CommercialMH370 Search Heads Deep UnderwaterThe hunt for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will head deep underwater as the batteries in the flight's black box recorders have probably died and there is little chance of finding floating debris, according to Australian search chief Angus Houston. The search is now relying on the US Navy's Bluefin 21 autonomous underwater vehicle, which is set to search the ocean floor for wreckage some 4.5 km (2.8 miles) beneath the surface. Searchers are confident they know the approximate position of wreckage of the Boeing 777, some 1,550 km (963 miles) northwest of Perth, and are moving ahead on the basis of four acoustic signals they believe came from from its black box recorders. "Despite the lack of further detections, the four signals previously acquired taken together constitute the most promising lead we have in the search for MH370," Houston told reporters in Perth. "The experts have therefore determined that the Australian Ocean Shield will cease searching with a towed pinger locator later today and deploy the autonomous underwater vehicle, Bluefin-21, as soon as possible. The batteries in the black boxes are now two weeks past their 30-day expected life and searchers will be relying on sonar and cameras on the Bluefin-21 drone.
LinkSouthwest Flight Diverted After Man Tries To Open DoorA Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Sacramento was rerouted to Omaha after a passenger tried to open a cabin door during flight, authorities said on Monday. The Sunday flight set down at the Eppley Airfield after an unruly passenger, identified as Joshua Carl Lee Suggs, pushed past a flight attendant and tried to open one of the rear doors while the plane was flying, according to papers filed by the Nebraska US Attorney's Office in federal court. "Some gentleman just decided that he wanted us to visit the Lord today, and decided to open up the back hatch of Southwest Airlines flight while we were already up in the air," said Monique Lawler who was on the flight, according to an interview with KABC-TV in California.
LinkAsian Airlines Hedging More Of Fuel UseSome Asian airlines are hedging a larger portion of their jet fuel usage this year as they expect prices to firm, indicating sustained pressure on their profit margins. Jet fuel makes up at least 30 percent of most airlines' overall operating costs and an effective hedging strategy is crucial as heightened competition forces carriers to cut fares and operate on thin margins. While there should be sufficient supply of jet fuel in Asia this year to meet buoyant demand driven by healthy passenger traffic, airlines are unlikely to benefit from lower prices. Jet fuel prices are market based - unlike diesel, kerosene and some other fuels which are subsidized in nations such as China, India and parts of Southeast Asia - and users pay rates that are closely linked to crude oil prices.
LinkFaster Inflight Wi-Fi Leads To Battle In The SkyWi-Fi in the sky is taking off, promising much better connections for passengers and a bonanza for the companies that sell the systems. With satellite-based Wi-Fi, Internet speeds on airliners are getting faster, with airlines finding that passengers expect connections in the air to rival those on the ground - and at a lower cost. But the evolution of rival systems and standards, such as Ku band and Ka band, pose a big question for airlines: which one to choose? Equipping fleets can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and airlines don't want to see their investment become outdated quickly due to newer technology. That's made some cautious about signing up. "We don't want to end up with a Betamax," said Peter Ingram, chief financial officer of Hawaiian Airlines, referring to the Sony video format that eventually lost out to the VHS standard, leaving many consumers with obsolete systems. Hawaiian is still considering which system to use.
LinkRight wing for first MRJ delivered for final assemblyThe right wing for Mitsubishi Aircraft's first flight test MRJ regional jet has been delivered to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI) Komaki South Plant for final assembly. The 16m long and 4m wide wing was loaded onto a customised trailer on 8 April and transferred from MHI's Tobishima plant to its Komaki plant some 35km away.
LinkAmerican Airlines considers LAX as hub for flights to Asia, exec says American Airlines is evaluating ways to make Los Angeles a primary gateway to Asia, but that does not mean it will happen, Flight Global’s Edward Russell reported this week. “Figuring out how to make Los Angeles successful and a gateway to Asia is a strategic issue for us,” American Airlines Group president Scott Kirby said on April 4 at the Phoenix International Aviation Symposium. The Flight Global story is behind the site’s paywall but Russell gave me permission to cite it. Kirby said LAX is “very important,” to American. In terms of Trans-Pacific flights, Los Angeles has been a difficult market for U.S-based carriers. American (Shanghai and Tokyo), Delta (both Tokyo airports) and United (Tokyo and Shanghai) have relatively few flights from L.A. across the Pacific. United and Delta have both had Hong Kong flights in the past, but no longer. LAX is still well covered in terms of international lift, but most of it comes from major international carriers ANA, Cathay Pacific, JAL, Korean, Asiana, Eva Airways, etc.
