Career Pilot

Industry News

Industry news is more important to career development and the job search than many aspiring career pilots realize. What new regulations that could affect your career lurk just over the horizon? A proposal is pending, for example, that could eliminate the longstanding FAA regulation that required airline pilots to leave the cockpit when they turn 60.

Which airline is thinking about buying another carrier? That could affect you directly if you work for the acquired carrier. Who is ordering new airplanes? If new aircraft are an addition to the carrier's existing fleet, it will have to hire more pilots to fly them. How is the industry—and individual airlines—doing financially? While a company's financial situation can change over time, you should know how an airline stands when you apply.

New business jet deliveries speed up

Deliveries of new business jets surged 40.8 percent in the first quarter and billings jumped 16.1 percent to a record $5.3 billion, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Jet manufacturers delivered 297 new airframes in the first three months of 2008 compared to 211 in the same period last year. GAMA said total deliveries this year are likely to surpass last year’s record 1,138 business jets. Although slow growth and weak corporate earnings have dogged the U.S. economy, the financial picture is brighter overseas. “The trend of increasing market share occurring outside of North America continues for most manufacturers,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA president and chief executive.

[ POSTED MAY 13, 2008 ]

SkyWest, ASA sign Bombardier maintenance deal

Airline pilots accustomed to cruising at max power are being told to fly more fuel-efficiently to save money, if not time. With record high fuel prices, savings from flying higher, or slower—or both—can more than offset the price of keeping flight crews on duty a bit longer. Southwest, JetBlue, and Northwest are among the airlines shaving about 10 knots off cruise speeds, changing altitudes to maximize tailwinds (and minimize headwinds), and making other small changes the carriers hope will trim fuel use. The airlines also have invested in new software that allows dispatchers to plan more efficient routes, altitudes, and speeds.

[ POSTED MAY 13, 2008 ]

Airlines slow down to save fuel

Airline pilots accustomed to cruising at max power are being told to fly more fuel-efficiently to save money, if not time. With record high fuel prices, savings from flying higher, or slower—or both—can more than offset the price of keeping flight crews on duty a bit longer. Southwest, JetBlue, and Northwest are among the airlines shaving about 10 knots off cruise speeds, changing altitudes to maximize tailwinds (and minimize headwinds), and making other small changes the carriers hope will trim fuel use. The airlines also have invested in new software that allows dispatchers to plan more efficient routes, altitudes, and speeds.

[ POSTED MAY 6, 2008 ]

American blames FAA for groundings

A last-minute change in rule interpretations within the FAA caused American Airlines to abruptly cancel more than 3,000 flights last month, the Dallas-based carrier said in a report to the U.S. Transportation Department. American was working with manufacturer Boeing on a wiring fix for its MD-80s, had a “handshake agreement” with local FAA inspectors, and planned to finish upgrades months in advance of FAA deadlines. But FAA headquarters overruled local officials and forced American to make immediate, costly, and disruptive changes that caused chaotic cancellations throughout American’s network. Southwest and Delta have suffered steep fines and thousands of flight cancellations over similar issues.

[ POSTED MAY 6, 2008 ]

Business jet prices fall

The domestic market appears to be softening for new and used business jets, but increasing demand overseas is preventing fire sales. Research from JP Morgan shows the number of business jets for sale jumped to 7.2 percent of the active fleet from 6.2 percent in January, and asking prices have dipped about 1 percent. The weak U.S. economy and slumping corporate profits are at the root of the downturn. About 80 percent of the world’s business jet fleet is based in North America. But growing demand from Asia, Europe, and Russia has cushioned the blow, so far.

[ POSTED MAY 6, 2008 ]

Virgin Atlantic nixes in-flight beauty therapy

The British carrier known for indulgent frills has ended in-flight beauty therapy. The service that used to be available to premium customers will still be available at some airport terminal lounges, but not at 33,000 feet over the Atlantic. About 320 in-flight beauty therapist jobs are going away. But Virgin employees needn’t furrow their brows. The company is offering them new jobs as cabin crew, or ground-based beauty therapists.

[ POSTED MAY 6, 2008 ]

Lawmakers promise merger scrutiny

Congress will take a hard look at the proposed Delta/Northwest merger and the wave of consolidation that is likely to follow, key House and Senate lawmakers said. “We are concerned that this merger could result in a cascade of mergers,” said Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). The proposed Delta/Northwest deal would create a globe-spanning super-carrier. Delta is strongest in the transatlantic market, while Northwest’s franchise is built in the Pacific. But lawmakers and employee groups say they are concerned the merger will eliminate jobs, U.S. hubs, and competition. Meanwhile, Continental Airlines, widely reputed to be considering a merger with United or American, said it intends to remain independent—at least for now.

[ POSTED APRIL 29, 2008 ]

Carriers post bleak first-quarter results

The first three months of 2008 were financially ruinous for U.S. passenger carriers, with American, Delta, and United posting massive losses. Delta’s staggering $6.4 billion loss was worst on paper—but $6.1 billion of it was related to non-cash accounting measures that included charges based on the falling value of its stock. Delta posted a 12-percent revenue increase in the first quarter, but a dramatic increase in fuel prices overshadowed all else. All told, Delta lost $274 million on operations (about $3 million a day) in the first quarter. American lost $328 million and United lost $537 million during the same period.

[ POSTED APRIL 29, 2008 ]

Being CEO still pays

Delta CEO Richard Anderson took home more than $11 million in total compensation during his first four months on the job. Most of Anderson’s pay came in the form of stock and other grants, which have declined in value as Delta’s stock has tanked. His salary was about $200,000 during the last four months of 2007. Anderson, a former Northwest Airlines CEO, took the helm at Delta in September. Since then, he has helped engineer a proposed merger between the two network carriers.

[ POSTED APRIL 29, 2008 ]

CAPT Program links with Bangkok Airways

The CAPT Program, an airline pilot training firm with flight operations in Florida, will become the model for the newly formed Bangkok Flight Academy, a subsidiary of Bangkok Airways. The academy in Thailand will operate 27 aircraft, including two jets, and prepare pilots for what it says is a burgeoning international market. The Jackson Group, a team of aviation consultants based in Duluth, Georgia, put the deal together.

[ POSTED APRIL 29, 2008 ]

Southwest pares growth

Southwest Airlines will defer about half its scheduled aircraft deliveries next year and slow its 2009 capacity growth to about 3 percent, the Dallas-based discount airline said. The airline also is considering forming new, international code-share relationships with up to six airlines after former partner ATA abruptly exited the passenger business. Southwest will take delivery of no more than 14 new Boeing 737-700s in 2009, half its previously announced number. At one time, the company expected to increase its 2009 capacity by 8 percent. Southwest is making the changes in response to record high fuel prices, but its pain isn’t as acute as some of its competitors—Southwest locked in fuel prices at $51 a barrel for about 70 percent of its purchases this year while oil prices on the open market have more than doubled.

[ POSTED APRIL 22, 2008 ]

DOT wants LGA slot auctions

The federal Department of Transportation wants an auction to decide which carriers get coveted landing slots at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA)—but the airline industry detests the idea. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said “congestion pricing” and a slot auction would cut traffic and smooth operations at the airport notorious for chronic delays. But the International Air Transport Association criticized the DOT’s “eBay approach.” The Air Transport Association also howled about new charges at a time when the airlines are in dire financial shape. “It is truly mystifying, with the airline industry in a financial meltdown due to the overwhelming fuel prices, that DOT decides now is the time for a costly economics experiment at LaGuardia,” said James May, ATA president. Virgin America, which doesn’t fly to LGA, also opposes the pricing scheme, fearing it could lock out new entrants and set a precedent for other busy airports.

