NewsGlobal Airlines Want To Stay At Heathrow - ReportSome of the world's biggest airlines have ruled out moving from London Heathrow to another UK airport, according to a report in the Financial Times. The report suggests that the decision by all three global airline alliances to stay at Heathrow builds up the chance of a third runway being built at the UK's current hub. And it makes less likely options put to the UK government's airports commission which would require them to move to a smaller airport around London or even further afield.
LinkBank Challenges New Air Canada Card ProviderCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) has challenged Aimia's deal with Toronto-Dominion Bank to replace CIBC as the issuer of Air Canada's Aeroplan credit cards, saying it wants to retain about half of the accounts. Aimia, which operates the frequent flyer scheme, struck a 10-year deal with TD in June to replace CIBC after Aimia and CIBC were unable to come to an agreement to extend their contract. CIBC, which had been the main Aeroplan card company for more than two decades, has said it was not satisfied with the way Aimia selected its rival.
LinkUK Weighs Legal Action Against Spain On GibraltarBritain warned Spain on Monday it might take legal action to try to force Madrid to abandon tighter controls at the border with the contested British overseas territory of Gibraltar in what it called an "unprecedented" step against a European ally. The warning coincided with the departure of a British warship for Gibraltar, played down by the British and Spanish governments as part of a long planned, routine exercise but which underscored heightened tensions over the territory. A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said the Spanish border checks, imposed after Gibraltar created an artificial reef which Spain said blocked its fishing vessels, were "disproportionate" and "politically motivated".
LinkKenya Air Airport Fire Losses Hit USD$4 MlnKenya Airways chief executive Titus Naikuni said the airline has so far lost about USD$4 million in revenue as a result of last week's fire at Jomo Kenyatta Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, local media reported on Monday. The blaze in the early hours of Wednesday morning destroyed the international arrivals building, forcing east Africa's fourth-busiest airport to close temporarily. Five days after the fire passengers are still facing long delays and cancellations. "We have lost revenues of about USD$4 million," Naikuni told journalists at JKIA on Sunday, according to local media reports.
LinkSpotlight shines on Ryanair operations Ryanair is about to lock horns again with Europe's media on the issue of safety. There is no doubt that the Irish budget carrier has an adversarial relationship with the fourth estate, which acts as if it has a default suspicion that fares cannot be low without corner-cutting on safety procedures. So whenever there is an incident involving Ryanair, reporters look for evidence that its policies have led to safety compromises. For example, in May 2010 the media throughout Europe was reporting on Ryanair's allegedly miserly approach to allowable fuel reserves after three aircraft crews declared fuel emergencies when they had to make diversions to other Spanish airports because storms prevented them landing at their destination, Madrid. The newspapers in all languages were full of the fuel shortage stories for months, but the Spanish investigators found that Ryanair had not breached any rules or guidelines on the carriage of fuel reserves. Nevertheless, more than a year ago the BBC documentary programme Panorama investigated Ryanair's operational practices, but it fielded no conclusive verdict. Tonight, UK television company Channel 4's Dispatches programme is to explore some of Ryanair's operating practices again, having spoken to several pilots.
LinkRyanair Pilot Group Wants Safety InquiryPilots at Europe's biggest low-cost airline Ryanair feel inhibited from reporting safety concerns and want regulators to establish the impact on safety of its employment practices, a group of pilots seeking union representation said. The Irish carrier, which helped pioneer low-fare no-frills service with additional charges for everything from checking in at the airport to carrying hold bags, dismissed the survey on Monday as "fabricated" by union officials. The Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG), which the company does not recognize, said it had polled more than 1,000 pilots and first officers, over a third of the airline's total, and found 94 percent wanted regulators to conduct an inquiry.
LinkRyanair strives to eliminate pilot group's social media presenceRyanair has confirmed that it is doing all it can to have Ryanair Pilot Group's Facebook and Twitter accounts shut down. The RPG - which bills itself as having been "created by pilots for pilots" - says it has started a new Facebook page since its original account was closed by the social media organisation, which cited complaints that the RPG was misusing Ryanair intellectual property.
