NewsCommercial
Pilot makes memorable proposal aboard flight
Ravn Alaska pilot Eric Greener proposed to Brandy Hollenbeck, an Alaska Airlines flight attendant, during a flight from Seattle to Alaska. Greener was a passenger on the flight as a surprise. "The pilots were in on it, the gate agents were in on it, everyone was coordinating this proposal," Hollenbeck said. "I had no idea."
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Zero-G flying means high stress for an old A310
Repeatedly pulling 1.8g in fiercely steep climbs and dives is no way for an airline to treat its customers, but for one of the world’s most specialised operators, that’s exactly what they’re paying for. And, Bordeaux Merignac-based Novespace is set to give even more passengers just such a thrill, now that it’s taken delivery of a new aircraft.
LinkAirlines
Aer Lingus Bid Resolution Within Weeks
Ireland's transport minister said talks with IAG on a bid for Aer Lingus were "workmanlike and constructive" and that he expected the cabinet to decide whether to back the bid within weeks. British Airways owner IAG made a EUR€1.36 billion (USD$1.5 billion) bid for Aer Lingus in January and the Irish carrier's board recommended the offer to shareholders.
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American Airlines is investing $2 billion in customer amenities
American Airlines is investing $2 billion into amenities that enhance the travel experience for customers, such as nicer business-class seats and international Wi-Fi. The carrier is already winning kudos from passengers for changing its background music for boardings and landings, going from Muzak to indie rock and pop hits.
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American is discussing an overhaul of Okla. maintenance facility
The City of Tulsa, Okla., and American Airlines are in early discussions about the carrier upgrading its maintenance base in Tulsa as part of a modernization program.
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American Airlines ends duty-free sales during flights
Last week, American Airlines discontinued duty-free sales aboard international flights. Inflight sales of duty-free items have dropped over the past 10 years. Delta Air Lines ended duty-free sales inflight last year.
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Azul Cuts April Flight Plans By 10 Pct - Report
Azul is cutting planned flights in April by nearly 10 percent from earlier forecasts, according to a person with knowledge of the decision, as the Brazilian company feels the impact of the stronger US dollar. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Azul is also unlikely to add flights to Orlando in May, as the airline had suggested earlier this month. Brazil's currency has lost about 16 percent against the dollar so far this year, driving up the cost of a trip to Florida for Brazilian tourists.
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JetBlue climbs in customer experience rating
JetBlue Airways gained 15 percentage points from last year in the 2015 Temkin Experience Ratings, with an approval rating of 75% from customers. Southwest Airlines had a rating of 72%, while Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines both pulled in 69%.
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Qatar's QIA To Join Dufry In Bid For WDF
Qatar Investment Authority and Swiss travel retailer Dufry are joining in a bid for Italian travel retailer World Duty Free (WDF), two people familiar with the matter said. "QIA and Dufry have a joint bid for WDF," a senior banker in Doha told Reuters. He declined to give details but said the tie-up was a sign of a more conservative investment style adopted by the Qatari sovereign wealth fund recently; in the past, it might well have bid by itself.
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VietJet receives first A321 aircraft
Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321 aircraft, which the airframer says also happens to be its 9000th delivery. The carrier has six additional A321s on order, says Airbus.
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Avolon Delivers its First Boeing 787-9 to Virgin Atlantic
Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, today announces the delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 to Virgin Atlantic. Today’s delivery is the first of four B787-9 aircraft scheduled for delivery to Virgin Atlantic by Avolon.
LinkAirports
CBP tests facial recognition software at Dulles airport
If you're a frequent international traveler, and you find yourself flying into Washington, D.C.'s Dulles airport a lot, then your headshot might start showing up in a government database. You haven't done anything wrong—at least, we hope not—but odds are good that you might be randomly selected for a quick picture.
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Fla. airports report higher passenger volume for Dec.
The number of airline passengers across the country in December jumped 1.7 percent from the previous year — with flights at most of Florida's major airports growing even more. About 63.6 million passengers flew in December, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a 6.9 percent increase from the previous month and a 1.7 percent increase from December 2013.
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Military
New report shows slow, steady unit cost drop for F-35
The overall cost of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program will come in at about $7.5 billion less than previously expected, according to the 2015 selected acquisition report (SAR). Released on 18 March, the report indicates that research, development, test and evaluation cost remains unchanged at $54.9 billion, but that procurement costs declined by $7.7 billion, to $331 billion. The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) says the reduction was primarily due to decreased labour costs.
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Turkey Expects Further Airbus A400M Delays
Turkey is preparing for further delays in the delivery of two A400M military transport aircraft it ordered from Airbus, according to military officials in Ankara. It signed a deal for 10 of the heavy cargo and troop carriers in 2003 as part of a group of seven European NATO nations, expecting its part of the order to be fulfilled by 2018. After four years of delays to the project, Turkey received two of the aircraft in 2014 and was due to receive two more this year. But officials said the latest deliveries are now likely to be late.
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Aviation Quote
You never lose the buzz of flying. Every time you take off, it feels a bit naughty, as if you’re doing something humans shouldn’t really do.
— Matt Jones, Managing Director of Boultbee Flight Academy, the only Spitfire school in the world. August 2011.
On This Date
---In 1904... The Wrights apply for a German patent for their airplane. Two days ago they applied for a French one.
---In 1909... The Wright brothers found a school in the USA to train pilots for exhibition flights. The first pupil is a childhood friend, Walter Brookins, 21, from Dayton. Because Dayton’s weather is not good enough, Orville Wright sets up the school at Montgomery, Alabama, where winds are generally light.
---In 1932... Jim Mollison leaves Lympne, Kent, England at the start of a record-breaking attempt to fly to South Africa in a D. H. 80A Puss Moth (G-ABKG) specially modified as a long-range single seater. His time was 4 days 17 hours 19 minutes.
---In 1939... American woman air record-breaker Jacqueline Cochran achieves a woman’s altitude record of 30,052 ft. 5 in. over Palm Spring, California in a Beechcraft Model 17.
---In 1971... As a result of votes in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Boeing cancels its supersonic transport. The elaborate, full-size mock-up is eventually sold to a promotion specialist who puts it in a Florida amusement park.
---In 1975… Mariner 10, USA Mercury/Venus Flyby died.
---In 1979… Columbia flown on carrier aircraft lands at Kennedy Space Center.
---In 1986… NASA publishes "Strategy for Safely Returning the Space Shuttle to Flight Status.”
---In 1992… Space Shuttle STS-45 (Atlantis 11) launches into space.
---In 1992… 1st Belgium in the space, Dirk Frimout on Atlantis Space Shuttle STS-45 (Atlantis 11) launches into space.
---In 1999…Kiwi International Air Lines ceases operations.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
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miamiair wrote:Editor’s Choice