[ POSTED APRIL 22, 2008 ]

Delta, Northwest merger not overcapacity fix

Airline executives and industry analysts say overcapacity has lead to destructive competition and an inability to pass along fuel price increases to consumers. But consolidation in the form of the proposed Delta/Northwest merger isn’t likely to do much to solve the airline industry’s capacity woes. Delta and Northwest have very few overlapping routes—so the merger, if approved by regulators, is unlikely to pull much capacity out of the market. The new Delta could eliminate one or two domestic hubs and ground inefficient DC-9s, MD-80s, and MD-90s, but the number of routes and daily flights is unlikely to change substantially. Other proposed combinations such as United/Continental could slash fleets, routes and jobs—but not as much as industry analysts say is needed. JPMorgan analyst Jamie Baker, for example, said the U.S. airline industry must shed 20 percent of its current capacity to return to financial health.

[ POSTED APRIL 22, 2008 ]

Delta, Northwest tie the knot

After a long and stormy courtship, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have agreed to a merger that will create the world’s largest passenger carrier—but probably not for long. Their marriage is likely to lead to a flurry of consolidation, with United and Continental the next to join forces. The combined Delta/Northwest will keep Delta’s name and Atlanta headquarters. Delta operates more transatlantic flights than any other carrier, and Northwest is strongest in Asia. Delta CEO Richard Anderson—a former Northwest CEO—will run the merged airline with combined annual revenues of more than $31 billion. Delta and Northwest have been talking about a merger for months, but the two sides appeared to abandon a deal when unions representing their pilot groups failed to come to terms. The boards for Delta and Northwest decided to go forward, however, without the blessing of Northwest’s pilots.

[ POSTED APRIL 15, 2008 ]

Northwest workers displeased

Northwest pilots and ground workers say they will do everything they can to torpedo the merger. Pilots at Delta and Northwest were unable to come to terms during months of talks, and Northwest’s pilots vow to resist any arrangement that gives their Delta counterparts advantages in seniority, pay, or ownership. Northwest pilots offered arbitration to resolve their differences, but Delta pilots said no. Delta pilots also get a 3.5-percent stake in the combined carrier and a contract extension through 2012. Northwest pilots say that, even if regulators approve the deal, labor discord could keep the new Delta locked in internal battles for years—just like US Airways three years after it merged with America West. “A merger built on this unstable foundation is likely to put the combined airline in a position similar to US Airways,” said Dave Stevens, leader of Northwest’s pilot union.

[ POSTED APRIL 15, 2008 ]

Musical hubs

The new Delta will have hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Salt Lake City, and Tokyo, and the company says it will keep all of them—for now. Airline analysts say it’s highly likely that some of the hubs will be jettisoned in the future, and Memphis and Cincinnati are most expendable. Memphis is overshadowed by Atlanta, Delta’s headquarters city and the world’s busiest airport in terms of passenger volume. Cincinnati is too close to Northwest’s Detroit hub where the airline has made huge investments to upgrade international capacity—the bright spot as a result of the weak dollar. Delta said it has no plans to close hubs or furlough workers.

[ POSTED APRIL 15, 2008 ]

More cancellations ahead

Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar said the thousands of maintenance-related flight cancellations that have plagued American, Delta, Southwest, and other U.S. airlines in recent weeks could be a hint of what is yet to come. Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation Infrastructure, blames lax FAA oversight for allowing airlines to skip required maintenance inspections. Now, Oberstar said he’s unapologetic about planes being taken out of service for safety inspections and predicts there’s more to come. “I think we can expect more aircraft being pulled out of service because they weren’t inspected when they should have been. It’s now reached a crisis point beyond the inspection dates that they’ve had to take large numbers of aircraft out of service in order to conduct the inspections that should have been done on a routine basis.”

[ POSTED APRIL 15, 2008 ]

Three airlines gone in a week

High fuel prices and reduced passenger demand led to the demise of three airlines in a single week last week: Aloha, Skybus, and ATA. Aloha fell first, blaming unfair competition in its core interisland markets. Skybus was next, as rising fuel prices made it impossible for the deeply discounted carrier to keep offering one-way fares as low as $10. As the dismal week finished, 35-year-old carrier ATA shut its doors, parked its planes, and cut loose 2,230 workers. ATA’s corporate parent, Global Air Logistics, will continue flying air cargo and charter flights through other subsidiaries, but ATA shut down immediately and it is unlikely to reopen. ATA operated Boeing 757s and 737-800s, and it had what was regarded as a highly successful alliance with discount juggernaut Southwest Airlines. Southwest was scrambling this week to accommodate thousands of passengers with ATA tickets.

[ POSTED APRIL 8, 2008 ]

Goodbye Skyway; hello SkyWest

Midwest Airlines ditched Skyway, a company-owned regional carrier, in favor of Utah-based SkyWest and its fleet of 50-seat regional jets. Midwest announced in January it planned to jettison its regional subsidiary, and this week it cut more than 300 Skyway employees. SkyWest is a growing firm that has been picking up a larger share of regional routes from major U.S. passenger carriers who find SkyWest can operate the routes more profitably than they can through owned subsidiaries. SkyWest is based in St. George, Utah, and owns ASA Airlines, a Delta Express carrier based in Atlanta, Georgia.

[ POSTED APRIL 8, 2008 ]

A new unlucky number?

London Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 might have to be renumbered—it’s been unlucky for British Airways. The state-of-the-art facility has been hampered by baggage woes that forced BA to cancel hundreds of flights. Supermodel Naomi Campbell is reported to have had a major meltdown there and spat at a British police officer. This week there were scores of additional cancelations as snow snarled travel. The facility opened March 27, and BA officials have been forced to make repeated apologies and assurances that it would improve its operational performance at T5.

[ POSTED APRIL 8, 2008 ]

Aloha shuts down

Aloha Airlines shut down passenger flights and agreed to sell its cargo operations, the 61-year-old carrier announced. The shutdown ends the jobs of about 1,900 Aloha employees. “This is an incredibly dark day for Hawaii,” said David A. Banmiller, Aloha’s president and chief executive. “Despite the groundswell of support from the community and our elected officials, we simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer of secure continued financing for our passenger business. We had no choice but to take this action.” Aloha blamed “unfair” discount competition from new carriers for cutting prices and revenue in its core inter-island flights, and skyrocketing fuel costs, for its demise.

[ POSTED APRIL 1, 2008 ]

Open skies won’t shake up Heathrow

A new “Open Skies” agreement between the United States and the European Union is unlikely to disrupt the status quo at London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s largest international gateway, according to an official from Virgin Atlantic. U.S. and E.U. officials praise Open Skies as a way to increase flights, routes, and airline jobs, as well as lower consumer prices in transatlantic markets. But Barry Humphreys, Virgin’s director of route development, said flights between Heathrow and the United States are forecast to grow by about nine daily this year—in line with current trends, and definitely not a major increase or transformation. European airline officials say they plan to lean on E.U. negotiators and U.S. airlines to push for greater access to U.S. markets in future talks. European carriers also want to eliminate U.S. laws that currently limit foreign ownership of U.S. carriers to 25 percent.

