NEWS
Air France KLM posts $0.5 billion net loss
Air France KLM Group reported a net loss for its shortened nine-month 2011 financial year of €442 million ($580.5 million), reversed from a net profit €980 million in the year ago-period. The operating result was positive, but the reported €50 million operating profit was sharply down from the €525 million operating profit in the year-ago period.
On a pro forma basis for the full year, Jan. 1 through Dec. 2011, results were worse with net loss coming in at €809 million versus a pro forma €289 million profit in 2010.
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Poland’s EuroLOT signs firm order for eight Q400s
Warsaw-based EuroLOT has signed a firm order to acquire eight Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, plus 12 options. The order is valued at approximately $246 million, and could increase to $625 million if all 12 options are converted, according to Bombardier.
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ICAO: Passenger traffic up 6.4% in 2011; will rise 4.5% annually
The world's airlines' passenger traffic increased by 6.4% in 2011 on a 6.5% rise in capacity, according to ICAO, which predicted the annual rate of growth going forward won't be as robust.
In a presentation to FAA's annual Aviation Forecast Conference in Washington Friday, ICAO Air Transport Bureau chief-economic analysis and policy Narjess Teyssier projected that global airlines' collective passenger traffic will "most likely" grow at an annual average rate of 4.5% through 2030, higher than the 3.2% average annual growth rate FAA has predicted for US airline.
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IATA DG: Europe must be sincere in ETS talks
Delivering a keynote speech at the FAA Aviation Forecast Conference, DG Tony Tyler touched on a subject that was repeatedly raised during the conference’s opening day panel discussions and which drew universal condemnation. The European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) tax was described as “very, very bad law” and “plain wrong” by US regulators and airline CEOS attending the conference.
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Canadian labor minister forestalls Air Canada work actions
Canadian labor minister Lisa Raitt has intervened to prevent March 12 work stoppages at Air Canada. Instead, all parties must wait while CIRB determines whether work stoppages at AC would affect "the health and safety of the public," a process of indefinite length. AC and the unions are allowed to keep negotiating.
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LCCs grow at slower pace in Europe
For the first time in 20 years, low-cost carriers are growing at a slower pace than traditional carriers in Europe, David Marsh, Eurocontrol STATFOR manager-forecasting and traffic analysis, directorate network management, said Friday.
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Air Berlin passenger boardings fall 4.1% in February
Air Berlin’s passenger boardings fell 4.1% in February as the airline continued to reduce capacity. AB has reduced capacity by 9.4% as a result of its cost-cutting Shape & Size program.
Accumulated fleet capacity utilization increased by 4.2% to 75.6% compared to 71.4% in the year-ago month.
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Malaysia Airlines reveals new A380 livery
Malaysia Airlines has unveiled the design and specifications of its new flagship aircraft, the Airbus A380-800, which is set to enter the MAS fleet in July. New exterior livery mixes traditional “wau” heritage with more contemporary colors.
Negotiations continue on fifth-freedom rights for AirBridgeCargo
During recent negotiations on changes to Russia-Germany bilateral agreements, industry experts said that Germany was apprehensive about letting AirBridgeCargo expand its business on Europe-US routes. Russia offered German cargo carriers fly rights on trans-Siberian routes but the two sides could not reach an agreement. Foreign carriers have to pay fees to several Russian airlines, mainly to Aeroflot, to operate on routes over Siberia.
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Airbus cool on A330neo plans
Airbus is not looking to extend its potential A330 improvement measures to new engines, but is keen to broaden the twinjet's appeal and lengthen its production life ahead of A350 development.
The airframer is pondering sharklet wingtips for the A330, a modification tested on the A320 before Airbus chose to consolidate fuel-burn improvement by re-engining it as the A320neo.
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US sues NetJets for unpaid taxes
Four NetJets units have "failed, neglected or refused" to pay excise taxes and related penalties between 2003 and 2009, according to the countersuit filed Thursday with the US District Court in Columbus, Ohio, where NetJets is based. NetJets Aviation owes USD$302.1 million, NetJets International owes USD$53 million, Executive Jet Management owes USD$10 million and NetJets Large Aircraft owes USD$1.19 million, according to the countersuit.
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EASA grounds R-R Tay for checks
Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, mostly installed on Gulfstream IV series business jets, are grounded subject to a European Aviation Safety Agency emergency airworthiness directive until a modification solution is found.
EASA says: "These engines are known to be installed on, but not limited to, Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV, GIV-SP and GIV-X aeroplanes." Fokker 70s and Fokker 100s are also Tay-engined, but a different variant.
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Other News
Thai Airways’ first Airbus A380 launched its maiden flight March 6 following completion of the airframe assembly and system tests in Toulouse, France.
