NewsPrototype Superjet badly damaged at ReykjavikAnother of Russian airframer Sukhoi's prototype Superjet 100s has been badly damaged, apparently upon landing at Reykjavik. Images from the scene show the aircraft on its belly with no sign of the landing-gear, resting on the pods of its PowerJet SaM146 engines. Firefighting vehicles are in attendance, although there is no evidence of fire. There are no details of possible injuries.
LinkDiscussionBoeing 787 Investigation Looking At CondensationOfficials investigating the fire on a parked Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 are focused on how condensation and increased humidity could have sparked the blaze at London's Heathrow Airport last week, three sources familiar with the probe said. British authorities said on Thursday an emergency beacon made by Honeywell was the likely source of the fire, and called for the device to be turned off. But the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it was still trying to understand what sparked the fire. The US Federal Aviation Administration is close to taking steps to follow the AAIB recommendations. The July 12 fire rekindled concerns in the industry about Boeing's carbon-composite Dreamliner, which was grounded for more three months earlier this year after two incidents involving overheated lithium-ion batteries. The AAIB said the London fire is not related to those batteries.
LinkFAA Seeks Inspections Of 787 Rescue BeaconsThe US Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it will require inspections of emergency locator beacons on US-registered Boeing 787 Dreamliners, but stopped short of making airlines disable or remove the devices blamed for a fire aboard a parked 787 in Heathrow last week. UK investigating authorities on Thursday pinpointed the battery-powered beacons as the likely cause of the fire and recommended disabling the units. The UK probe is now focused on the possible role played by moisture and condensation in the 787 cabin. The FAA said it is working with Boeing on instructions for the inspections that are meant to ensure that wires are routed properly and look for pinched wires, unusual moisture or heating.
LinkFlying Colours gets European approval for ExecLiner Corporate Shuttle programCanadian engineering and completions company Flying Colours has clinched European approval for its Bombardier CRJ200 conversion which it calls the ExecLiner Corporate Shuttle program. The EASA validation paves the way for the Peterborough, Ontario-based company to modify the European fleet of the out-of-production 50-seat regional airliner for the corporate and charter markets. Flying Colours already offers a VIP-configured variant of the ExecLiner and has delivered around a dozen to date. A Fleet database records 122 CRJ200s in operation throughout Europe, of which 82 are used for scheduled commercial services, 36 for corporate and charter missions, three as freighters and one for VIP/government transportation.
LinkSmall Bomb Detonated At Beijing AirportA man in a wheelchair detonated a home-made explosive in Beijing airport on Saturday, injuring himself and sending smoke billowing through the exit area of the international arrivals section of Terminal 3. There were no other injuries and operations were normal after the blast, the airport said on its microblog. China's official Xinhua news agency said the man, 34-year-old Ji Zhongxing from the eastern province of Shandong, had detonated the loud device after being prevented from handing out leaflets that drew attention to unspecified complaints.
LinkAsiana Crash Victim Killed By Emergency VehicleA teenage passenger on the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 that crashed in San Francisco died from injuries sustained after being run over by a motor vehicle, most likely a fire truck at the scene, officials said on Friday. Ye Mengyuan, a 16-year-old girl who sat toward the rear of Flight 214, survived the 777's crash-landing but died from blunt force injuries consistent with being run over by an emergency response vehicle, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault and San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said at a news conference. "Obviously this is very difficult news for us," Hayes-White said. "We're heart-broken. We're in the business of saving lives." Ye was one of three Chinese girls who died in the July 6 crash. More than half of the 307 people onboard the flight from Seoul were injured in the crash. Hayes-White said Ye was struck by at least one fire-fighting vehicle normally deployed at San Francisco airport, but left open the possibility that she was hit by more than one rig.
LinkRAF TriStar makes final air tattoo appearance After a military service life spanning almost 30 years, a UK Royal Air Force Lockheed TriStar made the type's final contribution to a Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) on 21 July, with one of the service's remaining aircraft having performed a single flypast. One of seven TriStars still operated by 216 Sqn, tanker-configured ZD951 entered military service after being converted from a civilian L1011-500. It was flown over the show at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire from its nearby home base at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, where the unit has operated the type since late 1984.
LinkAmerican Airlines boosts capacity, adds international flights American Airlines is adding international flights in advance of its planned merger with US Airways. The carrier boosted capacity by 2.7% this quarter, and expects a full-year capacity boost of 1.5%. “We’ve been growing capacity in some growth markets, South Korea, Mexico, Central America and South America, so we’re seeing a bit of that effect in the third quarter in particular,” CEO Tom Horton said.
LinkDelta plans to hire 300 new pilots starting in November For the first time since 2010, Delta will begin hiring pilots again. Starting in November, the airline will hire about 300 pilots, adding about 50 per month through early 2014, then about 20 a month until September 2014
LinkDelta and Virgin partner for London-New York route One of the most valuable routes in the airline industry is the one that joins New York to London. It is the world's busiest route, one particularly frequented by business travelers, and currently, it is dominated by United Airlines. All that is set to change, thanks to a pivotal partnership between Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Last month, the two airlines unveiled a codeshare agreement across 108 routes, with Delta acquiring a 49% share of the British carrier. For Delta, the deal provides access to a market that, though lucrative, has been difficult for them to crack.
LinkFedEx shares delivered gains of 4.2% in Thurs. trading FedEx Corporation (FDX) pushed the Transportation industry higher today making it today's featured transportation winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 1.7%. By the end of trading, FedEx Corporation rose $4.40 (4.2%) to $108.66 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 4,629,726 shares of FedEx Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 2,778,100 shares. The stock ranged in a price between $103.85-$108.98 after having opened the day at $103.92 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $104.26.
LinkBoeing: Order backlogs will not lead to overcapacity Boeing says that record backlogs for aircraft will not lead to overcapacity in the future. "We are very confident in our total demand and aircraft type [projections]," says Kostya Zolotusky, managing director of capital markets and leasing for Boeing Capital Corp. "Our total order book is OK."
LinkBlog: Travelers should support National Airline Policy The Plane Rules blogger Terry Trippler supports Airlines for America's call for the U.S. to implement a national airline policy. "A new National Airline Policy is being proposed. As air travelers – get involved!" he writes. "It’s your wallet that’s being hit and it’s your city’s service that could be impacted."
LinkCharlotte airport legislation blocked by judge A judge in North Carolina issued a temporary order to block a bill by state legislators that would have created an airport authority to oversee the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The city of Charlotte, N.C., currently manages the airport, which serves as a hub for US Airways.
LinkBlog: JetBlue Airways tests fresh-food menu JetBlue Airways has debuted five fresh-food options for its flights, and The Cranky Flier sampled the menu. The carrier plans to test the new menu on three routes for two weeks. "The food was good, so now we just have to hope that it does well enough that JetBlue can roll this out to more routes," he writes.
LinkSelf-serve bag options up in the air Airlines are evolving their bag drop capabilities, with some adopting print-at-home tags and British Airways piloting permanent tags. Anders Nielsen, a Billund Airport executive, says the system is working well for the airport and its passengers. "For Billund Airport, it only really makes sense to have the home-printed bag tags as we serve point-to-point traffic, which is what the tags are designed for," Nielsen said. "However, there is no reason why an airport couldn’t offer both home-printed and permanent tags. Home-printed is ideal for point-to-point traffic, but permanent tags make more sense if a passenger has to connect."
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