News
USAF pinpoints root cause of F-22 Raptor’s oxygen woes
The US Air Force has officially settled on the root cause of a series of "hypoxia-like" incidents that have been plaguing the service's fleet of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors. The USAF had earlier narrowed down the potential root cause to either contamination or an air quantity problem. "We have eliminated one of the hypotheses that the air force scientific advisory board postulated as a potential root cause for the hypoxia-related incidents and that was contamination," says USAF chief of staff Gen Norton Schwartz. "We have the data that has confirmed that."
Link
US Court Upholds Rules For Airline Tickets
Airlines can no longer understate the cost of a plane ticket by leaving taxes and government fees out of their advertised rates, under new rules that won US court approval on Tuesday.
Link
UPS Q2 profit Up, Cuts 2012 Outlook
United Parcel Service reported higher quarterly results, but cut its 2012 outlook, citing uncertain global economic conditions.
Link
United Incurs $206 Mln Charge In Q2
United Continental said it incurred charges of about USD$206 million in the second quarter due to integration and severance costs.
Link
Spirit Airlines Quarterly Profit Doubles
Spirit Airlines' quarterly profit more than doubled as the low-cost airline earned more from non-ticket sources of revenue.
Link
AirAsia Seeking To End Malaysia Air JV
Low cost carrier AirAsia wants to end its joint venture deal with national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS), according to a report in the Malaysian Business Times.
Link
Hawker Beechcraft targets booming African mining sector
Hawker Beechcraft is targeting Africa's booming mining sector in an attempt to boost the fortunes of its struggling business aircraft lines. The beleaguered airframer - whose business and general aviation arm is being sought by China's Superior Aviation Beijing - says Africa has "some of the best growth prospects of any region in the world for business aircraft".
Link
Alitalia gets conditional approval for Wind Jet takeover
Alitalia (AZ) has been given the green light to acquire Catania-based Wind Jet (IV), although it must surrender up to five slots pairs to complete the deal. Italy’s antitrust regulator, Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), cleared the acquisition following a probe launched in June. “We gave the go-ahead, but AZ must release slots on three routes,” an AGCM spokeswoman said.
Link
Earnings preview: Fuel hedges could hurt Delta in Q2
Fuel hedges could hurt Delta Air Lines' second-quarter results. "The rapid decline in fuel prices resulted in a significant change in value for our open fuel hedges, which run through 2013," Delta told investors last month. Analysts expect the carrier to report earnings of 68 cents per share for the quarter.
Link
Alaska Air Group prefers to remain independent, company says
Alaska Air Group responded to American Airlines CEO Tom Horton after he said American was looking at Alaska and other carriers as possible merger partners. "As a publicly traded company, we don't comment on specific merger or acquisition proposals involving Alaska Air Group. However, we have said for many years that our preference is to remain a strong, vibrant, independent company," Alaska said.
Link
JetBlue CEO says carrier is pleased with expansion at Boston airport
JetBlue CEO David Barger says the carrier is happy with its decision to expand at Boston's Logan International Airport. "This airport is closest to a large city center than any other large U.S. city. So it's just been terrific for our company," he said.
Link
Spirit Airlines reports Q2 profit of $34.6M
Spirit Airlines posted a profit of $34.6 million in the second quarter, more than double its profit of $16.9 million in the same quarter last year. The carrier's operating revenue rose by 26% for the quarter, to $346.3 million, buoyed by nonticket sources of revenue such as fees for checked and carry-on bags.
Link
United Continental announces $206M restructuring charge in Q2
United Continental has announced a charge of $206 million for restructuring costs such as integration and severance in the second quarter. The charge included $76 million for the early retirement of about 13,000 flight attendants, as well as $137 million for integration costs such as training employees and repainting aircraft. The carrier is expected to report its second-quarter results Thursday.
