Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee said engine failure was not the cause of last week's fatal Aeroflot Nord 737-500 crash in Perm ( ATWOnline, Sept. 16), backing away from comments made shortly after the accident by some government officials that a fire had erupted in one of the engines inflight. "There is no indication of an engine fire or the aircraft breaking up in the air," the committee said in a statement.
World Airways signed a two-year contract with Allied Air to operate one MD-11F on a full-time basis between Belgium and Nigeria. World Airways will begin the Allied service on Oct. 1, flying from Ostend to Lagos and continuing on to Nairobi to uplift perishables. The flights will be operated 3-4 times weekly. Nigeria-based Allied Air operates four 727 freighters, working with its worldwide sales agent ANA Aviation Services to provide scheduled flights and ad hoc charter services.
Alitalia Administrator Augusto Fantozzi made an open plea for an investment plan to rescue the failing airline, calling on "anyone" who could "assure continuity of the air transport service in the medium term" to make a bid on all or part of the carrier by Sept. 30, but Italian regulators warned that AZ could be shut down before then for safety reasons.
Sensis Corp. won a contract from the US Dept. of Transportation to provide its Aerobahn surface operation monitoring technology to FAA at New York JFK. Technology combines flight schedule and operational information with airport ground surveillance data to provide real-time surface views.
Skyservice Airlines, based at Toronto Pearson, launched Skyservice Maintenance initially focusing on "all phase letter checks for the A320 and 757 airframes with developing capabilities on the 737."
US FAA yesterday approved the merger transition plan submitted by Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines that envisions the carriers moving to a single operating certificate within 15-18 months. "The plan outlines the methodology, processes, tools and timing to maintain the safety of the day-to-day operations and to achieve a single operating certificate," the airlines said in a statement. DL Senior VP-Maintenance Operations John Laughter added that FAA's acceptance of the plan is "a significant milestone in our efforts to bring together our two airlines."
Lufthansa Cargo said it allocated seven MD-11 heavy C checks for 2009 after an "intensive tendering procedure. The work will be carried out by EGAT in Taipei and TAECO in Xiamen. LHC valued the contracts at around €6.5 million ($9.4 million).
AviIT said it launched its AviTag module extending its AviCheck handheld wireless check-in system. Technology connects to DCS and secures real-time credit card approval authorization, enabling airlines to collect excess baggage fees before passengers reach check-in counters or baggage drop locations.
Afriqiyah Airways reached a deal with Air France Industries to provide component support for 14 A319s and A320s. Contract includes access to a spare parts pool managed by AFI at Paris de Gaulle.
Embraer named Luiz Carolo Siqueira Aguiar executive VP-finance and CFO and Emilio Kazunoli Matsuo executive VP-strategic planning and technology development.
Frontier Airlines is considering moving some of its maintenance operations outside the US, Denver's Rocky Mountain News reported. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents Frontier maintenance workers, said the bankrupt carrier sees outsourcing as a way to save money but complained that the move could result in the loss of 150 jobs. The Teamsters said Frontier management shared with the union a proposal to outsource heavy maintenance, which includes major repairs and checks.
Amadeus said Air France finalized implementation of its Ticket Changer Shopper solution featuring online rebooking and revalidation capabilities. Since launching the technology across 80 websites in July, the carrier has seen a 35% increase in online rebooking transactions.
Mecmesin said British Airways selected its MultiTest 5-x force system to perform brake unit springs assessments on a variety of aircraft including 737s, 747s, 757s, 777s, A319s, A320s and A321s. System simulates spring performance within load ranges and displays pass/fail messages automatically. Inventory Locator Service said InterSky of Austria selected its ILS Optimizer to streamline repair, inventory and sales operations. Technology will track parts and components through the repair process, synchronize in-stock inventory with website listings and manage sales orders.
Airbus, preparing to deliver to Qantas its first A380 today, yesterday moved to quell speculation in the French media that more production problems may delay future deliveries. According to Agence France Presse, Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders said the manufacturer is still on track to deliver 12 A380s this year, 21 in 2009 and between 30 and 40 in 2010. France's Journal du Dimanche reported Sunday that Emirates would not receive its second A380 until the end of October, effectively a two-month delay.
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft won a three-year deal with Saab Aerotech for warehousing services covering spares for Saab 340 and Saab 2000 regional turboprops. Contract is valued at £1.5 million ($2.7 million).
US Air Transport Assn. praised the US House of Representatives for passing a bill that ATA said "gives the Commodity Futures Trading Commission the authority to impose additional position limits on certain types of energy trades and provide greater transparency" to the energy market. "This will close some of the loopholes that speculators have used to pour billions of dollars into the energy markets and bring more transparency to commodities trading," ATA stated, adding, "We look to the Senate for their support in including strong speculation reform in their energy bill."
Pratt & Whitney Canada said it established a parts distribution center in Sydney to speed delivery times in Australia and New Zealand. Center, which is expected to complement Pratt PDCs in Singapore and Amsterdam, will house various spares including new parts, exchange accessories and LRUs for PWC engines.
Air Canada yesterday eliminated a C$25 ($23) fee for checking a second bag, saying that the "recent retreat in oil prices is enabling us to reinstate our previous baggage policy." It added that it also will drop "add-on" fuel surcharges for North American flights, "instead adjusting. . .base fares to cover the total cost of fuel," Executive VP and CCO Ben Smith said.
China's AVIC I yesterday said that the merged company it is forming with AVIC II will be called "China Aviation Industry Corp. Group" and revealed details of the entity's structure.
Lufthansa passengers now can use "mobile boarding passes" sent to Internet-enabled cell phones via e-mail or SMS on all flights from Germany to any destination in Europe, the carrier announced. LH said more than 7,000 weekly domestic passengers are using the electronic boarding passes, which contain a 2D barcode that permits them to pass through security checkpoints and proceed straight to their departure gates.
European Commission gave its approval to the Greek government plan to privatize and restart Olympic Airlines as Pantheon Airways next year ( ATWOnline, Sept. 17), but it also demanded that Olympic return €850 million ($1.2 billion) in state aid. EC VP-Transport Antonio Tajani called the funding "incompatible with European legislation." The privatization plan could face opposition from the carrier's labor unions, which have threatened to fight it.
The US government's $85 billion bailout of ILFC parent American International Group late Tuesday cast a cloud of uncertainty over the aircraft lessor that is the largest single customer of both Boeing and Airbus.
Flight Safety Foundation said yesterday that Executive VP Robert Vandel announced his intention to retire on Dec. 31. "Bob has had a tremendously distinguished career of public service and has made huge contributions to global aviation safety," said FSF Chairman Edward Stimpson.
