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NEWS

BA, flight attendants agree to Tuesday deadline
British Airways and flight attendants represented by Unite set a Tuesday deadline "to determine whether or not a mutually acceptable settlement can be achieved," the UK Trades Union Congress said Friday.
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US to place full-body scanners at 11 new airports; Italy, Nigeria, UK progressing
US Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Friday disclosed which 11 airports will be first to receive advanced imaging technology units purchased with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, while the Transportation Security Administration installed the first units at Boston Logan.
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THY shies from LOT acquisition, covets SE Asia/Australia expansion
Turkish Airlines was asked by the Polish government to make a major investment in LOT Polish Airlines, a source close to the THY board said, but the carrier rejected the offer because it is focused on its own expansion plans.
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Aer Lingus pilots agree to cuts, cabin staff says no
Aer Lingus received mixed news from the Impact trade union Friday as pilot members agreed to accept the carrier's cost savings package but cabin crew defeated a series of "extremely unpalatable" proposals from the airline.
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Lockheed CEO Stands By Company JSF Leadership
Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens is taking personal responsibility for the company’s poor performance on the multinational Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, and he says he plans to keep his top program executive, Dan Crowley, in place.
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Turkish Airlines finalises 737-800/900ER order
Turkish Airlines has finalised an agreement to acquire 10 Boeing 737-900ERs and 10 737-800s.
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Thales releases 10-year forecast for in-flight connectivity
Thales estimates that over 12,000 aircraft will be fitted with in-flight connectivity equipment in the next decade, and that L-band satellite-based solutions will dominate the market.
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Other News

Southwest Airlines said the February snowstorms cost it an estimated $15 million in lost revenue but boosted passenger RASM by 16%-17% year-over-year as a result of the reduced capacity. SWA flew 4.99 billion RPMs in February, down 2.3% year-over-year, and capacity was down 8.7% to 6.75 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 4.8 points to 73.9%.

ATR 42-600 flew for the first time last Thursday on a 2-hr. flight over Toulouse. Aircraft was powered by PW127Ms and underwent tests of its engines, avionics, flight data recording, automatic pilot system, hydraulic and electrical systems, among others. EADS said the flight test campaign will last just 75 hr. in part because of the "high degree of commonality" with the ATR 72-600, which began flying last July. Both aircraft are scheduled to enter service next year.

Lufthansa pilots represented by Vereinigung Cockpit will not strike after the March 8 deadline to reach a settlement with the airline providing discussions continue, a union spokesperson told Bloomberg News. "As long as negotiations remain constructive, there is no reason to strike," the spokesperson said.

United Aircraft Corp. of Russia announced that it signed an MOU to sell 18 An-148s to "three India-based nonscheduled air operators" in a deal valued at $400 million. Eight of the aircraft are passenger versions of the regional jet while 10 are freighters. UAC official Yuri Grudinin told reporters in Hyderabad that deliveries will start in 2011, according to Bloomberg News.

Embraer delivered two E-170s to Gulf Air last week. Aircraft are on lease and will seat seven in business class and 60 in economy.

AWAS delivered a second 737-700 to Seoul Gimpo-based Eastar Jet.

Amerijet International took delivery of the first of two 767-200 freighters on lease from Air Transport Services Group subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management. Second will arrive this spring. The Miami-based carrier also operates eight 727-200Fs.

Air Berlin will increase its Tel Aviv presence with new twice-weekly flights from Cologne and Munich starting later this month, a third weekly frequency from Berlin Tegel starting in May and twice-weekly service from Dusseldorf beginning in June. Business class seats will be available on the TXL, DUS and MUC services, which the airline said will mark the first time it offers the premium product on medium-haul flights.

Transaero Airlines will launch twice-weekly Moscow Domodedovo-Beijing flights on June 4 aboard a 747-400.

Aer Arann will start flights to Manchester from Kerry (four-times-weekly) and Derry (daily), as well as a six-times-weekly Derry-Edinburgh service, on May 20. Also, Donegal-Glasgow service will switch from Prestwick to Glasgow International on March 28.

Ariana Afghan Airlines launched weekly Kabul-Al Ain service.

USA3000 Airlines will operate twice-weekly St. Louis-Fort Myers May 27-Aug. 15 aboard an A320.

Alaska Airlines flew 1.35 billion RPMs in February, a 5.9% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity was cut 2.4% to 1.69 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 6.3 points to 79.8%.

AirTran Airways flew 1.29 billion RPMs in February, up 5.4% year-over-year, against a 4.2% lift in capacity to 1.72 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 0.9 point to 75.1%.

Allegiant Air flew 414.2 million system RPMs in February, an 18% increase year-over-year. Capacity was up 17% to 469.8 million ASMs and load factor rose 0.8 point to 88.2%.

WestJet said first-quarter unit revenue will fall less than 3% year-over-year. The LCC flew 1.22 billion RPMs in February, up 9%, while capacity rose 9.3% to 1.48 billion ASMs. Load factor slipped 0.1 point to 82.5%.

