News
US Airways Says 'No Urgency To Merge'
US Airways is in no rush to merge with bankrupt American Airlines and expects its rival to defer any review of a possible deal now that it has asked a judge for more time to formulate an exit plan on its own.
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IAG Traffic Boosted By BA's Strength
International Airlines Group, formed by the merger of British Airways and Iberia, posted a strong rise in June traffic, led by a buoyant performance from the UK carrier.Traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose by 8.9 percent versus June 2011, while passenger load factor was up 1.2 percentage point at 76.1 percent, it said on Wednesday.
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Virgin Australia Orders 23 Boeing 737 MAX
Virgin Australia on Thursday said it has ordered 23 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in a deal worth USD$2.19 billion at list prices. Australia's second-largest airline also said it has deferred delivery of some Boeing 737NG aircraft to beyond 2016 to give it flexibility to develop the right mix of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.
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Discussion
Etihad Wants To Keep Aer Lingus Stake
Etihad Airways is not willing to sell its 2 percent stake in Aer Lingus, the Irish flag carrier subject to a takeover bid by Ryanair, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The chief executive of Etihad, James Hogan, was quoted as saying "we are not selling", giving his backing to Aer Lingus's current management and its strategy.
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Air France silent on reports of Etihad JV
Air France (AF) is not commenting on a French newspaper report claiming it is exploring a joint venture (JV) with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways (EY). In March, AF CEO Jean Cyril Spinetta confirmed informal talks were underway with EY. He said the deal under discussion was a “purely a commercial agreement” on routes from Amsterdam and Paris-CDG to Abu Dhabi, stressing that there was “no equity-based aspect.”
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Etihad Airways revenues surge in second quarter
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has lifted second-quarter revenues to $1.25 billion, an increase of 30% on last year's figure for the period. The Abu Dhabi-based airline has not given a profit or loss figure for the period but chief executive James Hogan says it remains "focused and on track to deliver profitability for the full year".
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Emirates to operate A380 to Moscow Domodedovo
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is to deploy the Airbus A380 on services to Moscow Domodedovo later this year. It will operate the 517-seat aircraft on one of its two daily rotations from Dubai beginning on 1 December.
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Kingfisher’s labor issues add to debt woes
Kingfisher Airlines (IT) is facing more trouble this week as management failed to convince pilots they will be paid. The pilots went on strike Sunday over nonpayment of salaries since February.
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Austrian completes Tyrolean integration
The Austrian Airlines Group (OS) on July 1 transferred all flight operations—which includes a fleet of some 80 aircraft and 2,100 employees—to subsidiary Tyrolean Airways (VO). An OS spokesperson told ATW it was business as usual for the company’s 400 flights on the first day of the integration.
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Virgin America 1Q loss deepens amid fuel, growth costs
Virgin America (VX) has reported a first-quarter operating loss of $49 million, a 65% worsening compared to the $29.5 million operating loss for the same period last year. The carrier cited fuel costs that were 47% higher, costs associated with capacity growth, and a transition to a new reservations system as reasons for the loss.
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MAS ponders longer-range A330 proposal as 777 replacement
Malaysia Airlines is evaluating whether to standardise on the Airbus A330 for its widebody operations, and could order a longer-range version if Airbus decides to develop one. "We want to rationalise the fleet - I hate running an airline with too many aircraft types," says Malaysia Airlines group chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.
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Throttle lever error nearly destroyed Dash 8's engines
Norwegian investigators have revealed that a Widerøe Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-100 came close to double engine failure after the pilots inadvertently retarded the throttle levers to below the flight-idle position.
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FedEx fails to block A300 rudder-warning modification
European safety authorities have ordered installation of a rudder-input warning system on Airbus A300s and A310s, rejecting attempts by FedEx to block the directive or extend the compliance interval. The modification would warn pilots to stop potentially hazardous rudder inputs at high airspeeds.
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Thai Airways works with Nok Air to launch new low-cost carrier
Thai Airways is working with Nok Air to launch a new low-cost carrier by mid-2013. A consultant has been hired to conduct a feasibility study which is expected to be complete by the end of July, says a Thai spokeswoman when contacted.
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Airbus granted patent for double-fuselage turboprop design
Airbus confirmed to ATW it has been granted a US patent for a high-capacity, dual-fuselage turboprop-powered aircraft design, featuring two sets of wings. “Airbus engineers file patents for their novel ideas all the time,” an Airbus spokesperson told ATW. “There are more than 500 Airbus patents filed each year.”
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Ground handling giant Swissport buys Finnish competitors
SWISSPORT International has acquired Inter Handling and sister company Inter Handling Turku. The two firms offer ground services at various airports in Finland, including Helsinki Vantaa.
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Other News
Thanks to cornish for these route updates:
Emirates announced the addition of 3 new destinations in Winter 2012 while expanding operation to Perth:
Dubai – Adelaide eff 01NOV12 NEW 4 weekly service with 3-class 777-300ER. Daily from 01FEB13
Dubai – Lyon eff 05DEC12 NEW 5 weekly service with A340-500
Dubai – Warsaw eff 06FEB13 NEW Daily service with A330-200
SAS starting 08APR13 will start Copenhagen – San Francisco service, with 6 weekly operation on board Airbus A340-300 aircraft. In addition, it will increase Copenhagen – Newark service from daily to 10 weekly.
