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NEWS

Republic plans to shrink holdings in Frontier Airlines
Republic Airways, which bought Frontier Airlines out of bankruptcy in 2009, is now planning to reduce its holdings in the troubled carrier to a minority stake over the next couple of years. Republic reported a $17.6 million profit on its for-hire flying in the first quarter, while Frontier posted a $55.2 million loss in the same quarter.
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Volcanic eruptions disrupt air traffic
Volcanic eruptions in Eritrea and Chile have disrupted air travel in Africa and South America. Meanwhile, carriers in Australia have started coping with the backlog of passengers stranded due to a volcanic ash cloud from Chile that forced hundreds of flight cancellations.
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DOT: $5.7 billion in ancillary fees was collected by airlines in 2010
Last year, U.S. airlines brought in $5.7 billion from from baggage fees and reservation-change fees, government statistics show. The Air Transport Association estimated that airlines earned a profit of $2.6 billion during that same year. Some observers note that ancillary fees are necessary to airline profitability. Last year, carriers earned a profit of $2.6 billion, $2.1 billion of which was generated by fees. In 2009, airlines raised $5.1 billion from ancillary fees, but suffered a $2.4 billion loss. "Without sustained profitability, airlines cannot add routes, add workers or buy new airplanes, all in the interest of airline customers and the global economy," ATA spokeswoman Jean Medina said.
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Firms suggest that overseas flights send black box data via satellite
The 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 became a mystery because the plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were not recovered until this year. Some companies are proposing that overseas flights be equipped so planes can automatically send black box data to satellites in the event of an incident. "The technology is available, people agree it works, every technical issue has been solved," said Matthew Desch, CEO of Iridium Communications. "An airplane should not go off the coast without anyone knowing where it is and what's wrong with it."
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Column: More flight cancellations are due to tarmac delay rule
Columnist Brett Snyder says the Department of Transportation has been too hasty in calling the tarmac delay rule implemented last year a success. "It's true that long ground delays have disappeared, but there has been collateral damage," writes Snyder. "Canceled flights have gone up significantly, despite the DOT's claims to the contrary." Snyder continues, "There are people who need to travel and are willing to endure a long delay if the only other option is a cancellation. Some people are traveling to weddings, others to see a sick relative. There are a million reasons people travel, and when cancellations go up, those who really want to go lose that option."
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Column: Airports seek to raise passenger facility fee
Columnist Joe Sharkey explains how airports in the U.S. are interested in raising the $4.50 maximum passenger facility fee. "Our customers already pay an exorbitant amount of taxes," said Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for the Air Transport Association. A rise in the airport passenger fee "would raise the cost of travel, which harms consumers and the entire travel and tourism industry," she said. The fee is collected as part of the ticket price.
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American Airlines to provide tablets to some passengers
American Airlines and Samsung have announced that passengers seated in the airline's premium cabins on certain international flights have access to a new Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Samsung. Later this year, the tablets will start to replace the airline's in-flight entertainment system. "American is the first North American airline to offer a branded tablet onboard its aircraft," said Virasb Vahidi, chief commercial officer at American Airlines.
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Robot gas station for spacecraft will ride final shuttle flight
The final space shuttle flight will carry an experiment that could alter the way satellites are designed, if the experiment is successful. The shuttle Atlantis will carry a robot gas station designed for spacecraft for delivery to the International Space Station. The flight, which is scheduled for July 8, is poised to be NASA's last shuttle mission.
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Hong Kong Airlines plans to announce A380 order at Paris Air Show
Hainan Airlines Group subsidiary Hong Kong Airlines plans to place an order for the A380 as it looks to challenge Cathay Pacific Airways and further explore the fast-growing Chinese market, an industry insider said.
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Airbus unveils 2050 cabin of the future
In advance of next week's Paris Air Show, Airbus unveiled its “2050 Concept Cabin,” which offers a “Star Trek”-styled cabin of the future. Gone are the regulated class divisions of first, business and economy, replaced by personalized zones that offer flexible, tailored levels of relaxation, interactivity and working spaces, according to Airbus. Passengers can choose to travel in the Interactive Zone, with a bar and electronic games, where they can mingle and socialize. Those wanting quiet and solitude can choose the Relaxation Zone. For those who need a lift there is the “Vitalizing Zone,” which is all about well-being and relaxation, allowing passengers to recharge with vitamin- and antioxidant-enriched air, mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments.
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VIA Rail is poised to launch deals with airlines
Rail companies and airlines compete. But they also can complement each other. That is a concept that VIA Rail Canada has taken to heart. Working with airlines to create relationships much like the carriers’ code-sharing agreements is an integral part of VIA Rail’s intermodal strategy.
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Qantas trims orders and capacity to cut capital expenditure
Australia's Qantas Airways is cancelling or deferring orders for 12 narrowbody aircraft, and cutting domestic capacity, to reduce capital expenditure over the next two years.
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Korean Air unveils initial Airbus A380 routes
Korean Air (KAL) has revealed that it will start four new Airbus A380 services from June to October. The first, a daily service between Seoul's Incheon Airport and Tokyo's Narita Airport, starts on 17 June, said a company spokesman. This is in addition to the 21 weekly services that the airline has on the route.
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Other News

