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NEWS

US majors earn $1.45 billion in second quarter
With Delta Air Lines leading the way with a $467 million second quarter profit, the nine largest US passenger airlines posted cumulative net income of $1.45 billion for the three months ended June 30, turned around from a net loss of $556 million in the year-ago period.
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BAA, Unite avert strike
BAA and the Unite union representing the UK airport operator's ground staff reached an agreement that both sides said will avert strikes that had threatened to heavily disrupt or even close six major airports this weekend including London Heathrow, London Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
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Sabre Travel Network, Cisco to develop telepresence distribution platform
Sabre Travel Network plans to work with Cisco to develop a telepresence distribution and reservations platform, enabling agencies and corporations to book services from any telepresence provider and any point of sale.
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Authorities partially re-open San Andres runway
The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority Aerocivil has confirmed the partial reopening of San Andres Island Airport's only runway to allow for the transportation of investigation teams and passengers affected by the Aires Boeing 737-700 accident which took place early on 16 August. "We have now opened a 4,921ft (1,500m) segment of the runway for special traffic. The full reopening of the runway and the airport will only occur once the investigation teams give the go ahead to remove the crashed aircraft", says an Aerocivil source.
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Viking to slash fleet after UK tour operator collapses
Holiday carrier Viking Airlines is to cut back its fleet after one of its tour operator customers, UK-based Flight Options, ceased trading. The carrier was established in Sweden in 2003 but has branched into operating out of several UK airports including London Gatwick and Manchester.
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UK High Court refers passengers seeking compensation to European Court of Justice
The UK High Court is refusing to hear any more cases from passengers seeking compensation from airlines for delayed flights, and has referred the issue of passenger rights back to the European Court of Justice.
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Boeing gets FAA approval for 787 pilot training course
The US Federal Aviation Administration has granted provisional approval for Boeing Training & Flight Services' type-rating training course for pilots preparing to fly its new 787.
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Other News

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of Monday morning’s crash of an Aires 737-700 as it landed in a storm at San Andres Island, killing one passenger who reportedly died of a heart attack. Investigators have been interviewing the flight crew and will be examining the flight data and cockpit voice recorders to piece together the final moments. “It will take three or four months to fully analyze them,” said Colombia Civil Aeronautics Agency Deputy Director Donald Tascon, who said the pilot reported that the aircraft was struck by lightning. The airline said the aircraft was carrying 126 passengers including six crew, contradicting earlier reports that the 737 carried 131 passengers. The flight from Bogota to San Andres crashed on landing amid lightning and strong winds. Authorities are considering whether a violent wind shift could have played a role in the crash. Colombian Air Force Col. David Barrero said Tuesday that at least 13 survivors, including four with serious injuries, were flown to Bogota for treatment. National Police General Orlando Paez told Reuters that "the skill of the pilot kept the plane from sliding off the runway. The engines of the aircraft shut down on impact."

United Airlines and Continental Airlines said in a regulatory filing that shareholders from both companies will vote Sept. 17 on the carriers' proposed merger. The airlines, which unveiled their post-merger livery last week, aim to close the transaction by year end. Meanwhile, CO Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Smisek, who is slated to be CEO of the combined airline, will testify this week in a deposition that is part of a lawsuit brought by 49 people describing themselves as airline passengers who believe the merger is anticompetitive. CO said the suit "has no merit."

Evergreen International Airlines, the Oregon-based 747 freighter operator, faces a challenge on the labor front following its pilots' rejection of a tentative collective bargaining agreement. The Air Line Pilots Assn., which represents EIA's 217 flight crew, said in a statement that 92% of cockpit crew voted against accepting the agreement.

The painful restructuring of Japan Airlines, which is under bankruptcy protection, is reflected in its traffic results for the traditional Japanese summer vacation period Aug. 6-15. JAL carried 325,498 passengers on international flights during the 10 days, down 11.9% compared to the same period last year, although load factor jumped 5.9 points to 89.2% on a 17.7% drop in capacity. On domestic routes, JAL carried a total of 1,146,315 passengers, 10.8% less than a year ago. Domestic capacity was down 8.2%.

West Atlantic, the Sweden-based cargo airline, announced it will add one Q400 freighter to its fleet in October. It currently operates more than 50 aircraft including 43 BAe ATP-Fs. The Q400F is "a niche aircraft for sure, but is ideal for clients whose requirements include long thin routes and its Cat. III landing capability offers useful added value," said Sales and Operations Director Russell Ladkin. "Currently, the Q400F is equipped with standard passenger doors and the OEM fit baggage door at the rear. This will suit the needs of most express and mail customers."

JetBlue Airways and Sun Country Airlines launched campaigns offering passes for “unlimited travel.” JetBlue is offering an "All You Can JetPass," which it described as a “no boundaries” pass that makes available every seat on every flight between Sept. 7 and Oct. 6 to travel to more than 60 destinations. There are two kinds of passes, one for weekly travel only and one that includes weekends. The pass must be purchased by Aug. 20. Sun Country said its “Fall Free For All” pass will offer 37 days of unlimited travel to any destination it services this fall.

