The Air Transport Association is calling for the U.S. Transportation Dept. to "promptly convene" a meeting of airline, airport and FAA representatives to discuss better responses to weather emergencies. ATA also urges FAA to work with airlines to allow delayed flights to return to the terminal to offload passengers who want to disembark, without that aircraft losing its departure slot.
More than $1 billion of outstanding Port of Seattle revenue bonds have received raised ratings from by Standard and Poor's. The ratings upgrade applies to the port's intermediate lien and subordinate lien revenue bonds, which were upgraded to "A+" and "A," respectively, up from S&P's former ratings of "A" and "A-." Two other rating agencies, Moody's and Fitch, held the port's bond ratings steady.
The European Commission pledged to offer "a legislative proposal" next year "to limit nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from aviation" in its policy strategy for 2008, which it circulated earlier this week. "Affordable and environmentally sustainable transport services are a prerequisite for making full use of the EU's internal market," the EC said. ICAO in 2005 adopted a new set of NOx standards that are 12% more stringent than the previous levels agreed in 1999.
Comair yesterday took another step in its legal action against FAA for the August 2006 of CRJ on takeoff from the Lexington, Ky., airport. The airline filed a claim in October outlining its argument. As is done regularly, the claim was denied, paving the way for the carrier to start its lawsuit. A carrier spokeswoman noted that Comair wanted to make sure the FAA bears its fair share of the financial responsibility. -LR
SkyWest Airlines named Russell Childs its new president, replacing Ron Reber. The airline said Reber will remain on staff "in a new capacity and work on special projects for the airline." Childs joined SkyWest in 2001 and rose to VP and controller later that year.
JAL Group ordered 10 Embraer 170s for its subsidiary J-Air to operate on domestic routes, starting in 2008. JAL said the planes would add benefits in 2009 once slots at Tokyo Haneda Airport increase after the facility's expansion. JAL also took options for five additional aircraft. Recently, JAL said shifting to smaller planes would cut its costs, (DAILY, Feb. 7), and the ratio of large aircraft in its fleet should drop from 29% in the current fiscal year to 21% in fiscal 2010. -LR
Thales has won a contract to supply an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system at Lyon Airport to track ground vehicles. The contract was awarded by French ATC organization DSNA, which will allow it to extend the current ground surveillance capability at Lyon by providing automatic localization and identification of vehicles. A similar system was trialed at Toulouse airport in a project co-funded by the European Community.
The Canadian government needs to fulfill the commitment made under the country's Blue Sky international air policy to pursue more open-skies agreements, said the Canadian Airports Council (CAC).
Northwest, responding to Frontier and AirTran's inroads into Memphis, strengthened its own service from the airport with the addition of one nonstop flight to Las Vegas for a total of two.
Air France will begin a daily flight to Seattle-Tacoma Airport from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, starting June 11 after 10 years of effort. SeaTac parent Port of Seattle's research found that more than 50,000 people per year travel between Seattle and Paris, said spokesman Bob Parker. "They currently have to connect through some other city. But nonstop service is also expected to bring new travelers into the market, in both directions," he said.
Air France decided to halt its code-sharing operations with Portuguese private air carrier PGA-Portugalia Airlines on the Paris-Porto and Lyon-Lisbon routes because of PGA's merger with state-owned flag carrier TAP Portugal. TAP acquired PGA for EUR140 million last November and is now awaiting the green light from Autoridade da Concorrencia, the Portuguese competition authority. In Spain, the deal was nodded through by competition watchdog Servicio de Defensa de la Compe- tencia in January. -MT
Skyservice won designation from Canadian authorities to launch scheduled flights to Croatia, Serbia, Belgium and France. The carrier currently offers charter services to Europe, including Zagreb, Belgrade, Serbia. Skyservice also plans to launch scheduled service to Portugal and Italy this summer.
Virgin America signed a deal with GE for the OEM's OnPointSM Solutions package covering the CFM International CFM56-5B engines powering the carrier's Airbus A319s and A320s. OnPoint includes overhaul, on-wing support, new and used parts, component repair, technology upgrades, leasing and diagnostics.
Hawaiian managed to narrow its fourth-quarter net loss by about $10 million, compared with the previous year, but this did not prevent its full-year net loss from growing to $40.5 million. The fourth-quarter results were hurt by the late delivery of the first of four Boeing 767-300s Hawaiian is having modified, said CEO Mark Dunkerley. This aircraft has now joined the fleet, and the remainder of these new additions are being modified for entry into service between March and May.
Travelers who think they've been mistakenly placed on Dept. of Homeland Security watch lists now can seek redress at an easy-to-use on-line location, the department announced Wednesday. With the launch of the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP), accessible at www.dhs.gov/trip, the government is "making travel more efficient and secure," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement.
The Indonesian government has firmed up plans to sell its 49% stake in Garuda and 40% stake in Merpati Nusantara Airlines as part of an effort to improve the airlines' performances and develop management at the carriers. Indonesia's Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sugiharto said the stakes will be offered to the highest bidders later this year. "The government does not have any more money to bail out the airlines. Despite warnings to the carriers to improve their performances, both continue to be in the red," Sugiharto pointed out.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has a blunt message for the many critics of the agency's proposed funding overall -- it has to happen, and it has to happen now. There is no other alternative to making dramatic changes to the FAA funding system, Blakey said at a Royal Aeronautical Society event Feb. 20 in Washington. She took issue with aviation groups on both sides of the contentious debate -- those who say the funding proposal goes too far and those arguing it doesn't go far enough.
Changi Airports International and Tata Group of India have created a joint venture to go after airport projects in the Indian sub-continent. Under the memorandum of understanding signed by both sides, the venture will invest in, develop and manage airports in India. Tata will hold a 51% stake in the venture and Changi 49%.
