NEWS
Boeing patent features new sonic aircraft concept drawing
Boeing has filed a new patent in which it updates its sonic cruiser sketches originally filed with the US Patent office in 2003, though a BCA Engineering spokesperson toldATW “[The] patent is on low noise technology, not a sonic cruiser. The drawing is merely a platform on which to display the technology.”
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Danish Cimber Sterling files for bankruptcy, cancels flights
Denmark's Cimber Sterling has filed for bankruptcy and has canceled all flights, according to a statement on the company’s website. The statement said the board “has decided to file for bankruptcy with the court in Sonderborg on Thursday.”
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Aer Lingus narrows losses in 1Q
Aer Lingus (EI) reported a strong first-quarter performance in what is traditionally a loss-making period of the year for the Irish flag-carrier. EI’s first-quarter operating loss was reduced by almost one-third, to €36.1 million ($47.4 million) compared to a loss of €53.7 million for the same period last year. Total first-quarter revenue was €251.5 million, up 15.4% on the same period last year.
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AirAsia, Malaysia terminate share swap deal
AirAsia, AirAsia X and Malaysian Airline System (MAS) have ended a share swap deal signed last year to end their rivalry and boost business, an official source in Kuala Lumpur has confirmed. The two are not ending their business relationship but moving it into a more flexible and less demanding form.
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Unions Call On AMR Board To Support US Air Merger
Three unions at American Airlines are appealing directly to the company's board of directors to support a merger with rival carrier US Airways, a step that managers at the carrier's parent, AMR, have so far resisted.
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Hawker Beechcraft Files For Chapter 11
Hawker Beechcraft, the aircraft maker owned by Goldman Sachs' private equity arm and Onex, on Thursday filed for bankruptcy protection as part of a prearranged deal with lenders that will eliminate about USD$2.5 billion in debt and USD$125 million in annual interest expenses.
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Losses At Gol May Add To Headwinds
The path to recovery for Brazilian airline Gol, which may post its third quarterly loss in a year, looks increasingly unclear as management struggles with slipping seat occupancy, a jump in fuel prices and a weakening currency.
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IAG May Close bmibaby In September
British airline bmi, which was bought by BA and Iberia owner IAG last month, has begun a consultation process that could see bmibaby cease operations in September, after it failed to find a buyer for the low-cost unit.
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ATR delivers 1,000th aircraft
Turboprop manufacturer ATR has hit a major milestone, with the delivery of its 1,000th aircraft. The 72-seat ATR 72-600 was handed over to Spanish airline Air Nostrum on 3 May at a ceremony in Toulouse, France.
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Australia issues tender for F/A-18 Hornet maintenance
Australia has issued a request for tender related to its fleet of 71 Boeing F/A-18 A/B Hornet aircraft. The contract will cover deep maintenance for 55 single-sea F/A-18 As and 16 F/A-18Bs, says Australia minister for defence materiel Jason Clare.
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Senior official raises F/A-XX doubts while retired USMC Generals question USN’s F-35 commitment
A senior US Department of Defense official is questioning how the US Navy will fund a next-generation replacement for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Meanwhile, retired US Marine Corps flag-officers say that the USN's nascent F/A-XX effort demonstrates the service's lack of commitment to the carrier-variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The US Navy has issued a request for information (RFI) for a new F/A-XX fighter that would start to replace the Super Hornet in the 2030s--effectively starting the search for that aircraft's successor. The USN says that the F-35C will replace the earlier Boeing F/A-18A to D-model jets, but not the larger Super Hornet.
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US Airways promotes merger proposal to its workforce
US Airways Group sought support from unions representing its pilots and flight attendants in a bid to merge with American Airlines parent AMR. US Airways CEO Doug Parker met with union leaders, touting increased revenue from the merger as well as a pay raise for pilots. American Airlines' pilots union has already voiced support for the merger.
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Southwest executive calls the shots on fuel hedging
Chris Monroe, the assistant treasurer at Southwest Airlines, makes the decisions on hedging fuel for the carrier. "We don't know where the price of crude is going to be," said Monroe. "I think we have to be generally bullish just because we're trying to protect against an increase ... So we have a little bit of a bias that prices may go higher."
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Delta Air Lines traffic rose 1.1% in April
Traffic at Delta Air Lines increased 1.1% for April on a year-over-year basis, the third month in a row of growth. For Delta's routes in the Pacific, traffic soared 16% for the month. Delta also trimmed capacity 1.3% for the month.
