LAM, TAM gain conditional antitrust approval for merger Chilean antitrust tribunal TDLC approved the merger of Chile's LAN Airlines and Brazil's TAM Wednesday, though it cautioned that the carriers must agree to a number of conditions before combining under LATAM Airlines Group, the single holding company that will own them both. Link
AirBaltic files for bankruptcy AirBaltic (BT) filed for legal protection from its creditors Wednesday and submitted a plan to the court for continued operations. The loss-making Latvian national airline is entangled in a destructive dispute between its two main shareholders, the Latvian state and Baltic Aviation Systems (BAS), the company controlled by the carrier's president and CEO, Bertolt Flick. The dispute centers on a capital injection, but is a culmination of years of tense relations and political wrangling. The Latvian state owns 52.6% of BT while BAS has 47.2%. Link Discussion
Bombardier to lower CRJ production Bombardier said "current market demand" drove its decision to cut CRJ production rates starting in January, an acknowledgement of slowing regional jet sales. The Canadian manufacturer said it is still on track to deliver 90 commercial aircraft (a mix of CRJs and Q400s) this year and emphasized that the production cut will not necessitate any layoffs, only transfers of personnel. Bombardier delivered 97 commercial aircraft, including the first nine CRJ1000s, during its fiscal year ended Jan. 31. That represented a 19.8% decrease from 121 commercial units delivered in the prior fiscal year. Link
Atlas Air nixes order for three 747-8Fs Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has opted to exercise termination rights for three Boeing 747-8Fs that were part of a larger 12 aircraft order placed in September 2006. "As prudent asset managers, terminating the first three aircraft was the right decision for our fleet, our customers and our stockholders. We expect the remaining 747-8Fs in our order to be better-performing aircraft than those we have terminated," said company CEO William Flynn. Link
United Technologies to buy Goodrich for $18.4bn United Technologies (UTC) has agreed to buy Goodrich for $18.4 billion, subject to regulatory approvals. UTC expects the combined company to have worldwide sales of approximately $66 billion, based on its projected 2011 results. The purchase would result in increased scale, financial strength and complementary products, strengthening the company's position in the aerospace and defense industry, said UTC in a statement. Link
Gol gets go-ahead for Webjet takeover Brazilian airline Gol has been given the green light for its purchase of low-cost carrier Webjet by the country's civil aviation administration ANAC. Shortly after the deal was signed on 8 July, the agreement was forwarded to ANAC and other government agencies for final approval. ANAC's go-ahead is conditional on similar approvals from Brazil's securities exchange commission (CVM) and the CADE - a justice ministry agency that oversees large-scale financial transactions. Link
Hypoxia symptoms still pose mystery as F-22A returns to flight Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors have been cleared to fly for the first time in four months, but the oxygen problem that grounded them remains a mystery to the US Air Force. It will be two months before F-22A pilots regain full operational capability of the fighters after the four-month hiatus, Gen Norton Schwartz, USAF chief of staff, said on 20 September. Link
Delta commits to order of 100 B737-900ERs Delta Air Lines' commitment to 100 Boeing 737-900ERs has dashed the hopes of Bombardier and Embraer that they might receive some of the carrier's business. "There is no second step of aircraft, whether it be with Bombardier, or Embraer, or Boeing or Airbus," said Ed Bastian, president of Delta. "I do want to put to rest any thought that we are in the market, considering a new aircraft decision." Link
Analysis: AMR move could help American Airlines' valuation AMR recently announced that its AMR Eagle Holdings, which operates regional carriers, will be spun off into a separate company. The move could improve the valuation of American Airlines, this analysis says. Link
Air Canada reaches tentative deal with flight attendants' union The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents Air Canada's flight attendants, is recommending that they accept a contract deal with the airline. The agreement would avert a possible strike that would have significantly disrupted Air Canada's operations. Link
Lack of records hinders probes into jet tears, NTSB says The National Transportation Safety Board said that a lack of manufacturing records at Boeing is hindering investigators' efforts into tears in their jets, including an American Airlines 757-200 jetliner and a Southwest Airlines 737-300 aircraft. "Records of manufacture for the skin panels on the accident airplane and the other airplanes with fuselage skin cracking were not retained, and were not required to be retained," the NTSB said. "Therefore, a cause for the manufacturing non-conformance could not be identified." A Boeing spokeswoman said the company "diligently" follows the FAA's rules on retaining records. Link
