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American Airlines and US Airways complete merger
The blockbuster deal closes as American officially emerges from bankruptcy. The new American Airlines Group's shares surge 2.7% on first day of trading. American Airlines officially emerged from bankruptcy, closing a blockbuster deal with US Airways to become the world's largest airline. The parent companies of the two airlines, AMR Corp. and US Airways Group Inc., formally became American Airlines Group Inc., with common shares traded on Nasdaq under the symbol AAL. The new airline will be based in Fort Worth. Doug Parker, the former chief executive of US Airways, takes over as executive of the new American Airlines, with American's chief executive, Thomas Horton, becoming chairman of the board. The merger means that nearly 70% of the nation's domestic air traffic is carried by four airlines — American, United, Delta and Southwest.
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Hundreds Of Flights Cancelled As Ice Grips US
A massive winter storm that drove parts of the United States into a deep freeze over the weekend kept a tight grip on the nation on Monday, as bitter temperatures, snow and ice spread across the East Coast. Northern Maryland received 7 to 10 inches of snow over the weekend, while central and eastern Pennsylvania got 4 to 10 inches, and parts of New York received up to 10 inches by Monday morning. Sleet and freezing rain also hit the area, according to the National Weather Service. From 1 inch to at least 5 inches of snow were forecast for Monday night into Tuesday for an area stretching from Virginia into New York, the weather service said.
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European Flyers To Keep Mobile Gadgets On
Passengers on European flights may soon be able to use mobile gadgets throughout their journeys, but they will have to wait a while before they can make phone calls, the European Commission's transport chief said on Monday. Following guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency, it is up to airlines to update their rules so that passengers will no longer have to turn off mobile devices during take-off and landing, provided they are in flight-safety mode. The step follows a similar change in the United States.
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Lufthansa To Revamp Frequent Flyer Scheme
Lufthansa plans to revamp its frequent flyer scheme Miles & More in a bid to boost growth at the business, joining a trend among airlines, some of which have spun them off. The reorganization is part of a wider restructuring of Germany's largest airline, which aims to boost operating profit to EUR€2.3 billion (USD$3.2 billion) and includes 3,500 job cuts, the expansion of discount unit Germanwings, as well as outsourcing. The Miles & More reorganization should be completed in the next couple of months, a spokesman for Lufthansa said, declining to provide details.
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Cathay Pacific unveils third edition of ‘Spirit of Hong Kong’ livery
Cathay Pacific unveiled the third edition of its "Spirit of Hong Kong" livery at a ceremony on 9 December. The livery features the silhouettes of 110 winners selected from a competition, and was painted onto one of the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, it says.
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US lawmaker introduces bill to ban in-flight voice calls
The chairman of the US House of Representatives' main transportation committee introduced a bill to prohibit in-flight cell phone use on commercial flights today. The bill, introduced by republican Bill Shuster, seeks to prohibit passengers from using mobile devices on board aircraft to place voice calls. Pilots, flight attendants and law enforcement officials on duty would be exempt from the rule, the bill states. “For passengers, being able to use their phones and tablets to get online or send text messages is a useful in-flight option,” says Shuster in a statement. “But if passengers are going to be forced to listen to the gossip in the aisle seat, it’s going to make for a very long flight.”
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Glasgow EC135 crash: rotors not spinning at impact
Initial analysis shows that neither the main nor tail rotor of a police helicopter was rotating at the time the aircraft crashed through the roof of a public bar in Glasgow. The Eurocopter EC135 hit the building’s flat roof with a high rate of descent but negligible forward speed, killing all three on board as well as six people in the bar. About 4min before the accident the helicopter’s pilot had requested to return to Glasgow City Heliport following a 93min sortie to the south and east. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch says that air traffic control granted clearance, but that nothing more was heard from the aircraft and radar contact was lost shortly afterwards.
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Gulf Air initiates services to Dubai’s Al Maktoum International
Gulf Air launched services between its Bahrain base and Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central (DWC) on 8 December. The new daily service, operated by an Airbus A320, makes Gulf Air the first full-service passenger airline to introduce regular operations at Dubai’s new international airport. Passenger flights were launched at the airport in October when Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air introduced four-times weekly flights from Budapest.
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Kuwait Airways signs for A350 and A320neo
Kuwait Airways has moved a step closer to a fleet-renewal program, having signed a tentative deal to acquire 10 Airbus A350-900s and 15 A320neos. The airframer, which confirms the signing of a memorandum of understanding, has not indicated when the aircraft will be delivered. While the A350s are only available with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, no powerplant selection has been given for the A320neo jets.
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An-148 performs rough-field demonstration
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Antonov has conducted a demonstration of the rough-field capabilities of its An-148 regional jet, using a dirt runway at Odessa. The twinjet, in Ukraine International Airlines colours, conducted two approaches and two departures from the reserve runway, which runs adjacent to the main one. Odessa airport’s operator says the demonstration was carried out in co-operation with lessor Ilyushin Finance for a promotional video.
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AMR reports 1% PRASM uptick for Nov.
AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, reported a 1% increase in passenger revenue per available seat mile for November on a year-over-year basis. The carrier also boosted overall capacity by 1.8%, with a 4.8% increase in international capacity and a 0.5% decrease in domestic capacity.
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Business travelers look forward to AA-US Airways merger
Business travelers are looking forward to improved prospects from the US Airways-American Airlines merger. "I travel a lot internationally, and I'm hoping the merger will provide more opportunities for the destinations I go to," said Roberto Martinez, a financial services businessman based in Texas. "I think it creates an ability for the companies to invest and have better equipment and have more engaged employees with a spirit that they're going to have success," said Nate Asplund, an assistant vice president at Fort Worth-based BNSF. "It's kind of neat talking with them now about what they think. They're energized and they think there's a good future. It makes a big difference," Asplund continued.
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EADS moves forward with plan to change name to Airbus
EADS is moving forward with a plan to change the name of the company to Airbus Group, after its most successful division, in July. The European aircraft manufacturer will rename its defense division to Airbus Defense and Space division, and its helicopter division will be called Airbus Eurocopter.
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EADS to cut 5,800 jobs in defence and space restructuring
EADS has presented plans to cut 5,800 positions across its defense and spaces businesses by the end of 2016 as part of a restructuring of these units. It comes after the company in July decided to consolidate its defence and space businesses into a new division, Airbus Defence and Space. The cuts also cover positions at Airbus headquarters and corporate functions.
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3 EU countries say emissions plan is not practical
France, Britain and Germany are protesting a European Union plan to include foreign aircraft in its carbon scheme. The three countries say they are worried about "the political acceptability and practical implementation of an airspace-Emissions Trading Scheme," in a document obtained by Reuters. EU officials held a meeting last week to discuss the issue further.
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Satellite Internet options on the way for Dreamliners
Boeing will offer Internet connectivity on its 787-8 and the 787-9 aircraft along with other optional features. The manufacturer will offer the Thales' TopConnect inflight connectivity solution and the Panasonic Avionics' eXConnect platform.
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Air Canada considers aircraft purchase of up to 60 jets
Air Canada appears close to deciding whether to buy up to 60 new narrowbody jets from Airbus or Boeing Co, a decision that could settle which of the giant plane makers wins their annual order race, industry sources said. The Canadian flag carrier has said it is looking to renew its fleet of single-aisle aircraft, which includes more than 50 Airbus A320 and A321 jets, as well as 45 Embraer 190 planes. Chief Executive Calin Rovinescu had previously said he hoped a decision will be made by the end of the year, noting the decision would involve more than 100 airplanes. A spokesman for Air Canada said no decision had been made, but two people familiar with the matter said a decision could come as early as next week when the airline's board meets.
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New biplane unveiled in Las Vegas
John Klatt Airshows and Jack Link's Beef Jerky unveiled their new 1929 Taperwing Waco biplane at the International Council of Air Shows in Las Vegas last week. The airplane, called the Screamin' Sasquatch, features a General Electric CJ610 jet engine that gives the airplane enough power to fly vertically.
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Military

