One of the difficulties that could derail the Next Generation ATC system is a weak management structure in FAA, a Boeing ATM official told ATC technical specialists in Atlantic City, N.J.
The International Federation of Airline Pilots issued a warning to chief pilot members to proceed "with extreme vigilance and precaution" in Argentina, citing safety concerns about radars as the provision of ATC services shifts from the air force to a new body created by the Ministry of Transportation. The shift affected traffic at Buenos Aires' Aeroparque and Ezeiza airports. The association, meanwhile, singled out the airports because the radars have been operated manually since March 1, when their joint radar system was damaged by an electrical storm.
TAM Brazil and LAN agreed to establish and develop a commercial alliance among their affiliated carriers. Passengers on the LAN group of airlines (LAN, Lan Argentina, Lan Peru and Lan Ecuador) will be able to fly on routes operated by TAM with multiple choices in schedules and frequencies. Passengers would also share VIP lounges and frequent flyer programs.
Boeing sees compelling reasons why the current strong aircraft ordering cycle is likely to continue, the company's lead commercial aircraft marketer told analysts in London this week. Boeing believes this cycle will be "more drawn out ...more elongated" than previous cycles, Commercial Airplanes Marketing Director Drew Magill said. The major reasons are that the airline industry's economic "fundamentals are very strong," there should be a good geographic balance in orders, and there is a strong demand for replacement aircraft, he said.
New York City helicopter shuttle operator US Helicopter has signed a multi-year agreement to provide its full-fare content to Sabre Travel Network (STN). US Helicopter partners with Delta at JFK Airport and with Continental at Newark Liberty by providing interline service on its eight-minute, scheduled shuttle service over Manhattan. The company flies to both airports from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, Atlantic Metroport at East 34th St. and the heliport to Bridgeport Sikorsky Memorial Airport, serving mainly Fairfield and New Haven, Conn. -JLM
Delta will challenge Spirit for 14 U.S.-Colombia frequencies, rights that are currently unavailable but can be found with American, where they have gone unused for almost two years, the carrier said. American last week told the U.S. Transportation Dept. that all 70 frequencies were distributed to other carriers -- American holds 42 frequencies, Continental 21 and Delta seven. American admitted it's using only 28 of the frequencies, but would use all of them this year. The carrier last used all of the frequencies in summer 2005.
Etihad Airways plans to defer deliveries of its Airbus A380s. "You need the maturity to absorb that kind of aircraft," CEO James Hogan told The DAILY. "For us, it's huge step." Hogan confirmed that "we are in discussions with Airbus at the moment in regards to whether we take it or defer it." But Etihad does not consider canceling its order: "At a given time, we need that type of aircraft." The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has a firm order for four aircraft. -JF
Indonesia has no plans to bring charges against any party in connection with the March 7 crash of a Garuda Boeing 737-400 at Yogyarkarta Adi Sucipto Airport. Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Committee, said the "investigation into the Garuda crash is to determine what caused it and not to blame any party. After the investigations are completed, our aim is to enhance safety measures and, if required, correct any problems that may have surfaced as a result of the crash."
Airlines are feeling the pressure of meeting IATA guidelines to become 100% e-ticket compliant by the end of this year, says Amadeus, which has signed up 19 new airlines to its ticketing platform in the past six months. "Becoming compliant by the end of 2007 is putting a lot of pressure on the e-ticket responsible teams within the airlines, as well as across the industry," says Lone Koch, e-ticket project manager of Cimber Air, which has just signed up to use Amadeus' ticketing platform.
The European Union's prediction of a 50% increase in transatlantic aviation business after open skies may be optimistic, the latest Unisys R2A Scorecard says.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) thinks the Senate might have too much on its plate when it comes to FAA legislation. He raises the possibility of extending the FAA's current authorization while the Senate considers new reauthorization plans, the Fiscal 2008 budget and confirming a new FAA administrator. Stevens says he hopes that can be avoided but "as a practical matter, there's some serious problems there...I'm not sure that we won't end up with just what we did before, which is a two-year extension until we worked it out," he tells an FAA budget hearing.
Northwest's creditors overwhelmingly approved the reorganization plan through which the carrier intends to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June. Reporting an unofficial tally of voting, which ended May 7, Northwest said 96.9% of the creditors who voted, representing 98.4% of the dollar value of claims being voted, approved the plan. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the plan Wednesday.
The U.S. Transportation Dept.'s Inspector General yesterday detailed timetable and cost concerns with FAA's crucial airport surface surveillance program. IG Calvin Scovel's statement to Senate appropriators revealed that his office is preparing a report on the airport surface detection equipment -- Model X (ASDE-X) program, and this report will be delivered later this year. In general, this program "is at risk of not meeting its current cost and schedule plans to deliver all 35 ASDE-X systems by 2011," Scovel said.
The foreign air carrier permit tentatively awarded to Ethiopian Airlines in March (DAILY, March 9) was finalized this week by the U.S. Transportation Dept. The carrier waited nine years to win the authority, and instead used its exemptions to hold out service to the U.S. [OST-1998-3727]. -ARS
Worldspan has signed two of Brazil's leading air travel consolidators -- Sua Viagem and Confianca -- to five-year agreements, making all of their airline products and services available to Worldspan travel agents. Sua Viagem, formerly known as Selltour, has 40 airlines in its inventory. Confianca founded West Central Tour Operator in 1992 to manage the consolidator business of American Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas. -JLM
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has sued the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) over the agency's loss of a hard drive that contained personal data on more than 100,000 employees.
EasyJet managed to cut its loss for the first half of its 2007 financial year. The airline recorded a pre-tax loss of GBP17 million (US$33.9 million) for the six-month period ended March 31, down from GBP40 million a year earlier. The airline's shares, nevertheless, took a further dive yesterday, dropping more than 5% after falling 8% last year. In an interview with The DAILY, CEO Andrew Harrison attributed the drop to profit taking and concerns about weaker yields in the third quarter.
Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co. (BAAC) officials expect to achieve FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency certification of the BA609 civil tiltrotor in 2010, followed by first customer deliveries in 2011. BAAC reports signing purchase agreements for 70 of the combination helicopter/airplane aircraft from 40 customers. If the program remains on track, Michael Cuppernull, managing director of BAAC, expects FAA and EASA pilots would begin flying the BA609 in 2010.
Airports look at registered traveler programs as a way to offer an extra benefit to customers and as a new revenue opportunity, said officials this week at the American Association of Airport Executives' RT conference.
