News
Delta Restarts US Oil Refinery Production
Delta Air Lines unit Monroe Energy is restarting the 185,000 barrel-per-day Trainer, Pennsylvania refinery it bought last spring, and will be producing jet fuel at full capacity by the end of this month, the one-year anniversary of the refinery's closure.
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Pilot Documents Forged In Russian Plane Crash
The pilot of a plane that crashed last year, wiping out a professional Russian ice hockey team, had been granted permission to fly based on forged documents, federal investigators said on Thursday.
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Delta Expecting Solid Q3 Profits
Delta Air Lines said on Thursday it expects a "solidly profitable" third quarter even as rising fuel prices pressure margins.
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Air Canada Load Factor Hits New Record
Air Canada on Thursday reported that its load factor rose to a record high of 87.9 percent, just above the 87.8 percent for August 2011.
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Qantas, Emirates Agree 10-Year Alliance
Australia's struggling Qantas Airways has agreed to a 10-year alliance with Dubai's Emirates, a key step in the carrier's efforts to shore up its loss-making international business.
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Boeing delivers 787 to India after four-month delay
Air India quietly accepted delivery today of its first Boeing 787 following months of bureaucratic delays and an unrelated engine failure during ground tests. Air India has ordered 27 787s powered by the General Electric GEnx-1B configured with 256 seats, including an 18-seat business class. Boeing completed the airline's first 787 in May, but delivery was first delayed over protracted negotiations and Indian government approvals on compensation payments.
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Lufthansa predicts 1,200 flight cancellations on 7 September
Lufthansa expects to operate only a fraction of its flights on 7 September as cabin crew plan to strike at most of its major airports in Germany throughout the day. German flight attendant union UFO has announced 24-hour walkouts at Lufthansa's main hubs in Frankfurt and Munich as well as Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart. The airports of Cologne, Hannover, Bremen, Leipzig, Nuremberg and Dresden are not included in the industrial action. These are smaller bases in Lufthansa's network, however, and many of their services are operated by its regional partners and low-cost subsidiary Germanwings - which are not included in the strike.
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April MQ-1 Predator crash due to power cable failure
The 14 April, 2012 crash of a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA) MQ-1 Predator in Nangarhar, Afghanistan was due to an unrecoverable engine failure, according to a US Air Force (USAF) accident report. Just over an hour after takeoff on a classified mission from Jalalabad airfield, a major US air base, the Predator began losing engine power, with a total loss of power within 20 minutes. The Springfield, Illinois-based crew, flying the aircraft via satellite link, realized the aircraft could not return to Jalalabad, so the decision was made to purposely crash it into a nearby mountain.
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Qantas, Emirates sign global partnership
Australia’s Qantas (QF) and Dubai-based Emirates Airline (EK) have entered into a 10-year global aviation partnership, enabling the two carriers to grow their international sides. This means QF will end its Joint Services Agreement with British Airways, according to QF CEO Alan Joyce.
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British Airways, Qantas to end JSA after Emirates hook-up
British Airways (BA) and Qantas (QF) will terminate their long-running revenue-sharing agreement on UK-Australia routes following the Australian flag-carrier’s decision to embark on a new global partnership arrangement with Emirates Airline (EK).
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Airbus’ Leahy joins EADS executive committee
Airbus COO-customers John Leahy has been promoted to parent company EADS’ top committee as part of an executive reorganization under new EADS CEO Tom Enders.
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United Airlines plans capacity cut in 2012, CFO says
United Airlines plans to trim capacity by up to 3% from September through the end of 2012. The carrier had previously forecast capacity cuts of up to 2% for the fourth quarter. "We are beginning to see some modest slowness in the economic outlook and we're responding accordingly," said CFO John Rainey.
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Delta PRASM rose by 4% in August on capacity cuts
Delta Air Lines has reported a slight increase in traffic for August on a year-over-year basis. Traffic rose by 0.2% compared with August 2011. However, passenger revenue per available seat mile increased by 4% in August as capacity dropped by 0.8% for the month.
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US Airways reports 5.7% jump in August traffic
US Airways traffic rose 5.7% in August versus the same month last year. Latin American traffic surged by 9% for the month, and domestic traffic increased by 6.2%. The carrier boosted capacity by 5.5% in August, and passenger revenue per available seat mile increased by around 1% for the month.
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Republic Airways eyes some of American Airlines' regional planes
As American Airlines proceeds with its bankruptcy reorganization, Republic Airways is looking to buy some of the struggling carrier's large regional planes. Republic's chief financial officer, Timothy Dooley, says that a U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruling this week that terminates the union contract of pilots working for the parent company of American and its regional airline American Eagle could make it easier for Republic to negotiate a deal.
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Other News
Serbian officials have held “serious talks” with Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia (AK) regarding the financially troubled state-owned JAT Airways, several media outlets reported, quoting Serbian minister of Transport Milutin Mrkonjic. However, AK, which operates no European flights, denies it is looking to buy any airline and was just exploring market opportunity in Belgrade.
GKN has been given the green light to acquire Sweden’s Volvo Aero, the aero-engine division of Volvo AB. GKN announced its plan to acquire rival firm Volvo Aero in July. Over the last few months, the European Commission has been scrutinizing the billion dollar deal. The two companies produce aero-engine components, including fan cases and turbine exhaust cases, and the Commission was concerned that the deal could limit competition.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has confirmed it canceled a Boeing 787 flight from Okayama, western Japan, to Tokyo Haneda just before takeoff Wednesday because of a hydraulic-oil leak from an engine. An ANA spokesman said the fix was made the same day. Eight-eight passengers and eight crew were onboard.