LinkWi-Fi in the sky takes offAirline passengers are increasingly expecting high speed Wi-Fi connections to be among their flight’s amenities. Currently 40% of U.S. jetliners have some type of Wi-fi connection, and half of the world's planes are expected to have Wi-Fi by 2022, according to research from HIS, with some airlines still reviewing which technology to adopt. "The technology in the Wi-Fi space for trans-Pacific flying is still evolving, so we haven't made any final decisions yet," said Hawaiian Airlines Chief Financial Officer Peter Ingram.
LinkAirports seek to improve shipping infrastructuresAirports are seeking to make themselves more attractive to shipping companies with improved logistics infrastructure they hope will boost non-airline revenues. The market for air cargo grew only 0.3% in 2013, according to JLL, so the competition is fierce to provide real estate for logistics companies, writes Paul Bubny. Chicago O'Hare is planning additional cargo facilities and is successfully positioning itself as a major cargo hub, for example.
Link$3.6B upgrade set for N.Y.'s LaGuardia Airport New York's LaGuardia Airport is slated for a $3.6 billion upgrade. A new three-story, 1.3-million-square-foot terminal will be built as will a parking garage for 2,900 vehicles. Work on the project could start in late 2014 and be finished in 2021. LaGuardia Gateway Partners, LGAlliance and LGA Central Terminal Consortium are the bidders for the terminal development job.
LinkAirlines, airports deploy high tech gadgets to improve flyingBoth airlines and airports are introducing a bevy of services that use state-of-the-art technology to make the flying process smoother and more enjoyable for travelers, says business reporter Charisse Jones. Dallas-Fort Worth Airport has introduced touch-screen kiosks where passengers can search for dining and shopping options, for example, while Southwest Airlines is using improved weather sensors to help schedule flights more efficiently. Delta is equipping all of its flight attendants with tablet computers that contain traveler information for better service.
LinkReport: Airports will use data to personalize flightsAirports soon will deliver real-time flight data to fliers' mobile devices, experts predict, and use beacon technology to zap coupons to those mobile devices as fliers move through the airport. Those are just two of the information-sharing advances expected to enhance passengers' experience and boost airport revenue, according to a report from industry information technology company SITA. By 2016, the report says, most airports will be able to personalize flight experiences by using data harvested from online comments and other sources.
LinkN.C. airport opens $68M renovation of Terminal 1North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham International Airport opened its revamped Terminal 1 on Sunday. The $68 million renovation features an open layout, as well as more power outlets and 11 shops and restaurants. Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways fly out of Terminal 1.
LinkAllegiant Air to debut 25-inch wide "Giant Seat" Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air has rolled out a roomier airplane seat dubbed the “Giant Seat.” It represents the latest new seating options the airline industry has created for travelers willing to pay more for extra elbow room. Located in the first row and the mid-cabin emergency exit row, the six Giant Seats on the carrier’s Boeing 757 offer more than 36 inches of legroom and a width of 25 inches, compared with a typical 17.5-inch width on Allegiant’s economy seats. The seats are locked in a semi-reclined position. Allegiant was required under federal rules to install such seats so crew members can rest during long flights. But when pilots and crew are not using the roomier seats, the airline is offering them up to paying passengers. Allegiant charges about $40 to $50 more for the Giant Seats, depending on the route.
LinkLondon Heathrow offers glimpse of "The Queen's Terminal" The new terminal is designed to serve 20 million passengers a year and be the home of 23 Star Alliance airlines as well as Aer Lingus and a few other carriers. The opening will be in phases, with United Airlines starting its flights to T2 on June 4 and others moving in during the following six months.
LinkSouthwest concludes investigation of Flight 4013; continues work with NTSBSouthwest Airlines Co. said one of the pilots of a plane that landed at the wrong Missouri airport in January has retired and the other has returned to duty. While confirming the captain of the flight was back at work and the first officer had elected to retire, Brandy King, a spokeswoman for the airline, declined to say which pilot was in control when the Boeing Co. (BA) 737 touched down. Dallas-based Southwest has now concluded its investigation into the incident and continues to work with the National Transportation Safety Board on its probe, King said by e-mail today. Southwest put the two pilots on paid leave pending the outcome of the carrier’s inquiry and investigations by U.S. regulators. Flight 4013 from Chicago landed at M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport in Branson, which is 7 miles (11 kilometers) from the main airfield served by Southwest and has a runway only about half as long. The captain of the flight is a 14-year Southwest employee, while the first officer has been with the airline for 12 years, according to Southwest.
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