[ POSTED APRIL 1, 2008 ]

Delta launches Shanghai route

Delta Air Lines inaugurated its first China flight with a nonstop, 15.4-hour trip from Atlanta to Shanghai. A Boeing 777-200 ER will make the 7,659-mile trip daily between Delta’s Atlanta hub and China’s main business center. Delta can carry up to 268 passengers on each flight, and the twin-engine plane will typically consume about 34,000 gallons of jet fuel on each leg. Delta, which has a robust transatlantic route network but trails Northwest and United in the Pacific, had been seeking a China route for many years. Delta and other U.S. carriers are beefing up international routes to gain from favorable currency exchange rates and avoid increasing discount competition in domestic markets.

[ POSTED APRIL 1, 2008 ]

Brazilian jets for AirBrazil

JetBlue founder (and former CEO) David Neeleman placed an order for 36 new Brazilian-made Embraer 195 jets for his start-up passenger carrier, AirBrazil. Neeleman launched his last airline, JetBlue, with a fleet of Airbus A320s, but he said the smaller Embraers are a better tool to compete with Gol and other Brazilian airlines that fly larger jets. Gol flies 150-seat Boeing 737s. “The Embraer 195 is the perfect plane for the Brazilian market,” Neeleman said. “With 30 percent fewer seats than the aircraft favored by the competition, the Embraer 195 offers competitive unit costs and much lower trip costs. Because we can make money with fewer passengers per flight, we can provide nonstop service in more markets than exists today.” AirBrazil expects to take delivery of its first 195 late this year.

[ POSTED APRIL 1, 2008 ]

2008’s first airline bankruptcy

Aloha Airlines’ corporate parent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection and plans to keep flying while it tries to sort out new deals with creditors and its 3,500 workers. The inter-island passenger carrier blamed new competition from Mesa Air Group’s Go! subsidiary for its financial woes. Go! first landed in Hawaii in 2006, and the discounter has been cutting deeply into the market long dominated by Aloha and Hawaiian airlines. Rising fuel costs didn’t help, either. Aloha predicts its annual fuel bill will rise $71 million above last year’s levels.

[ POSTED MARCH 25, 2008 ]

FAA predicts flat airline demand

The FAA’s forecast for 2008 air travel demand has changed to a flat line. The agency revised its predictions sharply downward and said domestic air travel demand will be flat at best—not the steady surge it had predicted. “We’re seeing a definite pause in growth,” FAA Acting Administrator Paul Sturgell said. Domestic air travel growth is expected to rise 0.6 percent in fiscal 2008, down from a forecast 3.4 percent. High oil prices and a sluggish U.S. economy are the main reasons for the sharp drop in demand, Sturgell said.

[ POSTED MARCH 25, 2008 ]

NetJets, FlightSafety invest in Columbus

NetJets will keep its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio; add more than 800 new employees; and invest $220 million, the growing fractional ownership group announced. The company had been evaluating other cities in North Carolina and Texas but stuck with Ohio when state and local governments offered upwards of $67 million in incentives. FlightSafety International, a sister company, also said it will dramatically expand its simulator training in Columbus to create the world’s largest flight sim facility there.

[ POSTED MARCH 25, 2008 ]

Costly oil could take toll on RJs

Major hub-and-spoke airlines are likely to slash fleets of 50-seat regional jets as high fuel prices make the cost of using the planes prohibitive, according to The Boyd Group, an aviation consulting and forecasting organization. Small RJs, operated by regional carriers on fuel cost-plus leases, are less efficient measured on a seat-mile basis than larger aircraft. A decade ago, labor costs were a higher percentage of airlines’ total operating costs. But post-9/11 wage cuts and escalating fuel prices have made small regional jets less attractive, and The Boyd Group anticipates that many older RJs will soon face forced retirement.

[ POSTED MARCH 25, 2008 ]

Biggest Boeing 787 customer expects more delays

International Lease Finance Corp. Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy expects a redesign of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner center wing box to delay the highly anticipated program six months—but the company isn’t commenting. The 787 program has been delayed three times to date, and top management has been replaced once. The first 787 is scheduled to fly this year, and the first delivery is supposed to take place next year. Hazy, with 74 of the ultra-efficient aircraft on order, said increases in the aircraft’s weight have required a redesign of the center wing box, a key structural component that determines wing strength.

[ POSTED MARCH 25, 2008 ]

Southwest grounds a bunch of Boeings

Southwest Airlines parked 43 older Boeing 737s and suspended three employees after an examination of maintenance records turned up questions about the kinds of inspections performed on the aircraft. The Dallas-based discount airlines canceled about four percent of its flights because the planes were unavailable. The FAA hit Southwest with a proposed $10.2 million fine for continuing to fly 46 aircraft without performing required safety inspections of the aircraft fuselages. The grounded planes were scheduled to return to service after the inspections had been completed at maintenance bases in Dallas and Chicago.

[ POSTED MARCH 18, 2008 ]

More than 1,000 new pilots hired last month

AIR Inc., an Atlanta pilot placement firm, said U.S. airlines hired 1,038 new pilots in February despite a slowing national economy and record high oil prices. The hiring forecasts for the rest of this year remain bullish as pilot retirements continue. Among major carriers, Continental plans to hire 350 new pilots this year; JetBlue, 380; and US Airways, 325. Regional airline hiring will be even more robust with American Eagle hiring 700 new pilots; ASA, 500; and Republic, 600. AIR Inc. anticipates that more than 10,000 new airline pilots will be hired this year.

[ POSTED MARCH 18, 2008 ]

Filling those job aerospace job vacancies

JSfirm, a Web site that lists aerospace positions, said it’s helping job seekers match a growing demand. “When JSfirm started nearly 10 years ago, we had no idea the demand to find qualified aviation professionals would be this high,” said Tonya Salatino, a manager at the Fort Worth, Texas, company. The company’s Web site pulls in more than 3 million hits a month from job seekers and advertisers. About 40,000 aviation professionals have posted resumes on the JSfirm site.

[ POSTED MARCH 18, 2008 ]

SAS buys Bombardier jets, turboprops

SAS Scandinavian Airlines will buy 27 jets and turboprops from Bombardier with options for up to 24 more, despite the airline’s concerns over several landing-gear failures on Bombardier Q400 turboprops last year. SAS banished Q400s from its mainline fleet last fall after it experienced three landing-gear incidents in six weeks. An investigation revealed no flaws with the landing gear design. SAS will buy CRJ900s and Q400s with a total value of $883 million; that could grow to $1.75 billion if the airline exercises all options.

[ POSTED MARCH 18, 2008 ]

Continental pilots increase their war chest

Pilots at Continental Airlines voted to increase the size of a fund designed to protect their interests in case of a future merger. “Pilots at Continental are preparing themselves in the event the airline becomes engaged in a potential merger,” said Jay Pierce, head of the Air Line Pilots Association at Continental. Airline consolidation rumors have intensified as Delta Air Lines and Northwest confirmed they were holding merger talks, although steps toward a deal appear to have halted over a dispute about how to combine pilot seniority lists. United Airlines also has unsuccessfully sought combination with other hub-and-spoke carriers.

[ POSTED MARCH 18, 2008 ]

Cessna Caravan takes heat over ice

A lawyer for nine skydivers who were killed when the Cessna 208B Caravan they were riding in struck a mountain in Washington has sued Cessna, claiming the single-engine turboprop shouldn’t be certified for flight in icing conditions. “Our goal is to have the 208B decertified from flying in icing conditions,” said Dean Brett. Cessna declined comment citing pending litigation. According to a preliminary NTSB report, the pilot of the accident airplane didn’t file a flight plan despite warnings for IFR conditions and icing along his route. The pilot also died in the crash.

