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Air France Defiant As Cabin Crew Reject Cuts

Air France said it would impose cost savings on its flight attendants after a majority of cabin crew refused to back the airline's proposals to rule out compulsory job cuts in exchange for a 20 percent improvement in productivity.
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US To Up Pressure On EU In Airline ETS Row
Washington will ratchet up the pressure next week to find a global solution to a bitter row over an EU law that makes airlines that use European airports pay for carbon emissions.
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AirAsia To Buy Indonesia's Batavia Air
Asia's largest low-cost carrier, AirAsia, is making its first major airline acquisition by buying Indonesia's Batavia Air for USD$80 million in cash to expand in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, the two groups said on Thursday.
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Qantas In Emirates Tie-Up Talks

Australia's struggling Qantas Airways confirmed on Thursday that it is in talks with Dubai's Emirates about a potential alliance, as fast-growing Gulf carriers expand their passenger base.
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Ryanair Seeks EU Approval For Aer Lingus Bid

Budget airline Ryanair has asked EU antitrust regulators to approve its EUR€694 million (USD$851.9 million) takeover bid -- its third -- for Ireland's Aer Lingus, in what could be an uphill battle after an EU veto against a previous offer.
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Lockheed to deliver 18 more F-35s this year
Lockheed Martin has delivered 12 F-35 aircraft to the US Department of Defense so far this year against a contracted total of 30 for 2012, leaving it five months to deliver the remaining 18 examples. "Production activities are continuing to progress. In our second quarter, we delivered three production aircraft. Since then, we've delivered seven additional aircraft, bringing year-to-date production deliveries to 12," says Christopher Kubasik, Lockheed's chief operating officer and soon to be president. "Included in this total is the first international aircraft, delivered to the United Kingdom."
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A350 wing work delays service entry by three months
Airbus is pushing back the entry into service for the A350 twinjet by three months to the second half of 2014. It has shifted the schedule as a result of longer time being taken to implement an automated drilling process for the aircraft's wings. Parent company EADS is booking a €124 million ($152 million) charge against the delay.
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Six Eurocopter employees dead after crash

Eurocopter has been left reeling after six employees were killed when an AS532AL Cougar on a pre-delivery verification flight crashed in southeastern France on 25 July.
The Cougar was the first of four aircraft due to be handed over to the Albanian military this year. It came down in the remote Gorges du Verdon region.
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Thailand requests four UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters from the USA

Thailand has requested four additional Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters from the USA, in a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism deal worth $235 million. The package would include four helicopters, 10 General Electric T700-701D engines (eight installed and two spares), and other support and equipment related to the aircraft, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) says in a statement.
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Sikorsky considers Ukrainian engines for S-61 upgrade

Ukrainian gas-turbine maker Motor Sich has held talks with US rotorcraft company Sikorsky over the possible installation of its engines in the Sikorsky S-61 helicopter, Motor Sich director Vyacheslav Boguslayev says. "Sikorsky has a well-known helicopter, the S-61. It is a bit smaller than the [Mil] Mi-17, and is powered by a 1,400hp [1,044kW] General Electric engine. But the S-61 is not capable of flying well in hot and high conditions with this engine, so Sikorsky came to us. We have already had a few meetings with them over re-engining the S-61 with Motor Sich engines," he says.
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BAA loses latest appeal over Stansted sale
UK airports operator BAA has lost its most recent appeal to keep Stansted Airport (STN), although it has vowed to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. Thursday’s appeal is the latest development in a long-running battle between the UK Competition Commission (CC) and BAA.
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Alaska Airlines 2Q revenues bolstered by strong demand

Alaska Airlines (AS) more than doubled its net income for the second quarter, earning $67.5 million versus net income of $28.8 million recorded in the year-ago period. Excluding the impact of market-to-market fuel hedge adjustments of $69.6 million ($43.3 million after tax), it reported second-quarter net income of $110.8 million, up 23.7% year-over-year, for its 13th consecutive quarterly profit.
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United 2Q net profit down 37%