Link
FAA error reporting system is not used correctly, report says
A report by the Transportation Department inspector general has found that a program established by the Federal Aviation Administration for error reporting is being misused by air-traffic controllers to report personal conduct rather than performance lapses. "The intent of the reporting program is to improve aviation safety, not to provide amnesty to controllers who like to watch movies or take a nap while on the job," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Link
TSA will expand Known Crewmember program to flight attendants
The Transportation Security Administration will expand its Known Crewmember program to flight attendants. The program will allow them to move more quickly through security checkpoints. Airlines for America and flight attendant groups had been pushing for inclusion of flight attendants into the program. "TSA is pleased to expand the Known Crewmember screening program to include flight attendants," Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole said. "Expanding these identity-based initiatives to individuals who are trusted travelers is a positive step in the evolution of the agency's ongoing risk-based security approach." He says that airlines that employ flight attendants already conduct background checks on them.
Link
Column: Half of airlines' ancillary revenue is from credit-card firms
Ancillary revenue for global airlines rose to more than $22 billion in 2011, an IdeaWorksCompany study shows, and half of U.S. airlines' ancillary revenue comes from credit-card companies. The study looked at financial filings by 50 airlines around the globe. There is an increasing assortment of ancillary services that airlines are now offering to become "more active retailers of travel," said Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorksCompany.
Link
Las Vegas airport offers 2 ways for a speedier trip
Passengers flying WestJet and Air Canada to and from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas can take advantage of two pilot programs to speed up traveling, this feature says. A new baggage kiosk lets passengers weigh and pay for bags; and a turnstile coming this summer scans boarding passes, bypassing the need for a boarding agent.
Link
Other News
British Airways (BA) has abandoned plans to issue bonds part-secured on London Heathrow (LHR) slots because of poor take-up. On July 9, BA said it planned to issue bonds secured on the “shares and assets” of new BA subsidiary British Airways Ltd., which operates scheduled services between London City and New York JFK in cooperation with BA. The assets included up to 31 daily slot pairs at LHR.
The US Transportation Security Administration[b] has announced plans for the second phase of the industry’s Known Crewmember (KCM) initiative, which offers expedited security screening to verified flight attendants employed by US-based airlines. This announcement was made in conjunction with the Assn. of Flight Attendants, the Assn. of Professional Flight Attendants, the Transport Workers Union and Airlines 4 America (A4A).
[b]MTU Maintenance[b] won a contract from German express cargo operator AeroLogic to maintain its GE90-100B engines powering its Boeing 777F fleet, plus its owned spare engines.
[b]GE Aviation[b] signed a 15-year OnPoint solution agreement with Copa Airlines for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of 112 CFM56-7B engines powering its Boeing 737-700 and -800 aircraft.
[b]Boeing[b] has expanded a landing gear exchange program contract with Norwegian Air Shuttle to cover an additional 15 737NG aircraft.
[b]British Airways Engineering[b] was selected by Boeing as a line maintenance and engineering services provider for its GoldCare program, which covers the 787 and the latest 737 variants.
[b]US Airways (LCC) today was awarded permanent authority to operate daily, nonstop service between Mississippi's capital city, Jackson, and Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The route, which US Airways has been flying since March 4 under temporary authority from the DOT, is the only nonstop service linking the State of Mississippi to the nation's capital.
Aviation Quote
I belong to a group of men who fly alone. There is only one seat in the cockpit of a fighter airplane. There is no space allotted for another pilot to tune the radios in the weather or make the calls to air traffic control centers or to help with the emergency procedures or to call off the airspeed down final approach. There is no one else to break the solitude of a long cross-country flight. There is no one else to make decisions.
I do everything myself, from engine start to engine shutdown. In a war, I will face alone the missiles and the flak and the small-arms fire over the front lines.
If I die, I will die alone.
— Richard Bach, Stranger to the Ground, 1963.
On This Date:
---In 1907... At Issy-les-Moulineaux, Blériot flies 492 feet in his monoplane No.VI, the Libellule [dragonfly]. Built by Louis Peyret, the foreman at his works, it has two sets of wings in tandem. To control vertical movement, the pilot slides to end fro on a wheeled seat.
---In 1909... Louis Blériot of France, who flies his Blériot No.XI monoplane from Les Baraques to Dover, England in 37 minutes, makes the first airplane crossing of the English Channel. The event increases public and government awareness of the possible military aspects of the airplane.
---In 1909... Van den Schkrouff makes the first flight in Russia in a Voisin biplane at Odessa.