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US Airways reports higher traffic, capacity for April
US Airways reported an increase in unit revenue of 9% in April in its monthly operating statement. Passenger traffic rose 2.1% for April, as the carrier boosted capacity 1.6% for the month. The load factor for US Airways also increased to 83% for April.
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Alaska Airlines traffic keeps rising, Horizon keeps falling
Alaska Airlines’ traffic increased 6.3 percent last month compared with April 2011. Alaska Airlines reported the number of revenue passenger miles (number of revenue-paying passengers multiplied by distance traveled in miles) rose to 1.99 billion from 1.87 billion in April 2011, or an increase of 6.3 percent.
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Vision Airlines cuts service to Florida airports
Vision Airlines is no longer operating scheduled flights to and from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Suwanee, Ga.-based carrier recently told airport officials that it ceased scheduled commercial air operations April 30 after only a year, airport spokesman Greg Meyer said Tuesday. Vision operated flights between Fort Lauderdale and Freeport, Bahamas, Louisville, Ky. and Fort Walton Beach. Vision's Fort Lauderdale to Freeport route launched in November offering fares as low as $2 round trip.
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Boeing announces forked winglet design for 737 MAX
Boeing announced that its 737 MAX jetliner would feature unique winglets to improve fuel efficiency. The forked design of the winglet will save airliners flying longer routes with the 737 MAX around $160,000 a year in fuel costs, according to Boeing. The 737 MAX is scheduled to enter service in 2017.
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FAA reprimands passenger who filmed bird strike on plane
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to a passenger who filmed a bird strike shortly after takeoff, violating the rule against using electronic devices. Passenger Grant Cardone filmed the bird strike on April 19 before the Delta Air Lines flight made an emergency landing.
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Government appoints arbitrators for Air Canada, union dispute
The Canadian government has appointed arbitrators for Air Canada and two unions. The pilots and machinists unions at Air Canada have organized wildcat strikes that have hurt operations. Lisa Raitt, the country's labor minister, urged the two sides to come to an agreement on labor contracts through the arbitration.
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Delta launches redesigned boarding passes
Delta Air Lines has revamped its boarding passes to make the document easier to read for passengers. The new passes also contain all information for a flight with connections so a passenger does not need more than one boarding pass. Delta hired AKQA, a digital and branding design agency, to help with the redesign.
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Denver International Airport to lower lease rates
Denver International Airport is lowering lease rates for all airlines after United Airlines protested the cost structure. "United is committed to success in Denver, but it must be cost effective for us to operate," United said in a statement. "We worked together with Denver International Airport's leadership team to address our cost structure at DIA, and this proposal helps to narrow this cost disparity compared to our peers."
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Other News
Scoot adds Bangkok to schedule: Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) is adding Bangkok to city destinations of its new medium- and long-haul budget carrier. The announcement raised eyebrows because the Singapore (SIN)-Bangkok (BKK) route is already one of the busiest in Asia, with Scoot’s entry adding competition between different lines within the SIA family. SIA flies SIN to BKK, as does Tiger Airways in which SIA has a 32.84% stake.
SkyWest Inc., the Utah-based parent of regionals SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet, reported a first-quarter net loss of $682,000 compared to a net loss of $11.1 million in the year-ago period.
Russia’s Transaero Airline (UN) has received permission to operate scheduled flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg (LED) to Rome (FCO) and Milan (MXP), becoming the second Russian carrier, after Aeroflot (SU), on these routes. According to the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsia, UN was approved for seven weekly frequencies from Moscow to each of these Italian cities, though the carrier asked for 14 weekly frequencies. The airline will fly from LED to MXP and FCO three times a week, though it asked for daily flights. UN representatives gave no timetable for the launch, pending confirmation from the regulator.
Iberia (IB) is testing a new refueling system for its ground vehicle at Madrid-Barajas Airport T4 in a bid to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The telemetry system for refueling fuel trucks uses wireless links installed in the trucks to facilitate radio communication with chips installed on each piece of ground equipment. A reader on each vehicle monitors engine running time and distance travelled to give a real-time basis for computing fuel consumption and needs. The system is being installed in the four trucks used to refuel almost 1,000 IB handling service vehicles at the airport. It is expected to reduce fuel consumption by 5% and reduce CO2 emissions by 520 tonnes a year, the equivalent of planting 2,600 trees, according to the airline.