Air Canada will launch daily Vancouver-Tokyo Haneda service Jan. 29 aboard a 767-300ER.

Moldavian Airlines will launch twice-weekly Chisinau-Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen service Sept. 15 aboard a Fokker 100.

Ryanair will launch four new routes from London Gatwickto Bologna (four-times-weekly), Faro (four-times-weekly), Milan Bergamo (daily) and Porto (five-times-weekly) aboard a 737-800 Oct. 31 and will increase the frequency of its LGW-Oslo Rygge route from seven to 10 flights per week.

British Airways will operate four-times-weekly London City-Chambery BA CityFlyer service starting Dec. 18 aboard an E-190.

Pacific Blue increased five-times-weekly Melbourne-Denpasar services to daily and will increase four-times-weekly Melbourne-Christchurch services to daily Oct. 31, twice-weekly Perth-Phuket service to thrice-weekly Aug. 19 and thrice-weekly Brisbane-Dunedin service to four-times-weekly Sept. 17.

V Australia will operate one extra weekly Melbourne service to Los Angeles (to thrice-weekly), Johannesburg (to thrice-weekly) and Phuket (to twice-weekly) in December.

Aero Republica will launch service from Bogota to Mexico City (daily) and Havana (weekly) Oct. 2. The airline says it will focus on international growth and put "the brakes on domestic expansion due to intense low-fare competition."

Air Arabia will operate thrice-weekly Brussels-Casablanca service via Fez (twice-weekly) and Oujda (weekly) beginning in October for the winter season.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines will launch weekly London Heathrow-Lulea service aboard a 737-600 from Nov. 6.



AVIATION QUOTE

Soon shall thy arm, unconquer'd steam! afar
Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car;
Or on wide-waving wings extended bear
The flying chariot through the field of air.

— Erasmus Darwin, 'The Botanic Garden,' 1791.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Damn Fokkers

A reporter was interviewing an old Scandinavian fighter pilot, asking him how it was in the war.

"Vell," said the old guy, "vee used to fly up dere and dogfight dem Krauts. Ya, vee used to shoot dem German fokkers outta da sky."

"For the benefit of our viewers," interrupted the reporter, "we should explain that the term 'fokker' refers to a specific type of German fighter plane."

"Vell ya," said the old Scandianvian pilot, "but those fokkers were Messerschmitt's."



TRIVIA

Thanks to Allstarflyer for today’s trivia

FAR Part 91

1. A person may not act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft if alcoholic beverages have been consumed by that person with in the preceding
A. 8 hrs
B. 12 hrs
C. 24 hrs

2. At what maximum indicated airspeed may a reciprocating-engine-powered airplane be operated within Class D airspace?
A. 156 kts
B. 180 kts
C. 200 kts

3. What is the maximum indicated airspeed a turbine-powered aircraft may be operated below 10,000 feet MSL?
A. 288 kts
B. 250 kts
C. 230 kts

4. At what maximum indicated airspeed can a reciprocating-engine airplane operate in the airspace underlying Class B airspace?
A. 180 kts
B. 200 kts
C. 230 kts

5. At what maximum indicated airspeed can a B-727 operate within Class B airspace without special ATC authorization?
A. 230 kts
B. 250 kts
C. 275 kts

6. What is the maximum indicated airspeed a reciprocating-engine-powered airplane may be operated within Class B airspace?
A. 180 kts
B. 230 kts
C. 250 kts

7. When may ATC request a detailed report on an emergency even though a rule has not been violated?
A. When priority has been given
B. Anytime an emergency occurs
C. When the emergency occurs in controlled airspace

8. During an emergency, a pilot in command does not deviate from an FAR rule but is given priority by ATC. To whom or under what condition is the pilot required to submit a written report?
A. To the manager of the General Aviation District Office
B. To the manager of the facility in control at the time of deviation
C. Upon request by ATC, submit a written report to the ATC manager

