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NEWS

SkyWest 3Q net profit sinks to $116,000
Surging costs sent Utah-based SkyWest Inc.'s third-quarter net earnings tumbling to just $116,000, significantly lower than the $25.5 million net profit it posted in the year-ago period.
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Russia’s Sky Express LCC loses its AOC
Russian authorities withdrew the air operator’s certificate (AOC) for Sky Express (XW) owing to the deterioration of its performance and finances, according to Rosaviatsia—Russia’s Dept. of Aviation/Ministry of Transport. XW was Russia’s first low-cost carrier. Last month, Rosaviatsia head Alexander Neradko said the carrier’s AOC would be canceled due to the consolidation process between XW and Krasnodar-based regional carrier Kuban Airlines (GW). Both carriers belong to the investment company Basic Element. Despite losing one AOC, the owner will keep both brands on the market as the XW name has become well known over the last several years.
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EU ETS is a 'hornet's nest' that needs to be resolved
IATA director general and CEO Tony Tyler said the EU has "stirred up a hornet's nest" by insisting it will move forward with the inclusion of aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) next year, and again urged European nations to negotiate a global agreement on aviation carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through ICAO.
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Cathay Pacific takes delivery of first 747-8F
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has taken delivery of its first Boeing 747-8 freighter, making it the first carrier in Asia/Pacific region to operate the aircraft.
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Unassuming Polish Hero Just Wants To Fly Again
A Polish pilot who safely crash-landed a Boeing 767 with 230 people on board recounted on Wednesday his astonishment at discovering that the plane's landing gear did not work, but he said he was keen now to get back to work again.
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Pilots Blamed In Ice Hockey Team Air Crash
Investigators said on Wednesday the pilots of a Russian plane that crashed, killing the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team, had been inadequately trained and the co-pilot was under banned sedatives.
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EU Climate Chief Defends Law On Airline Pollution
The European Union's climate chief said she hopes to avoid a confrontation over EU legislation that will charge airlines for pollution, despite a protest by global airlines.
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Emirates Reconsidering FIFA Sponsorship
Dubai airline Emirates has not yet begun discussions on extending its multi-million dollar FIFA sponsorship beyond 2014, it said on Wednesday, after a report quoted an airline official saying the Gulf Arab carrier would not renew the contract.
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Regulator Wants Qantas To Increase Compensation
The Australian competition regulator said on Wednesday it expected Qantas Airways to go further in compensating customers affected by the weekend grounding of its entire fleet.
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USA keen to discuss F-35 with India, report says
The USA is still interested in pitching the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to India, as New Delhi prepares to open the commercial bids in its 126-aircraft medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition. In a nine-page report on the Washington/Delhi defence relationship, the US Department of Defense highlighted increasingly close military ties between the two countries, with an emphasis on procurement, joint exercises and personnel exchanges.
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Finland launches fresh request for JASSM weapons
Finland has made a fresh request to arm its Boeing F-18C/D Hornet fighters with Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 JASSM cruise missile, more than four years after a previous attempt was blocked by the US Congress. News of the step came on 31 October, when the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) released details of a potential $255 million deal with Helsinki. This would include the delivery of 70 of the stand-off-range weapons, plus two test rounds, it said.
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Israel tests Jericho ballistic missile
srael has performed a test firing of a new ballistic missile, with the system having been launched from the air force's Palmachim air base on 2 November. The nation's defense ministry said the pre-planned activity was intended to test a "new missile propulsion system", and bore no relevance to media reports of a possible attack against Iran. The launch left behind a smoke trail that could be seen throughout central Israel.
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French navy scans for Hawkeye upgrade
France has requested a possible $180 million upgrade program for its Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control system aircraft, with the work to enhance the type's situational awareness capabilities.
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US Airways to move call centers back to U.S.
US Airways is moving some customer-service positions from a Manila, Philippines, call center back to U.S. soil through an agreement with one of its unions. The carrier, based in Tempe, Ariz., plans to hire 400 customer-service agents in three U.S. cities. All calls originating in the U.S. will be handled domestically, while international calls will be handled by a British call center.
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Frontier cancels early-morning flights today
Frontier Airlines canceled some early-morning flights today because of a blizzard in Colorado. "At this time, we expect that all passengers booked on the canceled flights will be rebooked on other Frontier flights the same day," the airline said.
