To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] JULY 24-30 -- Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh 2006, Oshkosh, Wis., (920) 426-4800 JULY 26-27 -- Air Line Pilots Association, International, 2006 Air Safety Forum, Capital Hilton, Washington D.C., 703-481-4445 or register online at www.alpa.org under "Events."
The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority has delayed releasing its proposed price control reports for Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports, originally due in September, after BAA plc failed to meet a June 30 deadline for submitting its business forecast.
Air Turquoise, weeks after moving from Reims Airport to Vatry, canceled flights, telling passengers it failed to reach a deal with an unnamed investment fund and its share- holders. The French regional airline was founded by former Air Lib employees and made its debut in June 2005. It offered flights using ATR 42-500s to Bordeaux, London Luton, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse.
Comair still prefers to reach concessionary agreements through negotiations with its flight attendants, even though the carrier won the nod from the bankruptcy judge to void their contract.
A new public charter operator based in Cleveland is betting that a fleet of Brasilias and flights into downtown airports will give business travelers and vacationers an alternative to scheduled service out of major airports. Destination One plans to offer point-to-point air shuttle service with initial flights serving Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport, Detroit City Airport and Cincinnati's Lunken Airport, plus Hilton Head Island and Charleston/Executive Kiawah Island airports.
Republican and Democrat leaders of the House Transportation Committee are calling for a review of FAA's efforts to improve airspace capacity in the next five years. Much attention is focused on 20-year plans, they note, but short-term improvements are also crucial. The lawmakers want the DOT Inspector General to examine progress in airspace redesign and satellite navigation.
New Varig (DAILY, July 21) will suspend all of its flights, except the Rio-Sao Paulo shuttle, until July 28 to give the airline time to bring its aircraft and operations back on line for regular service.
American had the highest unit revenue on the Raleigh-JFK route in the first quarter with 20.08 cents, using a mix of 37-seat and 44-seat planes on daily flights. Yields were 28.85 cents. In the same market, Delta logged unit revenues of 16.93 cents and yields of 27.48 cents with a mix of 70-seat and 90-seat planes. JetBlue serves the route with four daily nonstop flights, using 100-seat Embraer 190s.
Less traffic, easier access and a good selection of flights are what Richmond International Airport is touting under a campaign to lure passengers living between the city and the rapidly growing southern part of the Northern Virginia metro area. The Capital Region Airport Commission says that Richmond is a more convenient alternative for travelers in the Fredericksburg, Va., area than Washington Dulles or National, it has begun outreach efforts. Fredericksburg is 52 miles away from Richmond, 49 miles from Dulles and 45 miles from National.
A proposed amendment in the House version of the Dept. of Homeland Security Authorization Act crafted by Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.) that could have augmented costs for aviation maintenance businesses and created obstacles for U.S. carriers using foreign repair stations has been cut from the rulemaking offered for markup.
GE's second GEnx-1B powerplant for the Boeing 787 now has more than 100 hours of testing at GE Aviation's Peebles, Ohio, facility. Seven engines or their components will be in the test program by yearend, says GEnx manager Allen Paxon at the Farnborough Air Show. Design for the GEnx-2B for the 747-8 has been frozen, and the first engine will start testing next summer, reports DAILY affiliate Show News.
You can now register online for Aviation Week events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or contact Lydia Janow, 212-904-3225 or 800-240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada only) SEPT. 19-21 -- MRO Asia, Xiamen, China OCT. 24-26 -- MRO Europe, Amsterdam NOV. 13-15 -- Aerospace & Defense Programs, Phoenix
Minneapolis investor Tom Petters on Friday finalized a deal to acquire Sun Country Airlines through his company, Petters Group Worldwide, giving the airline new financing that could lead to an expansion in the future. Privately held Sun Country has had a rocky history since Sept. 11, 2001, and was on the brink of liquidation in spring 2002 (DAILY, Feb. 15, 2002). However, the carrier emerged from Chapter 11 protection in spring 2002 under the ownership of MN Airlines.
US Airways plans to launch flights from Las Vegas to Nashville Oct. 5, offering three weekly flights with 124-seat Airbus A319s. The carrier plans to operate connecting service to 21 other destinations. Southwest also serves the route, offering four daily flights, using 137-seat Boeing 737-700s.
United CEO Glenn Tilton admits he's been making the same comments for three years about the burden of government regulation and restrictions on U.S. airlines, and "the lack of progress is disappointing." He tells the Chicagoland Aviation Summit that airlines "should be allowed to function in the same way as other global businesses, driven by the dictates of a free market, not government edict."
