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United Cuts Q1 2015 Schedule Significantly

The shift is part of United’s strategy to match capacity to travel demand and strengthen financial performance, Chief Revenue Officer Jim Compton said. Chicago-based United plans to offer 25 percent more capacity during July, its busiest travel month, than in February, when demand is weakest.
The 25 percent difference between winter and summer operations is about twice as much as United’s historical average and reflects its decision to ground the smallest aircraft flown by its regional affiliates.
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Spirit Airlines Raises Checked-bag Fee for Holidays

Spirit is tacking on an extra $2 for bags checked on flights from Dec. 18 through Jan. 5. "Spend less time packing and more time laughing with family and friends this holiday season," Spirit adds in its message about the "temporary" holiday fee hike.
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Greenland Express Suspends Operations
Startup carrier Greenland Express has suspended flights after just three months of operation and is aiming to re-launch at some point with a different aircraft type.
Greenland Express started services in June using a Fokker 100 on three-year wet-lease from Dutch ACMI provider Denim Air, which operated the aircraft on its behalf.
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IATA Chief Accuses US of Regulatory Overreach
IATA DG and CEO Tony Tyler has accused US regulatory authorities of micromanaging the airline industry’s relationships with its customers to such an extent it runs directly against the grain of the US Airline Deregulation Act.
Speaking at the ABA Air & Space Law annual forum in Montreal last week, Tyler said the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) passenger protection activities, however well intentioned, are hard to square with the Act’s instruction to place maximum reliance on competitive market forces.
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Air France Says Strike Could Kill LCC Project

The dispute between Air France-KLM and its French pilots over the launch of its low-cost airline Transavia in Europe could force the company to abandon it, the company's chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said on Tuesday.
Speaking as the strike entered its ninth day despite his promise to suspend the project to the end of the year, de Juniac said he was deeply reluctant to abandon a launch he sees as crucial to fight competition from other low-cost players, but that he might have to.
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Bombardier In Talks On CSeries Launch Operator
Bombardier is in advanced talks with an unidentified airline that could become the first operator of the CSeries.
Bombardier spokesman Marc Duchesne said the company is in discussions to determine the first airline that will take delivery of the new aircraft next year.
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Turkish Air Looking At More Fleet Orders

Turkish Airlines is looking at options for further additions to its fleet, but has made no decisions, airline executives told a finance industry conference. He said the airline was looking at the Boeing 787, the Airbus A350, up to A380, or the Boeing 777X.
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Dubai's August Passenger Traffic Up 10.8 Pct

Passenger traffic through Dubai's main airport jumped 10.8 percent to 6.6 million people in August as the hub returned to its full capacity after a runway upgrade.
Dubai International, one of the world's busiest airports, reduced flights by about 26 percent for a period of 80 days from May 1 as both its runways were in turn refurbished and upgraded. Normal service resumed on July 21.
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Aviation Industry Divided Over 5/20 Rule to Fly Abroad
NEW DELHI: The Indian airline industry is firmly divided between new and old players on the issue of relaxing the rule that a carrier must be five-year-old and have at least 20 aircraft in its fleet before being allowed to fly abroad.
On Tuesday, aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapathi met CEOs of all Indian airlines, where the four airlines — Air India, Jet, IndiGo and SpiceJet — sought retention of the 5/20 rule. The new airlines of Tatas, one with Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia and other with Singapore Airlines, sought removal of this rule.
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CAA Plans to Introduce New Aviation Policy by Month-End
The policy will also focus on lowering taxes on domestic airlines and offer unilateral rights to Asian carriers, they stated, after a high level meeting chaired by Shujaat Azeem, adviser to the prime minister on aviation, was held on Tuesday at the CAA headquarters to review progress on the national aviation policy.
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Menzies Aviation to Cut 300 Jobs in Houston

Menzies Aviation, a U.K.-based provider of passenger, ramp and cargo handling services, will cut 324 full- and part-time jobs at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
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Aviation Quote

There always has been a mystique and a romance about aviation, but in terms of the principals involved of satisfying your customer there's no difference between selling airlines seats and chocolate bars.

