Naverus receives FAA approval to develop 'public use' RNP flight paths Naverus said Friday that it received a Letter of Qualification from US FAA "to design and validate Required Navigation Performance flight paths for public use in the United States." Link
MNG orders two more A330-200Fs Turkey's MNG Airlines doubled its commitment to the A330-200F, placing an order for two more of the type in a move that Airbus said revealed the carrier's intent to "expand its network as the freighter market gradually rebounds." Link
OAG: Global capacity rises for second straight month OAG reported that global airline capacity grew 1.4% year-over-year in September, the second consecutive month of growth. Link
BA finding more ways to boost bottom line British Airways is introducing a charge for pre-selection of seats on Oct. 7, claiming that the new "service will give customers more control over their seating options." Link
A400M Deal Near, Airbus Says Airbus says it has come to an agreement in principle with A400M launch customers to restructure the contract for the airlifter, and is keeping to its objective of performing a first flight this year. Link
Wreckage found from downed Rafale, as France names missing pilot France has named the pilot still missing after a suspected mid-air collision between two navy Dassault Rafales over the Mediterranean Sea on 24 September as François Duflot. The first pieces of wreckage from the downed fighter have been recovered. Link
Other News
ILFC last week announced the following lease deals and deliveries with 21 airline customers: Two new A330-200s to Garuda Indonesia for 84 and 86 months respectively, one new 777-300ER to V Australia for 148 months, one used 737-500 to Aerosvit for five years, one used 737-300 to Sharjah-based AVE.com for five years, one used 747-400F to Air Atlanta Icelandic for 54 months, two used A320-200s to Moscow Vnukovo-based Avianova for 58 and 59 months respectively, one used 757-200ER to Madrid-based charter carrier Mint Airways for four years, one used 737-800 to Sun Country Airlines for 51 months, one used A321-200 to Ural Airlines for seven years, two used A321-200s to Istanbul Ataturk-based charter carrier Turkuaz Airlines for 57 months each.
One used 757-200ER to Moscow Sheremetyevo-based charter carrier Nordwind Airlines for 47 months, one used 737-800 to Gol for five years, one used 737-500 to Belavia for two years, two used 737-400s to Tailwind Airlines of Turkey for five years each, one used 767-200ER to Las Vegas-based Vision Airlines for five years (scheduled for October delivery), one used A320-200 (scheduled for November delivery) and one used A330-300 (scheduled for March 2010 delivery) to Vladivostok Avia for six years each, one used A330-300 to Turkish charter carrier Saga Airlines for six years, one used A330-300 to Air Transat for six years, one used 767-300ER to Air Seychelles for three years, one used A330-200 to Jakarta-based Batavia for six years, one used 767-300ER to LOT Polish Airlines for two years.
Austrian Airlines Group is increasing the number of potential layoffs as a result of its acquisition by Lufthansa. CCO Andreas Bierwirth told the Austrian Press Agency that "the total workforce could be reduced to 6,000" by the middle of next year, as opposed to the originally planned 6,500. "In several areas, it is necessary to reduce the workforce more than planned." As many as 300 of those jobs could come from Austrian's Vienna maintenance operation. "AAG has to operate profitably when ticket prices are down," Bierwirth said.
Jazz Air is eyeing a return to Toronto City Centre after having been forced out by an exclusivity agreement struck between the Toronto Port Authority and Porter Airlines. "We operated at the island airport for 18 years before we were evicted," Jazz CEO Joseph Randell said during a recent investment conference, according to The Globe and Mail. "We're looking forward to getting back in there. We believe that any public facility in Canada should have free and open access, and not be commercially regulated by the provider of the infrastructure." Until March 2006, Jazz operated five daily YTZ-Ottawa flights. It was evicted by Regco Holdings, which owns terminal operator City Centre Aviation. Regco was controlled by Porter CEO Robert Deluce. Jazz's ouster was followed six months later by Porter's first flight. DeLuce said he was confident Porter would survive any "substantial distractions" that may arise. It expects to be operating a fleet of 20 Q400s by spring.
Frontier Airlines, which is set to emerge from bankruptcy on Oct. 1 as a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, suffered a $2 million net loss in August, which it attributed to expenses associated with bankruptcy. It lost $5.6 million in August 2008. It showed dramatic improvement on the operating level, reporting a $10.2 million operating profit compared to a $3.3 million surplus in the year-ago month. It said August net profit would have been $10.2 million excluding special items. Mainline unit revenue fell 8.2% to 10.17 cents while passenger RASM was down 12.6% to 9.31 cents. Mainline unit cost was cut 16.3% to 8.96 cents, but CASM excluding fuel rose 8.4% to 5.81 cents.
Air India last week announced a cut in productivity-linked incentive payments due to more than 7,000 employees, retroactive to August. Cuts will range from 25% to 50% depending on the amount. Those earning more than INR200,000 ($4,140) per month will see their bonuses reduced by half.
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways last week followed American Airlines' lead in imposing a $10 surcharge on travel on three peak days following upcoming holidays. The four carriers will tack the charge on to nearly all tickets for travel on Nov. 29, the Sunday of the four-day US Thanksgiving holiday weekend that traditionally is one of the country's busiest travel days, as well as the weekend of Jan 2-3, which follows a Friday New Year's Day.
Lufthansa said Friday that award miles earned on its and subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines' frequent-flyer programs can be used for "voluntary carbon offset donations." LH and Swiss have expanded their carbon dioxide compensation program "to allow passengers the opportunity to counterbalance their individual share of the carbon emissions generated during their flight." Previously, LH allowed passengers to donate cash voluntarily to the myclimate foundation in Switzerland to help offset their share of a flight's CO2 emissions. Passengers can calculate CO2 footprints and arrange for cash or frequent flyer carbon offsetting at both airlines' websites.
