NEWS
Azul, TRIP reveal merger plans
Brazilian carriers Azul and TRIP on Monday announced plans to merge, a move that would create an airline with about a 15% market share in Brazil, behind only dominant players TAM and GOL. "A third force in Brazilian aviation is being born," TRIP chairman Renan Chieppe told reporters in Sao Paulo, according to multiple media reports. Azul founder and CEO David Neeleman will run the combined company, which will be two-thirds controlled by Azul.
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Air China to launch new airline with Inner Mongolian government
Air China (CA) plans to launch a new airline with the Inner Mongolian government to expand its domestic market share, according to CA chairman Wang Changshun. Wang said CA will be the controlling stakeholder of the new entity, which will be based on the assets of CA’s branch company in the Inner Mongolian region. The new carrier is subject to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) approval.
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EIA process begins for Hong Kong’s third runway
The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has submitted its project profile to the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) to add a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). The submission marks the launch of the project’s statutory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and follows government approval in principle for HKG to expand to a three-runway operation.
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Air India Wants Compensation Before 787s
State-owned Air India will not take delivery of any 787 Dreamliner aircraft from Boeing until the two parties agree on a compensation package for a delay, India's civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said.
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French Govt Opposes Payout For Ex-Air France CEO
France's new Socialist government opposes a EUR€400,000 indemnity payment for former chief executive of Air France-KLM, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, as it seeks to clamp down on executive pay, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on Tuesday.
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Embraer Looks To US Rebound To Offset Europe
Brazil's Embraer, the world's largest maker of regional jets, is counting on a recovery in the United States to offset weaker demand from Europe, the company's chief executive said on Tuesday.
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Kingfisher Says Has No Dues To Tax Dept
Kingfisher Airlines said on Tuesday that there were no dues to be currently paid to the tax department, after television channels reported that the debt-laden carrier's bank accounts have been frozen over unpaid tax dues.
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Boeing nears Max thrust definition
Boeing is finalising the wind-tunnel testing which will enable it to determine the thrust requirements and performance of its 737 Max family. Identifying the thrust demand from the CFM International Leap-1B powerplants will confirm the type's maximum take-off weight and range. Meanwhile, the airframer is dismissing rival Airbus's focus on the Max's smaller fan diameter compared with the A320neo. "Physics doesn't work in Europe the way it does everywhere else," says Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice-president of marketing Randy Tinseth.
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Boeing unlikely to offer Max wing-tip retrofit
While Airbus is looking to offer its A320 sharklet wing-tip as a retrofit, Boeing does not intend to do the same with the "dual feather" tip for the 737 Max. Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice-president of marketing Randy Tinseth says the case is less clear, given that it already provides a blended winglet on current 737s.
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Bankia looks to offload 12% IAG holding
Troubled Spanish bank Bankia will consider disposing shareholdings in several major Spanish companies including International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of Iberia and British Airways. Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri, the bank's chairman, confirmed over the weekend that he will "logically look to start a sale process" for the bank's group of holdings. Bankia, the largest shareholder in IAG, acquired its 12% stake following the bailout of Caja Madrid, which had been a major stakeholder in Iberia before its merger with BA. The shareholding is split with Banco Financiero y de Ahorros and has a market value of £307 million ($482 million) at today's share price.
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SpaceX signs Intelsat as first Falcon 9 Heavy customer
SpaceX has announced that major communications satellite operator Intelsat is the first customer for its Falcon 9 Heavy, essentially three-core, 27-engine version of the Falcon 9 rocket capable of launching up to 116,600 pounds into Earth orbit. "SpaceX is very proud to have the confidence of Intelsat," says Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX. "The Falcon Heavy has more than twice the power of the next largest rocket in the world. With this new vehicle, SpaceX launch systems now cover the entire spectrum of the launch needs for commercial, civil and national security customers."
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Israel runs out of time for more Apache upgrades
The Israeli air force will be unable to upgrade more of its Boeing AH-64A Apache attack helicopters to the D-model Longbow configuration because the US manufacturer is set to close the modification line where the work is being carried out. A batch of three Israeli AH-64As are being worked on at a Boeing facility in the USA. They are scheduled to be redelivered between late 2012 and early 2013, with the first recently entering flight testing.
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Other News
France’s Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) will this summer be the first airport to trial SIM-based Near Field Communication (NFC), allowing passengers to pass through various control points and gates using only their mobile phones. Using the security of the SIM card, 50 selected passengers will trial the new service on BlackBerry smartphones, as part of a joint undertaking between TLS, IT specialist SITA, Orange Business Services and BlackBerry. The test passengers' BlackBerry smartphones will feature NFC technology allowing radio frequency communication with other NFC-enabled devices by either tapping or positioning them within a range of a few centimeters. The phone will facilitate access to car parking, the boarding area via a premium access zone, and a premium passenger lounge. Passengers will also receive up-to-the-minute information such as changes to flight times, departure terminal or boarding gate.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380.MAS, which is the eighth A380 operator, has ordered six 494-seat A380s with a premium three-class layout. MAS Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the flagship aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, offers “new levels of comfort, luxury and convenience for long-haul travel.”
Flydubai (FZ) has signed an eight-year sale/leaseback agreement with Pembroke Group to secure $172 million in financing for two Boeing 737-800NGs, which are scheduled to enter the fleet in June and July. It follows the request for proposal (RFP) issued by FZ for its 2012 aircraft funding requirements.
S7 Airlines, which includes Sibir (S7) and Globus (GH), took delivery of a new Boeing 737-800 from International Finance Leasing Co. (ILFC). The Moscow Domodedovo-based aircraft, painted in S7 livery, features a 162-seat, two-class cabin layout. The new aircraft is the seventh 737-800 in the airlines’ fleet. In June, S7 and GH will take delivery of two more of the type.
