News
BAE, EADS Talks May Spur More Mergers
In the biggest shake-up in Europe's aerospace sector in more than a decade, Britain's BAE Systems and Airbus-owner EADS said they are in advanced talks to create an industry giant that would overtake Boeing in sales and contend with military cutbacks in Europe and the United States.
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Boeing 'Not Threatened' By BAE, EADS Merger
Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney on Wednesday said his company was not threatened by merger discussions between EADS, the parent of Airbus, and BAE Systems.
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Bombardier To Cut Discretionary Spending
Bombardier has told staff in its aerospace unit to suspend discretionary spending for the rest of the year so that the Canadian company can keep cash for its costly C-Series and Learjet 85 aircraft development.
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Daimler Still Plans To Reduce EADS Stake
Daimler still intends to reduce its stake in EADS, the parent of Airbus, by the end of this year, the company said on Wednesday in a statement.
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Singapore Air Signs USD$400 Mln IFE Deal
Singapore Airlines has signed an agreement worth nearly USD$400 million to equip its aircraft with advanced in-flight entertainment and communication systems in a bid to gain an advantage over other carriers.
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Embraer begins production of Phenom 300 at Melbourne, Florida
Embraer has begun production of the first Phenom 300 at its US assembly facility in Melbourne, Florida. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery early next year - one of more than a dozen of the seven-seat aircraft expected to roll out of the site in the southeast of the USA by the end of 2013. Embraer broke ground on the Melbourne facility in 2010 and began assembly of its entry-level Phenom 100 early last year. To date 14 US-manufactured aircraft have been handed over to customers in the US, Canada and Mexico, says Embraer.
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Airbus defends sales pace of A330-200F
Airbus has defended the slow pace of sales for its A330-200 freighter, insisting the cargo twinjet's business is comparable to the Boeing 767's when the backing of the major freight integrators is discounted. Customers have ordered 52 of the Airbus type but the airframer had previously secured several more agreements which have gradually been eroded from the backlog. New freighter marketing manager Oliver von Tronchin says the popularity of the A330's passenger version - particularly in the wake of delays to the Boeing 787 program - has sapped a number of orders from leasing companies which converted away from the freighter.
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Emirates and AMR in partnership talks
Emirates is in talks with American Airlines parent AMR to launch a partnership that will involve codesharing on flights and reciprocal frequent flier benefits. The two carriers have been in discussions since late last year, says Emirates president Tim Clark at Washington Dulles airport today. "It hasn't been consummated but we hope it will be done fairly soon," he says, adding that the ball is in AMR's court and acknowledging that the airline has several issues to attend to currently.
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Russian An-28 crashes on Kamchatka, killing 10
An Antonov An-28, operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise, crashed Tuesday morning on approach to Palana, a small town on Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, with 12 passengers and two crew members aboard. The Interfax news agency has reported 10 people onboard were killed.
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FedEx, UPS receive approval for express service in China
FedEx and United Parcel Service have received approval from China to begin express-package services in the country. However, the service is somewhat limited as FedEx received approval for eight cities while UPS received for five cities.
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American Airlines trimmed capacity in August
Consolidated traffic for American Airlines rose by 0.1% for August as the carrier trimmed capacity by 1.5%. Passenger revenue per available seat mile increased by 4.1% for August, while load factor improved to 85.8% for the month. AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy in November.
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House passes measure to end additional screening on some flights
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a measure that would end additional baggage checks on flights from 14 foreign airports. The Transportation Security Administration has said the 14 airports have security levels that meet or exceed U.S. standards. Previously, travelers had to have their bags rescreened when they entered the U.S. from one of the airports. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., said, "This double security does not equal double safety," he said. "It equals missed flights, more hassles and wastes taxpayer dollars."
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GE completes ultrasound checks of Boeing 787 engine
General Electric has completed ultrasound checks of four Boeing 787s, which are powered by a GE engine that failed during ground taxi tests. "The voluntary inspection to the -1B and the -2B fleets provide GE Aviation with additional engineering data to use in the investigation with the NTSB, Boeing and IHI to determine the cause of the fan shaft fracture," GE says. GE forwarded the analysis to the National Transportation Safety Board for review.
