MilitarySearch For MH370 Refocuses On Scans Of SeafloorThe Bluefin-21 deep-sea drone completed its first full scan of the Indian Ocean seabed, the team looking for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 said on Thursday, as the air and surface search became less likely to yield results. Footage from the US Navy drone is becoming the most important tool for the multinational team searching for MH370. A sample taken from an oil slick in the same area, some 2,000 km (1,240 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth, is also being analyzed. Authorities believe that is the most likely area where the missing jet hit the ocean after disappearing.
LinkEtihad Toughens Stance On Alitalia DealEtihad Airways has toughened its stance on conditions for investing in Alitalia, but talks are continuing, sources said on Thursday. "The position of the Arab group has hardened, some problems have been more markedly underlined than before," a source close to the matter said. But a government source said developments could be overcome. "The government is counting on finding a solution," the source said. Italian daily Il Messaggero reported on Thursday that a deal between the two airlines was off since the conditions were not in place. An Etihad spokesperson declined to comment. Alitalia also declined to comment.
LinkSouthwest to keep jet fleet at current size through 2015Southwest Airlines will not expand its jet fleet until after 2015 to focus on boosting returns from invested capital. "In 2014 and 2015, the plans are for the fleet to be flat," said Mike Van de Ven, chief operating officer. "We should be in a position after 2015 to grow the fleet if the economics and the business are right." The carrier has a fleet of around 680 planes.
LinkHawaiian Airlines debuts Honolulu-Beijing serviceHawaiian Airlines inaugurated nonstop service from Honolulu to Beijing, the first nonstop route from Hawaii to China. Airbus A330-200 aircraft will ferry passengers from Honolulu International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport three times a week, with return flights also offered three days a week.
LinkBoeing 737 still going strong after more than 4 decadesBoeing marked a milestone this week for its best-selling 737 aircraft, as a Boeing assembly line completed the 8,000th aircraft. Several airlines, including United Airlines, rely on the 737 program, which started in 1967. "The 737 continues to be an important part of United's narrow-body fleet, and this tradition will continue with our order for 100 737 MAX 9 aircraft," said Ron Baur, vice president in charge of fleet for United.
LinkAnalyst: High oil prices are universal disciplinarian for global airline industryLeaders in the airline business have become more efficient and scrutinize every spending decision closely because of high fuel costs, which now account for more than a third of expenses, surpassing salaries, wages and benefits. The higher prices have led airliners to drop unprofitable routes and ground inefficient planes. "The only universal disciplinarian across the entire global airline industry is high oil prices," says Hunter Keay, an airline analyst with Wolfe Research. Airlines paid just $1.42 a gallon for fuel, when adjusted for inflation, 10 years ago. They paid $3.03 a gallon last year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
LinkWorld's busiest airport may build terminal hotelHartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Ga., is considering plans to build a hotel at its domestic terminal, either inside or connected to the terminal. "We believe that a world-class airport should have a world-class hotel," said Miguel Southwell, interim general manager of the airport. Hartsfield-Jackson is the world's busiest airport.
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