LinkSouth Korea to acquire four tanker aircraft South Korea plans to acquire four tanker aircraft for induction into the air force by 2017. Seoul's Defense Acquisition Program Administration said bidding will commence in February 2015, with a contractor to be selected by October 2015, according a report carried by official news agency Yonhap. Seoul estimates the value of the programme to be over won (W) 1 trillion ($900 million), the report adds. The primary candidates for the requirement are likely to be the Boeing KC-46 and Airbus Military A330 Multi-role Tanker Transport.
LinkOfficial denies White House link to UCLASS revision A senior military official denies that Adm James "Sandy" Winnefeld, the vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VCJCS) watered down the requirements for the US Navy's unmanned carrier-launched surveillance and strike (UCLASS) aircraft on behalf of the White House. "The vice chairman had no contact with the White House on the UCLASS requirements," says the official. "And I would not characterise as 'relaxing' those requirements." The official was responding to charges by a number of sources that the Pentagon's Joint Requirement Oversight Council (JROC) had diluted the requirements for the new unmanned aircraft programme at the behest of the White House. The JROC is chaired by the VCJCS and consists of voting members from the US Army, USN, US Marine Corps and the US Air Force, as well as senior advisors from the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
LinkElectrical arcing downed Tyndall F-22, says USAF A US Air Force Accident Investigation Board (AIB) has concluded that an internal fire caused by electrical arcing due to a chafed wire led to the loss of a Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor at Tyndall AFB, Florida, on 15 November 2012. According to the USAF, a chafed positive generator-feeder wire arced and burned through an adjacent hydraulic line. That caused the generator to go offline, the report says.
LinkValue of AA-US Airways merger soars to $14B, creditors sayThe value of the proposed merger between AMR Corp. and US Airways has increased since the merger was first announced in February. "Based on the trading price of US Airways’ securities on July 29, 2013, the value of the merger appears to have increased from $11 billion to approximately $14.3 billion," the creditors committee stated last week.
LinkAmerican Airlines to debut Airbus A321s in 2014American Airlines announced it will debut its Airbus A321s at the beginning of 2014 on its New York-Los Angeles route. The aircraft will include lie-flat seats in first- and business-class for passengers.
LinkJetBlue aims for corporate customers with lie-flat bedsJetBlue Airways continues to target the corporate market by featuring lie-flat beds on Airbus A321s. JetBlue will begin flying the A321s in the second quarter of next year. "We expect to invigorate the market with our competitive price," said JetBlue CEO Dave Barger.
LinkCapacity control boosts airline industry, United exec saysJohn Gebo, senior vice president financial planning and analysis at United Airlines, said the airline industry has succeeded in recovery due to capacity control. Yield growth for U.S. airlines rose 6% between 2007 and 2012. "That [yield growth] would have been impossible without capacity discipline," he said.
LinkAirbus A330-200F backlog drops to 21 aircraft Another A330-200F was switched to an A330-300 according to Airbus' July 2013 orders and deliveries report. Aircraft lessor Intrepid Aviation made the switch and now has four A330-200Fs left on order. The total A330-200F backlog is now down to 21. A closer look at the customers reveals that OH-Avion and Intrepid Aviation, with a combined backlog of 12 A330-200Fs, are unlikely to take delivery of any given Intrepid's inclination to switch to passenger units and the age of OH-Avion's order, which was placed in 2007. This leaves a theoretical backlog of just nine aircraft.
LinkSt. Louis airport to offer 20 minutes of free Wi-FiLambert-St. Louis International Airport plans to offer up to 20 minutes of free Wi-Fi beginning on Nov. 1. "We felt 20 minutes was enough time for someone to sit down and check emails (without) the frustration of paying," said Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. The Airport Authority modified its contract with Boingo Wireless to offer the free limited service.
LinkFla. attracts international carriers with incentive programWhen it comes to celebrating new flights, no one does it with more zest than Tampa International Airport. May 2012 was Swiss month to celebrate the inauguration of Edelweiss Air flights between Tampa and Zurich, with weekly music by the Alpine Echo entertainers replete with cowbells, a sampling of chocolates and plenty of yodeling. Panama hats and tropical smoothies accompanied the celebratory news conference last month announcing Copa Airlines' inaugural flights between Tampa and Copa's key Central and South American hub in Panama.
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