Commercial AviationKuwait Air Chairman Suspended Over Jet Air PlanKuwait has suspended the chairman of state-owned Kuwait Airways in a dispute over his plans to buy five used aircraft from India's Jet Airways. Kuwaiti newspaper al-Qabas quoted the communications minister Esa al-Kandari as saying he had suspended Sami al-Nisf after he announced plans to buy the used aircraft, despite a request to stop the deal.
Kuwait Airways said on Sunday it wanted to buy the used Airbus A330s in a deal it said would not affect a previously-announced plan to buy new Airbus jets.
LinkSuharto Denies Rolls-Royce Bribery AllegationsTommy Suharto, the youngest son of Indonesia's late president, on Monday denied allegations that he received bribes from British aerospace group Rolls-Royce in return for recommending their engines to Indonesian airline Garuda. Rolls-Royce, the world's second-largest maker of aircraft engines, was last year ordered by Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to hand over details of possible bribery and corruption in China, Indonesia and other overseas markets and conduct an internal inquiry into the claims. Late last year British newspapers reported allegations from a former Rolls-Royce employee that Suharto had received USD$20 million and a Rolls-Royce car to persuade Garuda to order Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines in 1990.
LinkGol Could Cut More Domestic Flights In 2014Brazilian airline Gol could continue cutting its domestic network in 2014 if necessary, chief executive Paulo Kakinoff said on Monday, highlighting uncertainty about economic growth. Gol has forecast a stable outlook for flights in Brazil next year after high jet fuel prices and weak demand forced it to reduce its network by about 14 percent since 2011. "The forecast of stability (in 2014) should be considered a ceiling. It does not mean we have ruled out future reductions," Kakinoff told investors in Sao Paulo. "A key factor that we are not in a good position to predict is GDP."
LinkAsian Airlines To Give Flight Plans To ChinaAsian aviation officials said airlines would have to inform China of flight plans before entering airspace over waters disputed with Japan, forcing carriers to acknowledge China's authority over a newly declared "Air Defense Identification Zone". China published coordinates for the zone on the weekend. The area, about two-thirds the size of the United Kingdom, covers most of the East China Sea and the skies over a group of uninhabited islands at the centre of a bitter row between Beijing and Tokyo. Japan and its close ally, the United States, sharply criticized the move, which experts said was aimed at chipping away at Tokyo's claim to administrative control over the area including the tiny uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
LinkAirlines prepare for Thanksgiving winter stormAirlines are preparing for a wintry storm system approaching the East Coast that could lead to travel disruptions during the busy Thanksgiving week. The National Weather Service predicts heavy rain on the East Coast and Central Plains on Tuesday and Wednesday. The storm has caused more than 900 flight cancellations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport since Sunday.
LinkOpinion: Aircraft of the future could be divided into 3 zonesBastian Schaefer, the innovation manager for the Cabin Innovation Strategy & Concepts department of Airbus, gives a sneak peek into the airplane of the future. The aircraft is expected to be divided into three zones: the interaction zone, the vitalizing zone and the smart tech zone. The vitalizing zone monitors passengers' comfort and could also "afford an impressive 360-degree outside view through translucent ceiling and walls," he writes.
LinkCustomer feedback to determine whether or not airlines allow in-flight callsIf the Federal Communications Commission approves in-flight calls, airlines will have to choose whether or not to allow the practice. Delta Air Lines said it would prohibit voice calls based on years of customerSuharto Denies Rolls-Royce Bribery Allegations feedback showing "overwhelming sentiment” to ban. United Airlines and American Airlines said they would study it along with feedback from customers and crew, and JetBlue Airways said it would "welcome the opportunity to explore" voice calls but "would prioritize making the cabin comfortable and welcoming for all."
LinkAnalyst: In-flight calls could generate billions in annual revenueAs the Federal Communications Commission considers ending a ban on in-flight cellphone calls, wireless analysts are predicting annual revenue of more than $2.4 billion a year for the service. "It's a huge coup for the telecom carriers; this opens up a massive market for them," said Ari Zoldan, CEO of Quantum Networks.
LinkAA-US Airways merger to create largest carrier in U.S.The merger between American Airlines and US Airways is expected to create the largest carrier in the country, with more than $38 billion in revenue a year. "We think the U.S. should have the world's leading airline, and that's what's been created here," CEO Tom Horton said of the deal. The merged carrier also will have 111,000 employees and 6,500 daily flights, data show.
LinkBring your electronic devices on Hawaiian AirlinesHawaiian Airlines will let fliers use electronic devices on "airplane mode" from takeoff through landing. "We applaud the FAA's new policy and are excited to allow our customers to use their devices throughout their flight when they travel with us," said Mark Dunkerley, the airline's president and CEO.
LinkAll carriers should be allowed to bid on divested slots, lawmakers sayA bipartisan group of lawmakers from transportation committees in the House and Senate sent a letter to the U.S. attorney general urging him to open up the bidding for slots divested by merging American Airlines and US Airways to all airlines, not just low-cost carriers. "We do believe that all airlines should have an opportunity to bid on the divested assets," Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said.
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