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SSJ100 wreckage found on mountainside; Sukhoi suspends Indonesian sales
Wreckage of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) that crashed in Indonesia Wednesday has been located. Indonesian authorities said they had discovered bodies, but no survivors. Guests onboard the demonstration flight included several Indonesian carrier representatives and the region is an important customer base for the new Russian regional jet. The Jakarta Post reported Thursday that Sukhoi was suspending all planned Indonesian purchases of the SSJ100 until the cause of the crash had been investigated.
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Superjet 100 flew in low-traffic Indonesian airspace: DGCA
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft that crashed in Indonesia on 9 May 2012 was in the air space above Bogor as it is an area that does not normally have much traffic. The aircraft was given permission to operate in Indonesia as part of its promotional plans, Indonesia's director general of civil aviation Herry Bakti said in a statement. Sukhoi then chose to fly in Bogor, a mountainous area south of Jakarta, he added. "The choice of flying in the area of Bogor is often carried out considering the lack of flights in the airspace. There are no scheduled flights that pass through the region, only charter flights," said Bakti. Revealing more information about the incident, Bakti said radar contact with the aircraft was lost at 14:33 local time, 12 minutes after take off from Jakarta's Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport.
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Emirates’ FY profits plunge 72% on fuel costs
Dubai-based Emirates Airline (EK) reported a 72.1% drop in net profit of AED1.5 billion ($409 million) in the 2011-12 financial year, compared to last year’s net profit of AED5.4 billion. The company cited the “stifling” cost of fuel as the reason for the decline. The drop came despite a 14.9% rise in revenue over the preceding year to a record AED62.3 billion.
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EasyJet cuts losses despite fuel hikes
EasyJet (U2) has reduced pre-tax losses for the half year ended March 31 by £41 million ($66 million) to £112 million, despite an £87 million increase in unit fuel costs. This represents an improvement of 26.8% from the £153 million recorded for the same period last year.
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FedEx to acquire French express company TATEX
FedEx said Thursday it has signed an agreement to acquire French express delivery company TATEX. No transaction price was revealed. FedEx has been trying to shore up its position in Europe in the aftermath of rival United Parcel Service’s decision to acquire Amsterdam-based TNT Express. “The acquisition represents the latest FedEx investment in delivering sustainable growth in Europe,” it said in a statement.
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Air India Risks Losing Bailout As Pilots Agitate
State-owned Air India risks losing a USD$5.8 billion government bailout, India's civil aviation minister said on Thursday, as industrial action by pilots disrupted flights for a fourth day.
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LAN Launches Share Swap To Take Over TAM
Chile's LAN Airlines said it had launched a share swap offer in the final stage of its takeover of Brazil’s TAM to create LATAM Airlines Group, the largest carrier in Latin America and one of the world's biggest airlines.
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Iberia performance, fuel costs hit IAG profitability
Sharply rising fuel prices and poor performance from Iberia, including the €25 million ($40.3 million) effect of a pilots' strike, combined to drag International Airlines Group further into the red in the first quarter. For the period ended 31 March its pre-tax loss stood at €263 million, against €47 million a year earlier, a 460% change. This came despite total revenue climbing 7% to €3.9 billion, it says in a stock exchange statement.
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Eva Air invests $100m to upgrade business class seats
Taiwanese carrier Eva Air is investing $100 million to upgrade the business class cabins on its fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The newly fitted cabins with 38 business class seats will have fully lie-flat seats that are 26 inches (660mm) wide and 79 inches long.
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Vueling trims first quarter losses to $21.3m
Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling has cut its first quarter net losses to €16.5 million ($21.3 million) - a 28.7% improvement on Q1 2011. Operating losses stood at €26.8 million for the three months to 31 March, while total revenues rose 32.5% to €168.5 million and passenger numbers were up by 24.1% to 2.6 million.
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'Business as usual' despite Chapter 11 bankruptcy - Hawker Beechcraft
Senior company executives say it is "business as usual" at Hawker Beechcraft, which on 3 May opted to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an attempt to eliminate more than $2.5 billion of debt, restructure its balance sheet and renegotiate contracts with its suppliers. "We are continuing to build, deliver and support our customers," says executive vice president Shawn Vick. "We don't anticipate any difference in the day-to day-running of our company."
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Pilatus PC-7 MK II clinches India basic trainer contract: reports
Media reports from India indicate that the Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the purchase of 75 Pilatus PC-7 MK II basic trainers, a major step to filling the Indian air force's profound capability gap in training.
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Welsh to become new USAF chief
General Mark Welsh has been nominated to become the next chief of staff of the US Air Force. US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced Welsh's nomination on 10 May. "I believe that he has the right leadership qualities and distinguished background to follow his extraordinary predecessor, General [Norton] Schwartz," he says.
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Airbus Military studies gunship versions of medium transports
Airbus Military is studying possible new variants of its CN-235 and C-295 medium transports adapted for tasks including combat support and battlefield surveillance, along with performance enhancements for the latter type. Revealing the company's investigation of a gunship development, head of market development for light and medium transport aircraft Jerónimo Amador says: "We have seen a growing interest from customers." This has been prompted by a need to perform counter-piracy operations, participate in low-intensity conflict and provide protection for critical national infrastructure, he adds.
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US Airways beefs up European routes for seasonal travel
US Airways is expanding its seasonal service to Europe with additional daily flights to Madrid, Rome, Dublin and Frankfurt from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Business travelers on the flights will be able to enjoy the carrier's new Envoy Suite, available on its upgraded A330 planes.
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Opinion: Delta offers newer planes in Minneapolis
Bill Lentsch, senior vice president pf Minnesota operations for Delta Air Lines, said the carrier offers newer planes for many of its routes. "Our daily nonstop service to Tokyo is operated with new, state-of-the-art Boeing 777 jets," writes Lentsch. "Our flights to Amsterdam and Paris are flown primarily with state-of-the-art Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft."
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Tulsa, Okla., civic leaders urge American Airlines workers to OK pact
Local leaders in Tulsa, Okla., are urging American Airlines workers to vote for a contract with the carrier. "We now need to focus on retaining every single job that we can in our region," said Tulsa Metro Chamber President Mike Neal. "A 'yes' vote means the greatest number of jobs."
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U.S. airlines post loss of $1.73B in Q1, A4A says
The 10 U.S. airlines that have reported results for the first quarter lost $1.73 billion in total, reports Airlines for America. "With fuel at record-high levels, the financial loss suffered in the first quarter would have been substantially deeper if not for the significant proactive steps that the airlines have taken" to trim capacity and keep costs low, said John Heimlich, chief economist for A4A.
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House votes in favor of continuing Export-Import Bank
The House of Representatives passed a bill to extend the charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The bill would also raise the bank's lending limit to $140 billion by 2014. The Senate will vote on the bill before the bank's charter expires at the end of this month.
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Screening equipment sat unused in Texas warehouses, report finds
A recent report found that $184 million in airport screening equipment sat idle in Texas warehouses. The report was released by the House transportation and oversight committees. The warehouses contained 5,700 pieces of unused equipment, according to the report.
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Hawaiian will change baggage procedure for connecting flights
Hawaiian Airlines is changing procedures for baggage of customers who book different airlines for connecting flights. Customers will have to retrieve their bags and go through security and check their bags once again. "Hawaiian has adjusted its baggage procedures to make sure we are not fined under new DOT [Department of Transportation] rules that affect a very small number of travelers that book connections on separate tickets," said Keoni Wagner of Hawaiian Airlines.
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Airlines look at creative cabin layouts for better sleep
Airlines are getting creative with layouts of first-class cabins for international flights to try to ensure a good night's sleep for passengers. Rows of seats may be staggered or angled to allow for greater comfort and room. "At the end of the day, the question is, how do you maximize revenue per square foot," said Don Cox, director of customer experience at Delta Air Lines.
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Other News