London Gatwick airport is likely to gain approval from local government next week to begin modifications to its North Terminal to allow pier-served access to Airbus A380 aircraft.
Air India, Jet and Kingfisher have sought government intervention in getting banks to lend working capital to them. An aviation ministry source said that banks have completely stopped lending to airlines and that the sector is facing its gravest fight for survival.
New RoutesSpirit Airlines will launch Denver service to Chicago O'Hare (daily), Dallas Ft. Worth (daily, to 2X-daily May 17), Ft. Lauderdale (daily), and Las Vegas (2X-daily) May 3.
Japan Airlines will launch Tokyo Narita Boeing 787 service to San Diego (4X-weekly Dec. 2012; to daily March 2013) and Helsinki (4X-weekly March 2013, to daily in first-half of fiscal year 2013), codesharing with American Airlines and Finnair.
LAN Airlines and LAN Peru announced they will increase their frequencies in the US, Mexico and the Caribbean from August 2012.
US Airways launched daily Jackson, Miss.-Washington Reagan Embraer E-170 service, operated by Republic Airlines.
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AVIATION QUOTE
If you aren't sweating too much before a flight, you surely haven’t asked enough questions. If you are not sweating just a little during the flight, you may not be attentive enough. And, if you are not sweating out the answers with all the experts you can think of after the flight, you may never find that very beautiful pearl in all that pig litter.
— Corwin H. Meyer, Grumman test pilot W.W. II.
ON THIS DATE
---In 1908…The U.S. Aerial Experiment Association’s first aircraft, the Red Wing, makes its first flight. This flight ends in a crash, from which pilot Thomas Baldwin, survives.
---In 1910... Lieutenant J. W. Dunne’s D5 tailless biplane is tested at Eastchurch, Kent, England. It has a 60-hp Green engine and was built by Short Brothers.
---In 1932…Newark Airport receives installation of landing aid equipment to assist with night landings.
---In 1948…Northwest Airlines Flight 4422, a Douglas DC-4 (NC95422) returning to the United States from Shanghai, China, crashes into Mount Sanford in Alaska, killing all 30 on-board. Though the crash was witnessed by several locals, it became buried in snow and lost for near half a century. Removal of wreckage was only allowed by Parks Departments officials in 1999, and remains found of one passenger was also found and positively identified through DNA testing.
---In 1950…An Airflight Limited Avro 689 Tudor V (G-AKBY, nicknamed “Star Girl”) crashes while on approach to Llandow’s Runway 28 in Sigingstone, Wales. While attempting to correct a lower-than-normal approach, the pilot’s correction causes a stall causing 80 of the 83 aboard to perish. The blame was placed on improper loading, creating a a center of gravity issue and the subsequent low angle of attack while trying to land. At the time it is the most deadly aviation disaster in history.
---In 1955…First flight of the Aérospatiale Alouette II helicopter.
---In 1957... The prototype Boeing 707 jet lands after a press demonstration flight from Seattle, Washington to Baltimore, Maryland during which it covers 2,350 miles in a record time of 3 hours 48 minutes.
---In 1974…Mars 6 entered into orbit and launched its lander. The lander returned atmospheric descent data, but failed on its way down.
---In 1975…An Air Vietnam Douglas DC-4 (XV-NUJ) is shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Pleiku, Vietnam, killing all 26 souls aboard.
---In 1979…Atlantic Southeast Airlines is founded.
---In 1980…A pair of B-52 Stratofortress aircraft make an around-the-world nonstop trip in 42.5 hours.
---In 1981…Soyuz T-4 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station.
---In 1996…Florida West International Airways restarts operations.
---In 1998... The first two of four Boeing E-767 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircrafts are officially handed over to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
---In 2007…Continental Airlines increases their Boeing 787 order from 20 to 25, adding five of the 787-9 series.
---In 2008…Southwest Airlines grounds 44 aircraft for inspections, days after the FAA accuses as many as 117 of its 737s of flying without proper airworthiness certificates.
---In 2009…Cougar Helicopters Flight 91, a Sikorsky S-92A, registration C-GZCH, ditches in the Atlantic Ocean off Canada, killing 17 of the 18 people on board.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Farm Kid
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
TRIVIA
US Military Cargo Aircraft
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ShanwickOceanic wrote:...but 3 is annoying me because I know we have one in the database...
Nosedive wrote:1-13, 15 American made
14 American influence
JLAmber wrote:Nosedive wrote:1-13, 15 American made
14 American influence
I have some bad news for you about No. 5
GQfluffy wrote:JLAmber wrote:Nosedive wrote:1-13, 15 American made
14 American influence
I have some bad news for you about No. 5
They're a territory, they just know it yet (except for Quebec).