[ POSTED MARCH 18, 2008 ]

Another Dreamliner delay?

Boeing’s 787 may be facing more delays as wiring problems push back the first engine start from spring to summer, according to Richard Safran, a Goldman Sachs analyst. “Changes to the airplane have caused a delay in completing wiring of the aircraft,” Safran wrote in a research note. Boeing has delayed the Dreamliner delivery schedule several times already and replaced key leaders in the development of the ultra-efficient, long-range aircraft. The first 787 customer delivery is scheduled for early 2009. Boeing has sold 857 Dreamliners to date.

[ POSTED MARCH 11, 2008 ]

Southwest responds to FAA fine

Southwest Airlines seemed genuinely surprised by the FAA’s record $10.2 million fine and a chorus of accusations from FAA and Congress over missed safety inspections. The Dallas-based discount carrier said that it discovered the maintenance oversights on its legacy Boeing 737-300 and -500 aircraft, disclosed them to FAA officials, and received assurances that the airline was in compliance last year. “The FAA approved our actions at that time and we considered the matter closed,” Southwest spokesman Paula Berg said on the company’s Web site. “The safety of our fleet was not compromised.”

[ POSTED MARCH 11, 2008 ]

Fan blades cause CRJ engine failures

Defective fan blades on General Electric CF34-3B1 engines that have caused two in-flight failures on Canadair CRJ-200 regional jets should be taken out of service, the NTSB recommended. Manufacturing defects caused failures that resulted in loud banging and severe vibrations aboard CRJs in 2006 and 2007. The planes landed safely and no one was injured in either incident. Both failures were traced to a manufacturing defect at a Teleflex plan in Mexico that has produced about 28,000 blades now in service.

[ POSTED MARCH 11, 2008 ]

US Airways pilots feel slighted

Although their carrier was bought out of bankruptcy court and merged with America West in 2005, US Airways pilots say they are still paid at lower rates than their peers within the same airline. “The US Airways pilot group has been living under the same bankruptcy-derived contract for years, although US Airways is now a viable standalone carrier that has produced hundreds of millions of dollars for its shareholders,” said Jack Stephan, chairman of the union representing US Airways pilots. “The pilots of this airline deserve pay parity in line with what the America West pilots are compensated.” Even thought they fly many of the same airplanes on the same routes for the same company, the two pilot groups continue to work under separate labor contracts.

[ POSTED MARCH 11, 2008 ]

Judge’s order could harm airline safety

Pilots and airlines sharply criticized a federal judge for ordering Comair to turn over confidential safety violation reports to families seeking punitive damages for the 2006 accident in Lexington, Kentucky, that killed 49 people. The reports give details of at least four incidents in which pilots lined up with the wrong runways. The Lexington crash took place when a Comair regional jet crew mistakenly attempted to take off from a too-short runway before dawn. Pilots and airline officials say the confidential Aviation Safety Action Program is a valuable tool that will become useless if flight crews and air carriers know the information they provide can be used against them. “If these safety reports are released to third parties, this revolutionary, nonpunitive safety system will be in jeopardy, putting the traveling public at undue risk,” said John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. “This ruling undoes a lot of hard work we’ve all accomplished in airline safety and sets us back by decades. It will bring preemptive, proactive safety solutions in our industry to a screeching halt, forcing us to rely once again only on information gathered after accidents. The public deserves better.”

[ POSTED MARCH 11, 2008 ]

How not to land in a crosswind

A viral video of a Lufthansa A320 attempting to land in a severe crosswind—and scraping its left wing tip—in Hamburg, Germany, on March 1 lit up aviation blogs around the world. Some took the crew to task for attempting to land in winds that were reportedly gusting to 55 knots and may have exceeded the A320’s crosswind limits. Others praised the crew for quickly reacting with a timely go-around. The strong winds came in the wake of a powerful cold front that swept across Europe. The botched landing video claimed the top spot on YouTube for a time, and NBC Nightly News featured it as well.

[ POSTED MARCH 4, 2008 ]

Delta, Northwest pilots discuss seniority

The on-again, off-again courtship between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines may be on again. Pilot union leaders from the two large U.S. hub-and-spoke carriers reportedly met to discuss the seniority issues that have prevented the airlines from consummating a merger. Delta has the strongest transatlantic network of any U.S. carrier, and Northwest has a powerful route network in lucrative Asian markets. Delta CEO Richard Anderson used to be the top executive at Northwest. Anderson has insisted that any combination be named Delta and that its headquarters stay in Atlanta. A marriage between the two carriers would likely eliminate some jobs, reduce some domestic routes, and put existing hubs in Memphis and Cincinnati in danger of closure. The airlines say they need to increase efficiency and reduce overcapacity in the face of record high fuel prices.

[ POSTED MARCH 4, 2008 ]

Southwest fined for skipping inspections

The FAA is seeking to slap Southwest Airlines with a $10.2 million penalty for flying 46 Boeing 737s without performing mandatory fatigue crack inspections. The Dallas-based discount carrier reportedly found cracks in six of those planes. “The FAA is taking action against Southwest Airlines for failing to follow rules that are designed to protect passengers and crew,” FAA Associate Administrator Nicholas Sabatini said. “We expect the airline industry to fully comply with all FAA directives and take corrective action.” The FAA accuses Southwest of ignoring a September airworthiness directive that required detailed inspections of the aircraft fuselages. Southwest has 30 days to respond to the FAA’s charges.

[ POSTED MARCH 4, 2008 ]

Pilots oppose British Airways plan

European and U.S. pilots are resisting an effort by British Airways to launch a separate carrier known as “OpenSkies.” British pilots say the carrier would use the same planes but different flight crews paid at lower rates than BA crews. “Allowing BA airplanes to operate without BA pilots will do irreparable harm to all British Airways pilots, indeed to all the world’s airline pilots,” Air Line Pilots Association President John Prater said in the video message to BA pilots. “If British Airways succeeds in its current demands, it will open the door for every international carrier in the EU to follow the same path.” BA plans to use the “OpenSkies” alter-ego airline to provide passenger service from Paris and Brussels to the United States under a new U.S.-European Union air services agreement. Set to begin with a single airliner in June 2008, BA is expected to attempt to expand “OpenSkies” to six airplanes by the end of 2009.

[ POSTED MARCH 4, 2008 ]

Let’s all move to first class

American Airlines is under fire from environmentalists for flying a Boeing 777 from Chicago to London with just five paying passengers. The London Daily Telegraph said a trip on February 9 carried fewer passengers than crew. It’s one of four daily flights American operates between Chicago and London. American said it had to send the nearly empty aircraft across the Atlantic to handle a return flight that was heavily booked. American certainly would have liked to avoid the expense of operating the international flight—sending the nearly empty plane on the one-way trip cost the Dallas-based company more than $60,000.