Babcock & Brown Air reported an $89.1 million profit in 2009, up 85.1% from earnings of $48.1 million the prior year, on a 30.2% lift in revenue to $307.5 million. The lessor said its aircraft portfolio "performed strongly with an annual lease utilization factor of 98%" last year. As of Dec. 31 it owned 62 Airbus and Boeing aircraft (10 A319s, 17 A320s, one A330, 19 737s, one 747, 12 757s, one 767 and one 777). It said it "expect[s] airline and financial market conditions to improve in 2010 and we will continue to evaluate aircraft acquisition opportunities."

CFM International said the new CFM56-7BE now is undergoing a 150-hr. block test and is on schedule to begin a 50-hr. flight test program in the second quarter in California. Engine certification is planned for mid-year, with flights on 737NGs set for early 2011 and entry into service by mid-2011. CFM said 737NGs equipped with the new engine will realize a 2% improvement in fuel consumption and up to a 4% reduction in maintenance costs.

CFM International said the new CFM56-7BE now is undergoing a 150-hr. block test and is on schedule to begin a 50-hr. flight test program in the second quarter in California. Engine certification is planned for mid-year, with flights on 737NGs set for early 2011 and entry into service by mid-2011. CFM said 737NGs equipped with the new engine will realize a 2% improvement in fuel consumption and up to a 4% reduction in maintenance costs.

Boeing said British Airways selected its Airplane Health Management system to cover 777s, 747-400s and future 787s.

Amadeus signed an MOU with Asiana Airlines to commence an evaluation of its Altea Customer Management System. Asiana "will set the timelines for their assessment and planning for the future implementation of Altea," Amadeus said. Thirteen Star Alliance members currently use the full system.

Datalex reached agreement with Copa Airlines to provide its Travel Distribution Platform supporting the carrier's website.

DAL Global Services of Atlanta, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, will lay off 385 employees at Philadelphia International by March 15 because it lost cleaning contracts with US Airways and United Airlines, according to a letter to Pennsylvania state authorities cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Indra Sistemas of Spain was awarded an €85 million ($115.8 million) contract to supply and install a new air traffic control system in Oman. Equipment will be installed in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Ras Al Hadd, Duqum and Adam. Project includes an automated ATM system, upgraded ground-air voice communications, weather forecasting, surface guidance and control systems and a retooled aeronautical message system.



AVIATION QUOTE

Twenty-five per cent of the passengers of almost any aircraft show white knuckles on take-off.

— Colin Marshall, CEO British Airways.



AEROSPACE TERM

Heavy Water

Water in which the hydrogen of the water molecule consists entirely of the heavy hydrogen isotope of mass 2 (deuterium).
Written D2O. Density, 1.1076 at 20º C. It is used as a moderator in certain types of nuclear reactors. The term is sometimes applied to water whose deuterium content is greater than natural water.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE


Image by Zak



HUMOR

Mr. Maxwell

Mr. Maxwell, the Founder/President of Maxwell House was recently killed in an unfortunate accident. Mr. Maxwell was an avid sky-diver and during a recent jump his parachute failed to open and he was killed on impact. His friends remember the fact that he was an INCREDIBLY pleasant, nice man before his fatal jump. And so on his tombstone they inscribed: ‘’Mr. Maxwell, good to the last drop.’’



TRIVIA

Name, You Provide The Designation

1. Cargomaster
2. Trojan
3. Invader
4. Hustler
5. Starfire
6. Tornado (not the Panavia bird)
7. Thunderbolt
8. Warning Star
9. Skytrain
10. Tigershark

1. C 133
2. T-28
3. A26
4. Convair B-58
5. ?
6. B-45
7. A-10 aka warthog
8. ?
9. What ever the military classification is for a DC-3
10. F-20

CO777ER wrote:1. C 133
2. T-28
3. A26
4. Convair B-58
5. ?
6. B-45
7. A-10 aka warthog
8. ?
9. What ever the military classification is for a DC-3
10. F-20

5. Lockheed F-94
8. Lockheed EC-121

halls120 wrote:

CO777ER wrote:1. C 133
2. T-28
3. A26
4. Convair B-58
5. ?
6. B-45
7. A-10 aka warthog
8. ?
9. What ever the military classification is for a DC-3
10. F-20

5. Lockheed F-94
8. Lockheed EC-121

9. Douglas C-47

Glad I looked today...

1. Cargomaster C-133
2. Trojan T-28
3. Invader A-26
4. Hustler B-26
5. Starfire F-94
6. Tornado (not the Panavia bird) ???
7. Thunderbolt P-47
8. Warning Star EC-121
9. Skytrain C-47
10. Tigershark F-20

ANSWERS
1. Douglas C-133
2. North American T-28
3. Douglas A-26/B-26
4. Convair B-58
5. Lockheed F-94
6. North American B-45
7. Republic P-47
8. Lockheed EC-121
9. Douglas C-47
10. Northrop F-20 (or F-5G)