NewsNepal Plane Crash Kills NineteenA small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on Friday, killing 19 people, including seven British and five Chinese passengers, an airline official said.
LinkLinkEU seeks $12 billion annual sanctions against US for alleged Boeing subsidiesThe European Union (EU) today filed a request for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to grant $12 billion in annual sanctions against the US “because of the US failure to withdraw subsidies in the dispute involving large civil aircraft,” according to a WTO statement. The request for sanctions follows the EU’s assessment that “the US had not lived up to its obligation to remove its illegal subsidies in the aircraft sector, as required by the WTO rulings that clearly condemned US subsidies to Boeing,” according to an EU statement.
LinkNTSB: No cracks on 747-8F GEnxNo cracks were found on a Boeing 747-8 freighter GE Aviation GEnx-2B engine that experienced a power loss during takeoff roll at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, preliminary investigations show. In an update statement Thursday on the continuing investigation into a separate incident involving a GEnx-1B engine on a Boeing 787, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it was participating in the 747-8F investigation, which is being led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The freighter was operated by Airbridge Cargo and the incident occurred Sept. 11.
LinkWest Africa’s Gambia Bird to launch Oct. 15West Africa’s newest carrier, Gambia Bird (3G), plans to launch operations Oct. 15, CCO Karsten Balke confirmed. Flights will begin with weekly Banjul (BJL)-London Gatwick (LGW), BJL-Barcelona and Freetown-LGW services. 3G is also planning to launch service from BJL to Dakar (4X-weekly), Freetown (2X-weekly), Monrovia (2X-weekly), Lagos (2X-weekly), Conakry (weekly) and Accra (weekly). All Freetown flights are pending governmental approval. Germania Express will provide two Airbus A319s on an ACMI basis. The first aircraft—which features 12 business and 126 economy class seats—arrived in BJL Sept. 14. The second aircraft is scheduled to arrive in December.
[url=http://atwonline.com/airline-finance-data/news/west-africa-s-gambia-bird-launch-oct-15-0927
EU wants to protect European airlinesThe European Union (EU) announced Thursday it will implement tougher rules to ensure fair competition and protect its airlines. European Commission VP-transport Siim Kallas said it would negotiate “new and more effective EU instruments to protect European interests against unfair practices.” He added, “Archaic ownership and control restrictions” must also go as part of an international effort to ensure airlines get easier access to new capital.
LinkAmerican Warns of Action Against Pilot UnionAmerican Airlines sent a letter to its pilot union late on Wednesday saying the company would seek legal action if the union fails to ensure the airline operates smoothly.
LinkDeadline Latest Weapon In EADS-BAE TalksEADS rejected calls on Thursday to allow extra time for negotiations over a USD$45 billion merger with BAE Systems, as brinkmanship looked set to play a key role in the politically complex plans.
LinkInterest in proposed 160-seat CSeries gathers pace with budget carriers Bombardier's proposed assault on the low-cost market with a high-density configured CSeries is gaining momentum as the variant emerges as a genuine contender against the Airbus and Boeing re-engined single-aisles in several budget carrier evaluations. The 160-seat version of the larger of the two CSeries variants, the CS300 broke cover in July when it emerged that it had been proposed to AirAsia. It is now also known to be under evaluation by Vueling, Flydubai and EasyJet.
LinkThai Airways announces A380 route plans Thai Airways will take delivery of its first Airbus A380 today and has announced the routes on which it plans to deploy the aircraft. The Star Alliance carrier will first operate the A380 on one of its daily services on the Bangkok-Hong Kong and Bangkok-Singapore routes from 6 October to 14 December. On 15 December, the aircraft will then be deployed on a daily Bangkok-Frankfurt service.
LinkChina denies reports of second aircraft carrierChina has dismissed reports that it will launch a second aircraft carrier later this year, as it recognises the challenges involved with fixed-wing flight operations at sea. In a report by state news agency Xinhua on the Chinese defence ministry's website, spokesman Yang Yujun denied "foreign media reports" that construction of an aircraft carrier is underway in Shanghai.
LinkAlaska Air board plans $250 million share repurchaseThe board of Alaska Air Group, parent company of Alaska Air and Horizon Air, has authorized a plan to repurchase up to $250 million in the company's stock with a completion target of the end of 2014. "This $250 million repurchase authorization by our board is the largest program we have ever announced, representing over 10% of the current market capitalization of our company," said Brad Tilden, the company's chief executive.
LinkThousands more AA workers take early outGround workers for American Airlines are the latest group to accept the airline's early-out program. By Tuesday's application deadline, 2,835 mechanics, clerks, baggage handlers, cabin cleaners and other fleet service workers applied for the program. The voluntary furlough, part of the airline's cost-cutting restructuring as it emerges from bankruptcy, has saved AMR from making thousands of layoffs.
LinkUnited conducting 787 training flights in SeattleUnited Airlines, the first North American recipient of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, is conducting training flights for its pilots in and around Seattle. Prior to these tests, cockpit crews had only experienced the 787 in simulators. The jet's first domestic flights are scheduled to begin Nov. 4, with international flights beginning Dec. 4.
LinkOpinion: Tablets offer untapped opportunity for greater efficiencyAmerican Airlines' introduction of tablets in the cockpit to replace pilots' heavy paper flight manuals is lauded as a major advancement, but this opinion piece suggests that more could be done. The tablets could provide air traffic workers with tremendous data that are currently unavailable but could prove helpful for safety and efficiency.
Link