[ POSTED MARCH 4, 2008 ]

Pilot seniority issues cloud merger

It seemed as if Delta and Northwest Airlines were close to revealing a long-awaited merger deal. But now an impasse concerning pilot seniority has placed the alliance at risk, reported the Associated Press from Atlanta. As a result, the airlines might remain independent, merge with other competitors, or even wait until next year to make a deal. “I can conceive of the pilots not coming to an agreement and destroying a potential merger,” the AP quoted airline analyst Ray Neidl as saying. Sources told the AP that the two airlines’ pilots’ unions agreed on a joint contract, equity stakes for pilots, and some pay raises, but have been unable to reach a consensus on how seniority for 12,000 pilots working for a combined airline could be structured.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2008 ]

Other unions oppose mergers

Northwest’s baggage handlers and ticket agents’ union said that it would oppose any merger, reported the Associated Press from Minneapolis. And the International Association of Machinists believes airline mergers harm employees and passengers; it also bargains for workers at United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and other carriers. The statements came as pilot unions at Northwest and Delta Air Lines studied ways to work out their differences in the event of a possible combination. The International Association of Machinists does not represent workers at Delta, the report noted.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2008 ]

Pinnacle pilots preparing to strike

Pinnacle Airlines pilots have opened a strike operations center in Bloomington, Minn., said an Air Line Pilots Association news release. The preparations for a potential strike come after three years of contract negotiations. “We want to send a clear message to Pinnacle management: Pinnacle pilots are serious about doing whatever it takes to negotiate a contract that recognizes the sacrifices the pilots have made to the financial success of this airline,” said Capt. Scott Erickson, chairman of the ALPA unit at Pinnacle. Capt. Erik Addy, chairman of the Strike Preparedness Committee, said that pilots “are fully prepared to conduct a strike if management refuses to negotiate a reasonable agreement.” Low morale and “en masse” departures of pilots to other airlines have stemmed from lack of pay raises and increased time away from home, said the announcement. Pinnacle, based in Memphis, operates as Northwest Airlink and Delta Connection.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2008 ]

Oil prices force new fare hikes

United Airlines increased fares $10 on most domestic round-trip flights in an effort to offset fuel cost increases, reported the Associated Press from New York. It was the fourth such move by the airline industry this year, based on data from FareCompare.com. Fuel remains one of the industry's biggest expenses. Surging oil prices climbing back above $100 a barrel recently are seen threatening new profitability airlines have achieved.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2008 ]

Virgin tests ‘natural’ jet fuel

Jet fuel derived from coconut and babassu nuts oils? Last Sunday, Virgin Atlantic flew a Boeing 747 from London Heathrow to Amsterdam “with one of the four engines burning a mixture of 80 percent jet fuel and 20 percent oil from naturally grown plants,” reported the online edition of the Wall Street Journal. That first commercial airline test of biofuel “came off without a hitch” and demonstrated that airliners may not always depend on petroleum alone. The report said that Virgin and the other project participants hope that in three to six years, jets could be partly powered by naturally grown oils, and that the fuel’s production process could reduce total emissions by 20 percent.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2008 ]

New ATC simulators deployed

“Sim time” is not just something for pilots to keep track of when meeting training requirements. Air traffic controllers can log sim time, too. The FAA announced that it will deploy new air traffic tower simulators to 19 locations around the country “to help train thousands of new air traffic controllers in an operational environment that is interactive and provides realistic scenarios.” The FAA will also install six additional simulators at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Tower simulators have been used for training in Chicago, Miami, Phoenix, and Ontario, Canada since 2006. Last December the agency awarded a contract to Adacel Systems of Orlando, Florida, to provide another 24 simulators. The Tower Simulation System “includes a large, graphic depiction of the airfield and the area around the airport and can be adjusted to depict different weather conditions and times of the day,” the FAA said.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 26, 2008 ]

Prescription: merger?

Could a merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines spur a joining up of United and Continental? Reuters New Service, in a dispatch from New York, cited sources close to the action as making such a prediction. The report added that industry analysts believe “mergers are needed to help stabilize the volatile industry, which finally emerged from a five-year slump in 2006 after racking up $35 billion in losses.” Consumers may not welcome the news, as combinations might also lead to higher fares in markets where flight are scaled back. And the Justice Department could prevent mergers that adversely affect competition, further complicating the deal making.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 19, 2008 ]

Gates, slots eyed after mergers

AirTran Airways’ chief executive said that he supports airline industry consolidation because it could free up gates at busy airports. In the event of a large-carrier merger, regulators likely would require that the combined company divest both gates and traffic slots in the name of antitrust compliance, said Bob Fornaro, president and CEO of AirTran Holdings Inc. He spoke at a luncheon speech sponsored by the Aero Club, according to an Associated Press report from Washington. Fornaro also said increased congestion and delays in the skies and on runways could be blamed on “many carriers' preference for using smaller planes to operate more flights,” said the AP report. He endorsed incentives for carriers to use larger aircraft, in addition to capacity growth, over a government plan to make it more costly for airlines to fly to congested airports at peak traffic periods.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 19, 2008 ]

Pilot pay snapshot

The Web site Airline Pilot Central has published a February 2008 edition of the Airline Pilot Pay Snapshot, providing hourly pay figures for flight crew members. The previous edition from July 2007 was downloaded more than 25,000 times, and “as always, it's free for the taking and distribution,” said an announcement on the APC home page.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 19, 2008 ]

ALPA educates on incursions

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has joined AOPA and other aviation industry organizations in highlighting runway incursions as a subject of pilot education. ALPA launched a “Hold Short for Runway Safety” campaign on its Web site, “designed to raise the awareness of the measures that can prevent runway hazards through an interactive web site and a series of informative newsletters. The web page will highlight where runway incursions occur most often and suggestive ways that pilots can avoid this ever-increasing safety risk.” In the United States alone, approximately 2.5 runway incursions happen every day, the union’s announcement said.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 19, 2008 ]

Opening Pacific skies

The latest open skies agreement to make headlines is coming with a Pacific flavor, now that Australia and the United States have agreed to drop limits on air service between the two countries, reported the Associated Press from Sydney. The agreement clears the way for more competitiveness on “one of the world's most lucrative and protected long-haul routes.” The terms remove all restrictions for carriers of both countries, ending “a virtual duopoly” by Qantas and United Airlines. Qantas has a 75-percent market share on the Australia-U.S. route, said the report. Agreement came after three days of negotiations in Washington. The pact will become effective after formal approval by both governments.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 19, 2008 ]

Speeding controller hiring

The hiring process for air traffic controllers can be reduced by as much as a month, say government officials, but union members are skeptical, reported the Associated Press from Washington. The FAA last week said it has devised a means for streamlining security clearances, medical screenings, and other delays, allowing the process to be completed in about two weeks. Meanwhile, the FAA and the union have been deadlocked in a contract dispute since 2006. “While the agency insists staffing has no impact on flight delays, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association says congestion problems will worsen unless the government hires more controllers and pays them more,” the report said. It added that the Government Accountability Office cited FAA leadership, malfunctioning technology, and overworked controllers in a spiking of safety incidents in 2007. The FAA has plans to hire more than 1,800 controllers this year and increase staff levels above 15,000.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 19, 2008 ]

Major merger could come soon

A Delta-Northwest Airlines combination could be announced in just weeks, with Northwest pilots reviewing details of a deal, reported Reuters from New York. Citing “people briefed on the situation,” the news service reported that Northwest's Air Line Pilots Association unit was provided an outline of how a merged airline would shape up. Another source said a merger, creating the world’s biggest passenger airline, might be announced very soon. However, spokespersons for Northwest, financial advisors, and the pilot unions all declined comment. Reuters quoted an industry analyst saying a great “sense of urgency” associated with cost cutting is driving the deal-making.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2008 ]

Career flight instructors finding niche

Airline hiring trends that include reduced total-time minimums have left many aviation educational institutions in a struggle to find and retain well-qualified flight instructors, said a Daniel Webster College official. The school has responded by refocusing its search “on more career-oriented professional flight educators, moving away from new grads who used their brief CFI time as the first rung on their professional ladder to the major airlines.” Future trends are also being studied. “Within the college, we have always wanted and have tried to recruit the career-oriented professional flight instructor," said Daniel Webster Chief Instructor Aidan Wilps. "However, industry norms and expectations have always been a huge burden to overcome.” Instructors with flight education as a career goal may now find new incentives to stay in their chosen field, Wilps said. For more information about Daniel Webster’s Aviation program and CFI opportunities, visit the employment page.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2008 ]

Air Canada a merger candidate?

