CommercialAir Canada and Boeing finalise 737 Max dealAir Canada and Boeing have finalised the carrier’s order for up to 109 737 Max aircraft. The order includes 33 737 Max 8s and 28 Max 9s as well as 18 options and 30 purchase rights for further Max aircraft. It was announced in December 2013. “Our narrowbody fleet renewal program with the 737 Max is expected to yield significant cost savings and is a key element of our ongoing cost transformation program," says Calin Rovinescu, president and chief executive of Air Canada.
LinkMH370 air-ground communication appears routineInvestigators probing the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have reiterated that there was no evidence of unusual air traffic control communications before the aircraft vanished. But the Malaysian ministry of transport, which has released the air-ground communication transcript, says it remains convinced that the Boeing 777's movements after it lost contact are “consistent with deliberate action” by someone on board. “There is no indication of anything abnormal in the transcript,” the ministry states. It shows that the aircraft requested a cruise altitude of 35,000ft for the 8 March service to Beijing. The flight was assigned the transponder squawk code 2157 and cleared for the PIBOS Alpha departure. From Kuala Lumpur’s departure runway 32R this normally involves flying a straight course until 9nm distant from the airport’s VOR, then turning right at about 1,200ft.
LinkFiji Airways A330 damaged in hard landingA Fiji Airways Airbus A330-200 has been removed from service after it experienced a heavy landing at Sydney airport on 20 March. When contacted, the airline confirmed that the aircraft, registered DQ-FJT, was involved in a heavy landing incident but gave no further details to the extent of the damage suffered by the twinjet. “After the inspection of the aircraft by our maintenance supplier in Sydney, it got released and cleared to fly back to Nadi, so was safe to fly back,” says chief executive and managing director Stefan Pichler. The aircraft has since been removed from service for “unscheduled maintenance”, while an internal investigation into the circumstances of the landing is underway.
LinkLufthansa Hostage-Taking Ends After Brief StandoffA Kosovo man took a flight attendant hostage on a Lufthansa flight on Tuesday but surrendered to police after a brief standoff, police said. German media said a 50-year-old flight attendant suffered cuts after the man put her in a headlock and held a razor blade to her throat minutes after takeoff from Munich airport. Other crew rushed to the assistance of the flight attendant and there was a scuffle, Bild online said. When no one understood the man's demands, he barricaded himself in a toilet with the flight attendant. The pilot turned the plane around and returned to the airport.
LinkJetBlue Plane Makes Emergency Landing In JamaicaJamaican airport authorities are investigating the emergency landing of a Florida-bound JetBlue Airways plane that was forced to return to the Caribbean island on Monday night after reports of smoke onboard. The flight was headed to Fort Lauderdale from Kingston's Norman Manley Airport but returned to Jamaica 15 minutes after take-off, JetBlue officials said. Alfredo McDonald, an official with Jamaica's Airports Authority, said authorities were looking into reports that smoke was detected in one of the plane's engines. The plane, an Embraer E190, was carrying 98 passengers and four crew members, McDonald said.
LinkAnalysts praise Hawaiian's expansion of international serviceHawaiian Airlines plans to launch its 10th international route, adding service to Beijing on April 16. Although Hawaiian also plans to discontinue service to Taipei and Fukuoka, Japan, analysts praised Hawaiian's international expansion efforts. "This is positive stuff," said Mike Boyd, an aviation consultant based in Colorado. He also supported Hawaiian CEO Mark Dunkerley for dropping Taipei and Fukuoka after a short trial. "If it doesn't work, leave. There's not a hard source of data that will tell you if there's enough disposable dollars in Taiwan to support nonstop service to Hawaii. On the surface there is. But they found out they can use their resources elsewhere for a better return. That's just solid planning."
LinkAmerican CEO: American Eagle faces challenge without Embraer jetsDoug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines, said American Eagle faces a challenge after pilots rejected a deal that would have provided new Embraer jets. "Other regional airlines have been able to bring in new aircraft at lower costs," Parker said. "Without those new planes, it's going to be hard for American Eagle to grow competitively."
LinkUnited debuts San Francisco-Taipei service United Airlines has expanded its trans-Pacific network by connecting its San Francisco hub with Taipei and launching a second daily flight between Houston and Tokyo. The US carrier will operate both services with Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The San Francisco to Taipei service will seat 269 in a four-class configuration, with eight in United Global First, 40 in United Business First, 113 in United Economy Plus, and 108 United Economy seats. Flight UA871 departs San Francisco International Airport daily at 1350 and arrives in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 1830 the following day. Return leg UA872 leaves Taipei at 1110 and arrives back in San Francisco at 0730 the same day. The additional daily service to Tokyo will offer 267 seats in a three-class configuration – 50 in United Business First, 72 in United Economy Plus, and 217 in United Economy.
LinkMore customs officers on way to JFK, Newark to help reduce excessive waitsHundreds of new Customs and Border Protection agents will be hired to speed up the processing of international arrivals at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. The hires are part of a nationwide push to increase the number of customs agents at U.S. airports. The funding is part of the Department of Homeland Security's larger $165 million budget to hire 2,000 new agents across the country. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who helped to secure the funds, said, "It is a national embarrassment -- and drag on the regional economy -- that Customs lines there are so infuriatingly long."
LinkTravel group says silence is golden during flightAllowing voice calls during flights will ruin the flight experience for many travelers, according to the Global Business Travel Association, which is calling on the Department of Transportation to ban the calls, saying business travelers in particular would be harmed by in-flight cell phone calls. GBTA Executive Director Michael McCormick said, "On commercial aircraft in the United States, silence is golden."
LinkFAA proposes rule to provide parents with additional seat details Airlines would be required to notify parents about whether their child safety seats will fit on a plane under a new rule from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA already regulates the use of child safety seats on airplanes, but it is considering a new rule that would require airlines to disclose the size of all of their seats on their website, so parents can determine whether they would fit on airline seats. The airlines would specifically be required to list the width of the widest seat in coach, business and first-class for each airplane they operate. "Although the FAA has provided guidance to air carriers regarding how to accommodate (travelers with child safety seats) that do not fit in a particular seat, this proposed rulemaking would give caregivers additional information on whether an FAA-approved (child safety seat) will fit on the airplane on which they expect to travel," the agency wrote. Under existing rules, airlines must permit parents to use child safety seats, as long as the seats comply with existing FAA regulations.
LinkAtlanta remains the world's busiest airportAccording to Airports Council International, more than 94 million passengers went through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2013. Beijing Capital International Airport is the world's second busiest, with 84 million passengers last year.
LinkMitchell airport considers terminal redesign to improve passenger experienceOfficials at General Mitchell International Airport are exploring the feasibility of expanding its main terminal and merging its security checkpoints. The change would allow the airport to expand its concession choices and also allow passengers to move between terminals without repeatedly passing through security.
LinkDemand surging for commercial aircraft cabin interiorsAirlines’ demand to supply passengers with more hi-tech entertainment and communication options while improving cabin lights, windshields and galleys is growing rapidly. Driving factors include greater customer demand for more customized cabin comforts and a worldwide passenger growth rate that is on the rise. The total commercial aircraft cabin interior market is expected to reach $17,194.9 million in 2019, up from $12,852.96 million in 2014, according to a report from MarketsandMarkets.
LinkNewark airport to close runway for renovations A major 60-day rehabilitation project will begin this week at one of Newark Liberty International Airport's major north-south runways. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, says the work will require a temporary change in flight patterns that will bring more planes than usual over communities in Jersey City, Bayonne and Staten Island.
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