NewsLufthansa Cabin Crew To Strike Today
Lufthansa passengers face widespread flight disruption from Friday after cabin crew representatives said they would start a series of strikes over pay and cost-cutting measures at Germany's largest airline.
LinkHedge Funds May Provide AMR Financing
American Airlines parent, AMR, said on Wednesday a group of hedge funds was interested in providing equity financing to help it emerge from bankruptcy, with a report saying the funds could contribute up to USD$2 billion.
LinkEtihad Suspends Flights To Damascus
Etihad Airways, one of the United Arab Emirates' flag carriers, said on Thursday it had suspended flights to Damascus until further notice because of security concerns.
LinkInternational Air Passenger Traffic Up 3.5 PctInternational air passenger traffic rose 3.5 percent in July year-on-year although the growth rate was modest compared with early 2012, IATA said on Thursday.
LinkAirbus signs deal to produce A320s in China beyond 2016 
Airbus has negotiated an extension of its A320 final assembly line in Tianjin. The airframer signed a framework agreement with state-owned airframer Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and the Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) to continue manufacturing A320s in Tianjin beyond the previously agreed upon 2016.
LinkCrew of ditched Westwind criticised for flight planning The low-fuel ditching of an Israel Aircraft Industries Westwind 1124A business jet (VH-NGA) near the remote Australian Pacific territory of Norfolk Island was the result of inadequate flight planning and en route weather monitoring by the crew, according to the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau's final report. The ditching occurred at night off the island's southern shore on 18 November 2009, and although the fuselage broke in two, all six occupants were rescued by surface craft. The planned flight by Australian business aircraft operator Pel-Air was an aeromedical operation from Apia, Samoa, to Melbourne, Australia, with an en route fuel stop at Norfolk Island. On board were the two pilots, a doctor, nurse, the patient and a passenger. The report observes that the crew's participation in "wet drills" and the medical team's training for underwater escape from helicopter ditching was influential in ensuring their survival.
LinkNine killed as two Indian Mi-17s collide in mid-air 
Nine Indian military personnel were killed when two Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters operated by the Indian air force crashed after taking off from Jamnagar air base on 30 August. The incident occurred at midday, and an inquiry has been ordered to investigate the accident's cause, India's defence ministry said in a statement.
LinkICBC Leasing orders 50 A320s; 1st Chinese neo customerIndustrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Financial Leasinghas placed an order for 30 Airbus A320ceo and 20 A320neo aircraft. The deal, worth about $3.5 billion at list prices, was announced Thursday during German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to China.
[url=http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-components/news/icbc-leasing-orders-50-a320s-1st-chinese-neo-customer-0830
Aerolíneas Argentinas becomes SkyTeam’s first South American member
Aerolíneas Argentinas (AR) has become SkyTeam’s 18th member and the alliance’s first South American member. The airline adds 40 new destinations to the SkyTeam network.
LinkHeathrow’s third runway argument heats upThe UK government is under increasing pressure to solve London’s airport capacity crisis as senior conservatives this week urged prime minister David Cameron to allow building a third runway at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). They, together with business leaders, fear LHR will be overtaken by airports such as Schiphol, Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle as prime European hubs if no expansion is allowed.
LinkJAL IPO expected to raise up to $8.4 billion
Japan Airlines (JAL) has tentatively set the price for its initial public offering (IPO), scheduled for Sept. 19, at between ¥3,500 ($44.5) and ¥3,790 per share, according the multiple reports from Tokyo. With 175 million shares [corrected] to be sold, JAL believes it can raise as much as ¥663 billion ($8.4 billion).
LinkAMR is in discussions with hedge funds over refinancing debtAMR, the parent of American Airlines, is in discussions with a group of hedge funds over refinancing up to $2 billion of debt, sources say. "It is not at all unusual for large debt holders to express an interest in participating in the formulation of a plan of reorganization and to potentially provide equity or other financing as part of a plan," AMR spokesman Sean Collins said. AMR filed for bankruptcy in November.
Link United will launch 787 Dreamliner service in NovemberUnited Airlines plans to inaugurate service aboard its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Nov. 4. The carrier will fly domestic routes on the Dreamliner for a month before launching international service on Dec. 4. United has ordered a total of 50 Boeing 787-8s.
Link Hawaiian Airlines seeks to add route from Big Island to TokyoHawaiian Airlines has applied to the Transportation Department for daily service to Haneda Airport in Tokyo from Hawaii's Big Island. The airline has proposed a nonstop route between Kona International Airport and Haneda Airport that could begin by March
Link NASA, NOAA will deploy UAVs to help track hurricanesNASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plan to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles next month to help monitor hurricanes. The agencies have outfitted two Global Hawk UAVs with specialized sensors for the project. "We are still a long ways away from replacing manned flights," said Scott Braun, a NASA investigator in charge of the Global Hawk experiments.
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