The majority owner of Air Canada has been approached by private investors and others about ways the airline could become part of the industry’s trend toward consolidation, reported Reuters from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, citing comments by ACE Aviation Holdings Chief Executive Robert Milton. A weak share price for the airline spurred the talks. “In my view, as I watch the U.S. airlines scurrying around to merge, anybody that actually ties up with Air Canada gets a unique piece of geography relative to the way the U.S. guys would split it up," Milton said. He had not yet consulted with government officials about means of amending federal legislation that restricts foreign ownership to 25 percent of a Canadian air carrier. But a merger could also be a Canada-only deal, he said.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2008 ]

United’s passengers are listening

How do pilots feel about their passengers listening in on ATC communications in flight? An article on the Wall Street Journal’s Web site explored that question. Some passengers found the radio traffic entertaining; others found it relieved some of their stress from flying—especially if their pilot had a confident air on the air. United Airlines makes audio feeds available in the passenger cabin and says the channel “tends to be the most listened-to channel on its entertainment system during takeoffs and landings,” the WSJ reported. But technology is changing the rules of the game. Some captains opt to cut off the transmissions and “say they have grown wary of possible YouTube postings of their work and are concerned about lawsuits should passengers overhear mistakes,” the article reported.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2008 ]

ASTAR contract talks completed

ASTAR Air Cargo crewmembers and management reached a tentative agreement on a third labor contract, reported a news item on the Web site of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The negotiations have continued since January 2005, aided since April 2006 by the National Mediation Board. ASTAR crewmembers “will receive retro pay and more than 20 percent in pay increases over the course of the four-year agreement. In addition, the pilots will receive furlough protections and a commitment by the company to secure new aircraft,” ALPA said. The contract is now pending ratification by crewmembers. ASTAR carries “roughly 50 percent of the weight out of Wilmington, Ohio, each night for DHL, the world’s largest and most experienced international air express network,” the announcement said.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2008 ]

LUV and marriage?

Southwest Airlines, which flies under the stock ticker symbol LUV, is surveying the landscape for opportunity as acquisition and merger talk swirls in the airline industry, reported the Dallas Morning News in an article that appeared on the newspaper’s business Web page. "I think consolidation provides an opportunity for Southwest regardless of what we do," said CEO Gary Kelly, adding, “We have enough exposure to other airlines in the U.S. that if they shrink, we'll benefit. And of course, I wouldn't eliminate the possibility that we would participate in some form or fashion in consolidation.” Although the airline continues to operate only its trademark Boeing 737s, the report said Kelly told those attending a Raymond James Growth Airline Conference in New York “that Southwest is willing to consider a partner that flies other types of airplanes.” He described the differing aircraft type issue as an “impediment” but not a “deal killer.”

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ]

Investors close Midwest deal

The private-equity firm Midwest Air Partners LLC and minority partner Northwest Airlines officially closed a deal to purchase Midwest Air Group, reported MarketWatch. Midwest added that it would work with Northwest to help reduce costs in aviation insurance and tackle fuel expenses. MarketWatch said Midwest Air Partners’ affiliate TPG Capital had investments in Continental Airlines, America West, Ryanair, Hotwire.com, Gate Gourmet, Sabre, and others, as well as 15 years’ experience in the aviation business.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ]

United employees to choose union

Employees of United Airlines will begin voting this month on representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, reported MarketWatch from New York. Some 9,300 employees are represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, which the Teamsters say lacks enough clout to prevent more mechanic jobs moving overseas. Workers will vote between February 26 and March 31 on whether or not they agree. A minimum of half the eligible employees, which include 5,770 mechanics, must vote to validate the election, said the report.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ]

TSA launches security blog

Airport security, with its frustrations for travelers, flight crews, and airport workers, has spawned an interactive twist. The federal government is inviting airport users with gripes to express them on the Transportation Security Administration’s new web log introduced last week. Cynical air travelers aren’t impressed just yet. “This will just make it easier for them to receive complaints for them to ignore in the name of national security,” said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, according to the Associated Press. But TSA Administrator Kip Hawley said, “We will incorporate what we learn in this forum in our checkpoint process evolution. Our postings from the public will be reviewed to remove the destructive, but not touch the critical or cranky.” Airline expert Terry Trippler cautiously praised the idea, noting that TSA “was in the right church, just not the right pew yet.”

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ]

FBO operator announces technological upgrade

FBO operator and business aviation service provider Signature Flight Support announced a technology move that it said will provide “real-time flight, customer, and airspace status for customer service, line operations, and marketing through visual flight tracking and web dashboards.” The upgrade comes from a new PASSUR FBO software package contracted from Megadata Corp. “The program includes detailed marketing reports and analytics for FBO managers and marketing staff. It is based on the PASSUR proprietary database powered by the PASSUR radar network deployed throughout the U.S. and abroad,” said a news release.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ]

The season for internships

Mid-winter isn’t too early for college students to be looking for summer internships that could open the door to an aviation career. Career sites such as Aviationnews.net can take you where you want to go. Internships recently listed as open to applicants in the web site’s job bank included a 12-week full-time internship at the Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming. See the listing for detailed requirements. Also, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority was accepting resumes/applications for a variety of internship positions in airport management-related areas.

[ POSTED FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ]

Unions contemplate merger talks

Airline labor unions are trying to develop strategies for capitalizing on consolidation in the industry if it happens, reported the Associated Press from Dallas. Continental Airlines’ unionized pilots set up a special group to study possible deals. The AP reported that Tom Donaldson, union chairman at Continental, said his members would be content if the airline continues to fly solo but would want a voice in proceedings if “merger mania”—as the AP described it—comes to the airline, especially after his 5,200 pilots took wage cuts in 2005 to help save the airline. Northwest pilots and flight attendants had also said they would support a merger “if employees get an ownership share in the new company.”

[ POSTED JANUARY 29, 2008 ]

Labor coalition seeks contract compliance

Labor groups representing about 30,000 union members at US Airways have formed a coalition “to demand that management complete the merger that began nearly three years ago. Specifically, management needs to adhere to current labor contracts and reach new collective bargaining agreements that improve the wages, benefits, and working conditions of US Airways employees,” said a news release on the Web site of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The coalition of workers from the former America West and US Airways units included union leaders for pilots, flight attendants, customer service representatives, dispatchers, fleet service workers, and mechanics. “US Airways management failed to work with labor from the beginning of this merger and has continued this practice for nearly three years, leading us to where we are now—a once promising airline with a plummeting stock price, consistent rankings at the bottom of the industry, and disgruntled employees,” said the statement.

