NewsCommercial
737 derailment probe 'suggests' track alignment issue
No probable cause emerged from the investigation of a 3 July train derailment that destroyed six almost complete Boeing 737 fuselages, but simulations pointed to the possibility of a track misalignment problem, Montana Rail Link says. The investigation report filed with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) ruled out two possible causes: poor train handling by the conductor and improper loading and stacking of the rail cars at 737 fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems, says Montana Rail Link. The Missoula, Montana-based private rail company investigated other possible causes for the derailment, but simulations of the incident “suggest” the cause was a track geometry issue. Asked to elaborate on the meaning of “track geometry”, a Montana Rail Link spokesman says that a geometry issue “includes track alignment”.
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Restructuring Rolls-Royce cuts aerospace workforce
Rolls-Royce is planning to cut 2,600 positions over the next 18 months, mainly within its aerospace division. The restructuring is intended to save £80 million ($128 million) per year, although it will result in £120 million of incremental costs over the next two years. Rolls-Royce had warned last month that it was expecting a weaker revenue performance across the group. Although its aerospace division was among its stronger businesses, the manufacturer says its engineering requirement has lessened as a result of its ending primary development of the Trent 1000 and Trent XWB engines, both of which have entered production.
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Slowing Economies Hurting Europe Air Travel - IATA
Weaker European economies and the ongoing Russian sanctions are affecting demand for air travel in the region, while the fall in oil prices will take time to be felt and may even signal difficulties ahead, IATA said. Global air traffic demand rose 5.3 percent in September, slowing from a 6.3 percent rise recorded for August, the International Air Transport Association said in its monthly passenger traffic statement. "There are a lot of risks out there - growing weakness in key economies such as Europe and Brazil, the potential threat of Ebola to public confidence in flying, and the impact of political instability in various parts of the world," IATA Director General Tony Tyler said.
LinkAirlines
Alaska debuts service to Mexico from Portland, Ore.
Alaska Airlines this week begins service from Portland to two cities in Mexico, in a move announced months ago pending Mexican government approval. The airline is offering new nonstop flights from Portland to Puerto Vallarta starting Nov. 4 through April 26, 2015, and to Los Cabos starting Nov. 20 through April 27, 2015. The airline kicks off its new nonstop service between Seattle and Cancun on Nov. 6. Flights will operate daily through April 27, 2015. The announcement came in a news release from the airline.
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American to launch NYC-Birmingham, U.K., service
American Airlines will add Birmingham, England, to its list of international destinations. The carrier will begin flying to Birmingham on May 7 with one daily round-trip flight from its hub at New York JFK. American will use Boeing 757 jets for its service on the route, which will be its fifth to the United Kingdom.
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American ‘evaluating’ proposed long-range A321neo
American Airlines is “evaluating” Airbus’ proposed long-range A321neo, says vice-president of fleet planning Peter Warlick. “We will be evaluating the economics and the range and performance capabilities of the long-range version of the A321neo,” he says in an employee newsletter on 30 October that was first reported by Bloomberg.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier would likely use a long-range A321neo, which is being design specifically with transatlantic routes in mind, to replace transatlantic Boeing 757-200s in its fleet if it ordered the potential sub-variant.
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Delta president runs NYC marathon, raises money for charity
Ed Bastian, president of Delta Air Lines, ran a marathon on Sunday to raise funds for childhood cancer research. Bastian ran 26.2 miles in the New York City Marathon, and raised more than $300,000 for the Rally Foundation.
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Delta adds Porsche service to Seattle, Detroit, NYC
Delta Air Lines will, as it puts it, "transport select high-value customers from gate to gate," via Porsche at three new airports, following its launch of the service in Atlanta in 2011. Seattle-Tacoma, New York's LaGuardia and Detroit Metropolitan airports all will get the transport service this month.
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Delta posts 3% jump in unit revenue for Oct.
Delta Air Lines posted a 3% increase in consolidated passenger unit revenue for October on a year-over-year basis. Delta attributed the increase to improving unit revenue from its domestic and trans-Atlantic operations.
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JetBlue offers seasonal service from Boston to warmer locales
JetBlue Airways announced the launch of new seasonal flights from Boston Logan International Airport to Liberia, Costa Rica; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; and Saint Lucia. Each new service operates once weekly, on Saturdays. Flights to Liberia depart Boston at 7:00 a.m. and arrive at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Costa Rica at 11:38 a.m. From Liberia, flights depart at 12:35 p.m., and arrive in Boston at 7:00 p.m.
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Ryanair to order 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
Ireland's Ryanair is planning to finalize an order for 100 737 MAX from Boeing later this month. "These aircraft have the potential to transform Ryanair's cost base while further improving our onboard customer experience," the carrier said. Ryanair expects aircraft delivery in five to 10 years.
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Southwest debuts Beats Music service
Southwest Airlines now offers Beats Music service on all flights. Passengers can access more than 150 curated music playlists with their personal electronic devices. There is no charge for the service.