1. A
2. C
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. C
8. C

UPDATE

Aircraft makers push beyond minimum flight-test standards
Commercial aircraft are tested for safety in situations far more serious than most passengers will ever encounter, according to industry experts. While planes generally operate within a normal flight envelope, "we have to test out beyond that, where the airplane may experience that once or twice in a lifetime event," says Frank Santoni, Boeing's chief test pilot for commercial aircraft. Santoni highlights six of the most extreme tests -- some of the most "exciting" for test pilots, he says -- including stalls, extreme weather, slow takeoffs and "flutter" testing. It all goes well beyond what the government requires, according to an executive at the Aerospace Industries Association. "The individual manufacturers have gone above and beyond those [FAA] rules and in many cases, that's based simply on their experience or knowledge of how the airplane will be used," he says.
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Lockheed offers guarantees to allow THAAD production
After a faulty safety switch delayed fielding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, Lockheed Martin reportedly offered to assume additional liability to allow manufacturing to proceed. Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly said Tuesday that he was "very open" to that idea because production of the THAAD interceptor was "badly needed." "I will not move forward until they satisfy all the quality requirements and all the production startup requirements," O'Reilly added.
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Honeywell to improve on T-Hawk micro air vehicle
Honeywell is upgrading its T-Hawk micro air vehicle with improvements to its remote launching capabilities as well as fuel and sensor enhancements, the company revealed. The gasoline powered device is used to provide optical and infrared reconnaissance. It is currently being used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan to detect risks such as roadside explosives, the company reports.
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India requests info on light utility helicopters
Bell Helicopters is one of four companies invited to submit information as the Indian Navy seeks 50 new light utility helicopters for search-and-rescue and similar operations. Along with previously announced upgrades by the Indian Army and Air Force, more than 430 helicopters are currently being sought.
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Saudi Arabia wants Raytheon-made radars on strike fighters
A key sticking point in Saudi Arabia's purchase of 84 new F-15S strike fighters from the U.S. is the aircraft's radar capability. Saudi Arabia's original request was for jets with Raytheon-made active, electronically scanned array antennas, which can increase surveillance and targeting ranges three-fold over other radars.
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FAA: Aircraft design rules are saving lives
It was no miracle that no passengers died when their 737 broke into pieces upon landing in Colombia earlier this week, according to John Hickey, the FAA's deputy safety chief -- it was by design. "We are totally convinced that the work that we did in the 1980s has proven its value," says Hickey, referring to a series of incremental design regulations intended to make crashes more survivable. Better seats, more accessible exits and better fire prevention have all contributed to the trend of more passengers walking away from crashes, he says. Outside experts agree with Hickey's assessment. "This can't all be luck," says Bill Voss of the Flight Safety Foundation. "I think you have a series of unglamorous incremental improvements making a difference."
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AA mechanics say FAA is cracking down on self-reported errors
Mechanics at American Airlines may pull out of a voluntary program for self-reporting errors due to fears that federal investigators are using the reports to punish workers. The Transport Workers Union cites 16 recent cases in which mechanics were singled out for investigation after voluntarily reporting their own oversights. The union says reports were used "to open enforcement action against employees and the airline," in violation of the federal program known as ASAP, but a spokesman for the FAA says not all reports qualify for amnesty under the rules of the program.
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International Space Station systems reactivated following fix
NASA flight controllers have been reactivating some key systems on the International Space Station after astronauts successfully repaired the station's cooling system this week. The systems have been shut down since July 31 due to the faulty pump. Systems that are being methodically restarted include electrically driven gyroscopes and electronics for the station's robotic arm.
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Air cargo chief: Stowaways -- not bombs -- are major security threat
The longtime president of the Cargo Airline Association says he generally supports tougher security for cargo shipments, though he worries that inefficient screening could cause delays in some shipments. If cargo must sit overnight because a carrier didn't have time to screen it, that "defeats the purpose of using air freight, which is speed and reliability," Steve Alterman says. As for critics who say cargo airlines should be subject to the same security rules as passenger carriers, Alterman believes they don't understand the industry. "We already screen 100 percent of our packages to protect against the possibility of stowaways, which is the major threat to our industry," he says. "The major threat to all-cargo carriers is a 9/11 scenario where someone takes over a plane and uses it as a weapon of mass destruction."
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Answers -

1 - A. 8 hrs - No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft within 8 hrs after consumption of any alcoholic beverage, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or while having .04 percent by weight or more alcohol in the blood.

2. C. 200 kts - Unless otherwise authorized or required by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft at or belwo 2,500 ft. AGL within 4 NM of the primary airport of a Class C or Class D airspace area at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 kts.

3. B. 250 kts - Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft below 10,000 ft. MSL at an indicated airspeed of more than 250 kts (288 MPH).

4. B. 200 kts - No person may operate an aircraft in the airspace underlying a Class B airspace area, or in a VFR corridor designated through a Class B airspace area, at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 kts.

5. B. 250 kts - Unless otherwise authorized or require by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft in Class B airspace at an indicated airspeed of more than 250 kts.

6. C. 250 kts - Unless otherwise authorized or required by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft in Class B airspace at an indicated airspeed of more than 250 kts.

7. A. Each pilot in command who (though not deviating from an FAR) is given priority by ATC in an emergency shall submit a detailed report of that emergency within 48 hrs to the manager of that ATC facility, if requested by ATC.

8. C. Each pilot in command who (though not deviating from an FAR) is given priority by ATC in an emergency shall submit a detailed report of that emergency within 48 hrs to the manager of that ATC facility, if requested by ATC.