Pinnacle Airlines pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. rejected an amended labor contract, the airline announced last week. Pinnacle President and CEO Phil Trenary said he had been "optimistic" before the vote, and that now the US National Mediation Board "will decide the next steps and we are hopeful that we can achieve a swift resolution."
USA3000 Airlines cabin staff are deciding whether to join the Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA in an election conducted by the US National Mediation Board. Voting closes Oct. 6. AFA also filed a petition with NMB to hold a representation election on behalf of Compass Airlines flight attendants. Compass is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.
Colgan Air pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. last week began negotiations on their first labor contract with the carrier.
Jet2.com will launch service from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik (weekly from May 2, 2010) and Faro (thrice-weekly on May 20).
Canadian North will stop serving Calgary (Oct. 10) and Hay River (Oct. 25) due to what it called "an oversupply of seats and a price structure that compromises our commitment in other areas." The Yellowknife-based airline said that "operational and administrative staff reductions" will be made at YZF, YYZ, YHY and Edmonton (where frequencies to YZF will be cut). Canadian North operates 737-200 Combis and Dash 8s.
Finnair announced a 10-year sale/leaseback transaction with Engine Lease Finance Corp. on one new CF6-80E1 spare for its A330 fleet. Engine is worth €13 million at list prices, AY said.
MTU Maintenance Hannover, an affiliate of MTU Aero Engines, said it secured engine maintenance contracts worth approximately €50 million ($73.6 million) "over the past few weeks." Largest deal is with Air New Zealand covering MRO on 38 CF6-80C2s used to power its 747-400s. MTU did not identify the remaining customers.
Delta TechOps signed an open-ended extension of its MRO agreement with Ethiopian Airlines covering its PW2040 engines.
AVIATION QUOTE
I could have gone on flying through space forever.
Yuri Gagarin
AEROSPACE TERM
GOX
Gaseous oxygen.
DAILY VIDEO
HUMOR
Controllers At FRA
The German controllers at Frankfurt Airport were a short tempered lot, they not only expected you to know your parking location but how to get there without any assistance from them, so it was with some amusement that we (Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground and a British Airways 747 (Speedbird)
Speedbird: "Good morning Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of the active."
Ground: "Guten morgan, taxi to your gate. The BA 747 pulls onto the main taxiway and stops. Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?!"
Speedbird: "Standby ground, I'm looking up the gate location now.
Ground (with typical German patience): "Speedbird, have you never been to Frankfurt before?!"
Speedbird (cooly): "Yes, 1944, but I didn't stop."
TRIVIA
Tail ID
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And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
1 bmi 2 TUI/Thomsonfly/whatever they're called 3 Air China 4 Cyprus Airways 5 Great Wall Airlines - photographed it at MAN the other week 6 Qatar Airways 7 Saudi Arabian 8 Turkish 9 pass - going to kick myself, I know it 10 Monarch
My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.
1. BD bmi 2. TUIfly Group 3. CA Air China 4. Cyprus Airways 5. Great Wall Airlines 6. QR Qatar Airways 7. SV Saudi Arabian 8. TK Turk Hava Yollari 9. Atlant-Soyuz 10. Monarch
"I mean, we're in a galaxy far, far away, and we still have to change in Atlanta" (Stewie Griffin as Darth Vader)
Reports of ice could raise NASA's lunar hopes The goal of returning astronauts to the moon "is starting to look sexy again," writes science correspondent Alan Boyle, thanks to multiple reports last week of greater-than-expected ice deposits that could be used for human colonies or missions deeper into space. "If we have water, we have the core elements needed to support life," says Rick Tumlinson of the Space Frontier Foundation. "There will be flowers on the moon in our lifetimes." Despite the excitement in some scientific circles, however, the news is unlikely to change many minds on the Augustine panel, which has issued a report critical of NASA's lunar aspirations. "It certainly has exciting implications, if true, but it is way too early to base any planning for human spaceflight on it, in my view," says one member of the panel. Link
White House stops short of veto threat over C-17 The Obama administration said Friday it "strongly objects" to a Senate order for 10 additional C-17 cargo planes, though there was no explicit threat of a veto. Senate appropriators are seeking $2.5 billion for the planes, which the Pentagon says are unnecessary. In Friday's statement, the White House repeated its threatened veto over three other programs, including the presidential helicopter and the F-22 Raptor. Link
Iran tests missiles capable of reaching Israel Iranian media sources are reporting the country has test fired medium-range missiles believed to be capable of striking Israel. The head of Iran's Air Force insists the two-day tests were "preventive and defensive operations" designed to send a message to "certain greedy nations that seek to create fear, to show that we are able to give a swift and suitable answer to our enemies." Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry denied any tie between the missile tests and growing international pressure to suspend its nuclear program. Link
Continental Airlines' CEO discusses getting employees involved The best leaders do not give orders -- they find ways to make their workers want to do the right thing, says Continental Airlines CEO Lawrence W. Kellner. The process starts with great hiring, he notes, but getting employees the right training and keeping the lines of communication open also are important. Kellner says he does not put much stock in interviewing to find the best candidate, preferring to search for candidates based on recommendations. Link
U.S. to host global conference on space debris The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking proposals for cleaning up space debris in advance of the first international conference "solely dedicated to addressing the issues and challenges involved with removing manmade orbital debris from Earth orbit." DARPA and NASA will co-host the conference Dec. 8-10. Link
Technology worries delay rollout of new liquid carry-on rules More than a year after the TSA announced it was poised to revamp size limits for liquids in carry-on bags, no time line has yet been finalized for doing away with the current rules. The agency is still tweaking the algorithm that will allow advanced screening machines to verify the safety of liquids carried onboard commercial flights. Link
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
