NewsBipartisan ATC reform represents new era of aviation leadershipSteve Forbes writes that now is the time to reform the nation's outdated air traffic control system and deliver shorter flights and fewer delays to American travelers. In a column for USA Today, he writes that "[f]or over 30 years the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] has tried -- and failed -- to modernize America's woefully dysfunctional air traffic control system [ATC]. It is time to get ATC out from under the thumbs of federal bureaucrats and partisan politicians, and create a completely new structure that will get US air traffic moving."
LinkAmerican Airlines accommodates travelers in Irma's pathAmerican Airlines has announced flexible rebooking policies for travelers scheduled to fly to or through islands in Hurricane Irma's path this week.
LinkSouthwest to offer 3 daily Jacksonville-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., flightsSouthwest Airlines will offer three flights daily from Florida's Jacksonville International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, starting in April 2018. "We know this will be a key business and leisure route," said Southwest spokesperson Dan Landson.
LinkUkraine inquiry probes ERJ-145 overrunNational investigation authority NBAAI states that the incident involved a Windrose Airlines aircraft (UR-DNF) landing on runway 02 on 1 September. The single runway at Zaporizhia, designated 02/20, is around 2,500m in length.
LinkWTO reverses ruling against 777X tax breakThe World Trade Organisation has reversed a ruling against a tax incentive for the production of the Boeing 777X in Washington state, handing a blow to the European Union in its a long-running dispute with the United States over aerospace subsidies. The WTO's latest ruling goes against a decision last November that one of the tax amendments applying in Washington state relating to Boeing's 777X programme was inconsistent with the existing Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) Agreement.
LinkPD-14-powered MC-21 undergoes windtunnel testingRussian analysts are to conduct windtunnel tests on models of the Irkut MC-21 fitted with the Aviadvigatel PD-14 engine. The PD-14 is the rival powerplant to the Pratt & Whitney PW1400G, which has been installed on the initial flight-test aircraft.
LinkUTC confirms $30bn deal to buy Rockwell CollinsUnited Technologies (UTC) has confirmed that it has reached a deal to acquire Rockwell Collins in a $30 billion cash and shares transaction that will cement its place as one of the world’s largest aerospace suppliers. UTC says in a statement that it will pay Rockwell Collins shareholders $93.33 per share in cash and $46.67 in UTC shares for each of the target company’s shares. That values Rockwell’s total equity at $23 billion, and the overall transaction at $30 billion – including the assumption of its net debt.
LinkAirbus readies laminar-winged A340 for test flightsAirbus intends to later this month start flight-testing an A340 that has been fitted with experimental laminar-flow wing sections under a partially EU-funded technology project with other industrial partners and research institutes. The objective of the effort, dubbed Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe (BLADE), is to assess the industrial feasibility of natural laminar-flow wings – as opposed to hybrid laminar flow, which is artificially induced through hardware in the wings – on future aircraft. The theory and potential benefits of achieving a laminar rather than turbulent airflow in the boundary layer around the wings have been known for 20 years, said Axel Flaig, senior vice-president research and technology for Airbus's commercial aircraft division, on 30 August in Tarbes, where the A340 has been modified.
LinkAir France-KLM shareholders approve China Eastern, Delta buy-inShareholders at Air France-KLM have approved plans for fellow SkyTeam alliance members China Eastern Airlines and US major Delta Air Lines to each acquire 10% of the Franco-Dutch group. On July 27, Air France-KLM, China Eastern, Atlanta-based Delta and UK-based long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic detailed plans to strengthen their ties. Under the agreement, China Eastern and Delta are each taking a 10% stake in Air France-KLM, which will in turn acquire 31% of Virgin.
LinkEuropean Commission approves airberlin bridge loanThe European Commission has approved Germany’s plans to grant airberlin a temporary €150 million ($178 million) bridge loan. “The measure will allow for the orderly wind-down of the insolvent airline airberlin, without unduly distorting competition in the single market,” the Commission said Sept. 4. “At the end of the process, airberlin is expected to cease operating and exit the market.”
