NewsBombardier Targets Monday For CSeries First FlightBombardier is targeting Monday for the first flight of its new CSeries jet, weather permitting, the plane maker said on Friday. Rain, cloudy weather and poor wind conditions in Mirabel, Quebec, where the plane will take off, have caused delays to the final stages of pre-flight tests, heightening suspense over the maiden flight, which has already been delayed three times since late last year. Monday's flight will be a huge milestone for the USD$3.4 billion, five-year project that Bombardier hopes will position it to compete against industry leaders Boeing and Airbus. The single-aisle CSeries, the company's largest aircraft family, is Bombardier's bet on the lucrative 100- to 149-seat segment, one it eventually hopes to command with a 50 percent market share.
LinkBoeing delivered last USAF C-17Boeing delivered the last C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter destined for the US Air Force on 12 September at its plant in Long Beach, California. The aircraft is the last of 223 examples ordered with the service, but production continues for foreign orders of the aircraft. “We are continuing the legacy by building C-17s for our partner nations, and we will continue to work with the U.S. Air Force to ensure their aircraft deliver top performance into the future,” says Nan Bouchard, Boeing’s C-17 program manager.
LinkLufthansa Close To Airbus, Boeing Jet OrderLufthansa's board of directors and supervisory board are expected to approve in mid-September an order for about 50 wide-body jets worth more than USD$10 billion at list prices, according to two people familiar with the matter. The German airline previously said it expected to place such an order in the second half of 2013. Lufthansa is evaluating Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, Boeing's still-to-be-launched 777X, and Airbus's A350, which made its first flight in June. Final approval of the order is expected at Lufthansa's September 18 supervisory board meeting, after the airline's executive board makes a preliminary decision, the sources said.
LinkAvianca Cancels Some Domestic FlightsColombian airline Avianca has cancelled 160 domestic flights until next Wednesday after pilots demanding higher pay refused to work overtime, the company said. Around 1,000 pilots are demanding a 15 percent pay increase from the airline controlled by Avianca Holdings, which also controls El Salvador's Taca. Taca pilots are not involved in the dispute.
LinkEmbraer Says Strong Q4 Helps 2013 TargetStrong deliveries of regional E-Jets in the fourth quarter should help Embraer meet its 2013 goal, a senior executive of the company said on Friday. "We expect a large number of deliveries in the last quarter (of the year). We have very good visibility of hitting our target for this year," Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, the head of Embraer's commercial aviation unit, told journalists at an event at the company's headquarters.
LinkRise In ATC Errors Linked To Better TrackingNew procedures to better identify air traffic controller errors showed a jump in incidents of aircraft flying too close to each other in the skies over the United States, according to data just released. There were 4,394 such instances for the year to September 30, 2012, more than double the level of the previous year, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Of the total, 1,271 were termed "risk analysis events," or incidents serious enough to warrant further review because aircraft had flown more than 34 percent closer together than FAA regulations allow, and 41 were termed "high risk events."
LinkJudge approves American Airlines restructuringJudge Sean Lane approved American Airlines' reorganization plan in bankruptcy court on Thursday. "This is yet another important milestone in completing one of the most successful turnarounds in commercial aviation," said American spokesman Mike Trevino in a statement. "We are focused on the antitrust case and will show that our planned merger with US Airways is good for consumers and competition."
LinkJetBlue reports increase in August trafficJetBlue Airways reported a 6.2% rise in traffic for August on a year-over-year basis. JetBlue boosted capacity by 7.2% for the month, and passenger revenue per available seat mile rose 3% for August.
LinkSouthwest changes no-show policySouthwest Airlines is changing its no-show policies. Customers must cancel their flight before takeoff in order to use the value of their ticket toward another flight. "There is no loss of funds if customers cancel or change their reservation before departure," Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said.
LinkFAA report: Collaboration improves reportingThe Federal Aviation Administration said “[c]ollaboration is now the rule, not the exception” regarding the reporting of incidents. “We’ve gone from counting errors to identifying and mitigating safety risk,” said David Grizzle, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, in a report.
LinkANA considers Boeing 777X, Airbus A350 for aircraft orderJapan's ANA Holdings plans to make a decision soon on whether to order 25 aircraft from Boeing or Airbus. "The key will be what plane matches our needs best," said Shinichiro Ito, president of ANA. The carrier is considering the Boeing 777X model or the Airbus A350.
LinkLawmaker advocates privatizing airport security screenersRep. John Mica, R-Fla., said he is developing a new law that would mandate airports must use private screeners instead of Transportation Security Administration agents. "We need to get the government out of the personnel business," Mica said. "It's failed in almost every instance to stop people known to have terrorist credentials." Recently a team from Orlando International Airport went to San Francisco to see how private screeners operate the hub.
LinkTrinidad to end subsidies for jet fuel for Caribbean AirlinesTrinidad announced it will discontinue a $500 million annual subsidy for jet fuel to its national carrier of Caribbean Airlines. Airlines for America had raised objections to the subsidy with the Department of Transportation, saying it provided an unfair advantage.
LinkOnAir Play promises live news, content in the skiesOnAir has launched OnAir Play, a new in-flight entertainment platform offering real-time content and e-commerce capabilities. The content streams directly to passengers' devices.
LinkForeign airlines offer child-free zones, child careSome airlines are taking steps to address the needs of children on planes by offering nannies for child care, as well as child-free zones for other travelers. "Getting choice means you are satisfying both sets of people," said Azran Osman Rani, CEO of AirAsia X.
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