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NTSB: fan shaft fracture caused 787 engine failure

A fan shaft fracture was the cause of a contained engine failure on a Boeing 787 during a pre-delivery taxi test, the US NTSB has determined. The incident happened July 28 at Charleston Airport, S.C. The GE Aviation GEnx engine was removed and taken to a GE facility in Cincinnati, OH, where it was disassembled for an investigation led by NTSB investigator-in-charge David Henson.
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White paper lists AA-US merger competition concerns

A merger of American Airlines (AA) and US Airways (US) could substantially reduce competition, leaving four majors controlling over 70% of the US domestic market, according to a white paper released Wednesday. US has made clear its interest in pursuing a merger with AA, which is restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and AA CEO Tom Horton in July said it made sense to evaluate the possibility, but no formal process has begun.
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Air Canada Loss Wider Than Expected

Air Canada's quarterly loss widened much more than expected as union disruptions and the closure of its plane maintenance contractor crimped operations at the country's largest airline.
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Lufthansa Union Threatens Strike Action

Lufthansa flight attendants may strike if the German flag-carrier fails to make an improved wage offer next week, a union said.
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Cathay Posts Worst H1 Loss Since 2003

Cathay Pacific Airways posted its worst first-half loss since 2003, hurt by high fuel costs, weak cargo demand and fewer premium passengers.
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FAA Eyes Potential USD$162 Mln In AMR Fines
US authorities have notified a court handling the bankruptcy of American Airlines parent AMR that they may seek penalties of more than USD$162 million against the airline for safety breaches.
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UK CAA warns of disruption to issue of new pilot licences
Because of the approaching deadline of 17 September for issuing new-format EASA pilot licences, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has warned that it will have to shut down its Licensing and Medical Departments for a short time to prepare for this.
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Embraer confident of winning USAF light air support deal
Embraer is confident that its A-29 Super Tucano will win the US Air Force light air support contest, even though an earlier selection of the type was overturned in January. A decision is expected in January 2013 and Luiz Carlos Aguiar, chief executive of Embraer's Defense and Security division, says that the Brazilian airframer's offer remains compliant with US laws. He is confident about its prospects in the competition, pointing out that Embraer has invested significantly in the USA through its business jet production line in Melbourne, Florida, and its first engineering centre outside Brazil.
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Cathay Pacific reports HK$935m net loss for H1 2012

Cathay Pacific posted a net loss of HK$935 million ($121 million) for the first half of 2012, a reversal from the net profit of HK$2.81 billion posted in the corresponding period last year.
The carrier's turnover for the six months ended 30 June was HK$48.9 billion, a 4.4% year-on-year increase.
Cathay Pacific says that its core business was significantly affected by the persistently high price of jet fuel and weak air cargo demand. Passenger yields came under pressure, contributing to the loss.
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American pilots reject tentative agreement, TWU ratifies

Pilots at American Airlines have rejected a tentative labour agreement from the carrier today, clearing the way for the bankruptcy court to rule on a motion to reject the existing agreements on 15 August. The Allied Pilots Association (APA)-represented pilots rejected the six-year contract by a 61% margin, with 4,600 votes against and 2,935 for the agreement.
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Air Canada to launch LCC in 2013

Air Canada will launch a new low-cost carrier in 2013, say executives during an earnings call today. The Montreal-based airline would operate up to 50 Airbus A319 and Boeing 767-300ER aircraft transitioned from Air Canada's existing fleet to leisure destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, say executives.
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HKA closes all-business-class route to London Gatwick
Hong Kong Airlines is to axe its all-business-class service between London Gatwick and Hong Kong from 10 September, citing the weak economic outlook in Europe. It will now offer the three specially configured 116-seat Airbus A330-200s deployed on the route to the charter market, says the airline.
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Bombardier and Flexjet launch Learjet 85 US demo tour

Bombardier and its fractional ownership subsidiary Flexjet have launched a US demonstration tour of the new Learjet 85 to drum up sales of the midsize business jet from existing and potential fractional ownership customers. The tour will cover Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Monterey, New York, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC. The 10-seat business jet is scheduled to enter service next year.
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Aviation Partners seeks injunction on sharklet A320 sales
Aviation Partners has escalated a patent dispute with Airbus by asking a US court in Seattle to slap an injunction on all new sales of sharklet-equipped Airbus A320s. In response, Airbus has asked US District judge James Robart to order both parties to handle the Aviation Partners complaint outside the court using arbitration.
The injunction request by Aviation Partners on 31 July is the latest and potentially most damaging move in an eight-month dispute between Airbus and Aviation Partners over the intellectual origins of the A320 sharklet.
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Hawaiian Airlines ups service on mainland-to-Hawaii routes

Hawaiian Airlines has changed the food and beverage service on its flights from the mainland to Hawaii. Passengers have begun receiving a wider variety of local food such as spam musubi and sweetbread with cream cheese and guava jelly, as well as a choice of free red or white wine with lunch or dinner.
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FAA reportedly calls for end of "opposite-direction" operations
The Federal Aviation Administration has halted "opposite-direction" operations for the time being until standard protocols can be established for the procedure. The change in policy stemmed from a July 31 incident in which three regional jetliners were placed on a converging path by air-traffic controllers due to a "miscommunication."
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Boeing raises commercial jet prices by 6%

Boeing has announced a 6% increase in prices for commercial jetliners, excluding the 787 family. The Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer last raised its prices in August 2011. Competitor Airbus raised its prices by an average 3.9% in January.
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Premium-economy class raises questions among travel buyers
As premium-economy class continues to expand among airlines, corporate-travel managers find themselves grappling with questions about its cost-effectiveness, this feature notes. "We have some customers that are trading down [from premium classes] because of the cost savings. Are they also incurring additional cost because of [economy-class] travelers trading up, or are travelers using their own money?" said Joel Wartgow, senior director of CWT Solutions Group.
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Other News

SAS (SK) announced a loss for the half-year ending June 30 and cited an uncertain outlook for the remainder of the period. The Scandinavian carrier recorded a net loss of SEK409 million ($61.1 million), compared to a profit of SEK178 million for the 2011 first half. Revenue was marginally up at SEK20.9 billion, compared to SEK20.6 billion a year ago. Passenger numbers rose 4.1%.

