American posts $390 million second-quarter loss as revenue falls 20.9% American Airlines parent AMR Corp. said a "very difficult revenue environment" drove a second-quarter net loss of $390 million, narrowed 73.3% from a $1.45 billion deficit in the year-ago period when heavy noncash impairment charges dragged down the bottom line. Link
Iranian Tu-154M crash kills 168 A Caspian Airlines Tu-154M crashed yesterday morning shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 156 passengers and 12 crew onboard in the fourth major fatal commercial accident this year and the third in just a little over six weeks. Link
Transition to transfer model boosts airBaltic AirBaltic CEO Bertolt Flick will be one of just a few airline heads to regard 2009 as a success, despite the fact that the "whole Baltic market has been affected by the [economic] crisis," he said, because the carrier has "found our niche with less competition and is expecting a very profitable year." Link
Other News
Austrian Airlines Group yesterday said it agreed with all works councils to reduce personnel expenses by 5% from 2010 to 2015, saving the company €150 million ($209.6 million). "The details of the package are rapidly being negotiated by the social partners. It will not include any extra job cuts beyond the 1,000 posts already announced," AAG said.
Continental Airlines will record $44 million in special charges for the second quarter, $43 million of which comprises noncash impairments on owned 737-300/-500 aircraft and related assets ($31 million) and noncash charges related to the disposal of three -300s ($8 million) and "certain obsolete spare parts" ($4 million). CO decided one year ago to retire all -300s and a "significant portion" of its -500 fleet by January 2010. It will announce its complete second-quarter results on July 21.
Singapore Airlines will begin operating the A380 to Melbourne on Sept. 29. The Victoria capital will be the second Australian city, and sixth overall, to which SIA flies the aircraft. Daily service will replace an existing 747-400 frequency, increasing seat capacity by 10% on the 21-times-weekly service. SIA currently has nine A380s in operation.
US Air Transport Assn. took exception yesterday to a provision in the Senate FAA reauthorization bill introduced this week that would require airlines to return flights to gates when tarmac delays reach 3 hr. to allow passengers wishing to leave the aircraft to deplane. "A hard-and-fast, inflexible timeframe for returning to the gate will have unintended consequences for customers, including the likelihood of more cancellations and inconvenience," ATA said.
OAG said global airline passenger capacity cuts "are starting to stabilize," evidenced by 315 million seats on offer for this month, down just 1% from July 2008. VP-Market Intelligence David Beckerman said the figures, "show a clear and very welcome upward trend from the dramatic [capacity] declines we have seen in recent months. We can only wait and see if this outlook bears financial fruit in actual passenger numbers and airline load factors."
Virgin Atlantic Airways is asking passengers to register their disapproval of the planned increases in the UK's Air Passenger Duty, set for November 2009 and 2010. "The UK government has been quietly increasing APD by huge amounts and claiming it is an environmental tax. Yet, there's not a shred of evidence to suggest the £2 billion-plus currently raised is going towards environmental or sustainable projects," Virgin President Richard Branson said. All VS e-tickets will include an anti-APD message and passengers will be asked to write to their local member of parliament urging them to oppose the tax. The airline is providing a sample letter. Similar protests in Belgium and the Netherlands were successful and led to scrapping of planned tourist/green taxes.
Pet Airways, a pets-only airline operated by Omaha-based Suburban Air Freight, operated its inaugural flight Tuesday on a New York Republic-Baltimore-Chicago Midway routing with 35-40 pets onboard. The airline's Beech 1900 has had the seats and overhead bins removed, leaving space for pet carriers in the main cabin. It also will serve Denver Rocky Mountain and Los Angeles Hawthorne.
Air Arabia Maroc will commence thrice-weekly Casablanca-Amsterdam service Aug. 3 aboard an A320, becoming four-times-weekly Aug. 24.
Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines implemented a codeshare agreement under which SN will add its code to LH's five-times-weekly Frankfurt-Libreville service while LH will add its code to SN's four-times-weekly Brussels-Entebbe service. SN said the pair will enhance their African cooperation "in the future."
Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair flew 6.67 billion RPKs in June, down 14.1% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 9.1% to 8.67 billion ASKs, dropping load factor 4.5 points to 76.8%.
