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India Suspends Kingfisher's License
Kingfisher Airlines' license was suspended on Saturday after it failed to address the Indian regulator's concerns about its operations, forcing the debt-laden carrier to stop taking bookings.
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TSA To Fire Some Newark Airport Screeners
Dozens of TSA screening officers and supervisors at Newark's Liberty Airport, one of three main airports serving New York City, face dismissal or suspension for failing to search baggage properly.
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'Wing Fire' Man Charged With Disrupting Flight
A man who is accused of disrupting a Delta flight and assaulting its crew because he believed the wing was on fire, was ordered to remain in custody in Utah to face charges.
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Airbus Military explains cause of A330 boom detachment
Airbus Military has identified the cause of an in-flight refuelling boom detachment that affected an A330 multirole tanker transport early last month, and says the incident was the result of a unique set of test circumstances. The EADS-designed boom structure detached from the aircraft during a customer pre-acceptance flight on 10 September, before falling in a remote part of Spain from an altitude of 27,000ft (8,230m). No-one was injured in the incident, and the tanker - one of three destined for delivery to the United Arab Emirates - landed safely at Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid.
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Parts production for first Leap engine ramps up
CFM International partners General Electric and Snecma have begun manufacturing parts for the first Leap test engine which is due to be run in the third quarter of 2013. "Components have already been produced for this milestone," says CFM chief Jean-Paul Ebanga. "We are now really in program execution."
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AAPA chief denounces ‘mistrusted traveler’ security mindset
The head of the Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has called for the US aviation security system to break free from its mindset of treating every passenger as a potential terrorist. Speaking at the International Aviation Club in Washington DC Thursday, AAPA DG Andrew Herdman said intelligence-led, outcome-based security measures were the way ahead.
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US Air Force cancels Reusable Booster System
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has zeroed out funding for the Reusable Booster System (RBS), the space launch vehicle meant to replace the current standard vehicles. "Pathfinder was cut as the result of an Air Force-wide budget cut," says AFRL. "The funding resources for Pathfinder were cut from the future Air Force budget, not diverted to other programs. The plan for reallocation of Pathfinder personnel is still being developed."
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Sikorsky starts construction of S-97 Raider prototypes

Sikorsky has started building two prototype S-97 Raider high-speed compound helicopters for the US Army's prospective Armed Aerial Scout Program. The coaxial-rotor, pusher-prop machine is based on the company's revolutionary X-2 design which won the Collier Trophy in 2010. The S-97 is currently in its detailed design phase, but because Sikorsky is developing the aircraft as a prototype, the company has already started fabricating the new rotor-craft.
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Other News

FastJet, the African low-cost carrier backed by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has signed operating lease agreements with Volito Aviation for two Airbus A319s, to be delivered in time for its November launch date. These are the second and third of five A319s the airline plans to deploy in Africa within six months of its launch. By the end of its first year, the carrier expects to operate a fleet 15 aircraft.

United Parcel Service (UPS) and TNT Express said Friday they have received a statement of objections (SO) from the European Commission (EC) related to the “competitive effects” of the companies’ pending merger. UPS reached an agreement earlier this year to acquire TNT for €5.16 billion ($6.76 billion), but the EC postponed a decision to approve the deal over antitrust concerns (ATW Daily News, Oct. 11). The SO is a “normal step” in the merger process, UPS and TNT said in a statement. The document is confidential, so the exact details of the EC objections are not public. In July, EC said, “The proposed acquisition could in particular reduce competition for the provision of the fastest express delivery services, to the detriment of direct customers and ultimately of European consumers.”

Air France (AF) is playing down the expected impact of a staff walkout, which is planned for Oct. 26, in protest against the airline’s restructuring program. France’s powerful CGT union has called on the airline’s ground staff to take action against the Transform 2015 plan Oct. 26, just as the French school holidays begin. However, AF has dismissed the action as being staged by “a single union,” adding that “disruptions should remain limited to a few flight delays.”

Etihad (EY) has signed a codeshare agreement with Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia (GA), effective Oct. 28. In the first phase of the partnership, EY will place its code on GA services between Jakarta and Denpasar (Bali), and Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Subject to regulatory approval, GA will place its code on EY’s flights from Jakarta to up to 31 destinations in the Gulf, Levant, Africa, Europe and North America. If approved, the carriers will expand the scope of the agreement to include more destinations in each other’s network.

Japan Airlines will launch 4X-weekly Tokyo Narita-Helsinki service February 25, increasing to daily in the first half of FY2013.

Seaborne Airlines will operate 6X-weekly San Juan service to Tortola and Virgin Gorda Dec. 8-Feb. 1.

Interjet launched daily Orange County service to Mexico City and Guadalajara.

Aviation Quote

The aggressive spirit, the offensive, is the chief thing everywhere in war, and the air is no exception.

— Baron Manfred von Richthofen

On This Date

---In 1797... The modern parachute is born as Andre-Jacques Garnerin makes the 1st human parachute descent from the air. Garnerin jumps from a hydrogen balloon at a height of 2,300 feet in Paris.

---In 1898... Augustus Herring pilots a powered biplane based on Octave Chanute’s glider design.

---In 1955…First flight of the Republic XF-105 Thunder Chief.

---In 1956…First flight of the Bell XH-40 (UH-1 prototype), better known as the “Huey.”

---In 1977…First flight of the Antonov An-72 SSSR-19774.

---In 1996…Million Air Flight 406, a Boeing 707-323C with 4 people aboard, crashes into a Dolorosa neighborhood ripping off rooftops and crashing in flames into a restaurant, killing the 4 aboard, 30 in the neighborhood and injuring 50 Ecuador.

Daily Video

Editor’s Choice

Humor

Cuban girl's mother vs. a white girl's mother

A Cuban girl and a white girl were friends. The Cuban girl slept over the
white girl's house. It was 3 a.m., and they were still up. The white girl's mother came downstairs and said, "Honey, don't you think it's time for you to go to bed?"

The white girl responded, "Shut up Mother, I don't want to go to sleep!"

Her mother said," Okay, honey. You can go to bed later." The Cuban girl was very intrigued by what happened and decided to use that when she got home.

The next night the Cuban girl's mother said to the Cuban girl, "Chica, go to bed! It's late!" The Cuban girl shouted," Shut up Mami, I don't want to go to sleep!" The Cuban girl's mother took one look at her & raised her eyebrow...

The Cuban girl started to blink, looked around, and asked, "Where am I?"

A lady came over to the bed and answered,

"You're in the Intensive Care Unit, Sweetie."

Trivia

General Trivia

1. What is an aerial train?

2. The most common configuration for a twin-engine business jet is for an engine to be mounted on each side of the rear fuselage. What was the first twin-engine turbine airplane to be so configured?

3. What is it called when a) ice becomes water vapor without becoming water in the process, and b) water vapor becomes ice without becoming water in the process?

4. True or false; Supersonic airplanes generate three sonic booms.

5. The world's first radio-equipped air traffic control tower began operation in 1930 and served
A. Cleveland, Ohio.
B. Indianapolis, Indiana.
C. Newark, New Jersey.
D. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.