CommercialAirAsia A320 veers off runway in BruneiAn AirAsia Airbus A320 veered off the runway upon landing at Brunei International Airport on 7 July. The carrier confirms that an accident involving flight AK278 occurred at the Brunei airport at about 16:00 local time. The aircraft, registered 9M-AQA, was on the Kuala Lumpur-Brunei route. “Our team is working with the relevant authorities to identify the root cause of this incident, and AirAsia will provide further updates as necessary,” says the low-cost carrier in a statement. It adds that there were 102 passengers and seven crew members on board, and that no injuries have been reported.
LinkUnited To Outsource More Than 630 Airport JobsUnited Airlines is planning to outsource more than 630 jobs at 12 US airports in a cost-saving move. Affected positions include ticket and gate agents and baggage handlers at locations including Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Pensacola, Detroit and Des Moines, the company said. United Airlines will shift these jobs from its payroll and hire other companies to provide the employees, under the outsourcing plan. "This is a difficult decision, but we need to ensure that our costs are competitive," a United spokeswoman said.
LinkMan Found At Detroit Airport With Knife In ShoeA passenger at Detroit's Metropolitan Airport was found with a concealed knife in his shoe and was arrested, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. TSA officers found the knife in the bottom lining of the man's shoe during checkpoint screening at Metro airport on Sunday, the agency said in a statement. Airport police confiscated the knife and arrested the man on a local charge, it said. Knives and most other sharp objects are barred from carry-on luggage.
LinkWestjet To Fly Wide-Body AircraftWestJet Airlines is planning to fly its own wide-body planes as early as the autumn of 2015 and is in advanced stages of sourcing the long-haul aircraft, a move that may heat up competition with Air Canada. WestJet, which launched its first trans-Atlantic service to Ireland this summer with its existing fleet of Boeing 737s, said international expansion was the natural next step in its evolution. Attempting to boost revenue and push beyond its no-frill origins, WestJet has for several years toyed with the idea of expanding into the long-haul market with a new fleet, but focused first on domestic growth. Th airline did not say how many wide-body planes it plans to buy or lease over the long term, but it will initially operate four. The first planes will service routes between Alberta and Hawaii in late 2015, following expiry of a contract with Thomas Cook, which provides two Boeing 757s. WestJet will likely select Boeing 787s, to keep a common manufacturer for its fleet, and initially lease planes as it ramps up service, he said in an interview.
LinkBoeing Still Assessing Damage To 737 FuselagesBoeing said it was still assessing damage to six 737 fuselages after a train carrying them derailed in Montana last Thursday. "Cars involved in the derailment carrying assemblies for the 777 and 747 have been inspected and their content appears undamaged," Boeing said on Monday.
LinkLufthansa Signs Air China Partnership DealLufthansa signed a partnership deal with Air China as it seeks to improve its position in China, the world's second largest aviation market, it said on Monday. Under the deal, Air China and Lufthansa plan to set up a joint venture that will allow them to share revenue on certain routes by selling tickets for each others' flights. Lufthansa has similar agreements in place with United Airlines and Air Canada on links between Europe and North America and with ANA on routes to Japan.
LinkAmerican forecasts $800M revenue from cargo in 2014American Airlines expects to report $800 million in revenue for cargo traffic this year. New international routes also offer new opportunities for cargo traffic. At Dallas-Fort Worth airport, American also handles perishable food such as salmon from Chile and mangoes from Peru. "What's great about these new airplanes is they have really good cargo capacity," said Joe Reedy, vice president of cargo sales at American, about Boeing 777s and 787s.
LinkAlaska Air reports 5.3% rise in traffic for JuneAlaska Air Group reported a 5.3% increase in traffic on a year-over-year basis for June. Alaska Air is the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines reported a 4.7% rise in traffic for June, while Horizon Air reported a 2.1% jump in traffic for the month.
LinkBoeing 777s carry 25% more cargo than older aircraftMany airlines are using cargo space in passenger planes to transport cargo instead of purchasing new cargo jets. Boeing 777s offer 25% more cargo space than its 747s, and electronics take up less space than ever before. "I was stunned and amazed by just how much capacity there is below deck" on the 777, said Glen Langdon, president of Langdon Asset Management.
LinkAirbus could debut A330neo at U.K. air show, exec saysAirbus Group has not yet decided whether to launch its A330neo at the Farnborough Airshow this month in the U.K. "The subject is still being discussed," said Marwan Lahoud, chief of strategy for Airbus. The air show is slated for July 14 - 20.
LinkBoeing, Airbus report orders for first half of yearFor the first half of the year, Airbus reported 290 net orders. Meanwhile, Boeing reported 499 net orders for January through June. Airbus delivered 303 aircraft in the first six months of the year, compared to Boeing's 181 aircraft deliveries for the same time period.
LinkAirbus patent reveals trend toward ultra-slim seats Airbus may be promoting a comfort standard for long-haul aircraft, but that hasn’t stopped it from tabling ideas for super high-density seating for short-haul aircraft. The European airframer’s concept for a “seating device with a forward-foldable backrest” was recently revealed by the hugely valuable @AeroPatent handle on Twitter (truly a must follow). In its patent application, filed December 2013, Airbus explains that the seating device comprises “a backrest which describes a circular translational movement towards the front and upwards of the device when the seating device is brought to the retracted configuration. “A seating structure is provided comprising a bearing piece on which are fixed, side by side, a plurality of seating devices with reduced bulk.”
LinkL.A. airport to begin $200M in upgrades, renovations to runways in March The Los Angeles International Airport will begin in March a $200 million project to create safety areas at the end of all its runways, a requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration for all commercial airports. The addition of arrestor beds made from collapsible concrete is one way to refurbish its runway-buffer zones. Planning is also underway for more construction for the airport's three other runways, which would include extending the west end of its inner runway by 832 feet.
LinkChecked bags on the rise, report saysSlightly more people this year say they prefer to check luggage than did last year, a new report says. A poll conducted by The GO Group and GO Airport Express found that, this year, 32% of travelers surveyed like to check baggage, compared with 28% a year ago.
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