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NEWS

AviancaTaca reports 1Q profit of $34.9 million

Bogota-based AviancaTaca Holding (AV), parent of Avianca, TACA, Aerogal and Tampa Cargo, reported a first-quarter net profit of $34.9 million, up 47.3% compared to the year-ago quarter. Operating revenue climbed 22.7% to $1.02 billion. EBITDA increased 18.9% to $96.1 million, while EBITDAR increased 24.3% to $167.6 million.
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Qantas restructure splits domestic, international operations

The Qantas Group (QF) announced it will split the carrier’s international and domestic operations into two distinct businesses as part of its five-year transformation plan launched in August 2011. “Qantas International and Qantas Domestic—currently combined as ‘Qantas Airlines’—will be formally managed as two distinct businesses,” a QF statement said. “Each will have its own CEO and its own operational and commercial functions with financial results to be reported separately.” The new structure will be effective July 1.
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Southwest to sublease all 88 AirTran 717s aircraft to Delta

Southwest Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with Delta Air Lines and Boeing Capital Corp. to sublease all 88 AirTran Boeing 717 aircraft to Delta, transitioning three aircraft per month over a three-year period beginning in the second half of 2013.
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Delta could purchase more regional jets

Delta Air Lines could purchase more regional jets once a contract with pilots is ratified, its pilots union says. Gina Laughlin, a spokeswoman for Delta, said a ratified contract would lead to "productivity gains and additional aircraft flexibility, including an opportunity to accelerate Delta's domestic fleet restructuring strategy, which will result in a better customer travel experience." Bloomberg Businessweek
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Air India pilot strike overshadows 787 delivery
Indian flag-carrier Air India’s (AI) long-haul flights on international routes continued to be crippled as the pilot strike enters the 15th day, overshadowing the carrier’s Boeing 787 delivery later this month.
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SuperJet International: SSJ100 crash ‘does not alter our belief in the aircraft or its safety’
Subdued representatives from SuperJet International (told reporters at the Regional Airline Assn. annual convention in Minneapolis Tuesday that the recent crash of a Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100 has not significantly altered plans to manufacture and market the Russian-built regional aircraft.
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Brazil’s Passaredo places firm order for 10 ATR 72-600s
Brazil’s Passaredo Linhas Aéreas took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 via an Air Lease Corp. (ALC) lease Tuesday, and also announced a contract with ATR to directly purchase 10 72-600s valued at more than $200 million at list prices. Passaredo will take delivery of three more leased ATR 62-700s and the 10 purchased 72-600s over the next 31 months, meaning it will operate 14 of the type by the end of 2014. It also has options on 10 more of the type. The carrier will add two leased ATR 72-500s to its fleet this year.
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US Air Passenger With 'Device' Causes Diversion
A passenger who claimed to have a surgically implanted device prompted a US Airways jet to divert to Maine on Tuesday in a security scare that followed a recently foiled bomb plot targeting US-bound aircraft.
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UK's OFT To Probe Ryanair's Aer Lingus Stake
Ryanair faced increased pressure to sell its minority stake in rival Aer Lingus at a loss after a British court on Tuesday gave the competition regulator the green light to investigate whether the stake is curbing competition.
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UK Considers Sale Of Aviation Fuel Network
Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday it was considering selling its 2,500 km long aviation fuel network to generate income for the government looking to reduce its debt burden.
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Mitsubishi targets 2017-18 to deliver 100-seat MRJ
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. today revealed the 100-seat and third member of its regional jet family should enter service in five or six years. On 25 April, the Japanese airframer postponed entry into service of the 90-seat Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) to the third quarter of 2015. A 70-seat version of the MRJ is expected to deliver a year later, but Mitsubishi had previously not disclosed the timeline for introducing the MRJ100X.
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Boeing delivers fifth C-17 to UAE
Boeing has delivered a fifth C-17 Globemaster strategic airlifter to the United Arab Emirates. The Middle Eastern nation has ordered six of the four-engined aircraft, the last of which will be delivered either "late June or early July," the company says. Though the company announced the delivery on 22 May, the aircraft was technically delivered earlier in the month. The delay was necessary to complete certain modifications requested by the UAE before the jet was flown home.
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US prices Australian Growler upgrade at $1.7bn
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has priced the upgrade of 12 Australian Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft to the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare configuration at $1.7 billion. The proposed deal would be conducted under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism, the DSCA said in a statement. Its announcement follows a request from the government of Australia.
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Australia’s Lovitt wins Boeing F/A-18 E/F wing work
Australian firm Lovitt Technologies has won a A$1 million ($980,000) contract from Boeing to provide wing parts for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. "This is an outstanding achievement for Lovitt Technologies and is the result of their hard work and demonstrates their high level of manufacturing capability," says minister for defence materiel Jason Clare.
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AFSOC MC-130J crews start training in new full-motion sims
