News
Lufthansa orders 100 A320s, plus A380s and 777-300ERs
Lufthansa Group is to order 100 Airbus A320-family jets including 70 re-engined variants, as well as two Airbus A380s plus six Boeing 777-300ERs for its Swiss International Air Lines operation. The group detailed its plans in a speech to be given by chief executive Christoph Franz, as the company unveiled its 2012 financial results. Lufthansa will receive the A380s and 30 baseline A320s, while Swiss will take six 777s. The executive board has also "granted permission to conclude the ongoing negotiations" for 70 A320neo and A321neo aircraft.
Link
Link
Boeing details 787 battery redesign, rebuts safety claims
Boeing has disclosed that the 787 battery redesign package will include an improved battery charger, as the company delivered its most detailed and forceful description of the design changes and defense of its actions. The new battery charger unit adds to several previously-disclosed new protections to allow the 787 to return to flight, possibly within weeks, with a pair of GS Yuasa's 32V lithium-ion batteries providing start-up and back-up power onboard the aircraft.
Boeing's certification plan, which was approved two days ago by the US Federal Aviation Administration, calls for hundreds of hours of laboratory testing and a single flight test to validate the systems.
Link
Link
NTSB cites lack of procedures in JetBlue A320 and Learjet proximity incident
A US investigation into a hazardous proximity incident involving a JetBlue Airbus A320 and a Bombardier Learjet 60 in April 2012 has pointed to a lack of procedures to ensure separation in the event of a go-around on runways with intersecting flight paths. In its report released on 13 March, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the lack of such procedures was the probable cause behind the incident that took place at Las Vegas airport on 27 April 2012. No one was injured and neither aircraft was damaged in the incident. In the incident, the A320's flight crew was conducting a visual approach to runway 25L at the airport while the Mexican-registered Learjet 60 was simultaneously being cleared for take-off from runway 19L. The A320's pilots chose to execute a go-around and came into dangerous proximity with the Learjet 60 as it was departing, said the NTSB. The A320 made an "evasive turn" to the left while the Learjet 60 initiated a rapid climb.
Link
A400M gets lift with full civil type certification
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved full civil certification for the Airbus Military A400M tactical transport, edging the type closer to its entry into service in mid-2013. Presented to the manufacturer by EASA on 13 March, the certificate marks "a critical step towards delivery of the first aircraft to the French air force", Airbus Military says. The programme's launch example from a currently contracted 174 aircraft, MSN7, made its debut flight from Seville, Spain, on 6 March and is due to be handed over in late May or early June. Discussions to finalise the exact detail of the transport's initial operating capability standard for France are ongoing, the company adds.
Link
Critics Wave Knives At US Air Safety Hearing
TSA head John Pistole on Thursday defended his controversial move to allow small knives to be carried onto planes, despite protests from flight attendants and lawmakers who say it will endanger the flying public. Sitting stonily at the witness table as members of the US House of Representatives Homeland Security committee waved knives, a golf club and a hockey stick for dramatic emphasis, Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole told a hearing that his decision was made based on threat information and he had no plans to rescind it. Last week the TSA said that from April 25, it would allow knives with blades that are 2.36 inches (6 cm) or less to be carried onto planes. Passengers will also be allowed to carry on hockey sticks, golf clubs, ski poles or billiard cues.
Link
AMR Requests Extension For Bankruptcy Exit Plan
American Airlines parent AMR, which is planning to merge with US Airways, has asked a judge for another extension of its exclusive period to file a plan to exit bankruptcy. The carrier and its unsecured creditors committee asked the US Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday to extend the time during which creditors cannot pursue their own restructuring plans for the airline to May 29. Currently, American has until April 15 to file its reorganization plan. American and US Airways announced their plan to combine last month in an USD$11 billion deal that would form the world's biggest airline.
Link
Other News
China Airlines plans to launch a low-cost carrier (LCC) in Taiwan in conjunction with TransAsia Airways, according to China Airlines chairman Sun Hongxiang. There is no timetable for the joint venture and its ownership ratio is still being determined. The new entity is expected to order six Airbus A320 or A321 initially and operate routes within Asia and Hawaii. There are currently no Taiwan-based LCCs and foreign LCCs currently dominate the market.
Fastjet has secured another £15.7 million ($23.4 million) in funding and lined up some potential partners, which it hopes will help firm up its planned acquisition of South African budget carrier 1time. This week, Fastjet chairman David Lenigas and CEO Ed Winter are traveling to South Africa to meet with 1time’s liquidators and hopefully firm up the provisional deal that was struck late last year. “Fastjet has been working with a number of South African-based entities in recent weeks and believes it has now found a solution to secure acceptable partnership arrangements, which ensure that any change of control of 1time would comply with current South African laws on foreign ownership. Fastjet is hopeful that a deal could be finalized and feels confident that an acceptable solution can now be put to the liquidator so a meeting of creditors might be called,” the budget carrier said in a statement.
Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) has completed the merger of two of its airline subsidiaries. The move creates a single airline from Air Transport International (ATI) and Capital Cargo International Airlines (CCIA). The newly formed entity, ATI, will be headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., with its operations center in Wilmington, Ohio. It will be headed by ATI president Dennis Manibusan. The merger follows the cessation of ATSG’s contract with global logistics provider D.B. Schenker, which ATSG had supported with a dedicated air cargo network served by ATI and CCIA. The North American air freight network agreements ended in December 2011. Schenker's contribution to airline services revenues was $85.7 million in 2011.
