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NEWS

Obama: 'System failed in a potentially disastrous way'
US President Barack Obama yesterday announced increased airline security measures following a meeting with top national security aides to discuss a response to the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253.
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China Eastern buys 16 A330s to fuel international expansion
China Eastern Airlines signed firm order late last month for 16 A330s worth CNY17.75 billion ($2.6 billion) at list prices as it plots its international expansion.
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Five cruise lines ban agencies from bidding on keywords
Several of Carnival Corp.'s cruise lines adopted new policies that prohibit online travel agencies or cruise sellers from bidding on the lines' trademarked search-engine keywords.
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AirAsia and Jetstar ink wide-ranging cooperation agreement

Low-cost carriers Jetstar and AirAsia have formed a new alliance that will allow them to study the joint purchase of new aircraft, cooperate in ground and passenger handling services, and take on each other's passengers when there is a disruption.
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Flairjet launches commercial services with Phenom 100

UK business aircraft charter start-up FlairJet has become Europe's first commercial operator of the Embraer Phenom 100 very light jet following the handover of its aircraft operator's certificate from the UK Civil Aviation Authority in late December. The first commercial flight is planned for 7 January.
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Other News

US FAA said it has heightened its oversight of American Airlines following three difficult landings in December. In the most serious of those, a 737-800 was destroyed when it overran the runway at Kingston on Dec. 22 and skidded onto a nearby beach. There were no serious injuries in that accident. The agency said AA had two other poor landings last month involving MD-80 wingtips hitting the runway in Charlotte and Austin. It said that in addition to stepping up oversight, it will examine the incidents to determine if there could be a link. AA said it is cooperating with FAA.

IATA reported that international scheduled passenger traffic rose 2.1% year-over-year in November while global FTKs lifted 9.5% compared to November 2008, but it cautioned that the apparent improvement for both passengers and cargo is "exaggerated by the sharp fall in demand experienced during the second half of 2008." It said that November passenger demand was 6.4% better than the low point reached in the first quarter of 2009 but still 6% below peak levels seen in early 2008. November freight demand was 20% better than the low point experienced in December 2008 but still 10% below early 2008 peak levels.

DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said that "demand continues to improve, but we still have a lot of ground still to recover." He warned that the industry "cannot anticipate any significant improvement in yields in the coming months. So, conserving cash, controlling costs and carefully matching capacity to demand remain at the keys to survival." The organization noted that November passenger traffic improvements varied significantly by region. Asia/Pacific airlines recorded demand growth of 5.1% while Latin American carriers boosted traffic by 8.2% and Middle East operators saw a 16.5% surge. European and North American airlines both experienced collective 3% decreases in traffic. Compared to November 2008, European carriers' capacity was down 3.9% and North American airlines lowered ASKs by 6.7%.

On the cargo front, Asia/Pacific carriers posted 14.5% demand growth in November, which IATA credited to government stimulus packages in the region that it said drove stronger industrial output. Africa (up 8.1%), Latin America (up 17.5%), the Middle East (up 21.4%) and North America (up 13.6%) all experienced freight demand increases. European airlines recorded a 5.6% fall in FTKs for the month.

Germanwings yesterday said it will increase ASKs by "double-digits" this year and will add four new A319s to its fleet. Lufthansa Group's low-cost subsidiary did not say where it will get the aircraft. By year end it will operate 30 A319s/A320s. It said it will focus on growing business traffic this year with initiatives that might appeal to travelers looking for cheaper tickets and travel solutions. The carrier expects to transport more than 8 million passengers in 2010; it carried 6.3 million in the first 11 months of 2009. It operates bases at Cologne, Stuttgart, Berlin Schoenefeld, Hamburg and Dortmund and serves 65 destinations. Last month, LH Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber said Germanwings will grow independently and will not be used as a vehicle to cut costs across the mainline's European network.

Airbus yesterday confirmed Turkish Airlines' firm order for 20 A320 family aircraft plus 10 options. The carrier announced the order Monday. THY has ordered 36 Airbus aircraft in the past year, including four A321s, 10 A330-300s and two A330-200Fs.

German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation spokesperson said results of the investigation into Sunday's Air Berlin 737-800 runway overrun in Dortmund will be available in March at the earliest, Bloomberg News reported. Dortmund Airport said the pilot aborted takeoff and the plane rolled into a nearby field. None of the 165 passengers was injured. The airport was closed for some 13 hr. An AB spokesperson cited "technical irregularities" as a contributor to the incident and said the aircraft will undergo 3-4 days of checks before being returned to the fleet.

Etihad Airways took delivery of the first of five new A330-300s it plans to add over the next two years. Aircraft seats 12 passengers in a new first class cabin, 40 in business and 151 in economy and will operate between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow. EY said two A340-600s already have been configured with the new first class product, with nine more to be retrofitted by December.

