Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
US FAA on Friday made more air traffic control management changes as part of its ongoing review of the country's ATC system in the aftermath of several embarrassing incidents in which controllers were found to be sleeping on the job.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Cathy Buyck
The European Commission on Friday issued an eleventh-hour statement advising EU member states "to defer for a limited period" the relaxation of restrictions on the carriage of liquids in hand-luggage.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Cathy Buyck
The EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme comes closer to reality each day, assuming it can withstand legal and political challenges.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Geoffrey Thomas
Airlines remain committed to Japan despite significant near-term uncertainty.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Henry Canaday
DOT’s tarmac delay rule has all but eliminated lengthy ground holds for US domestic passengers, but critics contend the price is too high.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Singaporean Ground-handler SATS has - via wholly owned subsidiary SATS Investments - has bought a 40% stake in Saudi Arabia's Adel Abuljadayel Flight Catering Company (AAFC) for US$18.5 million.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Dubai headquartered Dnata - the global air services provider which offers ground handling, cargo, travel, IT solutions and flight catering services, has rebranded and yesterday unveiled a new company philosophy and fresh visual look after having undergone a global brand realignment following a period of unprecedented growth worldwide.
Maintenance & Training

Perry Flint
The European Commission provided misleading information to passengers regarding airline liability with regard to delayed baggage during the volcanic ash crisis, European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandourous determined, in response to a complaint by the Europe Regions Airline Assn.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Linda Blachly
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
US airlines complained this week that the federal government overtaxes it while at the same time neglecting necessary aviation infrastructure improvements. US Air Transport Assn. President and CEO Nick Calio told the US Chamber of Commerce's Aviation Summit on Wednesday that airlines lobbying the federal government need to develop "a realistic flight plan, if you will, that holds us to a measurable timeline of accomplishments on taxes, regulation and better labor-management relations, among other things."
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Cathy Buyck
The EU on Friday is easing restrictions on liquids in hand-luggage, allowing passengers connecting through EU airports from a third country to carry liquids, aerosols and gels purchased either at an airport duty-free shop or aboard a non-EU airline.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Travelport said that Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings implemented the Travelport ETDBase e-ticketing hosting service to store and manage electronic ticket data for online and interline e-ticketing. This "for the first time," gives Germanwings that ability to accept e-tickets plated by LH and accredited travel agencies for Germanwings flights.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Christine Boynton
SITA told media Tuesday that the first of six regional cloud data centers running its new ATI Cloud computing infrastructure will be operational in Singapore beginning in May. Atlanta and Paris will "shortly follow," said SITA, which noted it will also open centers at Johannesburg, Hong Kong and Sydney.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Linda Blachly
Two former Air France-KLM cargo executives were indicted by a federal grand jury in Chicago Tuesday on charges of conspiring to fix rates and surcharges to and from the US on airfreight shipments, the US Dept. of Justice said.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Cathy Buyck
French Air Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA) on Wednesday confirmed that investigators searching for wreckage of the Air France A330-200 that crashed in the South Atlantic June 1, 2009 located the aircraft’s flight data recorder. However, BEA subsequently told Bloomberg that the FDR is missing "the memory module that stores its crucial information,” the news agency reported.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Linda Blachly
International Lease Finance Corp. said it finalized a previously announced MOU for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt cautioned that he is "concerned" the level of agency funding called for in the reauthorization bill recently passed by the House of Representatives would be too low and, if enacted, could "degrade" safety and efficiency.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Perry Flint
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney on Wednesday all but eliminated any possibility that Boeing will make an announcement at the upcoming Paris Air Show (June 20-26) regarding a successor plan for the 737NG.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Perry Flint
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney on Wednesday all but eliminated any possibility that Boeing will make an announcement at June's Paris Air Show regarding a successor plan for the 737NG.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Linda Blachly
International Lease Finance Corp. said it finalized a previously announced order for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Christine Boynton
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 (N799SW) slid off runway 13C while landing at Chicago Midway Airport on Tuesday, marking the second time a SWA 737 has had a runway excursion at the airport. Flight 1919 was en route from Denver. There were no injuries among the 134 passengers, five lap children and five crew members on board, the airline said, noting that the passenger count was still preliminary. Passengers were deplaned using air stairs.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
Arab Air Carriers Organization Secretary General Abdul Wahab Teffaha on Tuesday directly challenged Assn. of European Airlines Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus's assertion made earlier this year that Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways represent a new kind of competitive threat that is incompatible with the existing world aviation order.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
US National Transportation Safety Board said its investigation of the April 1 midair fuselage skin rupture on a Southwest Airlines 737-300 has found alignment issues with rivets and rivet holes in the area of the fracture, raising the prospect that manufacturing problems could have played a role in the incident in addition to, or instead of, aircraft fatigue.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
US Dept. of Justice said Tuesday it has approved Southwest Airlines' acquisition of AirTran Airways, clearing the way for the transaction to close on May 2.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

EgyptAir said it has deployed one of its six new Boeing 777-300ERs on its daily Cairo-Bangkok service. The MS 777-300ERs are configured in two classes, with 49 fully flat seats in business and 279 seats in economy. The airline took delivery of the last of six GECAS-leased 777-300ERs it was scheduled to receive earlier this month ( ATW Daily News, April 18).
Safety, Ops & Regulation