NewsBreaking News
Airlines Suspend Flights To Tel Aviv
Airlines in the US and Europe on Tuesday halted flights to Tel Aviv after warnings from governmental agencies as turmoil in Israel and the region intensified. US carriers Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines were the first to announce cancellations, followed by flight stoppages by European carriers, including Lufthansa and Air France. Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest carrier, also said it halted its flights until Wednesday, citing the situation on the ground. Throughout the day, several airlines rerouted or turned back flights already headed to Tel Aviv. The flight suspensions grabbed the attention of a global aviation community still grappling with the downing last week of MH17 over Ukraine.
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DiscussionMH17 Shot Down
Rebels Likely Downed MH17 'By Mistake'
The US government believes that pro-Russian separatists most likely shot down Malaysia Airlines flight 17 "by mistake," not understanding it was a civilian passenger flight, US intelligence officials said on Tuesday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the "most plausible explanation" for the destruction of the plane was that the separatists fired a Russian-made SA-11 missile at it after mistaking it for another kind of aircraft. "Five days into it (following the crash) it does appear to be a mistake," one of the officials said in a briefing for reporters.
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Train Carrying MH17 Bodies Reaches Kharkiv
A train carrying the remains of many of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 arrived in the Ukrainian government-held city of Kharkiv on Tuesday on the first leg of the journey to be reclaimed by their families. Five refrigerated wagons containing 200 body bags reached the city of Kharkiv after pro-Russian separatists agreed to hand over the plane's data recorders to Malaysian authorities and the bodies to the Netherlands, where many victims had lived. The train slowly rolled into the grounds of an arms industry plant, where the remains are due to be unloaded and flown to the Netherlands for the lengthy process of identification. A spokeswoman for a Dutch team of forensic experts in Kharkiv said departure was not expected before Wednesday.
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UK investigators to analyse MH17 flight recorders
UK investigators have been assigned the task of retrieving and examining the flight-recorder data from the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER lost over Ukraine. The recorders have been formally transferred from separatist representatives in the Donetsk region of the country to Malaysian officials.
LinkCommercial News
A350 rejects take-off at maximum energy
Airbus has carried out a maximum-energy rejected take-off with its A350-900 at the Istres base, final major test prior to certification. The test was performed on 19 July with aircraft MSN1. While the twin-engined A350 has already conducted rejected take-off tests, the maximum-energy event is intended to examine the extreme case of a rejection at high speed and high weight with braking capability at its limits.
LinkAirlines
Alaska analysts expect strong results
Analysts are expecting strong results for Alaska Airlines when it posts earnings this week, and appear confident in the carrier’s operations at its Seattle hub.
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Delta to supply Pa. refinery with crude oil
Delta Air Lines will supply a Trainer, Pa., refinery with crude oil for five years in a deal the airline signed with Texas midstream firm, Bridger LLC. Under the deal, Delta will supply a third of the refinery's daily capacity. The airline uses the jet fuel the refinery produces. "We definitely believe domestic crude will be competitive versus foreign alternatives," Graeme Burnett, Delta’s senior vice president for fuel optimization, said. "We want to push the levels of domestic crude as high as we can."
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Hawaiian Airlines pushes for Honolulu airport upgrade
Just about every person I met with during my visit to Hawaiian brought up the Honolulu International Airport modernization plan. This is a project that has been in the works for years, but it’s clear that Hawaiian sees this as absolutely crucial to its future growth. To understand why the airport needs modernizing, we need to look at how it functions now. The main terminal is the overseas terminal. It was opened in 1962 but has had concourses bolted on since then. The Ewa Concourse was built first, followed by the Diamond Head Concourse and finally the Central Concourse in 1980. As you can see, both the Diamond Head and Ewa Concourses have a distinctive and annoying curve which means airplanes can only park on one side. That doesn’t seem very efficient, and earlier plans were going to involve changing that, but those appear to have been shelved.
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Hawaiian commits to up to 12 A330-800neos
Hawaiian Airlines has committed to six Airbus A330-800neo aircraft, replacing its order for the Airbus A350-800. The Honolulu-based carrier has signed a memorandum of understanding for six firm with purchase rights for another six A330-800neos with deliveries from 2019 with the European airframer, it says. “The A330-800neo's fuel efficiency, additional range and commonality with our existing A330 fleet makes the A330-800neo an elegant solution to our need for growth aircraft toward the end of this decade," says Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive of Hawaiian, in a statement.
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Southwest prepares for expiration of Wright Amendment
Southwest Airlines is poised to take advantage of the end of a restrictive rule that kept it from flying nonstop flights out of Love Field Airport to states beyond those surrounding Texas. The 1979 Wright Amendment, designed to shield Dallas-Fort Worth Airport from competition, is set to begin a phase-out this fall.
LinkAirports
Chicago to add jet noise monitors
Chicago will deploy eight additional jet noise monitors following flight traffic patterns changes that occurred when O'Hare International Airport opened a new runway.
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Nashville airport handles record 10.6M travelers
It's been a good year for Nashville International Airport. The Tennessee airport handled more than 10.6 million passengers for the 2014 fiscal year, which ended June 30. With that, Nashville has broken its all-time annual passenger record. "This is a significant achievement for Nashville International Airport, Nashville and the Middle Tennessee region," Rob Wigington, the airport's president and CEO, says in a statement quoted by The Tennessean. "This milestone passenger number reflects Nashville's flourishing economy and highlights the rise of travelers and visitors who are choosing to fly into and out of Music City."