Boingo Wireless has launched Wi-Fi services at Beijing Capital International Airport, through an agreement with Newbridge Technologies. It has also launched Wi-Fi services at Phuket International Airport, through an agreement with WLANNet.
Row 44 and Wireless G, in association with Mango and Vodacom, has launched G-Connect in-flight Wi-Fi on Africa’s first broadband Internet-enabled flight. The service allowed Mango passengers to use full Internet connectivity through their personal Wi-Fi enabled devices, including email, web browsing and SMS capabilities. The service will roll out to its entire fleet by the end of the year.
Gogo has reached an agreement with LiveTV to acquire its Airfone business unit, giving the in-flight connectivity provider a 1MHz spectrum license, to be used as supplement to its existing 3MHz license. The additional license is expected to enhance its air-to-ground network, and is subject to approval by the FCC. Gogo will also acquire all network infrastructure and back-office operational assets of Airfone.
Allegiant announces the company will begin new, nonstop air service from Monterey, Calif. to Honolulu International Airport (HNL) beginning November 16. To celebrate, the carrier will offer introductory fares for as low as $199* one-way, including taxes and fees. Flights are available for booking through Jan. 15, 2013. The new service will provide new economic development by allowing customers to visit the popular vacation destination for new lower fares.
United Airlines pilots file race bias suit: Two dozen black pilots alleged in a lawsuit on Tuesday that United Continental Holdings, the parent of United Airlines, passed them over for management promotions because of race. The world's biggest carrier denied the allegations and said it would fight them in court. The veteran aviators alleged a long history of discriminatory behavior across multiple U.S. states. Their suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. "The struggle for inclusion at United Airlines is a long-standing issue that many have tried to address over a long period of time," Captain Leon Miller, a plaintiff, said in a statement.
United Airlines today announced plans to launch daily nonstop service linking its Denver hub with two new markets: Shreveport, La., and Grand Forks, N.D. In addition, United will expand existing summer-season flights between Denver and Anchorage to year-round service.
WestJet announced it will fly the one millionth flight of its Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft today. The milestone flight is WS 612 from Calgary to Toronto, departing Calgary International Airport at 12:10 p.m. MDT and arriving at Toronto Pearson at 5:52 p.m. EDT. WestJet launched in 1996 with a fleet of three Boeing 737-200s, serving five destinations in Western Canada. It began replacing those aircraft with the more fuel-efficient Boeing Next-Generation 737-600, -700 and -800 series in May 2001, becoming a completely Next-Generation fleet in January 2006.
Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated (EAC), a leading operator and the manufacturer of the powerful heavy-lift helicopter, the Erickson S-64 Aircrane, today announced that the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (“NAMSA”), which provides various logistics services for NATO nations, has, as the prime contracting party, awarded the Company a three year contract to supply aerial firefighting services in Greece for the 2012 to 2014 firefighting seasons, which may be extended for a further two years at NAMSA’s option. Under the contract Erickson will receive payments with respect to the provision of its helicopters amounting to $8.9 million per year or $44.4 million over the life of the contract, if extended. Erickson is entitled to receive additional amounts depending on the level of flight hours activity experienced by the helicopters during the term of the contract. The aerial firefighting services are to be provided by three heavy-lift Aircrane helicopters already deployed in Europe. Payment terms on amounts billed under the contract are 60 days from the end of month of invoice, paid directly by NAMSA in USD.
Iceland's International Airport in Keflavik received the award 'Best Airport in Europe 2011' at the annual ASQ Awards Ceremony in Singapore last week. Keflavik International Airport (KEF) won the award in the category 'best airport for 2 million passengers or less'. The prestigious titled comes after participants of an extensive airport service survey, conducted by Airports Council International, voted the airport as top of its category. The Airports Council International survey is published quarterly and annually with 186 major airports worldwide taking part, 54 of which are in Europe. Survey participants answer a number of questions about the quality of more than 36 service factors.
AVIATION QUOTE
Airshow flying is tough, it's even tougher if you do something stupid. Don't do nuthin dumb!
— Ralph Royce
ON THIS DATE
---In 1908... The first European flight of over 15 minutes takes place. Léon Delagrange flies his Voisin-Delagrange in France.
---In 1912... Wilbur Wright dies of typhoid fever at the early age of 45. His death marks the end of his extraordinary partnership with his brother Orville, which culminated in 1903 with the first true powered flight in history.
---In 1949... The first use of a Martin-Baker ejection seat in a genuine emergency occurs when pilot J. O. Lancaster ejects himself from the Armstrong Whitworth “flying wing” jet airplane. The seat worked perfectly well.
---In 1971… Mariner 9, USA Mars Orbiter, launched. Mariner 9 arrived at Mars on November 3, 1971 and was placed into orbit on November 24. This was the first US spacecraft to enter an orbit around a planet other than the Moon. At the time of its arrival a huge dust storm was in progress on the planet. Many of the scientific experiments were delayed until the storm had subsided. The first hi-resolution images of the moons Phobos and Deimos were taken. River and channel like features were discovered. Mariner 9 is still in Martian orbit.
---In 1972…First flight of the Northrop YA-9 71-1367.
---In 1974…The Airbus A300 enters service with Air France.
---In 2003… The final commercial flight of an Air France Concorde takes place.
---In 2008…Silverjet ceases operations.
---In 2008…TACA Flight 390, an Airbus A320-233, crashed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with 5 casualties (two on the ground) and 65 injuries.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Engineer as a Designer of the Human Body
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.
One said, ``It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.''
Another said, ``No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous systems many thousands of electrical connections.''
The last said, ``Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?''
TRIVIA
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