The US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) aircrews have started training on full-motion simulators for the MC-130J version of the Lockheed Martin Hercules tactical transport aircraft at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. The USAF recently started receiving the new MC-130Js for which the USAF must start training new crews. Lockheed delivered the courseware and curriculum for the new aircraft to Air Education and Training Command (AETC) in February, says Vic Torla, the company's director for the aircrew training and rehearsal support (ATARS) program.
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Hawaiian Airlines sees growth in passenger traffic for April
Hawaiian Airlines has reported a 6.2% increase in passenger traffic in April on a year-over-year basis. Hawaiian carried 720,747 passengers in April, with a load factor of 82.1% for the month. During the first four months of 2012, Hawaiian transported more than 2.9 million passengers.
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Last year was safest year on record for air travel, report says
During 2011, there were 25 fatal airline accidents worldwide, making the year the safest on record for air travel, a report shows. The fatal accident rate of one per 1.52 million flights marks a 17% improvement from 2010. Over the past two decades, the fatal accident rate has been halved.
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Laser incidents climbed 26% in 2011, FAA says
The number of incidents involving lasers pointed at commercial aircraft rose 26% in 2011, to 3,592, the Federal Aviation Administration says. The agency began tracking laser incidents in 2005. "We will pursue the toughest penalties against anyone caught putting the safety of the flying public at risk," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
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FAA launches website on in-flight child safety
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a website on child safety on airline flights. The website urges parents to bring child-safety seats on flights and buckle children into the seats. The safety seats are a better option than having children sit on a parent's lap, the FAA says.
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More travelers turn to checkpoint-friendly accessories
Ultra-light carry-on bags and checkpoint-friendly laptop cases are just some of the accessories aimed at helping travelers pass through airport security. "These new categories have literally mushroomed because they're removing all the pain points associated with travel," says Lopo Rego, an associate professor of marketing at Indiana University. The Transportation Security Administration does not endorse specific products, but it does recognize items that meet certain criteria, such as laptop bags and locks.
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Airlines are adding seating options
Group fliers are finding it difficult to stay together on flights if they choose not to pay for seat reservations on their planes. While frequent fliers are praising the added options, airlines say gate agents attempt to help families sit together, especially families with small children. "Airlines have to be careful. They can only push this so far before they risk incurring the wrath of customers or the government," said Henry Harteveldt, co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group.
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Iowa airport sees effect of Southwest Airlines before service starts
Des Moines may already be seeing indications of the Southwest effect, says airport executive director Don Smithey. Southwest Airlines lands in Des Moines Sept. 30, when it begins flights to Chicago’s Midway Airport. Southwest purchased AirTran last year. Smithey said he believes other airlines are preparing for the new competition by lowering prices in some instances. He’s seen flights to Denver, where Southwest flies, for as low as $177, and he said to watch rates to Chicago, which have been as much as $850.
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NATO signs deal with Northrop for 5 Global Hawks
NATO has signed a $1.7 billion deal to buy five Global Hawk drones from Northrop Grumman. The alliance isn't saying where it will deploy the spy planes but in last year's missions in Libya, it relied heavily on intelligence gathered by such drones.
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NATO, U.S. move forward with European missile shield
The U.S. Navy will put a ship armed with anti-missile technology in the Mediterranean and NATO will command a radar station in Turkey under the first phase of a European missile shield agreed upon by NATO and the U.S. this week. At its annual conference held in Chicago this week, NATO decided to move forward with the shield plan.
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Senate investigation: China leads in fake military electronics
China is a key source of counterfeit military electronics that are found in the U.S. military supply system, a Senate investigation has found. A U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee report found 1,800 cases of counterfeiting involving about 1 million parts and in a closer look at a select number of cases found China was the source for 70% of the fakes.
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Embraer keeps 2018 target date for regional-jet updates
Embraer plans to stick to its schedule of updating its E-170/190 family of regional jets by 2018. Embraer CEO Frederico Fleury Curado said the date "looks like the right time." Embraer rivals such as Mitsubishi have announced plans to delay their regional jets.
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Space station's partners face budget pressure to realize R&D goals
Partners in the International Space Station are coming under pressure to justify budget reductions in research and development. The space station was funded by the U.S., Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan. However, NASA spent less than $200 million on life and physical sciences research at the space station in 2010.
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TSA hopes up to 75% of travelers participate in PreCheck
The Transportation Security Administration hopes that up to 75% of the traveling public is eventually enrolled it its PreCheck program. "We're going to have to get to the general population," TSA Associate Administrator Doug Hofsass said Monday. The TSA's effort to expand PreCheck participation is part of its shift away from "one-size-fits-all" screening.
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Amadeus secures €200 million R&D loan from the EIB
Madrid-based Amadeus IT Group has secured a loan for €200 million ($255 million) from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance research and development for a variety of IT projects for airlines, airports, hotels, and rail between 2012 and 2014.
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Other News

