NEWS
Problems Mar United/Continental Computer Merger
United Airlines battled service delays this weekend as it worked through technology issues during its combination of the United and Continental Airlines reservation systems.
Link
Republic's 4Q net loss sinks to $123.5 million including charges
Special item charges impacted Republic Airways Holdings’ (RAH) 2011 fourth-quarter results and resulted in a $123.5 million net loss compared with a $1.3 million loss a year ago. RAH, the Indianapolis-based parent of Frontier Airlines, Lynx Aviation, Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines and Shuttle America, took charges totaling $224.2 million related to loss of value on its fleet of 42 regional aircraft in the 37-50 seat size and other fleet-related activities. Excluding the charges, net income would have been $17 million compared to an ex-item net income of $7.4 million a year ago.
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Aer Lingus execs caution on sale of government’s 25% stake
Aer Lingus (EI) executives are concerned the planned sale of the Irish government’s 25% stake will put its profitable business model at risk. EI reported a net income of €71.2 million ($95.6 million) for 2011, up 65.7% from a €43 million net profit in 2010.
Link
UK Urged To Re-Think Heathrow Runway Plans
Around 70 business leaders and groups representing hundreds of other in the UK have written an open letter to Britain's government demanding the debate about building a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport be re-opened.
Link
EADS Mulls Foregoing German Loan - Report
European aerospace group EADS was considering doing without part of a development loan for its Airbus unit worth EUR€500 million (USD$660.3 million) from the German government as a dispute escalates regarding the group moving operations from Germany, a paper reported.
Link
American Says Union Talk Time Running Out
American Airlines said time is running out for its unions to reach negotiated deals on cost savings targets and hinted it could ask the bankruptcy court to impose contracts on its union workers in order to win the savings the airline says it needs to exit Chapter 11.
Link
Sleepiness Affects Pilots At Work: Poll
Many people have fought the urge to fall asleep during a boring meeting or the mid-afternoon slump but the problem seems to be more prevalent among airline pilots and train operators.
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Boeing targets year end 777X launch
Boeing is targeting a year-end board launch for its conceptual 777X, in time for a late decade service entry, said the company's commercial unit CEO, Jim Albaugh. "We're working towards being in a position toward the end of this year to talk to our board. That's assuming the business case closes, that's assuming the technical trades are ones that close," says Albaugh, who was speaking at a press conference following the unveiling of Boeing's 1000th 777. Boeing strategic goals for the decade including achieving parity between the re-engined 737 Max and Airbus A320neo along with making a signficant investment to further bolster its widebody family for the future.
Link
Kingfisher owes Bank of Scotland $21.6m: UK High Court
Kingfisher Airlines owes Bank of Scotland $21.6 million in overdue lease payments for 10 ATR 72-500s, the UK High Court has ruled. Bank of Scotland had brought the action on behalf of a consortium of lenders against Kingfisher's parent company, United Breweries Holdings, which had guaranteed the airline's obligations. In his 13 January judgement, Mr Justice Eder said: "I am satisfied that the amounts claimed are due and owing and that therefore in those circumstances the claimants are entitled to summary judgment in the sum claimed, that is $21,589,972.56."
Link
Qantas confronts competitive realities, adjusts route network
Qantas (QF) said it has begun to implement, and in some areas accelerate, its previously announced five-year plan to remain competitive during the “ongoing reshaping of global finances, the painful economic restructuring in Europe … the rebalancing of global economic weight to Asia … and a profound transition in the Australian economy.”
In a speech on the airline’s half-year results, CEO Alan Joyce told investors and journalists the company is facing these competitive realities and learning to adapt “if we are to prosper and enhance long-term shareholder value.”
Link
Other News
Austrian Airlines chief commercial officer Andreas Bierwirth resigned Friday and will be replaced by Karsten Benz, Lufthansa Passage VP-European sales and services, effective April 1.
Brussels Airlines is implementing a new management structure, moving away from the co-CEO structure to a single CEO. The co-CEO arrangement has been in place since 2008.
The A350 XWB’s main and nose landing gear test bench is ready for service at the Airbus site in Filton, UK. Airbus said this latest step has been achieved more than one year before the aircraft’s first flight and two years before its entry into service.
FlyDubai opened a new state-of-the-art training center in Dubai Wednesday. The facility, approved by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), is the only certified Boeing 737 facility in the United Arab Emirates.
UTair has signed a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. The agreement gives UTair access to Turkish’s 129 destinations including domestic flights starting at Istanbul Ataturk.
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft is now offering wheels and brakes maintenance support for new operators of the BAe146/Avro RJ in cooperation with Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems.
StandardAero signed a service agreement with Air New Zealand for turboprop engine maintenance repair and overhaul work covering three of their regional airlines, Eagle Airways, Air Nelson and Mount Cook. The contract expands a prior agreement to include Air Nelson and Mount Cook Airlines.
Prime Air, LLC has received its AS9100-C certification. The company, acquired by HEICO Aerospace in 2006, supplies aircraft parts to the worldwide commercial, regional and corporate aircraft aftermarket.
Dublin Aerospace has signed a three-year APU maintenance contract with Europe Airpost, covering its Boeing 737C fleet from Jan. 1.
AVIATION QUOTE
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
— Franklin P. Jones
ON THIS DATE
---In 1912... Bob Fowler flies from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida. The west to east coast-to-coast journey has taken four months to complete.
