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NEWS

Delta CEO: Time to "move forward" after final union vote
By a better than 2-to-1 margin, ticket and gate agents at Delta Airlines rejected a unionization drive by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The latest vote means Delta will remain largely union-free, following similar votes this fall by flight attendants and baggage handlers. The IAM said it will appeal to the National Mediation Board for a re-vote, but Delta CEO Richard Anderson said the workers' decision was clear: "Through numerous campaigns by several unions, even with the voting rules changed in the middle of the process, Delta people have said 'no.' It is time to move forward and bring everyone together.
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Republic suit alleges illegal use of Frontier trademarks
Republic Airways Holdings, the corporate parent of Frontier Airlines, has sued an Internet marketer for improper use of its trademarked logos. Republic says business owner Niuniu Ji is using Frontier's well-known animal mascots to trick consumers into revealing their personal information in an online survey that promises a $1,000 gift card from Frontier.
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Denver airport launches Clear program
A program that allows pre-screened travelers to move quickly through airport security checkpoints began operating at Denver International Airport last week. Travelers pay a fee to participate in the Clear program and receive a card that allows them to move to the front of security lines. Meanwhile, some experts say similar screening programs across the country could shorten long lines at the airport and ease travelers' concerns about repeated screening.
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Lawmaker pushes for union representation for TSA employees
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee recently wrote to the head of the Transportation Security Administration in support of collective bargaining rights for airport security screeners. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote in his letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole that the current prohibition on collective bargaining is "without legal rationale or factual support."
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Airline mergers require plenty of time -- and paint
The most visible sign of the United-Continental merger is moving along steadily, but repainting some 700 aircraft is no small task. The new look features Continental's logo and color scheme, so Continental jets can be repainted at a rate of 25 to 30 per month, compared to about 16 per month at United. Each plane can require up to two weeks and 180 gallons of paint to complete, depending on the size of the aircraft. The tally so far: 54 jets with the all-new look -- 51 from Continental and three from United.
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Rolls-Royce lawyers absent from Qantas A380 court hearing
The relationship between Qantas and Rolls-Royce hit more turbulence after the engine maker’s lawyers failed to show up at an Australian Federal Court hearing on Wednesday to discuss a compensation claim for the grounding of the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet for 23 days following last month’s uncontained engine failure incident.
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Trent 900 shortage keeps Qantas A380s grounded
A lack of spare Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines is preventing Qantas Airways from returning two more Airbus A380 aircraft to service, the carrier says. Its A380 fleet is at one-third operation following two of its six aircraft resuming flights last month.
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Southwest-AirTran merger on track to close in 2011 first half
Southwest Airlines Senior VP-Finance and CFO Laura Wright told investors and media at the 2010 Hudson Securities Airline Conference Wednesday morning in New York that SWA’s proposed acquisition of AirTran Airways is on track to “close in the first half of 2011.”
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Finnair carries on as cabin crew strike expands
Finnair announced Wednesday its flight traffic continues to be “seriously affected” by the ongoing strike by the Cabin Crew Union that began Nov. 30. Talks between the union and Finnair stalled Monday when the union rejected a compromise proposal from state labor mediator Esa Lonka, AFP reported. On Tuesday, other unions joined in the strike. Fuel delivery, catering, check-in services, ground handling, de-icing, cargo and postal services have all been affected as more unions support the strike action.
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Flybe pilots announce possible strike action
Flybe, which is preparing for an initial public offering on Dec. 14, is facing a possible strike action by its 700 pilots over a “number of issues outstanding” including pay, pensions and work patterns. Flybe hopes to raise £60 million ($94.6 million) in the float.
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Emirates A380 wing damaged as catering truck collapses

Emirates has removed one of its Airbus A380 aircraft from service after an incident in which a scissor-lift catering truck collapsed at Toronto, damaging the right wing.
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Local tensions to accelerate South Korean equipment plans
North Korea's increased belligerence could result in certain South Korean aircraft upgrade and acquisition programs being accelerated. This has been an exceptionally tense year on the volatile Korean peninsula. It is all but certain that a North Korean submarine torpedoed a South Korean corvette on 26 March. Then, on 23 November, North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong island, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians.
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Falcon 2000LX gets approval for London City airport
Dassault's Falcon 2000LX has been approved for arrivals and departures at London City airport. This would allow a European-registered Falcon 2000LX to connect the airport, which is close to the centre of London, non-stop to all of Europe including Moscow.
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Lufthansa Orders Eight More Embraer 195s
Lufthansa has placed an order for an additional eight Embraer 195s in a deal valued at a list price of $338 million. The additional order makes the group the largest E-jet operator in Europe, according to Embraer.
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Other News

Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday it received notification from the National Mediation Board that 70% of employees voting in the passenger service election rejected representation by the International Assn. of Machinists. This is the final major workgroup to reject unionization as a result of the Northwest merger in October 2008.

