NEWS
IATA: European loss forecast almost doubles; next months critical
European carriers are expected to report combined losses of $1.1 billion for the year, almost double the previous forecast of a $600 million loss, according to IATA. Releasing its revised 2012 industry outlook in Beijing during its annual meeting and summit, IATA said global industry profits are expected to be $3 billion, unchanged from the last update in March. A fall in oil prices, stronger than expected growth in passenger traffic, and a bottoming out of the freight market are driving some improvements in the profitability outlook. However, this is offset by the continued and deepening European debt crisis.
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China Cargo Airlines to join SkyTeam Cargo
China Eastern Airlines’ (MU) subsidiary China Cargo Airlines (CK) is expected to become the second Chinese carrier to join the SkyTeam Cargo alliance as it aims to improve its global competitiveness. CK GM Zhu Yimin said the carrier would formally join the alliance by June 2013.
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JetBlue, Air China Plan To Partner
US discount carrier JetBlue Airways said on Monday it plans to partner with Air China on flights, its first such agreement with a China-based airline.
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Unmanned US Navy demonstrator crashes in Maryland
An unmanned Northrop Grumman RQ-4 broad area maritime surveillance demonstrator (BAMS-D) that belongs to the US Navy has crashed in Salisbury, Maryland, 35km (22 miles) from the Navy's primary flight test base at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. "The operator lost contact with the aircraft, and shortly after a manned aircraft in the area confirmed that aircraft was down," says the Navy. The aircraft was reportedly on a routine training flight, but the Navy could not immediately provide further details.
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AMR focuses on independence as US Airways seeks merger
Since filing for bankruptcy protection in November, American Airlines' parent company, AMR Corp., says it is committed to remaining an independent company, even as US Airways moves for a takeover. While US Airways has secured union backing and has approached bondholders, AMR Chairman and CEO Tom Horton says the company is "very focused on restructuring independently. That has to be our focus now and anything else for the time being is a distraction."
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Airbus offers 2 methods to repair A380 wing cracks
Airbus is offering two methods to repair wing cracks in its A380 jets. The first method would repair all cracks at once and would require eight weeks. The second method would repair cracks gradually during several two-year heavy checks by extending the checks by "a few days."
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Boeing predicts sales of 737 MAX will rise by year's end
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing predicts that it will receive 1,000 cumulative orders for the 737 MAX by the end of 2012. So far, Boeing has taken orders for 451 of the aircraft. Boeing has 50% of the market share for narrow-body jets.
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Chinese airlines will ignore June deadline for EU emissions data
Chinese airlines plan to ignore the June deadline to send data on carbon emissions to the European Union. Although the airlines could face fines from the EU, the Chinese airlines are supported in their action by the Chinese government. The China Air Transport Association "expects that the Chinese government will impose similar penalties on European airlines swiftly after any EU action," said Secretary General Wei Zhenzhong.
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Global airlines urge EU to change emissions-trading scheme
Global airlines are encouraging the European Union to alter its emissions-trading scheme. "The onus is now on Europe to seize the moment, take a credible action to defuse the situation and get on with finding the global solution that everybody is hoping for," said Tony Tyler, director general of the International Air Transport Association.
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Seattle airport will test NextGen landings guided by satellites
The Federal Aviation Administration is implementing a six-month test of NextGen procedures at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The procedures include satellite-guided landings that are more fuel-efficient. Alaska Airlines spokesman Paul McElroy says 14 or 26 miles of flying will be saved, depending on approach route.
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Radiation from TSA scanners is not dangerous, study says
A study by Marquette University has concluded that the amount of radiation emitted by the Transportation Security Administration's full-body scanners is not dangerous to passengers. The findings conclude that the scanners expose passengers to less than a third of the recommended dose of radiation. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, questions the study, however, because it is based on data provided by the TSA. "We do not truly know the risk of this radiation exposure over multiple screenings, for frequent fliers, those in vulnerable groups, or TSA's own employees operating the machines," Collins said.
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Other News
Jet Airways (9W) is considering new long-haul services starting next summer, and is aiming to join either SkyTeam or Star Alliance, according to 9W founder and chairman Naresh Goyal.
Virgin Australia (DJ) has no concerns about moves by Etihad (EY) to further increase its stake in the carrier to 10%, as reported by Australia’s The Age newspaper.
Precision Air (PW) has embarked on a $90 million fleet modernization program that includes the delivery of four new ATR 42-600s and one new ATR 72-600 during the next two years, beginning in September.
Air France (AF) has signed a codeshare agreement with Air Burkina (2J), the flag carrier of Burkina Faso, covering operations on the Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)-Ouagadougou (OUA) route.
United Airlines will launch Denver service to Shreveport, La. (daily, Aug. 28 operated by ExpressJet), and Grand Forks, N.D. (2X-daily, operated by SkyWest).
WestJet launched 7X-daily Toronto-New York LaGuardia service, becoming 8X-daily July 12.