---In 1964…President Johnson publicly revealed the existence of a new Air Force reconnaissance aircraft which he called the SR-71 instead of RS-71. The Air Force decided that it was easier to re-number the aircraft SR-71 than to correct the President. Thus we all know the aircraft as the SR-71 to this day. (Q)
---In 2000… Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde (registration F-BTSC) charter departing from De Gaulle airport in Paris bound for New York's JFK Airport crashed just after takeoff into a hotel in Gonesse, France. All 109 people on board died, along with four people on the ground. According to the accident investigation report, the probable cause was the destruction of one of the aircraft's main wheel tires, as a result of passing at high speed over a part lost by a pre-departing Continental Airlines DC-10 during the takeoff run. The piercing of one of the fuel tanks by a piece of the exploding tire ignited the leaking jet fuel and caused a loss of thrust in engine number one and two in quick succession.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Performance Reviews: How To Interpret
Some of you might like to know what supervisors are really saying in all those glowing employee work performance evaluations they keeps cranking out.
• AVERAGE: Not too bright.
• EXCEPTIONALLY WELL QUALIFIED: Has committed no major blunders to date.
• ACTIVE SOCIALLY: Drinks heavily.
• ZEALOUS ATTITUDE: Opinionated.
• CHARACTER ABOVE REPROACH: Still one step ahead of the law.
• UNLIMITED POTENTIAL: Will stick with us until retirement.
• QUICK THINKING: Offers plausible excuses for errors.
• TAKES PRIDE IN WORK: Conceited.
• TAKES ADVANTAGE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PROGRESS: Buys drinks for superiors.
• INDIFFERENT TO INSTRUCTION: Knows more than superiors.
• STERN DISCIPLINARIAN: A real jerk.
• TACTFUL IN DEALING WITH SUPERIORS: Knows when to keep mouth shut.
• APPROACHES DIFFICULT PROBLEMS WITH LOGIC: Finds someone else to do the job.
• A KEEN ANALYST: Thoroughly confused.
• NOT A DESK PERSON: Did not go to university.
• EXPRESSES SELF WELL: Can string two sentences together.
• SPENDS EXTRA HOURS ON THE JOB: Miserable home life.
• CONSCIENTIOUS AND CAREFUL: Scared.
• METICULOUS IN ATTENTION TO DETAIL: A nitpicker.
• DEMONSTRATES QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP: Has a loud voice.
• JUDGMENT IS USUALLY SOUND: Lucky.
• MAINTAINS PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE: A snob.
• KEEN SENSE OF HUMOR: Knows lots of dirty jokes.
• STRONG ADHERENCE TO PRINCIPLES: Stubborn.
• GETS ALONG EXTREMELY WELL WITH SUPERIORS AND SUBORDINATES ALIKE: A coward.
• SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE: Stupid.
• OF GREAT VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION: Turns in work on time.
• IS UNUSUALLY LOYAL: Wanted by no-one else.
• ALERT TO COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS: An office gossip.
• REQUIRES WORK-VALUE ATTITUDINAL READJUSTMENT: Lazy and hard-headed.
• HARD WORKER: Usually does it the hard way.
• ENJOYS JOB: Needs more to do.
• HAPPY: Paid too much.
• WELL ORGANIZED: Needs more to do.
• COMPETENT: Is still able to get work done if supervisor helps.
• CONSULTS WITH SUPERVISOR OFTEN: Pain in the arse.
• WILL GO FAR: Related to management.
• SHOULD GO FAR: Please.
• USES TIME EFFECTIVELY: Clock watcher.
• VERY CREATIVE: Finds 5 reasons to do anything except original work.
• USES RESOURCES WELL: Delegates everything.
• DESERVES PROMOTION: (or anything else - just get him or her away from me!).
Trivia
Airport Jumble
Unscramble and enter the ICAO code.
1. lsohpihc
2. trwhoaeh
3. anogl
4. dnnkeye
5. ciernssp lnaujai
6. zeiaez
7. ranait
8. jaarbsa
9. incuomfii
10. uloutose-balagcn
HT-ETNW wrote:Airport Jumble - My share for today:
3. anogl - Logan - BOS
-HT