[ POSTED JANUARY 29, 2008 ]

Airlines tweak surcharge strategies

Fuel surcharges continue as the airlines’ method of choice for responding to volatility in fuel prices. Reuters reported from New York that American Airlines, United and US Airways doubled fuel surcharges to $40 from $20 on domestic round-trip tickets to match last week’s move by Continental Airlines. Following the rejection of many surcharge attempts by the flying public recently, however, airlines “were more selective in increasing the fees, raising them on 66 percent of their respective networks,” said Reuters, citing information provided by FareCompare.com.

[ POSTED JANUARY 29, 2008 ]

American Eagle launches new service to Mexico

American Eagle Airlines, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, plans to add a daily nonstop flight between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport in Tampico, Mexico (TAM), starting on April 7. American Eagle will fly 44-seat Embraer ERJ-140 jets on the route. Peter Bowler, president of American Eagle, said Tampico becomes the eighth city in Mexico served from DFW by the airline.

[ POSTED JANUARY 29, 2008 ]

US Airways Express gets new president

A 41-year-old vice president of financial analysis at US Airways will take over as president of US Airways Express, said a company announcement. Dion Flannery will succeed Robert Martens, who announced his retirement. Flannery will be responsible for oversight of US Airways’ wholly owned regional carriers, Piedmont and PSA Airlines, and the seven regional affiliates operating as US Airways Express. Flannery joined America West Airlines in 2002 as vice president of route planning and scheduling. He became vice president of financial analysis in 2005. His career began in 1993 at Continental Airlines, where he served in a variety of capacities.

[ POSTED JANUARY 29, 2008 ]

Northwest’s pilots open to merger

Pilots at Northwest Airlines could support a merger as long it includes a pay hike and satisfies other conditions, the Associated Press reported from Minneapolis. Union leaders who met last week unanimously passed a resolution saying that “a merger may be in the best interests of the Northwest pilots.” Delta Airlines is looking at possible combinations with Northwest and United Airlines. The AP report said that even tentative pilot approval of a merger is significant because pilots “are likely to be one of the biggest sticking points in any airline combination. Integrating the unionized pilots of two large airlines is difficult because they both want to hang onto their hard-won seniority and the pay and scheduling perks that go with it.”

[ POSTED JANUARY 22, 2008 ]

Airlines boost fuel surcharge

Airline fuel charges are increasing, reported Reuters from New York. American Airlines recently doubled its domestic fuel surcharge, to $40 per round-trip ticket, although it held back the fee in markets with competition from low-cost operators. Delta, United, and Continental matched the increase. The news service cited FareCompare.com reporting that Continental matched the increase and in some cases “levied different surcharges on many city pairs” depending on travel dates. FareCompare “also said that United and Continental raised fuel surcharges on some round-trip fares to as high as $60,” Reuters said.

[ POSTED JANUARY 22, 2008 ]

China carriers contemplate consolidation

Airline combinations and acquisition bids are bringing a flavor of free enterprise to China’s carriers, reported the Associated Press from Hong Kong. The parent of China's flag carrier, Air China Ltd., offered $1.9 billion for 30-percent ownership of rival China Eastern Airlines Corp. in what the AP called “the latest twist in an unusual public takeover battle between two Chinese state companies.” China Eastern doubted the sincerity of the CNAC offer, “because it was sent in a letter that did not have the endorsement of the company's directors, according to a statement issued late Sunday,” reported the AP. The report noted that China's aviation market is fast-growing but hindered “by the inefficiencies of its state-owned airlines.”

[ POSTED JANUARY 22, 2008 ]

Will Boeing lose sleep over Dreamliner?

Boeing’s recent announcement of an additional three-month delay rolling out its 787 Dreamliner may provoke a lawsuit from Japan Airlines. Reuters reported from Tokyo that JAL, which has ordered 35 Dreamliners, might seek compensation from Boeing for delays in delivery. “Of course, we will consider such an action,” JAL CEO Haruka Nishimatsu responded to a reporter’s inquiry. Nishimatsu said JAL had not yet determined the damage to its business, but was accountable to shareholders. The Dreamliner is the fastest-selling airliner in history, but delays have put the program about nine months behind schedule, the report said.

[ POSTED JANUARY 22, 2008 ]

Northwest chief hints at consolidation

Northwest Airlines’ chief executive said the company could benefit from the right kind of merger, according to a report by the Associated Press from Minneapolis. The statement came as the board of Delta Air Lines met to discuss that possibility. The AP said an internal memo to employees from Northwest Airlines chief Doug Steenland stated that his airline's board and leadership would carefully study any proposal. “The right transaction could be of benefit to our employees, our shareholders, and the communities we serve,” he said. Sources cited by the AP said that “Delta's board was expected to be asked to allow formal talks between Delta and Northwest and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, with the idea that Delta would ultimately choose to combine with one of the two.”

[ POSTED JANUARY 15, 2008 ]

Controllers’ union questions staffing

An insufficient number of veteran air traffic controllers means that there is a “staffing emergency” eroding air and runway safety in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Southern California, said the union representing the nation's 14,800 controllers in an article on CNN.com. “The whole system is going to hell in a handbag, and it doesn't seem that anybody cares,” Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told reporters in a conference call, predicting that overworked controllers would make mistakes. An FAA spokeswoman disagreed with the union’s assessment and described union statistics as “misleading.” The FAA planned for a recent surge in retirements, hiring 1,815 new air traffic controllers last year—more than projected, said spokeswoman Laura Brown.

[ POSTED JANUARY 15, 2008 ]

Mesa in ‘expedited’ talks

Mesa Air Group and its pilots have launched “expedited negotiations” for a new contract, the Air Line Pilots Association said in an Associated Press dispatch from Phoenix, Arizona. The union asked the regional carrier to “address pilot staffing and morale issues that it says have negatively impacted Mesa operations,” the report said. It added that upwards of 500 pilots left Mesa in 2007, which ALPA said caused delays and cancellations. Mesa employs about 1,800 pilots and is primarily a regional flight operator for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and US Airways Group.

[ POSTED JANUARY 15, 2008 ]

Pact spawns new airline

First it was the name of a transcontinental air travel agreement. Now it will name a new airline. Business Week reported online that British Airways plans to launch a new airline flying between the United States and continental Europe. “By flying from the Continent to the U.S. without stopping over at London's crowded Heathrow airport, BA aims to claw back some of the business it may lose when American and European rivals add competing flights to Britain from the U.S.,” the report said. The new carrier, to be called OpenSkies, “takes its name from the treaty to liberalize air travel that will allow operators from either side of the Atlantic to fly anywhere within the EU and the U.S.,” pending regulators’ approval. The airline will provide service with a Boeing 757, with another to be added by year’s end.

[ POSTED JANUARY 15, 2008 ]

Continental receives Boeing 737-900

Continental Airlines has taken delivery of the airline's first 737-900 extended-range jet, according to a Boeing announcement. The model is expected to increase the airline's capacity and to improve fuel efficiency. The airline said it has 26 additional 737-900s on order from Boeing. The manufacturer said that Continental’s 737-900ER has a 173-seat configuration accommodating 20 first-class and 153 economy-class seats.

[ POSTED JANUARY 15, 2008 ]

Career view: airport management

Want to know what it’s like being a senior operating executive of one of the nation’s largest airports? Ever wonder what’s it like to deal with the competing interests of the major carriers that fly—or would like to fly—to and from that hub? “It's like having a bunch of children; every one of them is different and they all have different needs. As long as you can keep them all happy, you can have a pretty good operation,” says Joe Lopano in an interview with Aviation Week. Since 1997, Lopano has served as executive vice president for marketing and terminal management for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. There he oversees passenger and cargo network development, advertising, and marketing programs, among other duties. He has management experience from Lufthansa, Continental, and Pan Am airlines. Read the complete interview on the Aviation Week Web site.