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US Sues Southwest To Recover Maintenance Fine
The US government is suing Southwest Airlines to recover a fine levied on the carrier following an earlier investigation that showed the company did not comply with regulations related to repairs on Boeing 737s. The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department in the district court of Washington, seeks to enforce a USD$12 million civil penalty proposed by the US Federal Aviation Authority in July. The FAA investigated 44 Southwest-operated Boeing 737 aircraft serviced by Aviation Technical Services, an aircraft repair firm, between 2006 and 2009 and found that they were improperly maintained, according to court documents.
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Virgin America offers stock for $21-$24 per share
Virgin America Inc, a low-cost airline partly owned by Richard Branson, said its initial public offering is expected to be priced at $21-$24 per share, valuing the company at about $1.04 billion at the top end of the range. The company is selling 13.1 million of the 13.3 million shares in the offering, which is expected to raise up to $320 million. Virgin America, known for mood lighting and wi-fi and comfortable leather seats even in economy class, offers flights to 22 cities in the United States and Mexico, using a fleet of 53 Airbus A320 aircraft.
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Westjet Third Quarter Earnings Drop 20 Percent
WestJet Airlines reported a 20 percent fall in third-quarter earnings, hurt by higher costs. The company's quarterly net earnings fell 19.8 percent to CAD$52.2 million, dragged down by a pre-tax non-cash charge of CAD$45.5 million related to the sale of 10 Boeing 737 aircraft. Revenue rose 9.2 percent to CAD$1.01 billion. The Calgary-based company said finance costs rose 33.6 percent to CAD$14.6 million in the quarter and cost per available seat mile rose to CAD$13.60 from CAD$13.52.
LinkAirports
Three Drop Out Of Toulouse Airport Bidding
Australia's Macquarie, Spain's Ferrovial and the Capitole Alliance consortium said they dropped out of the race to buy the 49.99 percent stake in Toulouse-Blagnac airport in southwestern France the government is selling. The Capitole Alliance comprising Germany's AviAlliance, Banque Populaire Occitane and Caisse d'Epargne Midi-Pyrenees, and infrastructure management company OFI InfraVia, said it dropped out because it had not been able to "secure optimal conditions as to the terms of the response to the tender".
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Aviation Quote
I think historically, the airline business has not been run as a real business. That is, a business designed to achieve a return on capital that is then passed on to shareholders. It has historically been run as an extremely elaborate version of a model railroad, that is, one in which you try to make enough money to buy more equipment.
— Michael Levine, Executive VP Northwest Airlines, 1996.
On This Date
--- In 1908... Wilbur Wright receives the Grand Gold Medal of the Aéro Club of France for advances in aviation.
---In 1910... The Willows airship N° 3 City of Cardiff arrives after the 1st dirigible flight across the English Channel, flying from London in 10 hours and 30 minutes.
--- In 1911... Calbraith Rodgers becomes the 1st person to cross the United States in an airplane.
---In 1981…First flight of the AV-8B Harrier II 161396.
---In 2003…Etihad’s ceremonial first flight.
---In 2005…Britannia Airways ceases operations.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Good Morning
Transavia 123: “Rotterdam tower, Transavia 123, goeiemorgen.” ("good morning" in Dutch)
Rotterdam tower: “Transavia 123, expect indefinite delay due to heavy traffic.”
Transavia 123: “Cancel goeiemorgen.”
Trivia
Airliners And Their First Operators
1. What airline was the first operator of the Airbus A310-200?
Lufthansa
Delta
Air France
Austrian
2. The Boeing 767 is the most common aircraft on transatlantic flights. But what airline is the first user of the Boeing 767-300?
Condor
Japan Airlines
Qantas
American Airlines
3. The Dash 8 is a successful regional Canadian aircraft. Do you know the name of the airline that introduced it for the first time in commercial service?
DLT
Air BC
NorOntair
Air Canada
4. The Boeing 737 is the best-seller of Boeing, many versions of this aircraft are flying around the world. Can you tell me what airline made the inaugural flight of the Boeing 737-400?
British Airways
Varig
United Airlines
Piedmont
5. What was the launch airline of the Boeing 747-300?
Swissair
Saudia
UTA
Japan Airlines
6. The Dutch company Fokker created the Fokker 100 specially designed for short-regional routes with a capacity of 85-107 passengers. Do you know what airline is the first operator of this aircraft?
KLM
Malev
American Airlines
Swissair
7. The consortium Airbus Europe designed the A300 for short-medium haul and high-density routes, it became a successful aircraft and a serious rival for some Boeing models. The question is, can you tell me the name of the first user of the Airbus A300-600R?
American Airlines
Pan Am
Lufthansa
Eastern
8. Who was the first user of the Canadair CL-600-100?
Comair
Air France
Maersk
Lufthansa CityLine
9. Who was the first commercial user of the MD-90?
Delta
SAS
Saudia
Swissair
10. And finally we finish with the aircraft of the future. The Airbus A380 will be the biggest commercial aircraft ever built. Do you know what airline made the first order of this big airplane?
Virgin Atlantic
Emirates
Lufthansa
Singapore Airlines