JetBlue Airways told investors at the Hudson Securities Airline Conference in New York on Wednesday that it cut its fourth quarter revenue outlook, saying higher yields had not materialized as planned. JetBlue CFO Ed Barnes said that although the airline is "very pleased" with what it is seeing, it had "planned on the peaks being slightly stronger than maybe what the peaks are turning out to be." He noted the airline "had originally guided to a 12-15% increase in PRASM and a 10-13% increase in RASM.” JetBlue issued a revised guidance of 10-12% increase in PRASM and an 8-10% increase in RASM.

Cathay Pacific Airways unveiled its new cabin design that includes new business class seating on its long-haul aircraft from March 2011 to be better positioned with the rising demand spurred by the rapid economic growth in Asia. The Hong Kong-based carrier said it plans to spend more than HK$1 billion ($12.8 million) on the upgrades.

Travelport and Brussels Airlines announced a global, full content agreement for Galileo and Worldspan-connected users, effective immediately.

CTC Aviation Group reached a three-year contract with flydubai to assist with pilot recruitment. The carrier said it is required to add 140 pilots annually over the next three years.

Moskovia Airlines has commissioned Lufthansa Consulting to assist with assessing its current compliance with EU ETS requirements as well as to complete the remaining necessary steps.

Aviareps will act as GSA for Czech Airlines in Hungary and Austria.

Discover the World Marketing was chosen by Hainan Airlines to provide sales and marketing support in France and the UK. Discover already represents the airline in Italy and Israel.

APG GA said that AeroSur extended its General Sales and Services Agency representationagreement to a further 14 countries, bringing the total to 28 countries where the airline is now represented by APG.



AVIATION QUOTE

From a safety standpoint, in our view one of the things that we do in the basic design is the pilot always has the ultimate authority of control. There's no computer on the airplane that he cannot override or turn off if the ultimate comes. In terms of any of our features, we don't inhibit that totally. We make it difficult, but if something in the box should behave inappropriately, the pilot can say 'This is wrong' and he can override it. That's a fundamental difference in philosophy that we have versus some of the competition.
— John Cashman, Chief Test Pilot Boeing 777.

ON THIS DATE

December 9, 1904

In 1904... The Wright brothers discontinue trials with Flyer II after completing 105 tests and 80 brief flights since they began flying the new machine in May.

December 9, 1909

In 1909... American Dr. Henry W. Walden makes the first flight with his triplane known as the Walden III. It is powered by a three-cylinder, 22-HP Anzani engine and takes off from Mineola, Long Island, N.Y.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Getting To Know Each Other

A man met a drop-dead gorgeous woman and decided he should marry her immediately.

She said, “But we don’t know anything about each other!”

He responded, “ No problem, we’ll get to know each other with time.”

They were married and they went to spend their honeymoon in a luxurious hotel.

One morning they were laying out next to the large Olympic-sized pool, when he got up, climbed to the 10 meter springboard and demonstrated every dive from the standards to the highest degree of difficulty; a perfect demonstration. He climbed out of the pool and rejoined his wife.

“Wow, that was incredible!” she exclaimed.

“I was a gold medalist in 2000 and 2004 in the high dive. I told you, we’ll get to know each other as time goes by,” he said.

She then jumps to feet, runs and dives into the pool with an impressive speed. After thirty laps at a world-record pace, she comes out of the pool and joins her husband.

“I am surprised. Where you an Olympic swimmer,” he asks?

“No,” she answered, I was an escort in Venice and did Out calls only…



TRIVIA

Google Airports

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.


8.


9.


10.

3. Former Alameda NAS (NGZ). Note the roadway built on the top horizontal runway turning northwest onto the diagonal runway. That's the road used in the highway scene in the second Matrix movie.
4. MDW
5. GIB
7. MUC?
8. RME
9. BEY

2. BHM?
4. HOU?

Wow, what a great picture for the Editor's Choice today!

2. BHM
4. MDW
5. GIB
7. MAN

1.
2. BHM
3. NAS Alameda .... Myth Confirmed
4. MDW
5.
6.
7. MAN
8.
9. LEB
10.

1.
2. BHM Birmingham Int'l
3. NGZ Alameda NAS (not just a Matrix freeway, but also a Mythbusters playground )
4. MDW Chicago-Midway
5. GIB Gibraltar
6. PTY Panama Cit-Tocumen
7. MAN Manchester
8.
9. BEY Beyrut
10. AUA Aruba Reina Beatrix Int'l

ANSWERS:

1. NQY, Newquay Cornwall Airport Airport
2. BHM, Birmingham International Airport
3. NGZ, Nimitz Field, NAS Alameda
4. MDW, Midway Airport
5. GIB, Gibraltar
6. PTY, Tocumen International Airport, Panama
7. MAN, Manchester International Airport, Manchester UK
8. RME, Rome Regional Airport, Rome, NY
9. BEY, Beirut International Airport
10. Aruba (Oranjestad) [Queen Beatrix International Airport], Aruba