Iberia flew 4.34 billion RPKs in June, down 5.1% year-over-year. Capacity fell 7.3% to 5.23 billion ASKs and load factor rose 1.9 points to 83%.
EasyJet transported 4.1 million passengers in June, up 0.8% year-over-year. Load factor dipped 0.6 point to 86.3%.
Copa Airlines flew 482.5 million RPMs in June, up 0.3% year-over-year, against an 11.7% increase in capacity to 668.9 million ASMs. Load factor dropped 8.2 points to 72.1%.
Aircell yesterday unveiled two new pricing options for its Gogo inflight Internet service. Access on flights shorter than 1.5 hr. on AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Virgin America will cost $5.95, while a 24-hr. pass on either AirTran or DL will cost $12.95. Aircell also offers a 30-day pass on FL, DL or VX for $49.95. Standard rates of $9.95 for flights of 1.5-3 hr. and $12.95 for flights longer than 3 hr. still apply. Individual airlines had the option to adopt the various pricing plans. Aircell said "pricing and accessibility options will continue to expand throughout 2009" and that it "will explore additional Gogo subscription options."
Nordic Aviation Capital, a lessor of turboprop transports, is opening an office in Singapore. It will be headed by VP-Sales and Acquisitions Mats Ericson, who joined NAC in May from Avion Aviation.
Innovata signed a long-term contract to supply its worldwide schedules data, minimum connect time and "full range of reference support files" to Sabre Holdings to support Sabre's GDS business.
AVIATION QUOTE
“Mistakes are inevitable in aviation, especially when one is still learning new things. The trick is to not make the mistake that will kill you.” — Stephen Coonts
AEROSPACE TERM
Geodetic
Geodetic coordinates, latitude and longitude, specify a location on the Earth's oblate (non-spherical) surface. Latitude, unless otherwise specified, is generally the geodetic latitude. Geodetic latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and a line normal to the surface at that location. Geodetic longitude is the angular distance between the location's meridian and the Greenwich meridian.
DAILY VIDEO
HUMOR
Messing With A WO3
There was this crusty WO3 pilot sitting in a bar, drinking his beer, minding his own business when all of a sudden this Green Beret comes in and --WHACK!!--knocks him off the bar stool and onto the floor.
The Green Beret says, "That was a karate chop from Korea."
The pilot thinks "GEEZ," but he gets back up on the stool and starts drinking again when all of a sudden --WHACK-- the Green Beret knocks him down AGAIN and says, "That was a judo chop from Japan."
So the pilot has had enough of this... He gets up, brushes himself off and quietly leaves.
The pilot is gone for an hour or so, when he returns. Without saying a word, he walks up behind the Green Beret and --Wham!!!"-- knocks the big dude off his stool, knocking him out cold!!!
The pilot looks at the bartender and says, "When he comes to, tell him that's a crowbar from Sears."
TRIVIA
General Trivia
1. What is a deceleron?
2.When air traffic control advises pilots of other traffic, many pilots advise the controller that the traffic is not in sight using the colloquial and unofficial phrase "no joy." From where does this expression originate?
3. The Waco CG-4A glider was used during World War II (especially during the Normandy invasion) as a cargo and troop carrier. Why was it referred to as a "flying coffin"?
4. Almost all general aviation piston engines have a wet sump, a built-in oil reservoir, instead of an external or separate oil tank. How can you determine by looking at the oil dipstick of a wet-sump engine the minimum oil quantity with which the engine can be operated safely?
5. True or False, James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle was the first solo pilot to perform a blind takeoff and landing using only cockpit instruments and radio aids.
6. True or False, Two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses took off from Hilo, Hawaii, on August 6, 1946, without anyone on board. Both landed safely at Muroc Dry Lake, California.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
1. The opposite of an acceleron? 2. A search for a missing aircraft? 3. It was square in section. 4. Is there a marker on the dipstick? 5. True. 6. True.
1 - A type of flap or elevator? 2 - No idea. 3 - Were these the gliders which were 'collected' by C47s flying overhead and snagging a tow line held up by a balloon, used to take sick/injured/dead soldiers away from bases which had no air support, as these gliders could take off on tiny strips due to the rapid acceleration once the line was caught by the towing aircraft? 4 - No idea 5 - True 6 - True, I think they were remote controlled as well