Emirates SkyCargo and Qantas Freight have inked a partnership to cooperate on cargo capacity on each other’s passenger services. Beginning March 31, the two companies will offer customers access to each of the two networks, marketing their cargo capacity to a total 233 ports across six continents. “This partnership will offer customers a range of benefits including increased frequencies, more options and flexibility, and ultimately improvements through the creation of seamless connections to more destinations,” Emirates divisional SVP-cargo Ram Menen said. “SkyCargo customers from around the world will initially have access to 28 destinations on Qantas Freight’s network including 10 ports in Australia and eight destinations in Asia.” Qantas will also expand its network to include 65 Emirates destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia connecting with its own existing network of 80 destinations in Australia through interline arrangements.
GE Aviation has delivered its initial production wing fixed trailing edge components for the Airbus A350 XWB MSN001. “This delivery start up results from major achievements at GE Aviation in design and manufacturing—bringing together new tool sets, materials and technologies, while also involving concurrent engineering with global suppliers to obtain material and long-lead items in unprecedented timescales,” said Steve Walters, GE Aviation aerostructures and nacelles executive product leader. GE Aviation will provide the wing fixed trailing edge for all three A350 WXB aircraft; the -800, -900 and -1000, producing the components at its Hamble-le-Rice factory in Southampton, Hampshire. It plans enhancements to the facility with the addition of a composites facility dedicated to the Airbus program.
Delta Air Lines will launch Los Angeles service to Nashville (daily, April, Seattle, (3X-daily, April
Turkish Airlines will operate 4X-weekly Istanbul-Marseille service June 4-Oct. 25.
American Airlines will fly daily Chicago O’Hare-Dusseldorf 767-300ER service from April 12.
Air Berlin will increase Dusseldorf service from New York JFK (7X weekly to 10X weekly); Los Angeles (3X to 4X weekly); and Miami (5X weekly to daily).
Delta Air Lines will begin daily Los Angeles-San José, Costa Rica Boeing 757-200 service July 2.
Aviation Quote
Airspeed, altitude, or brains; you always need at least two.
Anonymous
On This Date
---In 1938... De Havilland D. H. 88 Comet racer G-ACSS begins a record-breaking flight from England to New Zealand and back for what some regard as the most notable success of the Comet’s achievement: a return flight time of 10 days 21 hours 22 minutes.
---In 1941…Philippine Airlines begins service with a Beechcraft Model 18 NPC-54 with flights from Manila to Baguio.
---In 1957... A U.S. Navy ZPG-2 nonrigid airship sets a new unrefueled endurance record when it lands, having remained aloft for 264 hours (11 days) 12 minutes, beating the record set by the Graf Zeppelin in 1929.
---In 1962…Flying Tigers Flight 739 crashes into the Philippine Sea. The Lockheed L-1049H (N6921C) disappears while flying from Guam to Manila, killing all 107 souls on-board.
---In 1963…A Lloyd Aereo Boliviano Douglas DC-6B (CP-707) crashes into a mountain in Peru, killing all 39 aboard. The pilots were flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules) while operating in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) conditions.
---In 1967…Air Southwest is incorporated by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King. They would go on to grow it into low-cost juggernaut Southwest Airlines.
---In 1967…Piedmont leases two Boeing 727s to use pending delivery of their Boeing 737s. This also marks the day that Piedmont places the Fairchild FH-227 into service.
---In 1972…NASA selects 3 part configuration for Space Shuttle.
---In 1974…A Sterling Airways Caravelle (OY-STK) caught fire while taxiing to depart in Tehran, Iran. The right main gear collapses, rupturing the fuel line, resulting in the deaths of 15 of the 96 people on the plane.
---In 1985…American Eagle Airlines, a commuter subsidiary of American Airlines, begins service.
---In 1985... Pan Am puts the Airbus A300B airliner into service, on its route from Miami, Florida to Mexico City.
---In 1996…Aircraft manufacturer Fokker shuts down after 84 years in business.
---In 1979…Pluto again becomes outermost planet when its orbit carries it past Neptune. It lost this status in 2006 when the IAU decided that Pluto is not a planet.
---In 2002…An Aerotaxi Antonov AN-2 crashes in Baez, Cuba, killing all 16 passengers. The aircraft plunges into a pond after a wing separated.
---In 2012…A Royal Norwegian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules crashes into Mount Kebnekaise, killing all five people on board and triggering an avalanche.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
The Kiss
Four strangers traveled together in the same compartment of an European train. Two men and two women faced each other. One woman was a very wealthy and sophisticated 70-year-old lady who was decked out in the finest of furs and jewelry. Next to her Sat a beautiful young woman, nineteen years old--who looked like something right off the cover of a fashion magazine. Across from the older lady was a very mature looking man in his mid-forties who was a newly promoted LT. in the Army. Next to the LT. sat a young Paratrooper fresh out of Jump School.
As these four strangers traveled, they talked and chatted about trivial things until they entered an unlighted tunnel, and there they sat in complete darkness and total silence, until the sound of a distinct kiss broke the silence; following the kiss a loud slap could be heard throughout the cabin.
In the ensuing period of silence the four strangers sat quietly with their own thoughts.
The older lady was thinking, "Isn't it wonderful that even in this permissive day and age there are still young women who have a little self-respect and dignity?"
The young woman, shaking her head and greatly puzzled, asked herself, "Why in the world would any man in his right mind want to kiss an old fossil like that when I'm sitting here?"
The LT, rubbing his sore face, was outraged that any woman could ever think that a man in his position would try to sneak a kiss in the dark.
The Paratrooper, grinning from ear to ear, was thinking, "What a crazy and mixed up world this is when a private can kiss the back of his hand and then smack a LT. in the face and get away with it!"
Trivia
Airfield ID
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