Turkish Airlines will launch 4X-weekly Istanbul Ataturk (IST)-Edinburgh service July 16, and 3X-weekly IST-Kigali-Entebbe-Istanbul service from May 16.
Loganair will operate seasonal weekly Norwich-Isle of Man service May 26-Sept. 22, operated by Loganair subsidiary Suckling Airways, using a 31-seat Dornier 328.
ANA will launch daily Tokyo Narita–Seattle service July 25, initially using the Boeing 777-300ER, and switching to the 787 during the course of its fiscal year.
Emirates SkyCargo will launch daily Dubai-Ho Chi Minh City service June 4.
Monarch has today announced a further expansion of its operations across the Midlands with the launch of a new base at East Midlands Airport, and also the growth of services from Birmingham Airport. The airline, already a leading leisure carrier at Birmingham Airport, will introduce a new base at East Midlands Airport from late summer 2012 and launch new Monarch flights to key leisure destinations across the Mediterranean, including Malaga, Alicante, Palma (Majorca) and Faro (Portugal).
United Airlines is putting the finishing touches on an order for at least 100 Boeing Co 737 narrowbody jets potentially worth $10 billion at list prices, industry sources said on Thursday. The order could increase to as many as 200 jets if United exercises about 100 options to buy other narrowbodies. The deal will feature mainly Boeing's upcoming 737 MAX, an upgraded, fuel-efficient version of the company's best-selling 737, said the sources who are close to the negotiations.
Qantas is delaying delivery of two new Airbus A380s to help cut capital spending by A$400 million ($410.7 million) while it increases capacity on its more profitable domestic operations. Delivery of the two Airbus A380s, originally intended for early 2013, will be put back to 2016/17, with a final six A380s delivered from 2018/19. Qantas said in February it would cut capital spending by A$500 million over two years and announced plans to cut 500 jobs after its first-half profit halved. A bitter industrial dispute and higher fuel bills took their toll on profits.
Emirates SkyCargo, the Dubai-based air freight division of Emirates, has been voted Cargo Airline of the Year and - for the 24th consecutive year - it was also named Best Middle East Cargo Airline. The carrier, which was also named Best African Cargo Airline, received the accolades at the prestigious Cargo Airline of the Year 2012 awards held at London's Lancaster Hotel.
American Airlines AAdvantage® program has received top honors for Best Airline Rewards Program, in addition to the award for Outstanding Benefit (airline) at the first-ever FlyerTalk Awards. The FlyerTalk Awards recognize the best loyalty programs in the airline, hotel and car rental industries in three geographical regions including the Americas; Europe and Africa; and Middle East, Asia and Oceania. More than 140 loyalty programs across the globe competed in this year's awards. "FlyerTalk.com is an invaluable community and information source in the travel loyalty space, and I'm honored that voters around the world made the AAdvantage program the first recipient of the Best Airline Rewards Program in the Americas," said Suzanne Rubin, President – AAdvantage Loyalty Program. "These awards inspire us to ensure we offer our customers valued products, services and travel experiences that continue to earn their loyalty."
AVIATION QUOTE
Flying for the airlines is not supposed to be an adventure. From takeoff to landing, the autopilots handle the controls. This is routine. In a Boeing as much as an Airbus. And they make better work of it than any pilot can. You're not supposed to be the blue-eyed hero here. Your job is to make decisions, to stay awake, and to know which buttons to push and when. Your job is to manage the systems.
— Bernard Ziegler, former Airbus Senior Vice President for Engineering, interview in William Langewiesche's Fly by Wire: The Geese, the Glide, the Miracle on the Hudson, 2009.
ON THIS DATE
---In 1911... The U.S. War Department approves a suggestion that S.C.No.1 (the Wright Flyer accepted by the Army August 2, 1909) be put at the disposal of the Smithsonian Institution for exhibition purposes following refurbishment.
---In 1924... The first helicopter flight in a closed circle is made in France by Etienne Oehmichen’s helicopter No.2. The previous month, it established a world record by flying 1,182 feet (360 meters).
---In 1936…Amy Johnson sets a speed record of 3 days, 6 hours and 26 minutes on a flight from England to South Africa in a Percival Gull Six (G-ADZO).