Column: Give NextGen responsibility to private group Columnist Peter Orszag explains how the next-generation air-traffic-control system is supposed to revolutionize air travel by reducing costs for airlines, lowering emissions and making the skies safer for all involved. However, the NextGen system is not expected to be fully operational for years. "We shouldn't have to wait so long," Orszag writes. Instead, he suggests giving a private-nonprofit organization responsibility for implementing the system, as well as air-traffic control. Link
Court of Appeals denies airlines' challenge on new DOT rules The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington has denied a motion filed by Spirit, Allegiant and Southwest for a stay on certain consumer rules introduced by the Department of Transportation, on grounds that the airlines "have not satisfied the stringent requirements" for a stay. The three airlines are challenging a new DOT rule to include all taxes and fees in their price listings. Link
Hurricane Irene drove up airline delays and cancellations Hurricane Irene had a negative impact on U.S. airlines during the summer travel season. The August storm contributed to a drop in the on-time arrival rate for airlines in the U.S. over the June, July and August period, according to data from FlightStats.com. More than 50,000 flights were canceled during the period, with two-thirds of the cancellations in August. Link
Other News
Embraer projected that 975 new regional jets will be delivered to China through 2030, including 15 in the 30-60-seat range, 440 with 61-90 seats and 520 with 91-120 seats. In a forecast released Wednesday in Beijing, the Brazilian manufacturer said that Chinese demand will account for around 13% of global market demand for 30-120-seat jets.
Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) expects to get new orders for the CFM Leap-X-powered C919 next month, according to chief accountant Tian Min.
The Australian International Pilots Assn. (AIPA) on Monday said that 22,000 travelers signed an online petition supporting Qantas (QF) long-haul pilots, who are taking industrial action. The dispute centers onpay related to the carrier’s use of lower-cost subsidiary airlines, including New Zealand-based subsidiary Jetconnect, and plans to shift operations to Southeast Asia. Additionally, AIPA said that more than 50,000 Australians had visited its website to get details of the QF dispute.
Emirates Airline will increase 9X-weekly Dubai-Mauritius service to 10X-weekly Nov. 4 and 11X-weekly Dec. 6.
IndiGo will launch daily service to Singapore from New Delhi (Sept. 15) and Mumbai (Oct. 10).
Edelweiss Air will launch 2X-weekly Zurich-Tampa Airbus A330 service May 25.
Emirates SkyCargo launched weekly Dubai-Singapore-Sydney-Hong Kong-DXB Boeing 777F service.
AVIATION QUOTE
The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.
— Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776-1787.
ON THIS DATE
September 22nd
---In 1902... Stanley Spencer becomes the 1st Englishman to fly in a powered airship over England. The 75-foot-long dirigible is powered by a 3-hp water-cooled engine and makes a flight of 30 miles.
---In 1950…An F-84 Thunderjet completes the first crossing of the Atlantic by a jet fighter.
---In 1966…The Surveyor 2 crashes on Moon due to a mid-course correction failure.
---In 1972…Boeing sells their 1,000th copy of the 727, a record for airliners at the time.
---In 1980… Iraq attacks Iran, various military bases and oil wells affected.
---In 1995…A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry (Callsign Yukla 27, serial number 77-0354), crashes shortly after take off from Elmendorf AFB, AK. The plane lost power to both port side engines after these engines ingested several Canada Geese during takeoff. The aircraft went down in a heavily wooded area about two miles northeast of the runway, killing all 24 crew members on board.
---In 2003…David Hempleman-Adams becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-air, wicker-basket hot air balloon from New Brunswick, Canada to Ireland.
---In 2006…The F-14 Tomcat is retired from the Navy. Being first deployed in 1974 on the USS Enterprise, replacing the F-4 Phantom II, the F-14 was replaced by the F/A-18 super Hornet. The F-14 is known in popular culture as being the aircraft flown in the 1980s movie classic Top Gun.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Frankfurt ATC
The German controllers at Frankfurt Airport were a short-tempered lot. They not only expected you to know your parking location but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (PanAm 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground and a British Airways 747 (radio call Speedbird 206) after landing. Speedbird 206: "Good morning Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of the active." Ground: "Guten morgan, taxi to your gate." The British Airways 747 pulls onto the main taxiway and stops. Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?" Speedbird 206: "Stand by, ground, I'm looking up the gate location now." Ground (with typical German impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you never flown to Frankfurt before?" Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, in 1944. But I didn't stop".
TRIVIA
Tail ID
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