British Airways will operate service from London City to Mahon, Angers, Quimper, Venice, the Isle of Man and Aberdeen this summer.
SilkAir launched Airbus A319/320 3X-weekly Singapore Changi-Hanoi service.
China will take swift counter-measures that could include impounding European aircraft if the European Union punishes Chinese airlines for non-compliance with a scheme to curb carbon emissions, the China Air Transport Association said on Tuesday. Chinese airlines, which have been told by Beijing not to comply with the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, refused to meet a March 31 deadline for submitting carbon emissions data. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has said carriers have until mid-June to submit their data before enforcement action is taken.
United Airlines today introduces into international service its newly reconfigured Boeing 767-300 aircraft, with this evening's departure of flight 908 from Chicago to Amsterdam. The aircraft now features flat-bed seats in an all-new United BusinessFirst cabin, along with an upgraded inflight entertainment system throughout. The aircraft is the first of 14 to get the new interior, offering 30 seats in United BusinessFirst, 49 in Economy Plus and 135 in Economy. In addition to flat-bed seats, United BusinessFirst offers a 15.4" touchscreen monitor delivering on-demand inflight audio/video content, electrical and USB outlets for charging electronic devices, an iPod jack enabling customers to play content from their iPod-compatible devices and a five-course meal with fine wines. United Economy Plus seats provide more legroom and more recline than Economy seats. Each Economy Plus and Economy seat features a 9" touchscreen on-demand, inflight entertainment system and all Economy rows have access to electrical outlets. On long-haul international flights, United offers Economy Plus and Economy customers complimentary food, soft drinks, juices, tea and coffee.
American Airlines today announced it will offer nonstop service between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Asuncion, Paraguay's Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU) four times per week beginning Nov. 15. The new service will be operated by a Boeing 757 aircraft.
ON THIS DATE
---In 1909... Louis Blériot flies his Blériot XII monoplane at Issy-les-Moulineaux with two passengers, Alberto Santos-Dumont and André Fournier. This is the first time a pilot has flown with two passengers.
---In 1919... France’s Baroness Raymonde de Laroche breaks the women’s altitude record by flying to a height of 16,896 feet.
---In 1967…Venera 4 - USSR Venus Atmospheric Probe launched. Venera 4 arrived at Venus on October 18, 1967. This was the first probe to be placed directly into the atmosphere and to return atmospheric data. It showed that the atmosphere was 90-95% carbon dioxide. It detected no nitrogen. The surface temperature reading was 500°C and pressure reading was 75 bar. It was crushed by the pressure on Venus before it reached the surface.
---In 1972American Airlines Flight 96; the rear cargo door of a near-new McDonnell Douglas DC-10 en route from Los Angeles to New York with stops in Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport opened in flight, causing an explosive decompression over Windsor, Ontario. Tail controls were damaged but it landed safely at Detroit. The cause was a design flaw of the DC-10 rear cargo door latching mechanism.
---In 1979... The first man-powered aircraft to cross the English Channel is the Gossamer Albatross, designed and built under the leadership of Paul MacCready. Flown by bicyclist Bryan Allen, it crosses from Folkestone, England to the French coast in two hours, 49 minutes.
---In 1979…First flight of the Rutan Long-EZ prototype, N79RA.
---In 1982…Operation Black Buck concludes with the last of five very-long range strikes on the Falkland Islands by Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan bombers.
---In 1994…First flight of the Boeing 777-200.
---In 2001… JetsGo is launched.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Ditching
Passengers on a Lufthansa flight heard this announcement from the captain,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry to inform you that we have lost power to all of our engines and will shortly crash into the ocean."
The passengers were obviously very worried about this situation, but were somewhat comforted by the captain's next announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we at Lufthansa have prepared for such an emergency, and we would now like you to rearrange your seating so that all the non-swimmers are on the left side of the plane, and all the swimmers are on the right side."
After this announcement, all the passengers rearranged their seating to comply with the captain's request. Two minutes later, the captain made a belly landing in the ocean.
The captain once again made an announcement,
"Ladies and Gentlemen we have crashed into the ocean. All of the swimmers on the right side of the plane, open your emergency exits and quickly swim away from the plane. For all of the non-swimmers on the left side of plane... "Thank You For Flying Lufthansa."
TRIVIA
Odd Man Out
1.
A. Hawker Hurricane
B. Messerchmidt Bf-109E
C. Republic P-47N
D. Supermarine Spitfire
2.
A. Sikorsky HH-3 Jolly Green Giant
B. Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallion
C. Piasecki H-21 “Flying Banana”
D. Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk
3.
A. Neptune
B. Guardian
C. Orion
D. Viking
4.
A. Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star
B. North American F-100 Super Saber
C. Republic F-105 Thunderchief
D. Douglas B-66 Sky Warrior
5.
A. Mohawk Airlines
B. Piedmont Airlines
C. Republic Airlines
D. Southern Airways
6.
A. B-25
B. B-52
C. B-47
D. B-50
