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Boeing stresses need for capacity control in India
Boeing says overcapacity and the fare wars that go with it continue to be the biggest challenges in the Indian market. Speaking to Flightglobal, Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of sales in Asia-Pacific and India, says a number of Indian airlines have been consistently profitable for a few quarters now due to the low fuel price, strong demand and predictable exchange rates.
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Why there was more to the HS Trident than just a lot of noise
The introduction of ICAO Annex 16 Chapter 2 noise legislation on 1 January 1986 forced operators of older first- and second-generation jets to hush kit their fleets. For British Airways, this was not a viable option for its fleet of Hawker Siddeley HS 121 Tridents – not that it needed an excuse to phase out these fuel-thirsty geriatric jets. The Trident’s engine configuration – and somewhat marginal low-speed performance – meant that installing “dustbin-style” hush kits on its three Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans was impractical. By then BA was the sole operator in Europe – the only other Trident stalwart was CAAC in China, which did not adopt the noise legislation at that point.
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American offers charter service from LAX to Cuba
American Airlines debuted weekly charter service from Los Angeles International Airport to Cuba over the weekend. "We stand ready to offer scheduled service as soon as the United States and Cuba allow commercial flights," said Art Torno, a senior vice president for American Airlines.
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American Airlines to offer Cleveland-D.C. service
Starting in April, American Airlines will start flying three times a day between Cleveland and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. It also will drop its daily flight to Phoenix. The flights to Washington will depart at 6:25 a.m., 12:09 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. Return flights to Cleveland will depart Washington at 10:15 a.m., 3:25 p.m. and 10:20 p.m.
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American saves $673 million in fuel costs in 2015
American Airlines is sticking to its strategy of not hedging fuel costs, a decision it says has saved $673 million this year. American is continuing the longstanding practice of US Airways’ management to not hedge. COO Robert Isom told investors recently that American paid $1.67 per gallon for fuel this year, lower than its competitors. United Airlines paid an average of $1.89 per gallon for fuel, and Delta Air Lines paid an average of $1.80, according to those airlines’ third-quarter earnings results. Isom credits the difference with American’s decision not to hedge.
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American offers flights to East Asia
American Airlines now offers flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to five cities in East Asia, according to an analysis by Alex McIntyre. American CEO Doug Parker said in 2014 that the carrier's flights to East Asia represent an investment in an "extremely important part of the globe."
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Braathens firms up four ATR 72-600 options
Braathens Aviation has firmed-up four ATR 72-600 options from an order originally placed at the June 2015 Paris Air Show. Stockholm Bromma-based Braathens ordered five firm ATR 72-600s and took options on a further 10 aircraft in Paris this summer. This latest commitment takes it to nine aircraft on firm order and six options.
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Del Vecchio Family Buys Stake In Luxair
Italian business family Del Vecchio has bought the 13 percent stake in Luxair the Luxembourg government had put up for sale earlier this year. Luxembourg had inherited the stake from Lufthansa and said in November it would look for a buyer.
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Egypt Says No Evidence Of Terrorism In Metrojet Crash
Egypt said it had found no evidence so far of terrorism or other illegal action linked to the crash of a Russian Metrojet passenger plane in Sinai that killed all 224 people on board on October 31. Russia and Western governments have said the Airbus A321 operated by Metrojet was likely brought down by a bomb, and the Islamic State militant group said it had smuggled an explosive on board.
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Southwest CEO discusses carrier's business strategy
Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, said the carrier's goal is to offer the least-expensive fares and the highest level of service across the globe. Kelly also said the carrier does not plan to adjust its pricing model for optional services.
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Gogo offers in-flight messaging product
Gogo, an inflight Wi-Fi provider, is offering a low-cost option for passengers who want to use messaging applications in flight. Gogo partners with several US airlines, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines.
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Craft brews offered by US carriers
US airlines are offering craft beers on flights to satisfy passenger demand. Samuel Adams is available on flights from United Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines offer Fat Tire Amber Ale.