Tiger Airways starting 01OCT12 will launch Singapore – Phnom Penh daily service, on board Airbus A320 aircraft.
EVA Air starting 01SEP12 is cancelling Taipei Taoyuan – Nagoya service.
Air Transat starting 24DEC12 is starting a Edmonton – Calgary – Huatulco route. with 1 weekly A310 flight.
Afriqiyah Airways on 03JUL12 resumed service to London, offering 3 weekly Tripoli – London Gatwick service, on board Airbus A320 aircraft.
Transavia starting 11OCT12 will launch 2 new routes from Dusseldorf Weeze airport, with 3 weekly service to Alicante and 4 to Malaga.
Transavia France from 20DEC12 introduces 2 weekly Lille – Venice service, on board Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
AirAsia X has launched Kuala Lumpur – Kathmandu service, which operates twice a week on board Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Delta Air Lines starting 04SEP12 is terminating Salt Lake City – Mexico City service, currently operated by Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft.
Mexico’s vivaAerobus starting 20JUL12 introduces new routes to Cuernavaca, as the airline is launching 2 weekly flights each on Cuernavaca – Cancun and Cuernavaca – Monterey operation, with Boeing 737-300 aircraft.
Spirit Airlines starting 06SEP12 is launching 2 daily Ft. Lauderdale – Baltimore service, on board Airbus A319/320 aircraft. This route will replace existing Ft. Lauderdale – Washington Reagan operation.
Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet starting 02AUG12 is launching Mexico City – New York JFK service, on board Airbus A320 aircraft.
BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaulhas named Lisa Cooper as regional sales manager-UK, Spain, Ireland and Portugal. Cooper joins BBA from H+S Aviation.
Pattonair appointed Richard Hawkins as group quality director. Hawkins joins the global aerospace supply chain service provider from Rolls-Royce.
IFP has hired Jackie Frimer as VP-worldwide business development. Frimer has more than a decade of experience in the inflight entertainment industry.
Boyd Group International named Jeff Potter as president and CEO, effective July 9. Potter has served as CEO of Frontier Airlines, CEO of Vanguard Airlines, and most recently, COO of Intrawest.
Aviation Quote
Harmony comes gradually to a pilot and his plane. The wing does not want so much to fly true as to tug at the hands that guide it; the ship would rather hunt the wind than lay her nose to the horizon far ahead. She has a derelict quality in her character; she toys with freedom and hints at liberation, but yields her own desires gently.
— Beryl Markham, West With The Night,’1942.
On This Date
---In 1912... Captain Charles Chandler and Lieutenants Thomas Milling and Henry Arnold are presented with certificates qualifying them as the U.S.’s first “Military Aviators.”
---In 1927... Lady Bailey establishes a new light airplane altitude record of 17,283 feet, in a de Havilland D.H. 60 Moth, at the company’s airfield in Edgeware, Middlesex.
---In 1940... The first American paratrooper unit is formed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
---In 1944... The first U.S. rocket-powered military aircraft, the MX-324, flies at Harper Dry Lake, California. The pilot, Harry Crosby, makes the voyage.
---In 1961…General Curtis LeMay of the Air Force, expresses interest in a bomber version of the A-12.
The Q-bay located behind the cockpits (later the ANS bay) was envisioned as the bomb bay. (Q)
---In 1979... French aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer Emile Dewoitine dies at the age of 87.
Daily Video
Editor's Choice
Humor
Which Branch of the Service Do Your Prefer?
An Army grunt stands in the rain with a 35 pound pack on his back, 15 pound. weapon in hand, after having marched 12 miles, and says, "This is shit!"
An Army Airborne Ranger stands in the rain with a 45 pound pack on his back, 15 pound weapon in hand, after having jumped from an airplane and marched 18 miles, and says with a smile, "This is good shit!"
A Navy SEAL lies in the mud, 55 pound pack on his back, 15 pound weapon in hand, after having had a 10 mile swim to shore, a five crawl through swamps, and a 25 mile march in jungle, at night, through enemy positions, says with a grin, "This really is great shit."
A Marine, up to his nose in the stinking, bug-infested mud of a swamp with a 65 pound pack on his back and a 15 pound weapon in each hand, after jumping from an aircraft at high altitude, into the ocean, swimming 12 miles to the shore, killing several alligators to enter the swamp, then crawling 30 miles through the brush to assault an enemy camp, says, "I love this shit."
An Air Force NCO sits in an easy chair in an air conditioned, carpeted office and says, "My e-mail's out? What kind of shit is this?"
Trivia
Jumble
1. aehkrw hnrarcieu
2. uelirpcb nobrdtlethu
3. roilbts nmbelieh
4. liuprecb rhuneftchide
5. gthouv cirraos
6. absa enigvg
7. ortnh cmreanai vlietgain
8. umgmran ocatmt
9. lgudsoa drkriysae
10. begion otatrorrtsfses
