NewsAnother Dreamliner Catches FireAnother day, another Dreamliner catching fire. Two weeks after a parked Ethiopian Airlines 787 caught fire at Heathrow Airport and a Thomson Airways flight was diverted over a technical issue, the trouble continues, this time for an Air India Dreamliner headed from Delhi to Kolkota. The airline reports that a fire broke out midflight on Wednesday after the oven overheated. No injuries were reported.
LinkNTSB: Southwest 737 touched runway nose firstThe Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 that crashed at New York's LaGuardia Airport on 22 July touched the runway nose first during landing, according to an update released 25 July by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). "Evidence from video and other sources is consistent with the nose-gear making contact with the runway before the main landing gear," says the NTSB. The flight data recorder, which measured some 1,000 parameters during the 27 hours before the accident, shows that aircraft was configured with flaps at 30° to 40° about 56s prior to touchdown, says the board. Four seconds prior to touchdown, the aircraft was travelling 134kt (248km/h) at an altitude of 9.75m (32ft) above the runway.
LinkFAA Says Remove Or Inspect 787 ELT BeaconsThe US Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday instructed airlines to remove or inspect emergency beacons in Boeing 787 Dreamliners, following a fire earlier this month that was traced to one of the Honeywell units. The airworthiness directive goes farther than the guidance from the FAA last week, when it said airlines should inspect the units on 787s for pinched wires in the casing and evidence of heat or moisture. The agency is now aligned with Boeing, which advised airlines last week to inspect or remove the device, known as an emergency locator transmitter or ELT.
LinkEADS To Form Three Units Under Airbus BrandEADS is studying plans to move to a three division setup under the Airbus brand in a shake-up to be unveiled as early as next week, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The overhaul would bring all military and space activities under one roof by splitting Airbus Military, which makes tankers and military transporters, away from the main plane making division and combining it with the space and defense units. A spokesman for EADS declined to comment.
The company is keen to streamline a collection of German, French and Spanish businesses that created EADS in 2000, as it seeks to double margins to 10 percent by mid-decade and get a global lift from one of Europe's best-known brands, Airbus. The reorganization comes nine months after EADS was forced to abandon a bid to merge with UK defense firm BAE Systems. The bid was opposed by the German government.
LinkMitsubishi's review of MRJ schedule signals possible delay Mitsubishi Aircraft says it is reviewing the schedule of its MRJ regional jet, the strongest indication yet that the Japanese aircraft program could again be delayed. The disclosure comes after media reports in Japan on 24 July say that the MRJ program will be delayed because of issues in the procurement of "key components" from foreign manufacturers. Mitsubishi says the news articles are not based on information from the airframer. "All of our partners, including Pratt & Whitney, fully support the MRJ program with their best efforts and meet requirements for our development schedule," it adds.
LinkGear-up Superjet crew had requested touch-and-go Pilots of a Sukhoi Superjet 100 test aircraft had requested to execute a touch-and-go manoeuvre shortly before a gear-up accident at Reykjavik's Keflavik airport. The twinjet touched down with its landing-gear retracted during the event on 21 July as the aircraft was undergoing certification testing for Category IIIa approaches. It came to rest about 100m off the far end of runway 11, almost on the centreline but on a slightly skewed heading. The aircraft sustained damage to its aft lower fuselage as well as its two PowerJet SaM146 engines. Icelandic accident investigation authority RNF is heading the inquiry into the accident.
LinkAir France-KLM Unveils Plan For Cost-CuttingAir France-KLM said on Friday it planned to introduce major new cost-cutting measures as Europe's weak economy thwarts efforts to turn around its medium-haul and cargo businesses. The airline said the plan would include voluntary departures as well as industrial and commercial initiatives. Air France-KLM had already renegotiated pay and conditions with airline staff, cutting 5,122 jobs and restructuring its network to cope with high fuel costs, a worsening cargo business and tough competition from Gulf and low-cost carriers.
LinkIndonesia to buy five C-130Hs from AustraliaIndonesia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia to acquire five Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules tactical transports and associated equipment. The sale is in addition to the four surplus aircraft that Australia is in the process of transferring to Indonesia, says the country's defence minister Stephen Smith, and includes a support equipment package. "During my visit to Jakarta in April this year, I confirmed that the Australian Government was willing to sell five C-130H aircraft, along with a simulator and spare parts, to Indonesia at a discounted rate," says Smith.
LinkSouthwest Airlines reports Q2 profit of $224MSouthwest Airlines reported net income of $224 million, or 31 cents per share, for the second quarter. Last year, the carrier posted net income of $228 million, or 30 cents per share, for the same quarter.
LinkUnited Continental posts Q2 earnings of $469MUnited Continental Holdings reported earnings of $469 million, or $1.21 per share, for the second quarter. The quarterly earnings represent a 38% improvement from the $339 million, or 89 cents per share, posted for the same quarter last year. "I am encouraged by the progress we made in the second quarter -- in our operations, in our customer service and in our financial performance," said Jeff Smisek, United Airlines' president, CEO and chairman.
LinkAlaska Air Group reports Q2 net income of $104MAlaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, posted net income of $104 million, or $1.47 per share, for the second quarter. In the same quarter of last year, Alaska Air reported net income of $68 million, or $0.93 per share.
LinkDelta CEO: U.S. Customs waits are an embarrassment to the countryDelta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson said delays at U.S. customs are an "embarrassment" to the country. "[D]espite all the investment that we make as an industry... so far, our government has failed to provide the level of service that we should be providing if we want to see the third-most important industry in the U.S., travel and tourism, continue to grow and contribute to a growing GDP," he said.
LinkFoxx recuses himself from Charlotte airport mattersAnthony Foxx, the Department of Transportation Secretary, is not getting involved in discussions between the city and state lawmakers over control of the airport in Charlotte, N.C. Foxx served as Charlotte Mayor before assuming his post with the DOT, but signed an ethics pledge upon confirmation recusing himself from matters in Charlotte.
LinkAverage airfares rise by just $1 in first quarterTravelers in the U.S. paid an average airfare of $379 for the first quarter, a mere $1 more than the same quarter last year. When adjusted for inflation, the average airfare has dropped by 19.1% since 1999.
LinkLie-flat seats are a popular perk for NY-LA flightsUnited Airlines and Delta Air Lines both offer lie-flat seats on transcontinental flights in business class between New York and Los Angeles. "Everyone wants lie-flat seats. People want to sleep," said Jeff Foland, United's executive vice president of marketing. Television personality Montel Williams picked the 7 a.m. Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles one day last week instead of the 9 a.m. flight because of the flat-bed seat. "I'm well-rested heading to a meeting," Williams said.
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