Quickstep, Lockheed sign C-130J wingflap deal
Australian composites firm Quickstep has entered a $75 million memorandum of agreement with Lockheed Martin to provide 120 carbon-fibre wingflap sets for the C-130J tactical transport aircraft. Under the agreement, Quickstep will provide 24 ship sets annually, with production set to run until 2018, says the company. The deal follows the company’s 2012 announcement that it won a competitive tender for C-130J wingflap work.
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Israeli air force to inaugurate networked training center
The Israeli air force will officially inaugurate a mission training center (MTC) at Hazor air base on 15 December, with the Elbit Systems-built facility already used to support pilots of the service's Lockheed Martin F-16C/D and F-16I combat aircraft. The MTC is to be operated under a private finance initiative model, with Elbit responsible for providing instruction, operations and maintenance services. Elbit vice-president Alon Afik says the centre's establishment marks a significant breakthrough in the operational training sector. "The system enables training in various mission scenarios in different theatres, with the relevant threat environment for each theatre," he says. "The MTC brings an advanced training capability that was not available to the Israeli air force in the past."
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Tranche 3 Typhoon makes its debut flight
The first Tranche 3 production example of the Eurofighter Typhoon performed its debut flight on 2 December, from BAE Systems’ Warton assembly site in Lancashire, the UK. Flown by BAE test pilot Nat Makepeace, single-seat BS116 is one of 40 Tranche 3 aircraft that will be produced for the UK Royal Air Force, equipped with a series of enhancements over previous examples. Germany, Italy and Spain will receive a combined further 72 Eurofighters in the new standard.
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Aviation Quote

