American Airlines and JetBlue launched a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement under which American Airlines AAdvantage and JetBlue's TrueBlue customer loyalty program members can earn points on either program, in select markets. Airbaltic has opened an office in Tbilisi, to which it operates flights up to seven times a week.
Austrian Airlines completed its first cabin retrofit on an Airbus A319, the first of its short- and medium-haul A319/320/321 and Boeing 737-600/700/800 fleetto be reconfigured by installing new seats ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 5). By September 2011, all 32 narrowbody aircraft will offer the new cabin features.
Brazil's TAM Airlines conducted a 45 min. A320 test flight using fuel partially derived from locally sourced jatropha, the airline and Airbus said Tuesday.
The European Commission on Tuesday updated its list of airlines banned from EU airspace for safety reasons, and as expected all air carriers certified in Afghanistan are now barred owing to "safety deficiencies identified in [the country's] system to oversee civil aviation," the EC said.
News from Travel Technology Update: A US Airways executive said the carrier is planning to connect directly with travel agencies to distribute its ancillary products. John Gustafson, director of distribution strategy for US Airways, told attendees at the PhoCusWright conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., that he feels "pretty confident that some time in 2011 we will have distribution with agencies and TMCS on a direct basis." But Gustafson described the plan as part of the carrier's strategy, not necessarily the only strategy.
ICAO announced it has re-elected Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez as council president for a second three-year term. Gonzalez said the priority for the coming triennium is the “implementation of the comprehensive and groundbreaking initiatives” adopted recently by the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly, all “designed to further improve the safety, the security and the environmental sustainability of international civil aviation.”
Delta Air Lines said it was notified Monday by the National Mediation Board that its TechOps Stores employees rejected representation by the International Assn. of Machinists, making it the eighth workgroup at the carrier to reject unionization ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 22). Of 607 votes cast, 439 were against unionization and 166 were in favor with two write-ins, DL said.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau by Wednesday is expected to wind up its examination of the Qantas A380 Rolls-Royce Trent 972 engine that suffered the uncontained failure after take-off from Singapore Nov. 4.
European Commission last week authorized the Dutch government to grant a repayable advance of €19.7 million ($14.5 million) to NG Aircraft, the former Rekkof Aircraft, for the development of the Fokker Next Generation, an updated version of the F-100 narrowbody. It reasoned that the aid is compatible with the EU Framework for state aid for research, development and innovation, and that the “positive effects of the aid outweigh any potential distortion of competition.”
US FAA on Friday proposed a $530,250 civil penalty against Everett, Wash.-based repair station Aviation Technical Services for allegedly “failing to follow approved procedures while maintaining 14 Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s.” FAA alleged that ATS failed to follow Southwest’s Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program in performing five ADs to detect fuselage skin cracks. The reported violations are said to have occurred between January 2007 and March 2008.
European Commission VP-Transport Siim Kallas issued a tough critique of Russian commercial aviation last week, charging that the nation has paid “too little attention to the huge potential it has in world aviation.”
Delta Air Lines said it was notified by the National Mediation Board that its below-wing Airport Customer Service and Cargo warehouse employees rejected representation by the International Association of Machinists, which had sought to organize the workers (ATW Daily News, Oct. 11).
The Air Line Pilots Assn. welcomed the TSA’s announcement Friday of expedited screening for airline pilots as an “important action to move the nation toward a threat-based strategy” and focus security resources where the risk is “highest” and away from a “one-size-fits-all approach,” it said in a statement.
IATA reported that, after a dip in August, international premium traffic increased in September by 12.1% compared to September 2009, providing grounds for a "reasonable expectation that the recovery in premium traffic will continue into the final quarter of the year," according to the organization's September Premium Traffic Monitor. On the strength of the performance, IATA also said that "it would appear that earlier concerns over a stalling of recovery of premium traffic might have been misplaced.
US FAA announced Thursday it is proposing that all pilot certificates include photos of the certificate holder, following a requirement that all pilot certificates be “made of plastic and contain security features, such as a hologram and an ultraviolet-sensitive layer, to prevent tampering, altering and counterfeiting.” Under the new FAA proposal, the new certificates would have a proposed expiration date of eight years.
ICAO announced Wednesday it adopted more stringent air cargo security standards in the wake of the threat recently exposed when explosives disguised as printer cartridges were found in air cargo shipments originating in Yemen (ATW Daily News, Nov. 9).
Nearly 500 airline industry leaders and executives of Latin America and the Caribbean, including representatives from 40 airlines, are meeting this week at the 30th ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Panama to discuss the transformation and challenges of the region.
GE Aviation and China's HNA Group, parent of Hainan Airlines, signed an MOU at the Zhuhai Air Show to form an MRO joint venture for GE's CF34-10A and CF-34-10E engines for the ARJ-21 and Embraer E-190/195 regional jets, respectively. The facility will be located in Tianjin province and operated by HNA Group "with technical support and materials from GE," the company said.
