Air Canada has pulled its lowest "Tango" fare from traditional third-party global distribution systems, as their "technology does not support the new features of Air Canada's simplified fare products," the airline says. The fare will be available only through aircanada.com.
Three-quarters of Southwest's fleet is flying with the new Canyon Blue livery introduced in 2001. However, the carrier plans to keep three Boeing 737-700s in the original livery: N714CB in honor of President Colleen Barrett, N711HK in honor of founder Herb Kelleher and N792SW, the last aircraft delivered in the old livery. The airline says it will likely have more special liveries, in honor of U.S. states.
Qantas last week welcomed the Australian government's move to introduce new regulations covering random testing for alcohol and drug use in the aviation industry. The carrier said the government's new requirements will complement its existing drug and alcohol policy, which was introduced in 2003 after employee consultation.
Nigerian carrier Arik Air firmed up options for two Bombardier CRJ-900s for domestic flights starting in July. Arik plans to configure its planes for 10 business-class seats and 65 in economy. Arik also plans to use two Boeing 737s and three previously owned 50-seat CRJ 200s. No Nigerian carrier has introduced a new plane into its fleet since 1982.
At the same time that Boeing is perfecting radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to use on 787 components, engineers are developing a much more advanced RFID system for future Boeing programs.
Alitalia won a court appeal against Ente nazionale per l'aviazione civile (Enac), the Italian civil aviation regulator, which had barred the carrier from operating routes between the mainland and Sardinia.
SkyWest is moving quickly to shift short-term debt related to planes it acquired from its purchase of Atlantic Southeast Airlines to longer-term commitments. The carrier is refinancing about 14 CRJ-700s that it obtained through the ASA acquisition. During the first quarter, SkyWest refinanced four of those planes into "permanent long-term facilities," carrier CFO Brad Rich said earlier this week.
TSA must let travelers know exactly what benefits they will receive when enrolling in the Registered Traveler program, according to speakers at a Chamber of Commerce forum on RT. But if the program is run by a dysfunctional agency without clear standards and regulations, "it won't fulfill its promise," warns Leo Schefer, president of the Washington Airports Task Force.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. is prohibiting Italian carrier Eurofly from operating services from Milan Linate Airport to the U.S. that were destined to launch today, citing flight restrictions that are preventing U.S. carriers from operating at the airport [OST-2005-20571].
Acting NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker is "very disappointed" in the limited progress made since the TWA 800 accident in finding ways to inert wing center fuel tanks to prevent catastrophic explosions. While acknowledging that FAA is moving toward requiring use of inert gas in critical fuel tanks, Rosenker says, "I think we could do more."
Republican lawmakers including Transportation Committee Chair Don Young (R-Alaska) last week urged House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to schedule a vote on a bill that would force FAA to return to the bargaining table with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Continental on Friday took another shot at Virgin America, urging the U.S. Transportation Dept. to demand additional information from the startup airline, alleging that its recent submission of information falls short and more detail is required.
Tapped Evelyn Sahr, Thomas Whalen and John Delaney to head up their new Aviation and Aerospace Law Practice. Philip Livingston and Meaghan Molinini will also join the group as associates.
Rivals United and Frontier sank to the bottom of the U.S. Transportation Dept.'s on-time arrival rankings as they both battled rough weather at Denver Airport.
Former Virgin Blue executive and founding officer David Huttner is joining the board of Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling alongside current board member and JetBlue President Dave Barger.
Nav Canada last week unveiled a proposal that would essentially make permanent a temporary 2% rate increase it imposed in 2003. The company is beginning consultation on its plan, which would eliminate the temporary rate hike but replace it with a base rate increase of the same size. Nav Canada stressed there would be no overall changes to the current rate levels that have been in place since September 2004. The Nav Canada board will make a final decision in 60 days.
More than 80% of the MD-11 fleet will have been converted to freighters by the end of 2008, Boeing predicts. Currently, freighter conversions account for about 60% of this fleet. As the MD-11 passenger fleet continues to shrink, Boeing executives say they will soon have to decide how much longer the MD-11 conversion line will be kept open.
Re-elected Noemy Almeida Oliveira Amaro and Maria Claudia Oliveira Amaro co-chairs of the board of directors. Mauricio Rolim Amaro, Luiz Antonio Correa Nunes Viana Oliveira, Henri Philippe Reichstul, Waldemar Verdi Junior, Roger Ian Wright and Adalberto de Moraes Schettert were also re-elected to the board. TAM also named Antonio Fernando Siqueira Rodrigues, Edvaldo Massao Murakami, Nilton Maia Sampaio, Luiz Alberto de Castro Falleiros and Livia Xavier de Mello to its newly created Fiscal Council.
