An advisory panel suggests that FAA revise the FARs to require light-up cabin signs, operated by the flight crew, that say when airlines don't want passengers using cell phones and other Portable Electronic Devices. RTCA, which is still working in the second phase of a study of PED safety and technical standards for future use, also says there should be a No PED Usage placard visible to each seated passenger, and similar signs for the lavatories. The second phase report is due in December.
German charter carrier ACM Air Charter, expecting its clients will want to travel to the U.S., sent the U.S. Transportation Dept. applications for a foreign carrier permit and exemptions to serve the U.S. ACM wants the exemption to cover flights between points in Germany, U.S. points and beyond, as well as other charters between the U.S. and third countries. The carrier is based at Baden Airport, and its fleet includes a Cessna Citation 650, two Cessna Citation 750s and a Challenger 604 aircraft [OST-2006-24190]. -ARS
Hawaiian Airlines parent Hawaiian Holdings yesterday reported that several of its lenders agreed to amend its credit facility and boost the amount by $91 million, which will allow the carrier to refinance its capital structure.
Oneworld partners American and LAN Airlines will expand their code share to the Argentine cities of Cordoba, Bariloche, Mendoza and Rosario next month. LAN would put American's code on flights from the four cities to Santiago, Chile, connecting with American's flights from Santiago to the U.S.
AirTran CEO Joe Leonard will receive the 2006 Tony Jannus Award to recognize his career at AirTran. The announcement was made yesterday at Tampa Airport, and Leonard will receive the award in October. The Tony Jannus Award is named for the pilot recognized by the Smithsonian as the founder of the world's first scheduled airline, which started flights in 1914 between Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla.
United's top business development executive Rick Poulton, who was overseeing the information technology division, this week suddenly left the company, and the carrier gave additional duties to one of his reports.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. is taking proposals from carriers interested in Essential Air Service flying, with or without subsidy, to Grand Island, Kearney, McCook, North Platte and Scottsbluff in Nebraska.
In the absence of a final rule limiting scheduled operations at Chicago O'Hare Airport (DAILY, March 23, 2005), FAA is proposing to extend the voluntary flight caps at the airport from April 1 until Oct. 28.
Airports Council International recently reported a 6% increase in worldwide passenger traffic in 2005, and cargo was up 3%, with the highest growth in Latin America and the Middle East. In all, 4 billion passengers and 78.7 million metric tons of freight were carried, including 42.7 million tons on international flights. Passenger growth was highest in the emerging Latin America/Caribbean and Middle East markets, where it reached 10% each, and was lowest in the world's biggest market, North America, which hit 4%.
SkyWest Airlines will code share with Bmi on flights it operates under the United Express banner. The U.S. Transportation Dept. approved the SkyWest for a statement of authorization that will remain effective until agreement providing for the code share remains in effect [OST-2006-23627].
Northwest agreed to extend until April 15 a deadline by which partner Pinnacle Airlines had to pay about $21 million in additional aircraft security deposits; the deadline was yesterday. The additional money Northwest requested stems from terms included in Pinnacle's aircraft sublease deal that dictate the regional airline must pay the extra security deposits once its promissory note to Northwest was paid off. Pinnacle bought the note last year, saying the restructuring of the note was done mainly for Northwest's benefit.
FAA yesterday won approval from the federal mediation service to extend the contract talks with the air traffic controllers' union for another week to 10 days.
Thai telecommunications giant Shin Corp. Plc (SCP) transferred its 50% stake in low-fare airline Thai Air Asia to a newly set-up local company, Asia Aviation Co Ltd., to avoid losing its share in the airline after SCP was sold to Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government's investment arm.
Alaska Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants yesterday reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract for the airline's 2,480 cabin crew. Terms of the agreement are being withheld pending a ratification vote by union members. Ratification is expected to be finished by late April, the parties said.
Lufthansa in May plans to restart weekly service to Bahrain with Airbus A330s. The service to the capital city of Manama will start May 2 and operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Lufthansa served the city during the 1990s but stopped the flights for several years. The restart is part of the airline's strategy of "providing links to the world's oil destinations." Except for Syria and Iraq, the company now offers flights to every country in the region. The A330 will be configured for three classes. -SL
The House Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity today will finish the markup of H.R. 4439, the "TSA Reorganization Act," introduced in December. Chairman Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) worried industry groups late last week when he introduced and the subcommittee passed an amendment to raise the 9/11 security fee to $4 and introduce an airport security charge of up to $1. It's not clear, however, if and when the full Homeland Security committee will take up the bill; there is no Senate companion bill.
