NEWS
EU Climate Boss Calls For Early UN Carbon Plan
The European Union is looking to the ICAO to decide on a global scheme for curbing airline emissions at its November meeting, the bloc's climate boss said after inconclusive talks in Montreal this week.
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Ottawa Has Had Pension Talks With Air Canada
The Canadian government has had discussions with Air Canada on extending a moratorium on the airline making payments to erase its huge pension deficit and the issue needs to be resolved over the next couple of years, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Thursday.
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Virgin Atlantic To Shed AirAsia X Stake
Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways is expected to divest its 10 percent stake in AirAsia X to local existing shareholders, according to a report in The Edge Business Daily.
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American pilots’ leadership votes to accept tentative agreement
The board of directors of the Allied Pilots Assn. (APA) union representing American Airlines’ (AA) pilots voted 9-7 on Wednesday to accept management’s latest labor contract proposal as a tentative agreement, pushing the potential pact to the carrier’s 10,000 flight deck crew for a ratification vote.
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Czech Airlines’ 2011 deficit triples
Czech Airlines (OK) recorded an increased pre-tax loss in 2011, tripling its deficit to CZK241.3 million ($11.6 million) from CZK76.1 million in 2010. Rising fuel costs and previously incurred financial obligations were cited as reasons for the poor results. Revenue dipped to CZK16.9 billion, down from 2010’s CZK21.5 billion. Costs declined to CZK17.1 billion compared to CZK21.4 billion in 2010.
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Air India pilots unrest escalates
A section of the Air India (AI) pilots, who have been on strike for the past 52 days, said the medical condition of one of them who has been on a hunger strike for the past four days is rapidly deteriorating. The hundred-odd pilots belonging to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) are protesting against the management decision to let their colleagues from the former Indian Airlines (IC) bypass them for training on the Boeing 787.
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EU clears €130 million worth of state aid for Air Malta
The European Commission has given the Maltese government the go-ahead to provide €130 million ($162.3 million) in state aid for restructuring national carrier Air Malta (KM).
Following what it describes as “an in-depth investigation,” the Commission concluded that “the restructuring plan adequately addresses the financial problems of Air Malta,” and the government’s financial intervention was “in line with EU state aid rules.”
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Opinion: Better data management can improve aircraft repairs
Christopher Koch, editorial director at SAP, says airlines could benefit from better data management for aircraft repairs. "Inefficient operations are more than a customer service nightmare," writes Koch. "Air carriers lose a whopping $10,000 for every hour spent on the ground performing maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO)."
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Blog: Fuel hedging can lead to losses for airlines
As the price of fuel unexpectedly dropped to around $80 a barrel recently, some airlines are losing money on their fuel hedges. Delta Air Lines says it will about $155 million this quarter because of fuel hedging. Some airlines, including US Airways, have halted fuel hedging.
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Airline-passenger groups will voice suggestions for new rules
The Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection under the Department of Transportation is set to hear suggestions from advocacy groups for airline passengers to aid in developing new regulations. Recommendations will include compensation for passengers in the event of cancellations or delays and combining airline pricing for all services with fees, the advocacy groups say. "I hope the committee will look at improving service, disclosure and particularly disclosure of rights to obtain refunds," said Ed Mierzwinski, a director with U.S. Public Interest Research Group, who is attending the hearing.
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Other News
WestJet (WS) has signed a conditional order for 20 Bombardier Q400 turboprops following last month’s letter of intent to purchase the aircraft for its new regional affiliate. The transaction also includes 25 options. The order is valued at approximately $683 million, which could increase to approximately $1.59 billion if the 25 options are converted to firm orders, according to a Bombardier statement.
The Republic of Moldova has signed an air services agreement to make it a full aviation partner of the European Union, gradually integrating the republic into the European common market. Under the agreement, which still needs to be ratified, Moldova and the EU will develop a common aviation area based on common rules in key areas such as aviation safety and security. Moldova will also harmonize its legislation with European standards and implement EU aviation rules covering such areas as environment, consumer protection, air traffic management, economic regulation, competition issues and social aspects.
GOL said it will lay off an estimated 2,500 employees through the end of the year, stepping up cost-cutting efforts. In addition, new vacancies will be frozen and employees departing through attrition will not be replaced. Reasons given by GOL in a statement include “the new reality of the market” and the need to maintain “the sustainability of operations.”
UTair (UT) reported a 2011 net profit of RUB261.2 million ($8 million), up 21% from 2010. Revenue rose 27.6% year-over-year to RUB54.13 billion. In 2011, UT carried 6.7 million passengers, up 30.8% from 2010. Passenger traffic totaled 11.12 billion RPKs, a 39.3% increase. The airline credited its growing network for the results. In 2010, UT launched flights to 48 new destinations, most of them from Moscow Vnukovo (VNK). This year the carrier plans to expand its network to the Russian Far East.
FL Technics has purchased one Boeing 737NG to tear down for parts and components.
MTU Maintenance Hannover has completed the overhaul of its 6,000th engine, a CFM56-7B from a South American carrier.
Turkish Technic signed a landing gear maintenance services agreement with Atlasjet covering three sets of Airbus A321 family landing gear. Landing gear removal and installation and landing gear overhaul activities will be carried at Turkish Technic’s Istanbul facilities.
Northwest Aerospace Technologies has received FAA STC certification and Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department VSTC approval for the installation of Cathay Pacific Airways’ premium economy product including seats, new cabin monuments and associated furnishing for its Boeing 747-400 fleet.
JetBlue Names San Juan, Puerto Rico as the Sixth Focus City in its 71-City Network. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony held today in celebration of JetBlue Airways' new home at Terminal A in San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU), the airline's President and CEO Dave Barger, together with Puerto Rico's Governor Luis Fortuno, announced that San Juan has become the sixth focus city in JetBlue's 71-city network.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) will begin offering in-flight Internet service on its long-haul international fleet of more than 150 aircraft, which includes Boeing 777, 767, 747, Airbus 330 and transoceanic Boeing 757 aircraft in early 2013.
AVIATION QUOTE
If you want to grow old as a pilot, you’ve got to know when to push it, and when to back off.
— Chuck Yeager.
ON THIS DATE
---In 1909... In opening demonstration flights before the U.S. Army at Fort Myer, Virginia, Orville Wright makes the first flight with the new Wright A built to replace the one destroyed in September 1908.
---In 1914... Glenn Curtiss takes up nine passengers in New York in his seaplane America, built for Rodman Wanamaker, to make an attempt on the £10,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail for the first transatlantic crossing in a heavier-than-air machine.
---In 1948... The Air Parcel Post Bill becomes U.S. law, establishing domestic air parcel post and raising first class postage rates for air mail from five cents to six cents.
---In 1955…The Boeing B-52 enters operational service with the 93rd Bomb Wing.
---In 1960…The English Electric Lightning enters operational service with No. 74 Squadron RAF at RAF Coltishall.
---In 1962…First flight of the Vickers VC-10.
---In 1963…First flight of the Saab 105.
---In 1977... Italian Professor Enrico Forlanini’s steam-powered helicopter is tested at Alexandria, Egypt.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
“My Wife . . . .”
A Navy Chief and an Air Force General were getting shave sin a barbershop.
As the barbers were reaching for some after-shave to slap on their faces, the General shouts, "Hey, don't put that crap on me! My wife will think I've been in a whorehouse!"
Whereupon the Chief turns to his barber and says, "Go ahead and put it on me, my wife doesn't know what the inside of a whorehouse smells like."
TRIVIA
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