— Mike 'Mars Bars' Batt, British Airways' Head of Brands (Marketing) and Director of North American Routes.

On This Date

---In 1852... French engineer, Henri Giffard, flies the 1st powered, manned airship. Powered by a steam engine and propeller, the airship flies at about 5-mph and covers 17 miles from Paris to Trappes, France. The craft marks the beginning of the practical airship.

---In 1929…Aviation pioneer Jimmy Doolittle completes the first flight to take off, fly and land using only instruments.

---In 1946…Cathay Pacific is founded.

---In 1949…First flight of the North American XT-28A Trojan.

---In 1956…The second incarnation of the Luftwaffe is founded in Germany.

---In 1956…The Tupolev Tu-104 enters service with Aeroflot.

---In 2001… 13 days after 9/11, US Airways decided to terminate all flights from MetroJet.

Daily Video

Editor’s Choice

Humor

The Green Beret

There was a Green Beret who had four daughters. He was in a habit of worrying about his daughters and always answered the door with a sawed-off shotgun.

One night he hears a knock at the door and finds a young man standing there. The young man says: "My name is Freddy. I've come to pick up Betty. We're going out for spaghetti. I hope she's ready." The Green Beret thought that was cute so he let them go out.

Pretty soon another knock on the door and another young man was there. He said: "My name is Lance. I've come for Nance. We're going to a dance. Is she ready by chance?" Again the Green Beret thought it was cute and let them go.

Soon another knock on the door with yet another young man standing there. He said: "My name is Moe. I'm here to get Flo. We're going to a show. Is she ready to go?" Once again the Green Beret thought it was cute and he let them go.

Again there was a knock on the door and a young man was standing there. He said: "My name is Chuck," The Green Beret shot him.

Trivia

The Buff In Vietnam

1. How many crew members were on a typical bombing flight during missions over Vietnam?
Various
4
6
8

2. How many engines are on a B-52-B?
4
8
6
10

3. How many bombs could a fully loaded B-52-D carry?
112
58
32
108

4. From how many bases did B-52 aircraft fly to drop bombs over Vietnam?
4
1
3
2

5. What B-52 model was the most heavily used during bombing missions over Vietnam?
B-52-D
B-52-G
B-52-A
B-52-F

6. What B-52 model was the most heavily used during bombing missions over Vietnam?
B-52-D
B-52-G
B-52-A
B-52-F

7. How many B-52 aircraft were lost to enemy action during the 'Christmas Bombing' campaign?
15
27
0
6

8. At which U.S. Air Force base were all B-52 crew members trained during the 1960's and 1970's?
Plattsburg AFB New York
Barksdale AFB Louisiana
Castle AFB California
March AFB California

9. In which seat position did the Electronic Warfare Officer sit on a B-52?
Lower deck, left side
Lower deck, right side
Upper deck, right front
Upper deck, left rear

10. What magnetic compass system was the PRIMARY magnetic compass system for the B-52?
J-4 Compass
N-1 Compass
ANG 1 - Astrotracker
NAV 12 Compass system

11. In 1963, just prior to the Vietnam War buildup, the U.S. Air Force had the largest number of B-52 aircraft in its fleet. How many B-52's did the U.S.A.F. possess at that time?
725
1091
650
456

12. The B-52 was produced at two different sites in the U.S. One was at Wichita, Kansas. Where was the other?
Los Angeles
Atlanta
Long Island
Seattle

13. What was the function of the ANALE24 system as it was used on the B-52?
Radio Telecommunications
Bombsite mechanism
Chaff dispenser
Radar navigation set

14. During an actual bomb run, which crew member (other than the pilot) sometimes handled steering of the aircraft?
Electronic Warfare Officer
Co-Pilot
Navigator
Radar navigator

15. During the Christmas bombing effort (1972) how many B-52 aircraft were lost to Mig Jet fighters?
0
5
2
7