Charges dismissed against former FAA chief: A US judge on Thursday dismissed charges of driving under the influence against former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. Babbitt resigned last year after the charges became public. The Washington Post reported that the trial in a Virginia court ended soon after it began when the presiding judge saw video of Babbitt driving during the alleged incident and said the police officer had no proper cause to apprehend Babbitt. Babbitt’s lawyer also said that the initial breath test gave an alcohol reading that was below Virginia’s legal limit.

FAA awarded a $2.77 million contract to ITT Corp. and GE’s Naverus to help accelerate the development of satellite-based procedures that will allow aircraft to fly more directly to their destinations. According to FAA, prime contractor ITT and Naverus will develop required navigation performance (RNP) approach procedures for five US airports: Anchorage International in Alaska, Dayton International in Ohio, Kansas City International, Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International in Wisconsin, and Syracuse Hancock International in New York. The companies will design, implement and maintain a total of 10 procedures—two for each airport. The FAA has developed 305 RNP procedures.

Air Berlin (AB), the biggest airline customer at Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL), has asked officials to reduce its night curfew as it scrambles with other German airlines to deal with the logistical dilemma caused by the delayed opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

The FAA is proposing a $445,125 civil penalty against Alaska Air Group’s Horizon Air for allegedly operating a Bombardier Dash-8-400 aircraft on 45 flights between March 17 and 23, 2011, after failing to comply with an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring the airline to inspect for cracked or corroded engine nacelle fittings on its Dash-8-400 aircraft.

