CommercialSeahawks 747-8F to back team's Super Bowl bidBoeing is intending to fly a promotional 747-8F on 30 January in support of Seattle’s bid to win the American football Super Bowl title. The aircraft carries a scheme in the colours of the Seattle Seahawks, who will line up at Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos on 2 February.
LinkWhy 2013 was good for safety but not insurersLast year was another good period from the point of view of airline safety but, with incurred losses equalling written premium in the year, it was not so good for insurers, writes Paul Hayes, director of air safety and insurance with Flightglobal advisory service Ascend. Flightglobal estimates that the cost of incurred airline hull and legal liability losses for 2013 was about $1.57 billion. This is some $530 million more than in 2012, when losses estimated at just $1.04 billion were incurred, and effectively equal to the estimated $1.6 billion of premium written during the calendar year. Despite the expected cost of claims being more or less the same as the written premium, claims costs for 2013 were not exceptionally high and could perhaps be described as “average”. It is rather that premiums are low, having fallen by almost 25% since the last “high” in 2010.
LinkCRJ200 crash probe focused on go-around actionsInvestigators are still trying to understand the accident sequence which destroyed a Bombardier CRJ200 during an attempted go-around at Almaty. The regional jet, operated by Kazakhstani carrier SCAT, came down on 29 January last year after a flight from Kokshetau, with no survivors among the 21 passengers and crew. Kazakhstan’s ministry of transport says the aircraft had sufficient fuel for the flight, as well as diversion to an alternate. In an interim update to the inquiry, it adds that there is no evidence of technical failures, icing or other “external influence” before the CRJ crashed east of the airport.
LinkRussia ponders easing fleet-size rules for Q400 operatorsRussian regulators intend to facilitate entry of locally assembled Bombardier Q400 turboprops to the domestic market. The country’s transport ministry has proposed to loosen fleet-size requirements for carriers operating on mainline routes. Current legislation stipulates that scheduled airlines must have at least eight aircraft of a single type with more than 55 seats to qualify for such route designations. An amendment, aimed at exempting future recipients of locally built Q400s from this regulation, has been submitted for government approval, says the ministry.
LinkEU Parliament Sets Up Clash Over Aviation EmissionsEuropean Union negotiators face a clash with member states over whether to make all airlines using EU airports pay for their emissions after a parliamentary body on Thursday backed compromise plans to charge carriers for part of their journeys. Some of Europe's most powerful countries and international airlines strongly oppose the proposals, which they say are likely to reignite tensions with trading partners such as China and the United States. The European Parliament's environment committee voted to regulate emissions in EU airspace for all flights via the bloc's Emissions Trading System (ETS) and teed up a fast-track negotiation process with national governments.
LinkAirbus Eyes EUR€815 Mln. Savings - UnionAirbus expects to cut EUR€815 million (USD$1.1 billion) in costs through its three-year restructuring plan, which will see 5,800 job losses across Europe, the French CFDT union said on Thursday. The company, which is due to publish results for 2013 on February 26, had no immediate comment. Most of the cost savings, or EUR€574 million, will be at its space business, formerly Astrium, while the remaining EUR€241 million will come from its military division, according to the union.
LinkSouthwest Wins 54 Slots At Reagan NationalSouthwest Airlines said on Thursday it won 54 slots at Washington's Reagan National Airport that American Airlines is required to divest under an agreement with the US government. Southwest said the 54 slots would enable it to add 27 departures from the airport.
LinkAustralian Regulator Okays Controversial Airline CardAustralian carriers Qantas and Virgin Australia have been given the go-ahead for controversial plans to send unsolicited and potentially illegal debit cards to their millions of frequent flyer members, according to a report. Corporate regulator the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has given the airlines a "no-action" letter regarding the cards, meaning they do not plan any regulatory response, according to Compliance Complete. The cards, which are described by the airlines as "prepaid cards" and by ASIC as stored-value cards, are new "chip and PIN" enabled frequent flyer cards that the airlines are launching in conjunction with their partners in the banking and payment card industries.
LinkJetBlue gains slots at DCAJetBlue Airways said the carrier has succeeded in its slots at Reagan National in Washington, D.C. The carrier received provisional acceptance from the Department of Justice for 12 slot pairs. JetBlue said it "expects to add 12 new round-trip flights at Washington's popular, close-in airport. The airline plans to introduce nonstop service to cities it does not currently serve from DCA, expanding the benefits of its award-winning service to more communities, as well as add more flights on some existing routes."
LinkAmerican announces early-out incentives for flight attendantsAmerican Airlines is offering some flight attendants an incentive of $40,000 for voluntary departure. The carrier said the program is available for 1,500 flight attendants, who face a Feb. 28 deadline to sign up for the program. To qualify, flight attendants must have worked for the carrier for a minimum of 15 years.
LinkNew options for American's LAX-to-London fliersAmerican Airlines has expanded options for travelers by adding a Boeing 777-300ER to its Los Angeles-London route and ramping up service to business class. Fliers will be able to enjoy lie-flat seats with full access to aisles, Wi-Fi, and new beverage and meal choices.
LinkAnalyst: Backlog at aircraft manufacturers is "good problem"Boeing and Airbus both have order backlogs of more than 5,000 planes, but analysts say backlogs can be misleading. "It is a good problem to have, but you have to be careful with this problem," says analyst Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at Teal Group. "You never know what's genuine industry health and exuberance and what's just locking in orders for next-generation airplanes."
LinkBlog: Commercial airlines face bright futureKevin Burke, the incoming CEO of Airports Council International-North America, writes that commercial airlines are entering their second century of service in 2014. "As interconnection between cities, countries and continents grows ever more commonplace as the means of doing business, boarding a flight very well could become as ubiquitous as commuting to work by train, bus or car," he writes.
LinkAirbus is looking at more-efficient engines for A330 Airbus Group NV is studying an upgrade of its A330 wide-body jet with more efficient engines in a contest that may pit General Electric Co. against Rolls-Royce Group Plc, people familiar with the plan said. The European planemaker aims to make a decision about a possible upgrade by the end of March, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. The 20-year-old A330 competes with Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner, which is powered by either GE or Rolls-Royce engines.
LinkAirlines respond to Port Authority wage requestIn response to a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey request for airlines to urge their contractors to increase wages, Airlines for America said that no company dictates to its vendors how much their employees should be paid. "That is between those companies and their employees or union representatives," A4A said.
LinkTourism office reports increase in U.S. passengers for 2013U.S. airports handled 185.4 million passengers in 2013, setting a new record, according to the National Travel & Tourism Office. Foreign travelers accounted for 56% of the traffic, with U.S. citizens making up the remaining 44% of travelers.
LinkSome flights affected as European air control workers strike Strikes by air traffic controllers have begun to disrupt travel throughout Europe as unions start two days of walkouts to protest against planned cost cuts and reforms. Deutsche Lufthansa AG has canceled 42 flights today affecting destinations including airports in Italy, France and Switzerland, the company said on its website. Ryanair Holdings Plc, the region’s largest discount carrier, scratched more than 80 flights, it said on its website.
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