LinkMilitary
Egypt confirmed as buying more C295 transports
Airbus Defence & Space used the Farnborough air show to name Egypt as the previously undisclosed customer for eight C295 medium transports ordered earlier this year. The company last month detailed its receipt of contracts for a combined 20 C295s so far during 2014, with three each destined for Brazil, Ecuador, the Philippines and Vietnam, and the remainder for a nation in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Airbus on 16 July identified the latter as being existing operator Egypt.
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France takes delivery of upgraded E-3F
The French air force has taken delivery of its first upgraded Boeing E-3F airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, following successful flight testing. “Delivery followed ground and flight tests at Avord air base and qualification by France’s DGA [defence procurement agency],” says Boeing. “The mid-life upgrade will provide the crew with more actionable information and better situational awareness, and increase mission effectiveness and efficiencies,” it adds.
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Aviation Quote
The Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you.
— attributed to Max Stanley, Northrop test pilot.
On This Date
---In 1906... Having abandoned his helicopter project, Alberto Santos-Dumont unveils a new aircraft, the No.14 bis. at Bagatelle, France. The odd-looking machine is dubbed canard [duck].
---In 1917... Maj. Benjamin D. Foulois, one of the great figures of early American aviation, is appointed commanding officer of the Airplane Division of the U.S. Signal Corps.
---In 1937... The International Military Aircraft Competition at Dübendorf near Zürich provides the picturesque venue for the first major demonstration of the Messerschmitt Bf 109.
---In 1954… Cathay Pacific VR-HEU, a Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4 (VR-HEU) from Bangkok to Hong Kong was shot down by the People's Liberation Army Air Force in the South China Sea near Hainan Island. Ten people died, leaving eight survivors. After the incident, Cathay Pacific received an apology and compensation from the People's Liberation Army Air Force. It was apparently mistaken for a Nationalist plane.
---In 1956…First flight of the Dassault Étendard II.
---In 1977…After threats of shutting down transatlantic air traffic, the U.S. and British governments reach the Bermuda II accord, giving British airlines additional ports of entry in the United States and removing American airlines' rights to carry passengers beyond London and Hong Kong.
---In 1979…The British government announces plans to privatise British Airways and publicly sell British Aerospace shares.
---In 1980…First flight of the Aérospatiale Dauphin II.
---In 1983…An Air Canada Boeing 767-233, Fin 604 C-GAUN glided to an emergency landing in Gimli after running out of fuel 12,300 metres (40,400 ft) above Red Lake, Ontario. Few people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation due to the steep angle of the escape chute at the rear of the plane; caused by the collapsed nose at the front.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Performance Reviews: How To Interpret
Some of you might like to know what supervisors are really saying in all those glowing employee work performance evaluations they keeps cranking out.
• AVERAGE: Not too bright.
• EXCEPTIONALLY WELL QUALIFIED: Has committed no major blunders to date.
• ACTIVE SOCIALLY: Drinks heavily.
• ZEALOUS ATTITUDE: Opinionated.
• CHARACTER ABOVE REPROACH: Still one step ahead of the law.
• UNLIMITED POTENTIAL: Will stick with us until retirement.
• QUICK THINKING: Offers plausible excuses for errors.
• TAKES PRIDE IN WORK: Conceited.
• TAKES ADVANTAGE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PROGRESS: Buys drinks for superiors.
• INDIFFERENT TO INSTRUCTION: Knows more than superiors.
• STERN DISCIPLINARIAN: A real jerk.
• TACTFUL IN DEALING WITH SUPERIORS: Knows when to keep mouth shut.
• APPROACHES DIFFICULT PROBLEMS WITH LOGIC: Finds someone else to do the job.
• A KEEN ANALYST: Thoroughly confused.
• NOT A DESK PERSON: Did not go to university.
• EXPRESSES SELF WELL: Can string two sentences together.
• SPENDS EXTRA HOURS ON THE JOB: Miserable home life.
• CONSCIENTIOUS AND CAREFUL: Scared.
• METICULOUS IN ATTENTION TO DETAIL: A nitpicker.
• DEMONSTRATES QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP: Has a loud voice.
• JUDGMENT IS USUALLY SOUND: Lucky.
• MAINTAINS PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE: A snob.
• KEEN SENSE OF HUMOR: Knows lots of dirty jokes.
• STRONG ADHERENCE TO PRINCIPLES: Stubborn.
• GETS ALONG EXTREMELY WELL WITH SUPERIORS AND SUBORDINATES ALIKE: A coward.
• SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE: Stupid.
• OF GREAT VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION: Turns in work on time.
• IS UNUSUALLY LOYAL: Wanted by no-one else.
• ALERT TO COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS: An office gossip.
• REQUIRES WORK-VALUE ATTITUDINAL READJUSTMENT: Lazy and hard-headed.
• HARD WORKER: Usually does it the hard way.
• ENJOYS JOB: Needs more to do.
• HAPPY: Paid too much.
• WELL ORGANIZED: Needs more to do.
• COMPETENT: Is still able to get work done if supervisor helps.
• CONSULTS WITH SUPERVISOR OFTEN: Pain in the arse.
• WILL GO FAR: Related to management.
• SHOULD GO FAR: Please.
• USES TIME EFFECTIVELY: Clock watcher.
• VERY CREATIVE: Finds 5 reasons to do anything except original work.
• USES RESOURCES WELL: Delegates everything.
• DESERVES PROMOTION: (or anything else - just get him or her away from me!).
Trivia
Airport Jumble
Unscramble and enter the ICAO code.
1. lsohpihc
2. trwhoaeh
3. anogl
4. dnnkeye
5. ciernssp lnaujai
6. zeiaez
7. ranait
8. jaarbsa
9. incuomfii
10. uloutose-balagcn
