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NEWS

Boeing set to announce seventh 787 delay



Boeing is set to announce a seventh delay in its 787 program, possibly pushing delivery out by up to nine months to the fourth quarter of 2011, after the inflight electrical fire to its ZA002 on Nov. 9. On Thursday, Air Lease Corp. founder and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy, who ordered and was the largest customer for the 787 when he was Chairman and CEO of ILFC, told Bloomberg at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Panama City that the 787 will “definitely” be postponed a seventh time. “It’s a big setback for Boeing,” Udvar-Hazy said.
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TSA backs down on security screening procedures for pilots
The Air Line Pilots Assn. welcomed the TSA’s announcement Friday of expedited screening for airline pilots as an “important action to move the nation toward a threat-based strategy” and focus security resources where the risk is “highest” and away from a “one-size-fits-all approach,” it said in a statement.
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Delta ramp workers reject unionization
Delta Air Lines said it was notified by the National Mediation Board that its below-wing Airport Customer Service and Cargo warehouse employees rejected representation by the International Association of Machinists, which had sought to organize the workers. Of 10,593 votes cast, 5,569 were against unionization and 4,909 were in favor with 115 "write-in and silent votes," Delta said. There were 13,104 eligible voters.
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Discussion

3 Delta Planes Suffer Mishaps
Three Delta Airlines aircraft suffered technical difficulties resulting in emergency landings last weekend. On sunday, a 767 bound for Moscow had to return to New York JFK after losing thrust from its #1 engine. On the same day, another 767 enroute Atlanta to Los Angeles declared an emergency due to engine problems and returned to Atlanta. According to the FAA, the aircraft may also have suffered a tail strike upon landing. Finally, on saturday, a 757 enroute to Philadelphia diverted to Shannon (Ireland) after suffering a compressor stall during Atlantic crossing.
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Discussion

El Al triples its third-quarter net income to $42.5 million
El Al Israel Airlines reported net income of $42.5 million in its third-ended Sept. 30, more than tripling its $12.3 million profit in the year-ago period. President and CEO Elyezer Shkedy attributed the strong quarter to “an improvement within all segments of El Al worldwide operations, including cargo activity, which experienced a growth of almost 35% compared to the same quarter last year.”
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NASA moves X-34s out of storage, considers return to flight status
Two X-planes parked in storage by NASA for nearly 10 years have been moved to a new facility to be inspected for a possible return to flying status, the agency says. Orbital Sciences Corp will determine whether the X-34s are still viable as technology demonstrators for reusable space vehicles.
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Other News

Dublin Airport’s new Terminal 2 was officially opened Friday. The €600 million ($815.9 million) three-story terminal building will be home to Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways and US Airways and is opening for operations on a phased basis.
Discussion

Southwest Airlines announced that its 9,700 flight attendants, represented by the Transport Workers Union, ratified a tentative agreement reached with the LCC in September to add the Boeing 737-800 to the current collective bargaining agreement. With this positive vote, the flight attendants' current contract will also be extended by one year, becoming amendable May 31, 2013, and will include the potential for wage rate increases based on the company's financial performance. However, SWA said the decision to add the -800 still isn't final. The carrier is still waiting for a ratification vote with its pilots' union, SWAPA, and is continuing to evaluate network and configuration options

AirTran Airways announced Friday its 1,700 pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. The agreement, which takes effect Dec. 1, provides for increased compensation, improved benefits and enhancements to productivity. AirTran has agreed to be acquired by Southwest Airlines, whose pilots are represented by a different union.

British Airways will switch its service to Luxembourg Findel airport from London Gatwick to London Heathrow, starting on 27 March 2011.

Delta Air Lines will launch service from Tokyo Narita to Guangzhou (daily, April 6, 767-300) and Manila (four-times-weekly, April 5-July 15, 757-200), twice-weekly Atlanta-Shanghai service (June 5, 777-200), and five-times-weekly Detroit-Beijing service (July 1, 777-200). It will also on March 26 launch 767-300 service to London Heathrow from Boston (twice-daily) and Miami (daily), and during peak season it will add flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle from Boston (third daily, March 26, 757-200), New York JFK (sixth-daily, June 1, 767-300) and Pittsburgh (five-times-weekly to daily, June 1, 757-200), as well as a second daily Seattle-Amsterdam 767-300 flight June 1. The following day, it will launch five-times-weekly New York JFK-Reykjavik service using a 757-200.

Frontier Airlines launched daily Austin-Kansas City service and four-times-weekly aboard an Embraer 190 Milwaukee-San Antonio aboard an Embraer 170.

Adria Airways will launch service from Pristina to Munich (daily), Frankfurt (four-times-weekly) and Dusseldorf (twice-weekly) using a 135-seat Airbus A319.

Continental Airlines will launch daily Chicago O'Hare service to Ft. Lauderdale (737-800) and West Palm Beach (737-900), as well as daily Denver-Ft. Lauderdale (737-900) service Feb. 17.




AVIATION QUOTE

The first real air-liner, carrying some five or six hundred passengers, will probably appear after or towards the end of the battle between fixed and moving-wing machines. And it will be a flying boat.
— Oliver Stewart, 'Aeriolus, or the Future of the Flying Machine,' 1927.




ON THIS DATE

November 22, 1909

Wright Company is incorporated with a capital stock of $1,000,000. Formed to manufacture airplanes, the company’s president is Wilbur Wright and his brother Orville is the vice president. The Wright Brothers concentrated their efforts on protecting their patent rights rather than on improving their aircraft. In 1916, trying to catch up their competitors, they merged their company with the Glenn L. Martin Company to form Wright-Martin. The Wright Brothers had previously owned a bicycle shop.


November 22, 1935

Pan American Airways' China Clipper takes off from Alameda, California for its first commercial flight. It reaches its destination, Manila, a week later.




DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE






HUMOR

Heard on a Flight

After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the Attendant came on with,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the
Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And,
once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll
open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the
terminal."




TRIVIA

AIRCRAFT SCRAMBLE

1. VIDNARE
2. RITDAOOMN
3. OCRDOONA
4. PRETIERAV
5. VEHRIDLLE
6. TTVSRAADEO
7. ELBOTIAMR
8. BAUTOFER
9. OSITQOUM
10. ROLACAEB

ANSWERS:

1. VIDNARE is INVADER.
2. RITDAOOMN is DOMINATOR.
3. OCRDOONA is CORONADO.
4. PRETIERAV is PRIVATEER.
5. VEHRIDLLE is HELLDIVER.
6. TTVSRAADEO is DEVASTATOR.
7. ELBOTIAMR is BALTIMORE.
8. BAUTOFER is BEAUFORT.
9. OSITQOUM is MOSQUITO.
10. ROLACAEB is ALBACORE