Kenya Airways (KQ) recorded a 5.2% year-over-year increase in passengers carried to 832,366 during its fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31. Traffic increased 1.6% to 2.24 million RPKs on flat capacity of 3.29 million ASKs, pushing the load factor up 1.4 points to 68.1%.

Pratt & Whitney has a five-year agreement from Monarch Airlines for its fuel conservation program, EcoFlight Solutions. It has begun developing and implementing fuel-saving solutions for the airline’s fleet of 32 aircraft.

Dallas Airmotive has acquired the tooling and inventory from Consolidated Turbine Support (CTS) of Mesa, Ariz. The tooling and inventory will be based at DAI’s Phoenix Regional Turbine Center.

Swiss AviationSoftware has been selected by Flybe Aviation services to supply its AMOS software to manage its entire aircraft maintenance, engineering and logistics’ requirements. Implementation of the software is slated to take 12-15 months.

Tampa Cargo has been certified by both the FAA and UAEAC—the local agency—to provide line and overhaul maintenance and repair services at its home base in Medellin for Airbus A318s, A319s, A320s and A321s aircraft, as well for CFM56 and V2500 engines.

Erisckson: May 9, 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the maiden flight of the CH-54, the military version of the S-64 Aircrane (“Aircrane”). The basic concept of the heavy-lift, or “crane,” helicopters was an early dream of aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky. The Aircrane was designed, developed, and produced as a multi-purpose, heavy-lift aircraft. Over the years, the Aircrane has proved itself to be a highly versatile, reliable, and cost-effective workhorse in the construction, petroleum, and logging industries, and an essential fire-fighter all over the world. The Aircrane type certificate is owned by Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated, whose upgraded versions of the aircraft remain in production today.

Two Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) production aircraft were ferried to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., today, marking the 24th and 25th F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense. The 5th Generation multirole fighter jets were delivered to the United States Marine Corps and are now assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 501 residing with the host 33d Fighter Wing.

Southwest Airlines (WN) announced today it will begin service between Boston Logan and Nashville with one daily nonstop roundtrip flight starting Aug. 12, 2012. To celebrate the new route, the carrier also announced a fare sale of $139 one-way between the two markets when purchased by May 11, 2012, at 11:59 PT. These low fares are available for travel every day of the week except Fridays and Sundays when travel takes place between Aug. 12, 2012, and Nov. 2, 2012.

Boeing's (BA) new 787 Dreamliner has been honored with the Grand Prize during the 2012 Hermes Awards for Innovation. Yves Galland, president of Boeing France, accepted the prize during the 5th National Meeting of Chief Innovation Officers held in Paris. "We are very proud to receive this prestigious award which recognizes the 787's amazing technological breakthrough," said Galland. "We share this prize with the eight French companies providing critical products and systems onboard the Dreamliner as well as the entire international team and our customers around the world."

AVIATION QUOTE

The successful pilot must have a quick eye and steady nerves.

— W. J. Abbot

ON THIS DATE

---In 1911... Edouard Niéport, a racing cyclist before he went into aircraft construction, sets a new speed record of 74.4mph flying his “Nieuport” monoplane powered by a 28-hp engine.

---In 1926... The first airship flight over the North Pole and the first crossing of the Arctic Ocean is made by Roald Amundsen of Norway, Umberto Nobile of Italy, Lincoln Ellsworth of the United States, and their crew in an Italian-built semi-rigid airship, N-1, Norge.

---In 1927... Charles Lindbergh lands his new Ryan airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis, in St. Louis after a record non-stop overnight flight from San Diego of 14 hours, 25 minutes.

---In 1934…First flight of the Douglas DC-2.

---In 1945…The aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill is struck by two Kamikazes, killing 346 crewmembers.

---In 1961… Jet Propulsion Laboratory briefed NASA headquarters on the Venus radar tracking experiment, after 2 months of intensive study begun on March 10.

---In 1996…ValueJet 592, a DC-9-30 crashes in the Everglades after departing MIA due to a fire caused by the activation of improperly stored oxygen generators. All 110 passengers and crew perished.

DAILY VIDEO

EDITOR’S CHOICE

HUMOR

The Attack Pilot

An A-6 pilot walks into Frederick's of Hollywood to purchase some sheer lingerie for his wife. He is shown several possibilities that range from $250 to $500 in price, the more sheer, the higher the price. He opts for the most sheer item, pays the $500 and takes the lingerie home.

He presents it to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put it on and model it for him.

Upstairs, the wife thinks, "I have an idea. It's so sheer that it might as well be nothing. I won't put it on, do the modeling naked, return it tomorrow and keep the $500 refund for myself.

So she appears naked on the balcony and strikes a pose. The attack pilot says, "Good Lord! You'd think that for $500, they'd at least iron it!"

He never heard the shot.

Funeral services are pending.

TRIVIA

Google Airports

Need a hint? Send a PM.

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