---In 1942…The Battle of the Coral Sea is fought between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers. It is the first battle between aircraft carriers in history and the first naval battle in history in which the opposing warships do not sight one another.
---In 1949…The Canadian Blue Devils aerobatic team is formed. Their fleet of RCAF de Havilland Vampire jets would grow to 6 before being disbanded after just over one year when the aircraft type was retired and the team disbanded, although they did perform one more time in August of 1951.
---In 1949…The “Superga Air Disaster”, a crash of a Fiat G212CP (I-ELCE) carrying the Torino A.C. football (soccer) after a game in Lisbon, takes place. Low clouds force them to descend to fly visually and collide with a hill near Turin, Italy. All 31 occupants perish.
---In 1959…First flight of the Pilatus PC-6.
---In 1967…The Lunar Orbiter 4 launches on a 180-day mission to take photographs of The Moon for research purposes. It would take over 500 photos before striking the surface.
---In 1972… Second series of three SR-71 HABU flights launched at Kadena. At 14:16, 14:18 and 15:22. These missions were coordinated sorties to lay down sonic booms over the Hanoi Hilton POW camp. These flight were designed to show solidarity with the prisoners. (Q)
---In 1972…An Aeroflot Yakalov Yak-40 (CCCP-87778) crashes due to windshear at Bratsk, Russia, killing all 18 onboard.
---In 1982…Argentinian Navy Super Étendard aircraft fatally damage the British destroyer Sheffield with an Exocet missile southeast of the Falkland Islands. Sheffield sinks on May 10.
---In 1982… The British lose their first Sea Harrier of the Falklands War, shot down by ground fire during a bombing raid over Goose Green. The pilot is killed.
---In 1989… Magellan, USA Venus Orbiter, launched. Magellan was released into Earth's orbit from a space shuttle and then injected into a transfer orbit to Venus by an upper stage. Its primary mission was to map Venus using synthetic aperture radar. The surface of Venus is obscured by thick clouds of carbon dioxide that makes the surface invisible to optical instruments. It arrived at Venus on August 10, 1990. Its radar imaging system was able to produce images at 300 meters/pixel resolution.
---In 2002…EAS Airlines Flight 4226, a BAC-111 (5N-ESF) on a flight from Kano to Lagos, Nigeria, crashes half a mile away from the airport. Both engines fail due to the ingestion of dust and soil after the pilot overshoots the runway on its takeoff roll. A school, 23 houses and a mosque are destroyed, with fatalities including 71 of the 77 people on the aircraft and an additional 78 on the ground.
---In 2003…Frontier Airlines increases service to Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Their regional operation Frontier JetExpress also adds regional jet service to Boise, Oklahoma City and Tucson, while discontinuing service to Oakland.
---In 2004…Air France and KLM merge.
---In 2004…US Airways becomes the 15th member of the airline coalition Star Alliance.
---In 2006…Hawaiian Airlines announces service to the mainland destinations of San Diego, Seattle and Portland with their four additional Boeing 767-300 airliners.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Shipwreck
Following a moment of inattention by the Captain, a ship sank in the middle of the ocean. Two guys managed to inflate a rubber life raft and grab a box of provisions before the ship slipped gently below the surface. After floating under blazing heat for six days they ran out of food and water.
On the tenth day, bleary eyed and half dead from heat, thirst and starvation, they spotted a small object floating toward them in the water. As it drew near, they were ecstatic to find that it was an oil lamp (Oil Lamp, Brass, One. Genies for the use of). They grabbed the lamp and rubbed it. Out popped a tired old genie.
"OK, so you freed me from this stupid lamp, yadda, yadda, yadda. But hey, I've been doing this three wishes stuff for a long time now and quite frankly, I'm burned out. You guys get only ONE wish and then I'm OUTTA here. Make it a good one".
The first guy, without hesitation or thought blurted out, "Give us all the beer we can drink for the rest of our lives!!!"
"Fine," said the genie, and with a wave of his hand, the entire ocean turned into beer.
"Great move Einstein!" said the second guy, slapping the first guy in the head. "NOW we're gonna have to pee in the BOAT!"
TRIVIA
Google Airports
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HT-ETNW wrote:Again I only am able to identify a single of the airports, even though some other layouts are quite distict:
#1 is the major airport in Spain (MAD)
-HT