Sweden’s Skyways Express and subsidiary City Airline have stopped all flights and will file for bankruptcy, according to a statement on their website.

Thai Airways International president Piyasvasti Amranand was removed from his post by the state-run carrier’s board Monday.

Frontier Airlines launched Bloomington, Ill., service to Denver (4X-weekly) and Orlando (3X-weekly, May 25).

WestJetlaunched daily seasonal Vancouver-Whitehorse service.

British Airways will launch 3X-weekly London Gatwick-Las Vegas Boeing 777 service Oct. 29.

JetBlue launched seasonal daily Boston-Nantucket service, operating through Sept. 4.

Jet Airways is expected to order more than 100 narrow-body aircraft for up to $3.75 billion in 2012/13 as the largest Indian carrier grabs market share from its troubled rivals, a leading consultancy said. The airline is understood to be actively evaluating Airbus's narrow-body A320 aircraft, and is likely to lease up to 10 A330s to support expansion of its European network, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said in a report.

Virgin America, the only major domestic airline headquartered in California, today marked the opening of a new flight training facility with a state-of-the-art Required Navigational Performance (RNP)-certified CAE Airbus A320 full-flight simulator– the first such pilot training facility of its kind in Northern California. Located in Burlingame, California near the airline's corporate headquarters and its San Francisco International Airport (SFO) base of operations, the new Virgin America Flight Training Center represents an $11.7 million investment.

Boeing and UPS celebrated the delivery today of the cargo operator's 50th 767-300 Freighter. The airplane joins the world's largest 767 Freighter fleet. "The Boeing 767 Freighter is the workhorse of our fleet," said UPS Airlines President Mitch Nichols. "This versatile widebody is an important element in UPS's global logistics network, helping us reach over 200 countries and territories each day."

Frontier Airlines flies into Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) today with nonstop service to/from both Denver International Airport (DEN) and Orlando International Airport (MCO). Denver seasonal service starts today and operates three days each week through Sept. 2, 2012. Year-round Orlando service, offered four times weekly, begins May 24.

The U.S. Army's fleet of 219 UH-72A Lakota helicopters surpassed the 100,000 flight hour milestone during operations on May 10. The 100,000 flight hour aircraft, configured for Opposing Force training missions, was flown by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Lacrosse and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christopher Ezell of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Falcon Observer/Controller-Trainer Team in Hohenfels, Germany, during a multinational training exercise.

AVIATION QUOTE

A pilot who doesn't have any fear probably isn't flying his plane to its maximum.

— Jon McBride, astronaut.

ON THIS DATE

---In 1848... Otto Lilienthal, key figure in the history of flying, is born in Anklam, Germany. He became the first man to fly (glide) with both regularity and control. The Wright brothers regarded his 1899 book as their bible.

---In 1908... The first airplane flight in Italy is made by Léon Delagrange in Rome.

---In 1924... The first scheduled air service in Canada begins. Laurentide Air Service Ltd. offers flights between Angliers, Lake Fortune and Rouyn, Quebec.