SkyWest Inc., the parent of St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Airlines and Atlanta-based ExpressJet Airlines, posted a second-quarter net profit of $17 million, improved over $1.6 million in net income in the 2011 June quarter. “We are well on our way to returned and sustained profitability,” president Brad Rich told analysts and reporters.

The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has rejected a contention by Irish-based low-cost carrier Ryanair (FR) that UK competition authorities do not have powers to investigate FR’s almost 30% shareholding in Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus (EI). The tribunal threw out the FR appeal, allowing the UK Competition Commission (CC) to continue its investigation. FR is making its third attempt to acquire EI.

Thai Airways International (TG) is working to turn its low-cost carrier (LCC), Thai Smile, into a regional carrier, MD Woranate Laprabang said. The goal is to draw just under 30% of its revenues from services in Thailand while China, India and the ASEAN bloc will make up the remainder of its income. As part of its strategy, Smile will consider taking over routes from parent TG, look at new route opportunities and potentially open a second base.

The Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said international passenger numbers grew in June while cargo remained weak, according to its latest statement. Asia-Pacific airlines carried 17 million international passengers in June, an increase of 8.5% compared to the same month last year. International air cargo demand, expressed in FTKs, was 0.8% lower in June compared to the same month last year, reflecting continued weakness in global trade. Asia-Pacific airlines recorded an 8.7% increase in the number of international passengers carried during the first half, supported by relatively strong regional markets, despite wider concerns about weaker prospects for the global economy, AAPA DG Andrew Herdman said.

Eastern Group, parent company of UK regional carrier Eastern Airways, has bought a controlling share in its home base, Humberside Airport, in northeast England. The Group acquired the 82.7% shareholding of former owner, Manchester Airports Group (MAG), for an undisclosed sum. Humberside has a modest annual passenger throughput of around 275,000. MAG will now concentrate on its strategy of maximizing growth opportunities offered by the larger Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports.

Aviation Quote

Of all my accomplishments I may have achieved during the war, I am proudest of the fact that I never lost a wingman.

— Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, GAF.

On This Date

--- In 1884... Built by Frenchmen Charles Renard and Arthur Krebs, the airship La France is powered by a 9 hp electric motor driving one large propeller. It makes a fully-controlled circular flight while traveling about 5 miles at 14 mph.

---In 1896... Otto Lilienthal crashes in his No.11 glider while flying from the Rhinower Hill range and dies the next day. He made approximately 2,500 flights in his various gliders.

---In 1945…Bock’s Car, a Boeing B-29 dropped the second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki.

---In 1949…US Navy Lt. J. L. Fruin loses control of his F2H-1 Banshee and ejects, becoming the first American pilot to use an ejector seat during an actual in-flight emergency.

---In 1952…Four Royal Navy piston-engined Hawker Sea Furies encounter eight MiG-15s near Pyongyang, Korea, and Lieutenant Peter Carmichael of No. 802 Squadron FAA aboard HMS Ocean shoots one down. It is the Fleet Air Arm's first kill of the Korean War and first MiG-15 kill.

---In 1956... The Fiat G.91, produced for NATO as a light strike-fighter, makes its first flight.

---In 1970…LANSA Flight 502, a Lockheed L-188A Electra, crashes shortly after takeoff from Cusco, Peru, killing all but one of the 100 on board, including 49 students from upstate New York. Two farmers on the ground also perish. Investigators find that an engine failure combined with improper engine-out procedures carried out by the crew, as well as inadequate loading procedures, led to the accident.

---In 1976…First flight of the Boeing YC-14 72-1873.

Daily Video

Editor’s Choice

Humor
Gear Pins Installed

While taxiing out in sequence behind a Lufthansa airliner at Frankfurt, a C-130 crew noticed an orange "Remove before flight" streamer hanging out of the Lufthansa nose wheel well (their nose gear locking pin was still installed). Not wanting to cause too much embarrassment by going thru the controller, the 130 crew simply called the Lufthansa aircraft on the tower frequency:

"Lufthansa aircraft, Herky 23." No reply.

They repeated the transmission and again there was no reply. Instead, the Lufthansa pilot called the tower and asked the tower to tell the Herky crew that "the professional pilots of Lufthansa do not engage in unprofessional conversations over the radio."

The 130 pilot quickly replied, "Frankfurt tower, can you please relay to the professional pilots of the Lufthansa aircraft that their nose gear pin is still installed?"

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miamiair wrote:---In 1970…LANSA Flight 502, a Lockheed L-188A Electra, crashes shortly after takeoff from Cusco, Peru, killing all but one of the 100 on board, including 49 students from upstate New York. Two farmers on the ground also perish. Investigators find that an engine failure combined with improper engine-out procedures carried out by the crew, as well as inadequate loading procedures, led to the accident.