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European officials may recommend halting EU ETS
Representatives from Airbus met with government officials from France, Germany, Spain and the U.K. at the Berlin Air Show on Tuesday. Airbus urged the officials to seek alternatives to the European Union's emissions-trading scheme to avoid the potential for a trade war. "Airbus today has left us in no doubt that the threat of retaliatory action is a clear and present danger to their order list," said Michael Fallon, the business minister for the U.K. German economy official Peter Hintze said, "This conflict could become serious and Airbus could suffer deeply."
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Government auditors to review FAA safety program
U.S. government auditors plan to examine a program that allows airlines to self-report safety issues to the Federal Aviation Administration. Critics say the program, established in 2006, allowed inspectors and airlines to get too close in 2008. Congress has requested another review of the program.
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Weak mobile, Wi-Fi services at airports continue to frustrate fliers
Many airports are still offering inadequate mobile and Wi-Fi services despite their growing importance to today's traveler, Amy Gahran writes. Passengers face enough frustrations with Wi-Fi fees at airports, but they also have to contend with unreliable network coverage and airport websites not optimized for mobile devices, she says. "Worse, some airports insist on placing a 'frame' around your Web browser window with airport-related ads, limiting valuable screen real estate," Gahran writes.
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Other News
IATA: Global economic slowdown puts crunch on airlines. The global economic slowdown is well underway, creating a “difficult environment” for airlines that is not likely to improve soon, IATA chief economist Brian Pearce has warned. Speaking at the Airports Council International-North America/World Conference and Exhibition in Calgary, Pearce said declining business confidence and slowing economic growth rates indicate a tough time for airlines, especially for those that have a significant cargo operation.
Air Mauritius (MK) has appointed Andre Viljoen as its new CEO, confirming a role he has held on an acting basis since December 2010. Viljoen, who was CEO of South African Airways (SA) between 2001 and 2004, is a chartered accountant with over 30 years airline and travel industry experience. His career includes time as financial and commercial director of South Africa’s Comair Group, COO of South African Express Airways, CFO and EVP of SA and, most recently, CFO and CIO of MK.
OnAir has been granted authorization to provide its Internet OnAir inflight Wi-Fi service within Australian airspace. This means that airlines—including Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines—that provide OnAir Wi-Fi services on flights to Australia, can now offer the service throughout the flight, including in Australian airspace.
Qantas (QF) will be the launch customer for Boeing’s iPad-based pilot onboard performance tool (OPT). QF will take delivery in the fourth quarter of 2012 and will begin training approximately 240 Boeing 767 pilots during the first quarter of 2013. The product will be deployed on 130 of the carrier’s Boeing 737, 767 and 747 aircraft and can be used on its own or as a backup to Class 2 or 3 Electronic Flight Bag applications.
Virgin Atlantic (VS) has become the launch customer for ARINC’s Cabin Connect, which enables passengers to access the Internet, send and receive email and use universal messaging through their own portable electronic devices via ARINC SwiftBroadband Wi-Fi Internet hotspots. The first aircraft to be equipped with Cabin Connect will be a VS Airbus A330 in the first quarter of 2013. SwiftBroadband is an IP-based packet-switched service with “always-on” data connectivity provided by ARINC in conjunction with Inmarsat. It provides oceanic satellite coverage, simultaneous voice and broadband data, and enables all key cockpit and cabin applications, including telephony, text messaging, e-mail, Internet and intranet access, as well as flight plan, weather, and chart updates.
Pinnacle Airlines dispatchers have ratified the tentative agreement reached Aug. 31. The ratification means the dispatchers, represented by the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), will avoid the Section 1113 litigation process in bankruptcy court.
