CommercialFAA should re-evaluate risk on lithium ion batteries: NTSBThe US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should re-evaluate the risk of internal short circuits within permanently installed lithium-ion batteries on commercial aircraft, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says in new recommendations released on 22 May. The FAA also should improve testing of lithium-ion batteries during the certification process and consult with outside experts on all new technologies being installed on aircraft, the NTSB adds. The six recommendations are the first proposals for change to come out from the two battery incidents in January 2013 that prompted a worldwide, four-month grounding of the Boeing 787 fleet and an investigation that is still ongoing.
LinkAir Canada's 787 dream beginsThe Dreamliner era has begun at Air Canada with the arrival of its first Boeing 787-8 (registered C-GHPQ) at Toronto-Pearson International airport on 18 May. Air Canada has massive expectations for the 251-passenger aircraft equipped with GE GENX-1B engines. It hopes that the 787 will deliver on fuel savings, reliability, passenger comfort and service, as well as allowing the Star Alliance carrier to further expand and reinforce its route network, starting with its inaugural dedicated service to Tokyo Haneda on 15 July.
LinkRivals Turn On Etihad After Report Of Royal FundingEtihad Airways had access to an interest free USD$3 billion loan from Abu Dhabi's ruling family, the Australian Financial Review newspaper said on Thursday, prompting criticism from rivals that have long complained of state support for the carrier. Citing what it said were leaked documents prepared for prospective financiers in 2011, the newspaper said the loan for government-owned Etihad required no repayments until 2027. The airline, which also has equity stakes in Air Berlin and Aer Lingus, has long rejected allegations from rivals in Europe and Asia that it receives unfair financial support or state subsidies.
LinkSan Diego Airport To Allow Anti-SeaWorld AdSan Diego Airport has agreed to run an animal rights group's advertisement asking visitors to avoid SeaWorld, a major city tourist attraction that has faced criticism over shows featuring killer whales, a civil rights group said on Thursday. The airport, which had balked at displaying the ad, agreed to show it as part of a legal settlement after an animal rights group sued in March accusing the airport and the company that handles its advertising of infringing on its free speech rights. "There appears to have been viewpoint discrimination, and we are glad that issue was resolved," said Sean Riordan, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties, which helped represent People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the lawsuit.
LinkUndersea search for MH370 resumesThe search for MH370 has resumed, with the autonomous underwater vehicle Bluefin-21 operating from the ADV Ocean Shield in waters to the west of Australia. “Over the next week, Bluefin-21 will search the remaining areas in the vicinity of the acoustic signals detected in early April by the towed pinger locator deployed from Ocean Shield that are within its depth operating limits,” says Australia’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) in a statement. “This continues the process that will ultimately enable the search team to discount or confirm the area of the acoustic signals as the final resting place of MH370.” The Bluefin-21 had been out of commission for one week, awaiting spare parts for its transponder to correct a hardware defect.
LinkU.S. airlines experiencing a renaissanceAfter nine years of losses totaling $58 billion, the industry has been on a promising upswing. Recent mergers have led to greater efficiency among the remaining carriers, experts say. "It's an assortment of key components in the industry that has led to this sort of renaissance," said Andrew Meister, an analyst at Thrivent Financial.
LinkAmerican progressing toward integration, president saysScott Kirby, the president of the American Airlines Group, said a lot of progress has been made after the merger with US Airways. "We really feel like we’re just hitting on all cylinders with regard to the integration," he said. "We feel really bullish not just on the industry but even more bullish on the future of American Airlines."
LinkSouthwest Airlines sees promising Q2 ahead, CFO saysTammy Romo, the CFO for Southwest Airlines, said the second quarter looks promising so far for the carrier. Southwest reported a profit of $152 million for the first quarter, and the carrier's unit revenue rose by up to 8% for April. "The momentum that we saw in the first quarter continues here in the second quarter," she said.
LinkDelta adds LAX route, Virgin Atlantic picks up AtlantaDelta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic are switching services as part of a joint venture partnership the airlines forged at the start of this year. Delta will offer nonstop service between Los Angeles and London Heathrow while Virgin Atlantic will take one of Delta's daily flights from London Heathrow to Atlanta. The swap, which includes a codeshare arrangement, makes 200 connections available through the partnered airlines.
LinkUPS CFO predicts solid growth in 2014Kurt Kuehn, the chief financial officer for UPS, said the package carrier is predicting solid results for 2014. "We're seeing a slowly growing economy," he said. "Clearly there's some challenges in some areas. We're pretty confident that it's going to be a solid year."
LinkPassengers prefer boarding from back to front of airplane The majority of travelers say they think boarding a plane from back to front would be the most efficient according to a joint survey conducted by The GO Group, LLC, an international ground transportation provider and GO Airport Express, a GO Group member company based in Chicago. More than 280 people responded to the survey, which was conducted in response to news some airlines have been testing boarding from back to front as well as outside in, with window passengers first, then middle seats then aisles. Fifty-five percent expressed the view that back-to-front would be the fastest and fairest way to board. Some survey participants had their own suggestions, including requiring that passengers be required to store their carry-ons only in the bins directly overhead their seats. Another suggested randomized boarding so that passengers are scattered throughout the plane when storing their luggage and getting seated to reduce jams in the aisles, while one said it didn't matter much "once the baggage wars break out."
LinkThai carrier finalizes order for Boeing 737s Boeing announced that it finalized an order with Nok Air, a low-cost Thai airline, for seven 737 Max 8 and eight Next Generation 737-800 planes. The order, which was first announced at the Singapore Air Show in February, is valued at $1.45 billion at list prices. Both aircraft models are single-aisle and designed for greater fuel efficiency. The 737 Max, for which Boeing has received 2,017 orders to date, incorporates CFM International Leap-1B engines, a redesigned tail cone, and new winglets, which allow for a 14% improvement in fuel use over other single-aisle aircraft.
LinkColumn: DOT is harming airlines, customersColumnist Marc Scribner says the Department of Transportation is exceeding its authority by seeking to require airlines to include ancillary fees in airfares. "In its thirst for power, DOT is not only harming consumers and airlines in the name of 'consumer protection,' it is thumbing its nose at the principles of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act and at over three decades of economic liberalization," writes Scribner.
LinkSo how does in-flight Wi-Fi really work?Travelers have become so used to wireless everywhere that it's easy to take for granted surfing the Web 40,000 feet in the sky. But behind that technology is a delicate dance between satellites hovering in space and ground stations bouncing signals upward. Technology columnist Barry Kaufman reveals the secrets that make it possible to watch cat videos in flight.
LinkDelta Flight Museum to reopen in Atlanta next month Mark the date on your iCal: the Delta Flight Museum at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport reopens after major renovations on June 17. The buildings and Delta's historic 1940s maintenance hangars have been updated with fresh exhibits, new displays and cases, improved public spaces, an expanded store, and three more aircraft for the collection. Furthermore, the museum boasts the US' only full-motion, official flight simulator open to the public (a 737-200). Actual aircraft on display include a DC-3, Waco 125 bi-plane (last in existence), Travel Air 6B Sedan, Stinson SR-8E Reliant, an L-1011 prototype section, and the Boeing 767 "Spirit of Delta," which was the airline's first 767 delivered after Delta's own employees banded together in the 1980s' tough times to raise money and fund the purchase.
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