United Continental Holdings (UCH) posted second-quarter net income of $339 million, down 37% from a $538 million net profit in the prior-year period, as revenue grew just 1.3% year-over-year to $9.94 billion. UCH said a primary reason for the profit decline was more than $200 million in one-time charges associated with the ongoing integration of United Airlines (UA) and Continental Airlines into the new UA. President and CEO Jeff Smisek acknowledged in a statement there is still “work to do” regarding the merger, but added that UCH is “making the right investments in our future,” a likely reference to its recent order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 50 737-900ERs.
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Aeromexico 2Q net income down 72.8%

Grupo Aeromexico (AM) reported second-quarter net income of MXP$153 million ($11.8 million), down 73.8% from an MXP$584 million profit in the year-ago period. The airline said that “despite a 14% increase in peso-denominated fuel prices and a 15.5% year-over-year exchange rate depreciation,” it reached the “second-best quarter in our history.” This is the first report that includes the consolidated results for Aeromexico Cargo, AM’s wholly owned subsidiary that was incorporated in January.
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Boeing sees 3% profit boost in Q2
Thanks to strong sales of commercial planes, Boeing saw a 3% rise in net profit during the second quarter. Revenue surged from $16.54 billion a year ago to $20 billion. This year, the company predicts it will bring in $4.40 to $4.60 per share, which is up from the previous estimate of $4.15 to $4.35.
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ADS-B signals should be better encrypted, researchers warn
Researchers warn that ADS-B lacks the necessary encryption for air-traffic controllers to differentiate between real aircraft and aircraft with spoofed signals from hackers. The Federal Aviation Administration says it has redundancy measures in place to ensure safe operations. "The agency says it plans to maintain half its current network of radar systems 'as a backup to ADS-B in the unlikely event it is needed,' " this feature says.
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EU should discard emissions-trading scheme, IATA says
The European Union should discontinue its controversial emissions-trading scheme, according to the International Air Transport Association. "The problem with the EU-ETS is that it is a regional, not a global scheme that everybody agrees to," said Tony Tyler, director general of the association.
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Veteran gate agent at LaGuardia Airport aims to please
For more than 30 years, Ellen Heberer has been a gate agent at LaGuardia Airport in New York -- and is well-regarded for going above and beyond to help passengers. In a day when many gate agents are replaced by scanners, passengers who travel through LaGuardia count on her for helpful, upfront information and the ability to listen to frustrated passengers, this feature says.
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Other News

Rolls-Royce has announced an underlying pre-tax profit of £637 million ($987 million) for the half-year ended June 30, up 7% compared to the same period in 2011. Revenue for the period was up 5% year-on-year at £5.8 billion, with the engine manufacturer’s order book 4% ahead at £60.1 billion. The company’s balance sheet showed a pre-tax profit for the period of slightly more than £1.30 billion. This included £700 million received for the sale of Rolls’ 32.5% stake in International Aero Engines (IAE) to Pratt & Whitney.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has cleared Air China (CA) to launch a subsidiary in Inner Mongolia, paving the way for the Beijing-based carrier to furtherexpand in the North China market. According to the regulator, the new airline has a registered capital of CNY1 billion ($159 million), in which CA holds an 80% stake while the local government of Inner Mongolia holds a 20% stake. The new venture, which is expected to be based at Hohhot Baita, will operate either a Boeing 737-300 or 737-700 on domestic routes.

Ryanair (FR) has cuts its Spanish services from Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona El Prat (BCN) to protest tax increases, which were applied July 1. From the start of the winter season in November, FR will cancel 11 routes from MAD and four from BCN. It will also cut back its frequencies on a total of 46 routes from the two airports. “Ryanair objects to the Spanish government’s decision to double airport taxes at both MAD and BCN airports,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said. “These route and traffic cuts can be reversed but only when the Spanish Government and its airports monopoly AENA reverse these tax increases and cuts its high airport charges.” MAD will lose three of its 14 based aircraft and the BCN fleet will be cut from 13 to 11. FR estimates the cuts will cost the airports 2.3 million passengers and more than 2,000 jobs.