OLT Express Germany will launch service from Saarbrucken to Munich (11X-weekly), Vienna (VIE) (4X-weekly), Hamburg (daily) and London-Southend (3X-weekly) Oct. 31. It will also launch service from Munster Osnabruck to Berlin Schonefeld (11X-weekly), Stuttgart (6X-weekly), VIE (daily), Milan Malpensa (3X-weekly) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (5X-weekly) Oct. 15.
Alaska Airlines launched daily Portland, Ore.-Washington Reagan service Aug. 28.
Arik Air will operate seasonal 3X-weekly Lagos-New York JFK service Oct. 29.
American Airlines will launch weekly Miami-Roatan, Honduras Boeing 737 service Nov. 17.
Aviation Quote
Most healthy young men or women from sixteen to forty years of age can be taught to fly an ordinary airplane. A great majority of these may become very good pilots for transport- or passenger-carrying machines in time of peace; but the requirements for a military aviator call for more concentrated physical and mental ability in the individual than has ever been necessary in any calling heretofore.
— Brigadier General William 'Billy' Mitchell, 'Skyways,' 1930.
On This Date
---In 1906…The first fixed-wing aircraft flight in Europe.
--- In 1928... In an effort to speed up the time it takes for mail to reach the United States via Europe, a single-engined Liore et Oliver LeO 198 airplane is catapulted off the Ile de France ocean liner, reducing the time it takes mail to reach the United States by one whole day.
--- In 1935... Millionaire film producer and amateur air racer Howard Hughes shatters the world land plane speed record in his home built Hughes Racer airplane.
---In 1978…Rollout of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet.
---In 1978…First flight of the Aérospatiale Super Puma F-WZJA.
---In 1982…Spantax Airlines Flight 995, a Douglas DC-10 (EC-DEG), crashes on takeoff at Malaga Airport in Spain, killing 50 of the 294 people onboard. The pilot felt a strong vibration in the nosegear and decided to abort the takeoff even though he had passed Vr (rotation speed). The aircraft overran the runway, bursting into flames on an embankment.
---In 1986…First flight of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti.
---In 1994…The Airbus Beluga makes her maiden flight.
---In 2001…Civilian aircraft traffic resumes in the United States following the terrorist attacks two days earlier.
---In 2010…A Conviasa ATR-42 (YV-1010) crashes while flying from Santiago Mariño Caribbean International Airport in Porlamar to Manuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport in the city of Ciudad Guayana, killing at least 15 of the 47 people on board.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
The Pawnee
This unemployed CPL is looking for work when he gets a call from the Malaysian government.
"We've got a problem with fires and smoke and stuff, how’s about you come out and fly our Pawnees? All the flying you want, loads of free food and beer, good girls and best of all, money!!"
So the chap thinks it over and then jumps on the nearest Virgin and off he goes. Time passes. About three weeks later he's told to take the Pawnee away for a break and a 500 hour check (500 hours in 3 weeks being about right there).
On the way he is overcome with tiredness and has to land in a field of grass. Except that's it's rice and rather wet. He gets out of the plane and lies on the wing, oblivious to his surroundings.
Suddenly, out of the distance comes a big white Toyota land Cruiser, and in it is an 18 year old beauty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, nice white clothes etc. fantasy etc. The girl insists our hero join her in the farm house, away from the field and the snakes etc. On the way she tells him her dad is away and she's alone on her own in the house. At length, hero goes to bed, only to be disturbed a while later by a knock on the door.
"It's me " the girl squeals, "I'm lonely" Our hero says to go away - he being a brave pilot type and scared of her dad.
"No, let me in " she insists "My dad would want it".
Our boy has to relent and he lets her in - she is wearing very little, nice see through nighty, good body etc. fantasy etc. She gets in beside him and he turns away, as a gesture of gentlemanliness.
"Come here" she pleads "I haven't seen a naked man before". "No" he insists "go to sleep, I'm a professional and I'm tired"
"Please" she says, "if you don't I'll tell dad you made me!" so, in deference to a failed situation, our hero rolls over the girl... and falls off the wing of the Pawnee and into the paddy field!
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