---In 1955... The first short-haul jet airliner to go into widespread service, the Sud-Aviation SE 210 Caravelle, makes its first flight at Toulouse, France.

---In 1974…Airbus A300 enters service with Air France.

---In 1988… Shamu One, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 painted like and named after a SeaWorld whale, begins flying for the airline.

---In 1994…Air Nostrum is formed.

---In 2004… Frontier Airlines begins service to Philadelphia, Billings, Montana and Spokane, Washington.

---In 2005…SpiceJet commences flight operations.

DAILY VIDEO

EDITOR’S CHOICE

HUMOR

Engine Blew Up

While cruising at 40,000 feet, the airplane shuddered and Mr. Benson looked out the window. “Good lord!” he screamed, “One of the engines just blew up!”
Other passengers left their seats and came running over. Suddenly the aircraft was rocked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side. The passengers were in a panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn't maintain order.

Just then, standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about. His words and his demeanor made most of the passengers feel better, and they sat down as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft. There, he grabbed several packages from under the seats and began handing them to the flight attendants. Each crew member attatched the package to their backs.
“Say,” spoke up an alert passenger, “Aren't those parachutes?”

The pilot said they were. The passenger went on, “But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?”

“There isn't,” replied the pilot as a third engine exploded. “We're going to get help.”

TRIVIA

Who am I?
Thanks to Queso for today’s trivia.

1. First flown in 2001, I am the longest airliner currently in production and I can seat 419 in my 2 class seating arrangement. Who am I?

2. I am very famous for the shark-toothed paint job that one group of my operators put onto my nose. Almost 14,000 of my type were built and operated by 28 different nations including the United States and the Soviet Union. I guest-starred in movies along side the likes of John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, and John Belushi. Who am I?

3. I am a 2-seat, rag-and-tube plane first sold in 1964 who loves to fly upside-down and do loops and spins! In fact, my name is my primary reason for flying, (roughly) spelled backwards! Who am I?

4. I have been the King of the Skies for over 30 years, maintaining an air-superiority for the 4 countries who operate my type with an unmatched 104-to-0 kill ratio. One of my type once had an in-flight collision with another aircraft and it's skillful pilot safely landed the aircraft in spite of missing the entire right wing! Who am I?

5. I was the first (and perhaps only) aircraft to have flown with an operating nuclear reactor aboard. I was so heavy the designers went through several landing gear designs to help spread my tremendous weight across the tarmac. In fact, my payload was almost as much as the empty weight of one of the aircraft I replaced! And even though there were several innovative features included in my design such as my "pusher" engines and propellers, I was replaced in service by much faster aircraft after just a few years. Who am I?

6. Developed from a fighter jet design originally planned for Switzerland, my name is sometimes used synonymously as "business jet". I set the standard for small jets with two engines at the rear and a T-tail. Sleek and quite beautiful for the early 1960's era in which I was introduced, I could carry my 2 crew and 6 passengers up to 1,500 miles at well over 500 mph and up to 41,000 feet. The Argentine Air Force even used a couple of my type during the Falklands Island War to act as decoy strike aircraft sent to attack British ships! Who am I?

7. Operated by a tire and rubber company, I am 192 feet long, 59.5 feet tall, and 50 feet wide. I have a cruising speed of 35 mph in calm wind and I carry 6 passengers. You may have seen me circling major sporting events, and two of my type played a major role in the movie "Black Sunday". Who am I?

8. 7,000 of my type earned our keep transporting and evacuating troops in the jungles of Vietnam. We've served with every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, several civilian branches of government, as well as being dependable and reliable money-makers for civilian businesses in jobs such as spraying crops, moving logs and carrying oil workers to and from offshore platforms. My design was also modified by making it much slimmer and lighter to produce one of the most successful gunships ever created and it was named after a snake, even though I share a name with a Baby. Who am I?

9. I am the only commercially successful supersonic passenger aircraft ever produced (thus far). Who am I?

10. I am most successful mass produced light aircraft in history. My type was first flown in 1955 and is still in production. As of 2008, more than 43,000 of my type had been built. I have seats for 4 people and can do a reasonable job of carrying them 600 nm at a speed of about 120 knots. My high wing, tricycle landing gear, and fixed-pitch prop design features and reasonable acquisition and operating cost make me a popular choice as a training aircraft as well. Who am I?