Department (DOT) for massive budget reductions in fiscal 2012, a move that could have serious implications for the NextGen air traffic modernization program.
