The French BEA last week confirmed the earlier findings of prosecutors that the incorrect cleaning of critical angle of attack sensors and pilot error were to blame for the loss of an A320 operated by XL Airways on a return-from-lease acceptance flight off the coast of France in November 2008 (ATW Daily News July 1, 2010).
Airline and government officials speaking at the ATAG Aviation & Environment Forum in Geneva enthusiastically welcomed Thursday's statement by UNFCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres endorsing ICAO as the proper venue for an international framework agreement on addressing aviation's role in climate change.
ICAO's 37th General Assembly, which meets Sept. 28-Oct. 8 in Montreal, will attempt to achieve a unified position on aviation and emissions ahead of the upcoming UNFCCC COP16 meeting in Cancun in late November. But the organization will be challenged, given the differing negotiating positions held by key stakeholders as outlined by Air Transport Action Group Executive Director Paul Steele Thursday at the Air Transport Action Group 5th Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva.
Airlines will need 466,650 pilots and 596,500 maintenance personnel over the next 20 years to accommodate demand for new and replacement aircraft, according to a Boeing crew assessment forecast. The crew assessment forecast, based on Boeing’s Current Market Outlook, states that airlines will require an average of 23,300 new pilots and 30,000 new maintenance personnel per year from 2010 to 2029.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Thursday reiterated the Obama administration's commitment to implementing a satellite-based ATC system, saying that the "best way forward for NextGen…is [legislatively enacting] a 6-yr. plan" to fund and deploy the system.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, on Thursday delivered a strong endorsement of the ICAO process for helping international aviation meet its obligations to address climate change.
Boeing pushed back hard against claims by French officials and others that the World Trade Organization's interim ruling on alleged subsidies received by Boeing, released confidentially to US and EU officials Wednesday, is comparable to an earlier WTO finding that A380 launch aid provided to Airbus constituted "prohibited export subsidies."
With many of the carriers in the MENA region flying multi-daily services into Europe, news from Geneva today on the latest progress of flying environmental approaches to European airports could lead to fuel savings for operators as well as reducing noise pollution too/
French officials claimed Wednesday the World Trade Organization has ruled that "massive subsidies" provided to Boeing "violate WTO rules," but US officials said that characterization of a report that remains confidential is inaccurate.
Vueling Airlines flew 1.21 billion RPKs in August, an 8.6% increase year-over-year. Capacity jumped 12.1% to 1.47 billion ASKs and load factor fell 2.6 points to 82.1%. WestJet operated 1.44 billion RPMs in August, up 8.2% on the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 11.3% to 1.75 billion ASMs and load factor fell 2.3 points to 82.2%.
Two retired Japan Airlines’ ground staff are suing the airline, seeking immediate and full payment of their retirement benefits, according to Nikkei Business Daily. The newpaper reported that the two ground staff, who retired in February, received just one-third of their benefits in March.
Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, announced it is considering changes to several routes as a result of the country’s new “ecological tax” on air travelers, a GWI spokesman told ATW (ATW Daily News, Sept. 2).
IATA reported that international premium air traffic growth remained strong in July, rising 13.8% year-over year for the month “despite rising uncertainties about some economies.” Premium traffic's growth rate continues to outpace that of economy traffic, which IATA said was 8.8% higher year-over year in July.
SITA has announced that Emirates has successfully migrated to the new SITA Airfare Insight platform in a strong endorsement of the industry's leading market-based pricing software tool.
AJW Aviation announced a 3-yr. pool access contract with DHL Aviation Americas to service its 757 fleet. TIMCO Aviation Services will expand its Macon, Ga. airframe facility to include 767 widebody aircraft. It has serviced narrowbody aircraft including 737s, 757s and A320s at the site since 1998.
News from Travel Technology Update: Open AXIS, the new organization that is seeking to establish technical standards for the sale of airline ancillary services, signed a memorandum of understanding to work with the OpenTravel Alliance.
ARINC Incorporated today announced it has developed and tested a software solution to allow live credit card authorization for passenger transactions on airline flights.
Royal Air Maroc has signed a five-year contract for the flight planning solution Lido/Flight from Lufthansa Systems and has opted for an additional core component of the Integrated Operations Control Center (IOCC) Platform.
US airlines reported only three flights in July with tarmac delays of more than 3 hr., compared to 161 flights in the year-ago period, the US Dept. of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Monday.
[UPDATED] A Conviasa Airlines ATR 42 en route from Porlamar o Puerto Ordaz near Ciudad Guayana in eastern Venezuela was destroyed Monday when it crashed in an industrial area about 8-10 km. from the PZO runway to which it was headed.
Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson hinted on Australian radio Sunday that Virgin Blue might terminate all flights to New Zealand following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s draft ruling rejecting the planned Virgin Blue-Air New Zealand alliance.
Continental Airlines announced it reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with IBT, which represents 3,700 aircraft maintenance technicians and related employees. In a statement Friday, CO said the agreement will be voted on for ratification in the coming weeks. "This is a good agreement that recognizes the hard work of our technicians," said Senior VP-Human Resources and Labor Relations Mike Bonds.
Cyprus Minister of Finance Charilaos Stavrakis confirmed Thursday the government will conduct a feasibility study to merge Cyprus Airways, which is 69% owned by the state, with charter subsidiary Eurocypria Airlines. The study follows CY reporting a half-year loss of €25.5 million ($32.4 million).