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Boeing is deciding where to build 737 MAX, executive says
Boeing is still considering where to build its 737 MAX, but it has no timeline for converting provisional orders into firm orders, a company executive said. "In terms of commitments to orders, that's going to be on a case-by-case basis," said Randy Tinseth, Boeing's vice president of marketing for commercial planes.
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Connecticut airport's tarmac delays were caused by lack of buses
A lack of buses to transport passengers off planes led to tarmac delays over the weekend at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn. Twenty-three flights were diverted to the airport, which has 22 gates, during a snowstorm in the Northeast. "There are safety concerns about having buses crossing active runways, particularly in snowstorms," said Bill Mosley, a Transportation Department spokesman.
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Baggage handler injured by exploding package at O'Hare
A baggage handler at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport received minor injuries this week when a package fell to the ground and exploded. Authorities have identified and are interviewing the owner of the package. The police and members of the bomb and arson unit are investigating; however, no criminal activity is suspected at this point.
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Boeing CFO announces his retirement
Boeing CFO James Bell announced that he plans to retire in April after serving in the position since 2003. "James Bell's service to Boeing has been extraordinary in many ways over many years," said Boeing CEO Jim McNerney. Greg Smith, Boeing's corporate controller, will assume the CFO position upon Bell's departure.
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TSA's Pistole will tout frequent-traveler program at hearing
So far, a program that allows frequent travelers to move more quickly through security is successful, according to TSA Administrator John Pistole. Today, Pistole will tell a Senate committee that the program has the potential to improve security and the screening experience for travelers. Meanwhile, a change that has reduced the number of children subject to pat-downs has allowed the TSA to focus its resources on more serious risks.
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TSA criticized for delaying cargo deadline
House Democrats criticized the Transportation Security Administration for pushing back a deadline for inspecting all air cargo. "With the marking of the one-year anniversary of an air cargo terrorist plot, launched by an al-Qaida terrorist affiliate in Yemen, TSA should be working steadfastly and aggressively to get international agreements in place to ensure that all cargo loaded on planes bound for the U.S. is screened -- as required under the law," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a statement. In response, the TSA said it has improved cargo inspections and continues to move ahead on a cargo inspection rule.
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Airfares may drop after N.Y., D.C. flight slot auctions, experts say
The entry of either Southwest Airlines or JetBlue Airways into LaGuardia Airport in New York City and Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., may cause a drop in fares, experts say. "The additional capacity, and the tradition for lower fares, will cause a drop in the prices consumers pay for the new destinations," airline consultant Jay Sorensen said. Southwest and JetBlue constitute the leading bidders in an auction scheduled for this month over flight slots discarded by Delta and US Airways.
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D/FW reduces landing fees, expands agreement with Pepsi
Landing fees will drop at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in January by 30 cents to $3.11 per 1,000 pounds of maximum gross landing weight of per aircraft. The airport will also expand an agreement with Pepsi, which will build three "Pepsi Experiences" in the airport's terminals. Those areas may include a play area for children, an area for technology and a guest comfort zone.
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Arizona plans to add terminal to Grand Canyon airport
Arizona officials believe that adding a terminal to Grand Canyon airport could boost passenger traffic to 1 million per year from the current 318,000 passengers. The airport is located outside the national park, and the new terminal would make it easier for travelers to see the Grand Canyon. Officials expect an environmental assessment of the project to be completed in 2012.
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Specter of higher unemployment lurks behind defense cuts
The Aerospace Industries Association commissioned a study on the effects of U.S. defense cuts. The study found that $1 trillion in defense cuts would lead to a 0.6% increase in unemployment for the U.S. "This should bring some ¬sobriety to the debate," said AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey.
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Obama to release new rules on exports of military aircraft
The Obama administration is drafting guidelines for the export of military aircraft, and the rules should be released within the next week. Andrew Shapiro, assistant secretary for political-military affairs at the State Department, said the guidelines are intended to "eliminate some of the ambiguity and confusion that exists under the current lists."
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Apple upgrade automatically deletes data from iPads
Apple introduced an upgrade to its iPad in October that could lead to data accidentally disappearing from the tablet device. The cleanup feature automatically deletes data if memory is running low, but the feature could cause problems for pilots using iPads as electronic flight bags.
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Other News