Nabro eruption: The ash cloud from the Nabro volcano in Eritrea, which erupted in the early hours Monday, affected flight operations in Northeast Africa on Tuesday. The Toulouse-based Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, which monitors volcanic activity in Africa, sent out its first VAA messages relating to the Nabro eruption Sunday and has been updating the ash concentration charts on its website since.

Qantas Group’s decision not to fly under or near the Chilean volcanic ash cloud is testing the patience of air travelers in Australia who are asking why other airlines are continuing to operate. In a statement on its website, QF said, “At Qantas safety is our first priority and a number of flights have been canceled or rerouted to avoid the volcanic ash cloud.” QF has not had any fatalities in the jet era.

Air Lease Corp. signed lease agreements for 25 additional aircraft as it focuses on “providing innovative fleet solutions for airlines around the world,” said ALC Senior VP Kishore Korde. According to ALC, it has entered into a long-term lease agreement with TRIP Linhas Aereas for six new ATR 72-600s and six new Embraer 190LRs for delivery between July 2011 and October 2012. ALC is leasing four new Embraer 190s to Bulgaria Air, with deliveries set for March, April, June and November 2012. It signed a 12-year lease agreement with Garuda Indonesia Airlines for a new Airbus A330-200, and is leasing an additional new A330-300 to Asiana Airlines for delivery in September 2012.

Ryanair vowed it will “not allow its passengers to be blackmailed” by the UGT union, which confirmed a work stoppage by baggage handlers will take place at Girona airport Wednesday. The LCC said it will operate a full schedule. Baggage handlers represented by the UGT also called for strikes June 17-19. GRO is one of Ryanair’s largest bases in Spain with some 50 routes.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo won a contract from Brisbane-based Strategic Airlines under which it will manage Strategic's long-haul cargo activity and apply the Virgin brand to its twice-weekly Brisbane Airbus A330-200 service to Phuket, as well as twice-weekly Melbourne-Phuket and twice-weekly Brisbane-Bali service.

World Airways and Finnair Cargo signed an agreement to operate twice-weekly Finnair MD-11F Helsinki-Shanghai-New York cargo service beginning June 15 using World's traffic rights.

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is rebranding its Ground Operations Services group as PinPro Professional Ground Services and is expanding its scope of services.

Worldwide Flight Services won a contract from Leisure Cargo for cargo handling in the UK and Ireland. Leisure Cargo represents airlines at 23 airports in the UK and Ireland.



AVIATION QUOTE

A pilot's business is with the wind, and with the stars, with night, with sand, with the sea. He strives to outwit the forces of nature. He stares with expectancy for the coming of the dawn the way a gardener awaits the coming of spring. He looks forward to port as a promised land, and truth for him is what lives in the stars.

— Antoine de Saint Exupéry, 'Wind, Sand, and Stars,' 1939.



ON THIS DATE

June 15th

---In 1910... The world’s youngest flyer, 15-year-old Frenchman Marcel Hanriot, gets his pilot’s brevet, no. 15.

---In 1928... An Imperial Airways AW Argosy piloted by Gordon Olley races the London and North Eastern Railway’s Flying Scotsman train the 390 miles from London to Edinburgh; the Argosy takes 84 minutes to refuel twice en route and beats the train by only 15 minutes.

---In 1928... Mail is successfully transferred from an airplane in flight to a train as Lt. Karl S. Axtater flies directly over an Illinois Central train and transfers a mail bag to a railway clerk.

---In 1943... The first operational jet-bomber, the German-built Arado Ar-234 Blitz, makes its first flight.

---In 1972…Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, operated by a Convair 880 (VR-HFZ) from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at 29,000 feet (8,800 m) over Pleiku, Vietnam after a bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin, killing all 81 people on board.



DAILY VIDEO


Thanks to Zak for the video submission.



EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

The Blond Fighter Pilot

"So, a blonde fighter pilot was flying in a two ship one day. She was flying her heading just fine, when all of a sudden her wingman called, "We have Migs coming in at 6 o'clock!" She quickly took a thought, looked at her watch and said, "It's okay! It's only 5:30!"



TRIVIA

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Awesome picture of the day.