Rex Regional Express leased two Saab 340s to Chiang Mai-based SGA Airlines. Aircraft are expected to begin flying for the Thai carrier on Jan. 17 and will operate on routes to Maehonson and Udonthani.

Viking Hellas, Viking Group's new Athens-based airline, will launch its scheduled service program in February with flights to Manchester, Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Baghdad. MAN flights will be thrice-weekly from Feb. 3, increasing to four-times-weekly in March. Service to the Iraqi cities will be weekly and will begin in the first week of February. VQ received its Greek AOC in October and also will operate charter flights on behalf of European tour operators. It currently has one MD-83 and will add two A320s in the spring. Viking Group also runs Sweden's Viking Airlines and plans to launch Viking Airlines UK this year.

Emirates will launch daily Dubai-Madrid flights on Aug. 1 aboard a three-class A330-200.

AirTran Airways launched service to Nassau from Atlanta (daily), Baltimore (four-times-weekly) and Orlando International (five-times-weekly) as well as four-times-weekly MCO-Key West service, aboard 737s.

Frontier Airlines will operate seasonal four-times-weekly Denver-Fairbanks service May 14-Sept. 12 aboard an A319.

JetBlue Airways yesterday increased its San Francisco service with a fourth and fifth daily flight to Long Beach and second daily flights to both Boston and New York JFK. It also added a fourth-daily Oakland-Long Beach frequency and announced plans to launch San Jose-BOS service on May 13.

Aeroflot will suspend its Moscow Sheremetyevo-Norilsk service on Jan. 20.

Travelport reached a full-content distribution agreement with Gulf Air covering Galileo- and Worldspan-connected travel agents worldwide.

GE Aviation completed the acquisition of BMB Fuel Consulting Services of Ottawa, which identifies and tracks operational improvements for airlines that will reduce fuel consumption, according to GE.

TAM announced the promotion of VP-Finance, Management and IT Libano Mirando Barroso to president. Barroso joined the airline in 2004.

Republic Airways Holdings named Frontier Airlines Director-Supply Chain Drew Skaff as Republic Airways VP-supply chain.



AVIATION QUOTE

This vehicle is performing like a champ. I've got a super spaceship under me.

— Bob Crippen, pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia, 12 April 1981.



AEROSPACE TERM

Gyroscopic Inertia

The property of a rotor of resisting any force which tends to change its axis of rotation.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE


Photograph by Click Click D’oh



HUMOR

An elderly gentleman....

Had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect.. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.'

The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet.

I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'



TRIVIA

Russian Freight Dogs

Tail ID

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


8.


9.


10.

1. Antonov An-8
2. Ilyushin Il-18
3. Antonov An-72 "Cheburashka"
4.
5. Antonov An-12
6. Antonov An-124 "Ruslan"
7. Antonov An-24?
8.
9.
10. Antonov An-22 "Antei"

Nice video, but for the life of me I still can't find Dirk Pitt's hanger...

The trivia looks like Plymspotter's wish list

1. Antonov AN-8 Camp
2. Ilyushin IL-18 Coot
3. Antonov AN-72 Coaler
4. Antonov AN-14 Clod
5. Antonov AN-12 Cub
6. Antonov AN-124 Ruslan/Condor
7. Antonov AN-24 Coke
8. Antonov AN-28 Cash
9. Antonov AN-26 Curl
10. Antonov AN-22 Antei

JLAmber wrote:1. Antonov AN-8 Camp
2. Ilyushin IL-18 Coot
3. Antonov AN-72 Coaler
4. Antonov AN-14 Clod
5. Antonov AN-12 Cub
6. Antonov AN-124 Ruslan/Condor
7. Antonov AN-24 Coke
8. Antonov AN-28 Cash
9. Antonov AN-26 Curl
10. Antonov AN-22 Antei

I don't care what the guys down at the fillin' station say, the boy knows his Russian cargo planes.

Queso wrote:I don't care what the guys down at the fillin' station say, the boy knows his Russian cargo planes.

My Father's a massive fan of old Soviet metal - the old World Air Power series of books were required reading in our house. He still refers to annoying people as AN-22s

JLAmber wrote:

Queso wrote:I don't care what the guys down at the fillin' station say, the boy knows his Russian cargo planes.

My Father's a massive fan of old Soviet metal - the old World Air Power series of books were required reading in our house. He still refers to annoying people as AN-22s

Sounds similar to my upbringing as well.

ANSWERS:

1. Antonov An-8 (NATO CAMP)
2. Illyushin Il-18 (NATO COOT)
3. Antonov An-72 (NATO COALER)
4. Antonov An-14 (NATO CLOD)
5. Antonov An-12 (NATO CUB)
6. Antonov An-124 (NATO CONDOR)
7. Antonov An-24 (NAOT COKE)
8. Antonov An-28 (NATO CASH)
9. Antonov An-26 (NATO CURL)
10. Antonov An-22 Antheus (NATO COCK)