...the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward, and so will space.

- John F. Kennedy, 1962

On This Date

---In 1909…Two men become the first Austalians to fly from Great Britain to Australia direct. Cruising along as an average speed of 83mph, it only took them 135 hours for the 11,340-mile trip. They purportedly ran out of Terra chips in the second hour.

---In 1919... Capts. Ross Smith and Keith Smith become the first Australians to fly directly between Great Britain and Australia, a distance of 11,340 mi., after flying 135 hr. 55 min. at an average speed of 83 MPH.

---In 1941…An SBD Dauntless dive bomber from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) piloted by Lieutenant Clarence E. Dickinson sinks the Japanese submarine I-70 northeast of Oahu. I-70 is the first Japanese submarine ever sunk by enemy forces.

---In 1951…First flight of the Kaman K-225, first turbine-powered helicopter.

---In 1958…National Airlines operates the very first domestic jet service in the United States, flying a Boeing 707 from Miami to New York’s Idlewild.

---In 1969… First NASA flight of a YF-12 (935). (Q)

---In 1974…Helios 1 is launched by the US and Germany, later to make the closest flyby of the Sun.

---In 1998…Two Canadian Snowbird CT-114 Tutors collide during training near Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, killing one of the pilots.

---In 2004…The US Federal Aviation Administration issues an Emergency Airworthiness Directive effectively grounding all U.S. Beechcraft T-34 Mentor aircraft. The directive is in response to fatal in-flight structural failure accidents during simulated aerial combat flights.

---Two of Canada’s Snowbirds aerobatic CT-114 Tutors collide near Mossbank, Saskatchewan during training, killing one of the pilots. In a sad coincidence, this is six years to the date of the team’s previous fatal accident.

---In 2005…Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145, a DC-9 registered YU-AJH, crashes at Port Harcourt International Airport in Nigeria, killing 108 of 110 people on-board. The aircraft overshot the runway while attempting to land during a thunderstorm, and might have been struck by lightning around 125 ft up. Among the dead were 61 junior high school students.

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Humor

Engine Blew Up

While cruising at 40,000 feet, the airplane shuddered and Mr. Benson looked out the window. “Good lord!” he screamed, “One of the engines just blew up!”
Other passengers left their seats and came running over. Suddenly the aircraft was rocked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side. The passengers were in a panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn't maintain order.

Just then, standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about. His words and his demeanor made most of the passengers feel better, and they sat down as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft. There, he grabbed several packages from under the seats and began handing them to the flight attendants. Each crew member attached the package to their backs.

“Say,” spoke up an alert passenger, “Aren't those parachutes?”
The pilot said they were. The passenger went on, “But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?”

“There isn't,” replied the pilot as a third engine exploded. “We're going to get help.”

Trivia

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