LOT Polish Airlines (LO) said Wednesday afternoon its flights from Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) will resume Wednesday evening. Only three flights have been canceled from Wednesday’s evening schedule. LO canceled about 76 flights Wednesday after Tuesday’s emergency landing of a Boeing 767 suffering from a central hydraulic system failure at WAW. The airport remained closed until the aircraft was removed and flights were redirected to Krakov and Lodz. WAW services about 400 flights and 25,000 passengers daily.

Air Berlin (AB) said it is in talks with Boeing and Airbus to delay aircraft deliveries as part of its Shape and Size cost-cutting program. These deliveries, originally scheduled for 2012-2013, have been moved to 2015-2016. The delivery delay affects eight 737NGs and 11 A320 family aircraft, several German media outlets reported.

Air France (AF) expects to operate a full schedule Thursday, following five days of disruptions owing to strike action called by some of the unions representing its cabin crew. The carrier’s flight attendants started the industrial action Oct. 29.

EasyJet (U2) said its new base at Lisbon airport (LIS) will officially open April 19 with two permanently based Airbus A319s and five new services to Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Venice and Asturias. These services will expand U2’s network from LIS to 21 routes over 150 flights per week during the peak season.

Air Berlin will launch 3X-weekly Berlin Tegel-Los Angeles service at the end of March. It will increase 4X-weekly TXL-New York JFK service to daily from May.

AirAsia X completed its switch from London Stansted to London Gatwick airport (LGW) Oct. 24. The long-haul, low-cost airline will launch 3X-weekly LGW-Kuala Lumpur Airbus A340-300 service in November, increasing to 5X and 6X-weekly from December-March.

Egyptair will move its flights from/to Alexandria to Borg El Arab Dec. 1 due to the closure of El Nozha Airport.

Qatar Airways launched 4X-weekly Doha-Benghazi Airbus A320 service Nov. 1.



AVIATION QUOTE

CAPCOM Richard Covey: Challenger Houston, you are go at Throttle Up.
Cmdr. Dick Scobee: Roger Houston, Go at Throttle Up.
Pilot Mike Smith: uh-oh ...

— last words recorded from Space Shuttle Challenger before exploding 74 seconds into its flight, 28 January 1986.



ON THIS DATE

November 3rd

--- In 1897... The 1st all-metal rigid airship is tested in Germany. It uses wafer-thin aluminum, a major innovation, but crashes soon after taking off.

---In 1926... Captain Charles Lindbergh jumps from his disabled airplane during a night airmail flight, making this his 4th time he has had to use his parachute to save his life.

---In 1949... Charles Moore makes the 1st manned flight in a polyethylene balloon over Minneapolis, Minnesota.

---In 1952…The first combat between jets at night occurs, when a United States Marine Corps F3D Skyknight night fighter piloted by Major William T. Stratton and crewed by radar operator Master Sergeant Hans C. Hoglind shoots down an enemy jet aircraft over Korea they identify as a Yak-15.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Atlanta ATC

While flying in Atlanta airspace late one evening I heard the following conversation on Atlanta Center frequency:

Cessna 1234: Atl center do you have time to talk?

Center: Cessna 1234 go ahead.

Cessna 1234: I'm a student pilot on my first long solo cross country. This is the most fun I have ever had.

Unidentified: Sounds like he needs a girlfriend.

Center: He is probably married with two kids.

Cessna 1234: You are both right!



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