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Chile Threatened By Airport Strike
Workers tied to Chile's civil aviation authority announced a 48 hour strike for Thursday and Friday this week, potentially causing airport chaos as the country gears up for the Christmas holidays. In September, a 24 hour strike stranded thousands of passengers and led to delays at airports, after a majority of workers affiliated with the DGAC civil aviation authority went on strike to demand improved benefits and working conditions.
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Greece Signs EUR€1.2 Bln Airport Deal With Fraport
The Greek government has signed a EUR€1.2 billion (USD$1.32 billion) contract with Fraport to lease and manage 14 regional airports. The deal had been under negotiation before the Syriza party won a general election in January and froze asset sales, but Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras reactivated it as part of the country's third bailout, which was approved in August.
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Military
Boeing Phantom Works keeping T-X and F-X plans under wraps
Boeing Phantom Works president Darryl Davis is refusing to take Northrop’s bait by disclosing new information about his advanced research and design unit’s secretive “T-X” and future fighter projects. In an interview with Flightglobal in Washington this week, Davis stayed tight-lipped on when the company intends to fly the clean-sheet, next-generation trainer it is developing with Saab for the air force.
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JSTARS program forges ahead with Pentagon tick
An air force program to recapitalize the timeworn Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, is moving forward with the Pentagon’s blessing after receiving “Milestone A” approval from the US military’s top weapons buyer last week. The long-awaited and much debated acquisition decision clears the JSTARS Recap program to begin maturing key technologies and reducing program risk in earnest ahead of a formal competition expected in 2017.
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Aviation Quote
A pilot who says he has never been frightened in an airplane is, I'm afraid, lying.
— Louise Thaden
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Trivia
Airline Accidents
1. Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 crashed in Scandinavia after losing power to both engines due to the intake of ice. Where did it take off from?
Oslo Gardemoren
Stockholm Arlanda
Helsinki Vantaa
Copenhagen Kastrup
2. An SAS McDonnell Douglas crashed near a major city in the US at night in the 1960s. Which city was this?
San Francisco
Los Angeles
New York City
Atlanta
3. In 1986, an Aeromexico DC-9 collided with a private plane above Cerritos, Los Angeles. What was the doomed Aeromexico jet's flight number?
498
489
576
984
4. A mid air collision occurred above the Amazon in 2006 when a Boeing 737 and an Embraer business jet collided at 37,000 feet. What commercial operator owned the 737?
TAM Airlines
Gol Linhas Aereas
Aerolineas Argentinas
Avianca
5. A fatal crash in Brazil occurred in 2007 when TAM Airlines Flight 3054 skidded off the runway and slammed into a TAM Express building. What airport was this at?
Sao Paulo Guarulhos
Rio De Jainero Santos Dumont
Rio De Jainero Galelao
Sao Paulo Congonhas
6. In 2005, a runway overrun occurred when an Air France jet overran the runway in Toronto. The media dubbed this the miracle of runway...
24R
24L
35L
9R
7. Air France had three deadly crashes that happened between 2000-2010. One was Air France Flight 447 and another was Air France 358: what was the third?
Air France Flight 8969
Air France Flight 4590
Air France Flight 7
Air France Flight 117
8. Air France Flight 8969 was a hijacking that took place in 1994. The hijackers intended to crash the plane into which famous French monument?
Notre Dame
Eiffel Tower
Arch Du Triomphe
The Louvre
9. In 1976, an Air France Flight was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists when flying out of Athens. Where did the hijackers demand to be flown?
Mogadishu Airport
Jomo Kenyatta Airport
Dar Es Salaam Airport
Entebbe Airport
10. In 1977, an Boeing 737 aircraft named Landshut, otherwise known as Lufthansa flight 181, was hijacked and flown to Mogadishu in Somalia. The plane survived and continued in service until 1985, when it was sold by Lufthansa to which Brazilian airline?
TAM Airlines
WebJet Linhas Aereas
Gol
TAF Linhas Aereas
JLAmber wrote:7. Air France had three deadly crashes that happened between 2000-2010. One was Air France Flight 447 and another was Air France 358: what was the third?
Air France Flight 4590 (the Concorde crash).