Hawaiian Airlines (HA) parent Hawaiian Holdings reported a $3.9 million net income for the second quarter, a turnaround from the $50 million net loss it incurred in the year-ago quarter, which was impacted by the $70 million purchase of 15 Boeing 717-200s formerly on lease. Adjusted net income for the three months ended June 30 was $11.7 million, versus the year-ago adjusted net income of $0.1 million. "We're pleased with the early results from the implementation of our strategy to grow into markets which have not been the traditional mainstay of our business,” HA president and CEO Mark Dunkerley said. “At the same time a small dip in the price of fuel and continuing healthy demand for the Hawaii vacation helped boost the results from our traditional lines of business.” During the quarter HA launched daily non-stop service from Honolulu to Fukuoka, Japan and New York JFK.

Russian Tatarstan Airlines (U9) and Ak Bars Aero (2B) airline will launch 10 new routes from Nizhny Novgorod Airport (GOJ). According to GOJ CEO Alexander Sinelnikov, in the near future the airlines will launch routes from GOJ to St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Mineralnye Vody, Kaliningrad, Sochi, Ufa, Novosibirsk, Perm and Samara. U9 operates one Tupolev Tu-154, one Yak-42, one Boeing 737-400, two 737-500s and two Airbus A319s. 2B’s fleet includes 10 Bombardier CRJ200s and two Yak-40s.

GECAS delivered one leased Airbus A320 to Chengdu Airlines.

Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA)has taken delivery of a Boeing 747-8 freighter, marking the Japanese debut for the 747-8. The new airplane is NCA’s first 747-8F. The airline operates eight 747-400Fs with two aircraft on lease with other airlines.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced its Atlas Air unit has taken delivery of a fifth Boeing 747-8 freighter. It is the second aircraft of the type to be placed into service for Panalpina under a previously announced multiyear aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance outsourcing contract.

Aviation Quote

I mean, I had fast motor cars and fast motor bikes, and when I wasn't crashing airplanes, I was crashing motor bikes. It's all part of the game.

— Sir Harry Broadhurst, RAF, 12 victories WWII.

On This Date:

---In 1901... Wilbur and Orville Wright make the first of a series of test glides at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their redesigned biplane glider No. 2 has a larger wing area and wing control worked by a pilot’s hip-cradle device.

---In 1909... Orville Wright makes the first official test flight of the U.S. Army’s first airplane in Fort Meyer, Virginia. President William Howard Taft, his cabinet, and 10,000 spectators witness the flight.

---In 1912... Lieutenant John Rodgers and Ensign Charles Maddox, in a Wright B1 Flyer, send the first wireless message from an airplane to a ship, the torpedo boat USS Stringham, stationed in Annapolis, Maryland.

---In 1923... Edward Stinson lands his Junkers at Mitchell Field in New York after making the first non-stop flight from Chicago.

--- In 1931... The Air Line Pilots Association of the USA is formed.

---In 1944…Gloster Meteors of No. 616 Squadron RAF fly their first V1 interception mission.

---In 1949... The de Havilland 106 Comet becomes the world’s first jet airliner to be used in commercial travel.

---In 1953…The Korean War ends.

---In 1967…The McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63 enters service with KLM.

---In 1972…First flight of the McDonnell Douglas YF-15A 71-280.

---In 1976… SR-71 sets 100 KM closed course world speed record at 2092 mph. (Q)

---In 1983…First flight of the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia PT-ZBA.

---In 2002… Su-27 fighter plane crashes into a crowd of spectators at an air show in Sknyliv near Lviv, Ukraine killing 77.

---In 2010…Lufthansa McDonnell Douglas MD-11 D-ALCQ crashes at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

---In 2011…Asiana B747-400F, HL7604 crashes off of Jeju Island, enroute to Shanghai from ICN. Lithium batteries are a suspected culprit.

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More thoughts on flying

When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.

Airspeed, altitude, and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete the flight.

Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!
Never fly in the same cockpit with someone braver than you.

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