Condor Airlines (DE) has launched a new generation inflight entertainment (IFE) system aboard its Boeing 767-300 Frankfurt-Rhodes, Greece service featuring BoardConnect, developed by Lufthansa Systems (LHS). DE head-product and marketing Rainer Kroepke said onboard the Sept. 1 inaugural flight that the test will end Dec. 31, when the carrier will decide if it will move forward with equipping all its 767-300s with the IFE system. “We strongly believe Wi-Fi onboard an aircraft will be the future,” Kroepke said.
Hainan Airlines reported a first-half net income of CNY249.9 million ($39.4 million), down 25% over the net profit of CNY417.3 million forthe year-ago period. The Haikou-based carrier cited the slowdown of domestic market demand, high fuel prices and the slowdown of yuan appreciation as the main reasons for the results. Operating revenue climbed 20% to CNY13.89 billion against an increase of 20.4% in operating expense to CNY10.52 billion. Passenger boardings jumped 14.89% to 11 million with an average load factor of 83.7%, up 0.05 points over the year-ago period. Cargo traffic volume increased 4.8% to 138,500 tonnes.
Transaero Airlines (UN) launched its first Boeing 777-300 with inflight Internet on its Moscow-Vladivostok route. The Internet access costs RUB400 ($13) per hr., or RUB800 for unlimited access. UN has also equipped its Boeing 747-400 with the new technology. In March, UN CEO Olga Pleshakova said the carrier will spend $30 million to equip 38 aircraft with the new technology
Airbus has created an app that will allow people to browse its 20-year Global Market Forecast for free on their personal devices. “We’re not only in the business of manufacturing aircraft, we also develop Apple apps,” Airbus COO-customers John Leahy said. “It’s a beginning and we hope to improve it in the years to come.” Airbus is predicting demand for 28,200 new passenger and freight aircraft over the period 2012-2031, valued at nearly $4 trillion, with Asia-Pacific accounting for 35% of all new aircraft deliveries
Cebu Pacific will launch 2X-weekly Cebu service to Bangkok (08 DEC) and Kuala Lumpur (09 DEC).
ECAir launched 3X-weekly Brazzaville-Paris CDG Boeing 757-200 service Aug. 24. It is the Republic of Congo-based operator’s first international route.
American Airlines and Iberia Express (I2) received US Dept. of Transportation approval for a codeshare. AA will place its code on I2 service between Madrid and 14 destinations in Europe beginning Sept. 10.
TAM Airlines will launch previously announced daily Rio de Janeiro Galeao-Orlando service Oct. 29, 15 days sooner than originally planned.
Aviation Quote
I was a pilot flying an airplane and it just so happened that where I was flying made what I was doing spying.
— Francis Gary Power, U-2 reconnaissance pilot held by the Soviets for spying, in an interview after he was returned to the US.
On This Date
--- In 1904... The Wright brothers 1st use their weight-and-derrick-assisted take-off device in order to make themselves independent of the wind and weather. When the heavy weight is released, the rope pulls the aircraft, which sits on a flatbed truck, over the launching track, thus assisting its take-off.
---In 1909... The U.S. Army's 1st "aerodrome", an airfield or airport, is established in College Park, Maryland.
---In 1941…The Grumman Martlet fighter makes it first carrier deployment aboard Royal Navy aircraft carriers on convoy protection duties. It is the first combat use of any variant of the F4F Wildcat.
---In 1942…First flight of the Consolidated C-32 Dominator heavy bomber. Because first deliveries would not occur until 1945, the aircraft’s impact in World War II was minimal. Production was halted with the 118th copy. Sadly, there no C-32 airframes remaining.
---In 1946…Royal Air Force Gloster Meteor established a new world absolute air speed record of 615.65 mph (990.79 km/h) flown by Group Captain E.M. Donaldson off the coast of West Sussex, England.
---In 1955…First flight of the Sukhoi S-1, prototype of Su-7.
---In 1956…the Bell X-2 research aircraft is flown by Captain Iven C. Kincheloe to a new altitude record of 126,200 ft (38,466 m).
---In 1965…First flight of the Bell AH-1 Cobra.
---In 1997…First flight of theLockheed F-22 Raptor takes place over Georgia.
---In 2008…Futura International Airways ceases operations.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Parachute Joke
An airplane was about to crash; there were 4 passengers on board but only 3 parachutes.
The first passenger said, I'm Kobe Bryant, the best NBA Basketball player. The Lakers need me, I can't afford to die.." So he took the first parachute and left the plane.
The second passenger, Hillary Clinton, said, "I am the wife of the former President of the United States; I am the most ambitious woman in the world. I am also a New York Senator, a potential future President and, above all, the cleverest woman in the world." She just grabbed the second parachute and jumped out of the plane.
The third passenger, The Pope, says to the fourth passenger, a 10year-old school boy, "I am old and frail and I don't have many years left. As a Christian I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute."
The boy said, "It's Ok, there's still a parachute left for you. America's cleverest woman took my school backpack.
Trivia
Google Airports
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ShanwickOceanic wrote:Same here, no chance. I'd hazard a guess that number 1 is in Brazil, because I haven't seen so many buildings rammed together anywhere else, but it really is a guess.
miamiair wrote:ANSWERS:
3. MGE, Dobbins ARB, Marietta GA
HT-ETNW wrote:[miamiair wrote:ANSWERS:
3. MGE, Dobbins ARB, Marietta GA
Doh. I have been driving past that one daily for two company-internal assignments I had had in Marietta (plus one vacation for which I stayed around that place).
-HT