---In 1923... The great aeronautical pioneer Igor Sikorsky sets up the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corp. in the United States with the financial help of several important leading figures, including Sergey Rachmaninoff. Sikorsky left Russia in 1917 when revolution threatened his work and his life.
---In 1929…Lineas Aereas nacionales is founded. It is known as LAN today.
---In 1936…The Supermarine Spitfire makes its maiden flight. The single-seat fighter would play a major role in World War II, with over 20,300 being built over the following 10 years.
---In 1943…First flight of the Gloster Meteor prototype DG206
---In 1958…Explorer 2 launches, but due to a mechanical failure, does not reach orbit.
---In 1962... A Convair B-58 (serial no. 59-2458) of the Forty-third Bombardment Wing breaks three records during a round trip between New York and Los Angeles in 4 hours 41 minutes 14.98 seconds. The fastest trans-continental crossing between Los Angeles and New York is accomplished in 2 hours 58.71 seconds at an average speed of 1,214.65 mph. The third record notches the fastest time between New York and Los Angeles.
---In 1963… Country music star Patsy Cline and three others are killed in the crash of a Piper Comanche near Camden, Tennessee.
---In 1966…First successful launch of the Tagboard Drone (#503) from M-21 (941). Blackbird pilot Bill Parks. Takeoff from Groom Lake. Launched Drone over Pacific Ocean at 80,000 feet, Mach 3.2. Successful launch. Drone traveled 150 miles and ran out of fuel. Launch Control Officer was Heith Beswick. (Q)
---In 1966…BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707-436 (GAPFE) enroute to Kai Tak International, crashes shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport, killing all 124 people aboard. The aircraft encounters severe turbulence, resulting in structural failure, beginning with separation of the vertical stabilizer. The crash comes one day after Canadian Pacific Fligth 402 crashed at Tokyo Airport, with the BOAC 707 taxiing past the smoldering wreckage minutes before their own crash. Similarly, the Canadian Pacific aircraft crashed while returning from Kai Tak.
---In 1967…Lake Central Airlines Flight 527, a Convair CV-580 (N73130), crashes in Marseille, Ohio, killing all 37 on-board. The crash is attributed to all 4 blades off of the right propeller separating, the #2 blade piercing through the aircraft.
---In 1968…U.S. launches Solar Explorer 2 to study the Sun.
---In 1975…Shin Meiwa US-1 enters service with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
---In 1978…The Landsat 3 launches, third in a series of photo satellites. Its Earth-snapping work would last five years until March of 1983.
---In 1978…Venera 14, a Soviet space probe for intended to explore Venus, arrives at its destination. The aircraft has a twin-ship, Venera 13, which launched and also arrived 5 days prior.
---In 1979…Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at a distance of 172,000 miles.
---In 1980…Earth satellites record gamma rays from remnants of supernova N-49.
---In 1982…Venera 14 landed on Venus.
---In 1993…Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 crashes moments after takeoff on runway 34 in Skopje, Macedonia. The Fokker F-100 (PH-XXL) failed to climb due to the crew’s failure to have the aircraft de-iced, killing 83 of the 97 aboard.
---In 2000…Southwest Airlines Flight 1455, a Boeing 737-300 (N668SW) overruns runway 8 at Burbank-Glendale Pasadena Airport on landing after a flight from Las Vegas McCarran International. The accident is blamed on the pilot’s failure to abort landing after approaching too fast and too high. The pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder moments afterward saying “Well, there goes my career.” Thankfully, all 142 occupants survive.
---In 2004…First flight of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.
---In 2005… Steve Fossett completes the first non-stop, solo circumnavigation of the world in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, completing the trip in 67 hours and 2 minutes.
---In 2011…An Antonov An-148 crashes at Garbuzovo, Alxeevsky Region, Belgorod Oblast, Russia following an in-flight break-up. All six people on board are killed.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
The Pawnee
This unemployed CPL is looking for work when he gets a call from the Malaysian government.
"We've got a problem with fires and smoke and stuff, how’s about you come out and fly our Pawnees? All the flying you want, loads of free food and beer, good girls and best of all, money!!"
So the chap thinks it over and then jumps on the nearest Virgin and off he goes. Time passes. About three weeks later he's told to take the Pawnee away for a break and a 500 hour check (500 hours in 3 weeks being about right there).
On the way he is overcome with tiredness and has to land in a field of grass. Except that's it's rice and rather wet. He gets out of the plane and lies on the wing, oblivious to his surroundings.
Suddenly, out of the distance comes a big white Toyota land Cruiser, and in it is an 18 year old beauty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, nice white clothes etc. fantasy etc. The girl insists our hero join her in the farm house, away from the field and the snakes etc. On the way she tells him her dad is away and she's alone on her own in the house. At length, hero goes to bed, only to be disturbed a while later by a knock on the door.
"It's me " the girl squeals, "I'm lonely" Our hero says to go away - he being a brave pilot type and scared of her dad.
"No, let me in " she insists "My dad would want it".
Our boy has to relent and he lets her in - she is wearing very little, nice see through nighty, good body etc. fantasy etc. She gets in beside him and he turns away, as a gesture of gentlemanliness.
"Come here" she pleads "I haven't seen a naked man before". "No" he insists "go to sleep, I'm a professional and I'm tired"
"Please" she says, "if you don't I'll tell dad you made me!" so, in deference to a failed situation, our hero rolls over the girl... and falls off the wing of the Pawnee and into the paddy field!
TRIVIA
Airplane ID
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