Star Alliance launched a fifth anniversary promotion that will award 55,555 frequent flyer bonus miles for flying five different Star carriers over a period of 55 days. The promotion may vary by airline, but United and most of the other Star Alliance carriers plan to run it for 55 days from May 14 until July 7. May 14 is the day the Star Alliance was founded in 1997.
New York jet fuel spot prices ended last week at $0.68 per gallon, up 4.5% from the beginning of the week and down 17.3% from a year ago, according to Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown.
Lockheed Martin (LM) recently completed a key upgrade at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), taking a key step in FAA's Host and Oceanic Computer System Replacement (HOCSR) program and the larger National Airspace System (NAS) modernization effort. LM replaced 14-year-old storage devices, which are part of the Host computer system that performs critical radar and flight management functions and store data used to recreate and analyze unusual air traffic control events.
The Malaysian government's 30% stake in Malaysia Airports Berhad will be sold to the highest foreign bidder following Schiphol International BV of Amsterdam's decision not to acquire it, according to MAH Chairman Basir Ismail. He said the government would resort to a book building exercise, which involves the compilation of a list of interested parties. Basir said the highest bidder would acquire the stake. His statement contradicted the government's on April 10, which said that the Ministry of Finance would conduct an open tender to find a strategic partner.
Emirates Skycargo plans to enter the booming China market with the introduction of a weekly service to Shanghai. The airline has set a September launch but has yet to receive the green light from the government. ESC, which currently operates four flights a week to Hong Kong using Boeing 747-200Fs, is looking into the possibility of reducing the service by one flight and shifting it to Shanghai.
American plans to start weekend flights to Grand Cayman from New York Kennedy, effective June 15. The carrier will operate Boeing 757s on the Saturday and Sunday flights.
Pilot hiring is slowly picking up again, but this year's total will be about half of last year's, AIR Inc. President Kit Darby predicts. There were 1,440 new pilot jobs so far this year, with the 2002 total likely to be about 6,000. This compares with more than 12,500 pilots hired in 2001 and a record 19,000 in 2000.
American plans to start weekend flights to Grand Cayman from New York Kennedy, effective June 15. The carrier will operate Boeing 757s on the Saturday and Sunday flights.
Fairchild Dornier's insolvency administrator, Eberhard Braun, plans to split up the company into two separate entities if he cannot find an investor by the end of June. Braun said in interviews that the 728/928 Division could be separated and development on the aircraft frozen. A new company could be set up around the 728 and could try to achieve revenues outside the 728 through contract engineering work. The model would gain time, Braun said, acknowledging severe time pressure. "Fairchild Dornier without a doubt can be turned around," Braun said.
Star Alliance launched a fifth anniversary promotion that will award 55,555 frequent flyer bonus miles for flying five different Star carriers over a period of 55 days. The promotion may vary by airline, but United and most of the other Star Alliance carriers plan to run it for 55 days from May 14 until July 7. May 14 is the day the Star Alliance was founded in 1997.
Fairchild Dornier's insolvency administrator, Eberhard Braun, plans to split up the company into two separate entities if he cannot find an investor by the end of June. Braun said in interviews that the 728/928 Division could be separated and development on the aircraft frozen. A new company could be set up around the 728 and could try to achieve revenues outside the 728 through contract engineering work. The model would gain time, Braun said, acknowledging severe time pressure. "Fairchild Dornier without a doubt can be turned around," Braun said.
Delta pilots likely will drop a grievance related to regional jet operations. Delta's record of three consecutive quarters of losses triggered a contract clause allowing management to negotiate with pilots to adjust the percentage of operations that may be flown by RJs. The current level is 34% of total block hours but is expected to rise.
An American Boeing 757 and Miami center controllers exchanged about 70 messages via data link during a recent flight, marking the first successful test of the controller pilot data link communications system (CPDLC) from an airliner flight deck. "The system performed beautifully," FAA Free Flight Office Director John Thornton told The DAILY. "Everybody was quite pleased with the results of this test."
Mesa lost two bids for Essential Air Service to airlines that require less EAS subsidy. Mesa lost Alamogordo, N.M., to Rio Grande Airways and Show Low, Ariz., to Arizona Airways, which doesn't have an operating certificate. DOT said Alamogordo wanted Rio Grande, and Show Low was "split and did favor Mesa" over Arizona Airways, a charter carrier using nine-seat aircraft and needing a lower subsidy.
The final report by the Taiwan Aviation Safety Council (ASC) on the investigations into the crash of SQ 006 on Oct. 31, 2000, at Taipei Chiang Kai Shek (CKSA) Airport, has drawn negative responses from Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Ministry of Transport (MOT).
Delta pilots likely will drop a grievance related to regional jet operations. Delta's record of three consecutive quarters of losses triggered a contract clause allowing management to negotiate with pilots to adjust the percentage of operations that may be flown by RJs. The current level is 34% of total block hours but is expected to rise.
20 years ago April 27, 1972 -- House Public Works Committee will mark up legislation, passed by the aviation subcommittee, introduced by Chairman Norman Mineta (D-Calif.), to extend by five years FAA's war risk insurance program. 10 years ago April 30, 1992 -- DOT, as part of an effort to negotiate fully liberalized pacts with European nations, seeks comments on its outline of the "basic elements" of an open-skies regime. Five years ago
The Malaysian government's 30% stake in Malaysia Airports Berhad will be sold to the highest foreign bidder following Schiphol International BV of Amsterdam's decision not to acquire it, according to MAH Chairman Basir Ismail. He said the government would resort to a book building exercise, which involves the compilation of a list of interested parties. Basir said the highest bidder would acquire the stake. His statement contradicted the government's on April 10, which said that the Ministry of Finance would conduct an open tender to find a strategic partner.
