Commercial AviationFAA To Warn Of Engine Icing Risk On 747-8s, 787sThe US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to direct airlines to avoid flying Boeing 747-8 and 787 Dreamliners with General Electric engines near thunderstorms after some aircraft experienced ice buildup in their engines. The US regulator said it would issue an airworthiness directive (AD) this week for planes powered by GE's GEnx engines. "The AD is an interim action to make sure pilots avoid icing conditions that could affect engine power and possibly damage the engine," said the FAA.
LinkJapanese Carriers To Stop Giving China Flight PlansJapan Airlines and ANA have bowed to a Japanese government request to stop providing flight plans demanded by China on routes through a new Chinese air zone, whose creation has ratcheted up tensions over the bitterly disputed region. Both ANA and JAL, which had been informing China's aviation authorities of flights through the zone established in the East China Sea on Saturday, will stop doing so from Wednesday, spokesmen for the carriers said. Japan and the United States sharply criticized the creation of the defense area, seen as a bid to chip away at Tokyo's claim to administrative control over the maritime region.
LinkStorm Concerns Continue But Few Flights CancelledA powerful winter storm lashed much of the eastern United States with rain and snow on Tuesday, threatening to snarl travel plans for millions over the busy Thanksgiving holiday, forecasters said. Winter storm watches and warnings were in place for large parts of the Ohio River Valley, the interior mid-Atlantic, New England and the Great Lakes as the storm system moves northeast from the Gulf of Mexico area on Tuesday and Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. Moderate to heavy rain was drenching the Gulf Coast into the Tennessee River and freezing rain was coming down from the Ohio Valley into New England ahead of the Thursday holiday, it said. Ice storm warnings were in effect for parts of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
LinkUS Fines Gol For Consumer Rule ViolationsThe US Department of Transportation on Tuesday fined Brazilian airline Gol USD$250,000 for violating a number of the agency's rules protecting the rights of passengers. It was the largest penalty assessed for violations of the rules, which were adopted in April 2011.
LinkNorwegian near-stall to spur 737 modificationBoeing is to modify 737s to improve protection against potential freezing of elevator systems, after investigation into a near-stall by a Norwegian aircraft highlighted the risk of de-icing fluid contaminating power control units for the horizontal stabilizer. The investigation into the 737-800 incident, on approach to Kittila in Finland, has already resulted in Boeing changing de-icing procedures on the type. Under the new procedures the trim is set to take-off position, rather than fully-forward, and de-icing fluid is applied at an angle, not directly from the side. While the cause of the incident is still being explored, Norwegian investigation authority SHT demonstrated that de-icing fluid was capable of entering the tail cone in “quite considerable” amounts. “Under certain circumstances it is possible that the input arms [to the power control units] may be exposed to fluid which in turn freezes solid and blocks [them],” says SHT, adding that Boeing was “not aware” of this potential problem before the investigation.
LinkEnhanced Trent 900 passes EASA type testRolls-Royce's enhanced version of the Trent 900 for the Airbus A380 has passed a type test with the European Aviation Safety Agency, bringing the powerplant closer to certification. The Trent 900EP2 will deliver up to 0.8% fuel-burn improvement and is set to become the standard build version of the engine for the double-deck type in 2014.
LinkAirlines prepare for storms, waive fees for customersSeveral airlines are waiving change fees on flights for customers in response to winter storms that are expected to affect Thanksgiving air travel in the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and US Airways are among those offering various waivers.
LinkBusiest Thanksgiving travel since 2006Experts recommend arriving at the airport early during the busy travel week for Thanksgiving. Airlines for America estimates 25 million passengers will take to the skies over the 12-day holiday period. This year is predicted to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period since 2006.
LinkTSA offers carry-on tips for Thanksgiving foodAirline travelers can bring some Thanksgiving food with them this week, but the Transportation Security Administration recommends avoiding putting foods with liquid such as gravy or gelatinous pies in carry-on bags. "Anything that presents a potential threat is looked at as a prohibited item. Items that have high concentrations of liquids fit that category," a TSA representative said.
LinkTSA hits enrollment milestone for PreCheckThe Transportation Security Administration has succeeded in meeting the goal of enrolling 25% of air travelers in its PreCheck program by the end of 2013, columnist Joe Sharkey writes. "Good for the T.S.A., I say -- and I'm hearing the same positive reactions from travelers who, through no overt effort of their own, are being routinely waved into a PreCheck lane at the airport," he writes.
LinkUnited offers peek into largest airline's Network Operations CenterUnited Airlines offers a glimpse into its high-tech Network Operations Center, which occupies the 27th floor of Chicago's Willis Tower. The center, which opened in June 2012, covers more than 52,000 square feet. United handles operations for more than 5,300 flights per day from the facility, which operates nonstop.
LinkDoubling TSA passenger security tax will harm customersAirlines for America sent a letter to Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., urging the lawmakers to reject an increase that would double the Transportation Security Administration passenger security tax. A4A said lawmakers should instead focus on making the TSA more efficient.
LinkTSA fee increase proposal is "deeply misguided"Stephen DeMaura writes that a proposal to raise user fees for the Transportation Security Administration is "a deeply misguided waste of bipartisan efforts" by lawmakers working on the budget. "Rather than hiking fees on airlines and the taxpayers who depend on their services, the politicians in Washington should be looking for meaningful ways to cut costs and empower an industry weighed down by government edicts," he writes.
LinkAMR asks court to approve DOJ settlementAMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, has asked a bankruptcy court to approve its settlement with the Justice Department, which would allow the airline's merger with US Airways Group to move forward. "Of the literally hundreds of thousands of creditors and shareholders -- those entities with a legitimate economic interest in these cases -- not one objection was filed," said Stephen Karotkin, an attorney for AMR.
LinkCAL revises pilot training after A330 bleed fault incidentChina Airlines will modify its training syllabus to allow pilots to better manage dual bleed air faults following an incident aboard one of its Airbus A330-300s in June. The incident involved an A330, registered B-18317, which was operating flight CI781 from Taipei Taoyuan International airport to Tan Son Nhat International airport in Ho Chi Minh city on 3 June with 200 passengers and crew on board. Approximately one minute after take-off, the aircraft’s electronic centralised aircraft monitoring (ECAM) system displayed a message indicating a fault with the number two engine bleed air system. After executing the ECAM procedures, the crew continued ascending to a cruising altitude of 40,000ft (12,200m). The crew reset the bleed air system, but the same message was displayed shortly afterwards. Nevertheless, the flight continued.As the aircraft descended around 110nm (204km) northeast of its destination, an ECAM alert showed that the bleed system on the number one engine was also experiencing a fault. In response to the fault, the crew activated the aircraft’s speed brakes to speed the aircraft’s descent. At this time, the the cabin was pressurised at 6,720ft.
LinkHawaiian transports 1.5% more passengers in Oct.Hawaiian Airlines reported a 1.5% increase in passenger traffic for October compared with the same month in 2012. Hawaiian ferried more than 822,000 passengers last month and transported more than 8.3 million passengers from January to October.
LinkRed carpet is rolled out for air travelersAirlines are competing for affluent fliers with programs such as Flagship Check-in from American Airlines, which escorts affluent travelers through the airport and allows them to head to the front of the line at security. Delta Air Lines offers high-value customers gate-to-gate transportation via Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid vehicles to ensure they make their connecting flights, a program the airline just expanded. According to a report by MMGY Global and Harrison Group, affluent travelers represent 6% of leisure travelers.
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