LinkSAS’s strong summer ends with squalls on horizonScandinavian Airlines (SAS) is heading toward a better annual result than last year, following a strong summer season, CEO Rickard Gustafson said Sept. 5.
LinkAirberlin to cut long-haul routes from Berlin following insolvencyAirberlin—which filed for bankruptcy last month—plans to close all long-haul routes from Berlin Tegel and reduce its Dusseldorf network. “Airberlin will further stabilize its operational situation at Berlin Tegel and will cut loss-making routes from Sept. 25,” an airberlin spokesperson confirmed.
LinkChina Eastern 1H net profit up 35% on logistics subsidiary saleChina Eastern Airlines has reported a 2017 first-half net profit of CNY4.4 billion ($641 million), up 35% over net income of CNY3.2 billion in the year-ago period.
LinkBerlin Brandenburg Airport sets new completion date in 2018Construction work of the much-delayed Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER) is expected to be completed by the end of August 2018.
LinkNever Ending BER ThreadAzerbaijan LCC Buta Airways launches first E190 serviceNew Azerbaijan LCC Buta Airways launched its first scheduled Embraer E190 flight from Baku to Tbilisi Sept. 1. The 4X-weekly Baku-Tbilisi service will run through Oct. 28.
LinkHorizon Air to defer six Embraer E175sAlaska Airlines’ Seattle-based regional flying subsidiary Horizon Air will defer delivery of six Embraer E175s, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson confirmed with ATW. “As to what is going to happen with those aircraft, nothing has yet been finalized,” the spokesperson said. As reported in the Seattle Times Sept. 1, Horizon Air CEO David Campbell announced that three E175s will be deferred this fall and three additional E175s will be deferred in the first half of 2018.
LinkVirgin Atlantic completes Wi-Fi roll outUK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic has completed its Wi-Fi roll-out, which the airline said makes it the first European airline to be fully connected. Virgin Atlantic has equipped 39 aircraft under the roll out, fitting out its Boeing 787s with equipment from Panasonic and its Airbus A330s, 747s and A340-600s with Gogo technology.
LinkUnited Airlines ‘skill’ for Alexa-enabled devices goes liveChicago-based United Airlines passengers can now utilize Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices to access flight information, with the Sept. 5 unveiling of a new United Airlines’ Alexa skill on Amazon’s website. United is the first US airline to offer a skill on Alexa-enabled devices (i.e., Amazon Echo and Echo Dot voice-activated internet search and response mechanisms).
LinkEthiopian Airlines will begin 4X-weekly Addis Ababa-Sao Paulo Boeing 787 service Sept. 16.
Alaska Airlines launched daily Tucson (Arizona)-Mineta San Jose (California) Embraer E175 service.
Allegiant Air launched twice-daily Gulfport, Mississippi-Orlando,Florida service.
Ukraine International Airlines will launch 4X-weekly Kiev-Cairo Boeing 737-800 service from April 6, 2018.
Qatar Airways added a fourth daily flight on Doha-Kathmandu Airbus A320 service.
Ural Airlines will start weekly Saint Petersburg-Namangan (Uzbekistan) Airbus A320 service Sept. 13.
S7 Airlines launched 2X-weekly Novosibirsk-Perm Embraer E170 service. S7 Airlines will start Moscow Domodedovo-Rome Fiumicino Airbus A320 daily service Dec. 15. Flights will increase to 5X-weekly from Jan. 1-March 5, 2018.
LOT Polish Airlines will introduce 6X-weekly Warsaw-Berlin Tegel Bombardier Q400 service from Dec. 4.
Air Canada will launch 4X-weekly Vancouver-Paris services from June 8-Oct. 15, 2018; 3X-weekly Vancouver-Zurich services from June 7-Oct. 14, 2018; and 3X-weekly year-round Vancouver-Melbourne services from June 1. All flights use the Boeing 787.
Haiti-based
Sunrise Airways will begin 3X-weekly Miami-Port-au-Prince and 4X-weekly Orlando-Port-au-Prince services from Oct. 17. Both services will use the Boeing 737-800.