[ POSTED JANUARY 15, 2008 ]

Delta AirElite adds Learjet 45

Delta AirElite, the business aircraft charter and management subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, announced that it has added a Learjet 45 to its fleet. In October, the company put two similar aircraft and a Cessna Citation to work, reported the Associated Press. Delta AirElite “has access to more than 400 business jets, mostly through charter agreements, according to its Web site,” said the AP dispatch.

[ POSTED JANUARY 8, 2008 ]

American pilots oppose seniority arbitration

The union representing pilots at American Airlines said it opposes a new law permitting the use of binding arbitration in seniority disputes when two carriers merge. The Allied Pilots Association said Congress should stay out of labor negotiations, reported the Associated Press from Dallas. The union has 12,000 pilot members at American. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) proposed that employee seniority rosters be combined in a “fair and equitable manner” in future corporate combinations. Seniority disputes would enter binding arbitration after 20 days. The proposal was attached to a $555 billion spending bill signed by President Bush last month, the AP reported.

[ POSTED JANUARY 8, 2008 ]

Pilots to picket at NBA game

What do pro basketball and airline labor protests have in common? Usually not much—unless Champion Air, the airline that transports 13 National Basketball Association teams is involved. “On Tuesday, January 15, Champion pilots will be picketing the Wizards/Knicks game and you need to help them send their management team a message to stop crying ‘Foul’ and calling ‘Time Out,’” said a news release on the Air Line Pilots Association’s Web site. Champion’s pilots and management have negotiated since January 2005; a mediator joined the talks in September 2005. There have been no meetings since September 2007, but ALPA was instructed “to be ready to return to the bargaining table early in 2008,” the news release said.

[ POSTED JANUARY 8, 2008 ]

Airliner anti-missile tests planned

As many as three American Airlines aircraft will be equipped this spring with laser technology under development to protect airplanes from terrorists’ missiles, reported the Associated Press from Dallas. There will be no tests on passenger-carrying flights. “But the tests, which could involve more than 1,000 flights, will determine how well the technology holds up under the rigors of flight,” the AP reported.

[ POSTED JANUARY 8, 2008 ]

Airline execs rose from the ranks

Two executives who came up through the ranks in the airline business have been named to top management positions for operations on the East Coast by US Airways. Suzanne Boda, 48, “will have responsibilities for the airline’s hub at Philadelphia International Airport, Shuttle operations, international operations, and the airline’s cargo business,” the announcement said. Boda began her career in 1983 at Northwest Airlines in customer service at the airline’s Minneapolis hub, rising to vice president for in-flight services. Robert Ciminelli, 56, will serve in the newly created position of vice president, Philadelphia hub, with direct oversight of all operating functions. His career began in 1979 at American Airlines as an airport agent at LAX. He rose to managing director at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport.

[ POSTED JANUARY 8, 2008 ]

Pilot retirement age increased to 65

President George W. Bush signed a law December 13, 2007, making it legal for airline pilots to fly until age 65. This newly signed Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act requires that international crews abide by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards set in 2006 requiring at least one of the pilots to be less than 60 years old, but the legislation does not apply that restriction to domestic operations. The FAA had proposed the age change in January 2007, but legislation shortened the process. It’s unclear how many pilots will choose to continue their flying careers beyond age 60; pilots who turned 60 before the legislation was signed cannot return to work unless they return to the bottom of the seniority ladder. More information on the change can be found on the FAA’s Web site.

[ POSTED JANUARY 2, 2008 ]

DOT approves China routes

The Transportation Department has finalized the awarding of new China routes to four domestic airlines starting in 2009, reported the Associated Press from Washington. US Airways’ China service will begin with a flight between Philadelphia and Beijing. American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Northwest Airlines each got approval to add a new daily flight to their existing service. The service additions were enabled by a July 2007 agreement between the two countries that will double the daily flights permitted between them over the next five years, the AP reported.

[ POSTED JANUARY 2, 2008 ]

US Airways recalls flight attendants

US Airways said it would recall more than 200 flight attendants effective February 15 in preparation for the busy summer travel season, and to fill slots expected to become vacant through retirement and attrition. Notices were being sent to eligible employees on a seniority basis among furloughed flight attendants. Since merging with America West in 2005, US Airways has recalled 330 flight attendants, said a company news release.

[ POSTED JANUARY 2, 2008 ]

MAXjet bankruptcy issues in court

A federal judge said newly bankrupt MAXjet Airways Inc. can use $390,000 to “accommodate” about 1,000 customers stranded by the airline's Christmas Eve bankruptcy filing, reported the Associated Press. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware, issued interim approval of MAXjet's request to compensate other airlines for carrying its passengers, and to book hotel rooms for the affected travelers. The order also authorized credit-card company refunds to customers who had booked tickets on the airline. The airline operated flights from London's Stansted Airport to New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. It ceased operations “in the face of high fuel prices, fierce competition and its failure to raise new capital,” the AP reported.

[ POSTED JANUARY 2, 2008 ]

American Eagle could lose routes

A pilots' union is concerned that American Eagle might cut as many as 250 flights if AMR Corp. divests the commuter to satisfy requirements laid out by pilots of American Airlines, reported the Associated Press from Fort Worth. The Air Line Pilots Association, representing American Eagle pilots, said the cuts could target flights using Dallas Love Field, Kansas City, and San Jose, California, under a contract provision mandating that certain flights be flown “by carriers wholly owned by AMR.” The issue “is just another example of the lack of any strategic vision or coordination over the sale of this airline,” said a union spokesman. A company representative conceded that the contract with American’s pilots might affect the commuter airline’s schedule, but added that continuing negotiations could solve the problem.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

Merger watchers focus on Alitalia

Airline consolidation has many industry watches’ eyes turned toward Europe, where Alitalia SpA's labor unions contemplated Christmas strikes unless included by the Italian government in talks about the struggling airline’s fate, reported the Associated Press from Rome. The Filt Cgil union said the action could even occur during a period when strikes are illegal. Unions wanted details of offers for Alitalia presented by groups including Air France-KLM and the small Italian carrier Air One. Alitalia's board delayed its choice of bidder until December 18 to negotiate merger terms. The government has a 49.9 percent stake in Alitalia, but reports said the Italian Cabinet is split on a choice, the AP said.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

Pilot pensions head to court

A joint announcement by Northwest Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association noted union support for the airline filing a federal lawsuit asking approval of a restructured pension plan for its pilots, said a news release on the Northwest Web site. The new pension plan, which was proposed by ALPA and endorsed by the company, “is designed to provide an equitable distribution of retirement income for the airline’s approximately 4,500 pilots,” it said. The plan is opposed by “some longer-serving pilots,” the announcement added, and for that reason Northwest petitioned the court to determine the plan’s legality, with the union holding status as an intervener through a motion to the court.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

American announces new routes

American Airlines has launched new routes and service to domestic and Latin American destinations from South Florida. Passengers flying from Miami International Airport will find greater access to Colombian cities and the option to fly nonstop to Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Phoenix, Ariz.; Sarasota/Bradenton, Fla.; and Savannah, Ga. Fort Lauderdale departures will now fly to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic without requiring connections. The service expansion “demonstrates our strong commitment to sustained growth and progress in South Florida and Latin America,” said Peter Dolara, a Miami-based American Airlines senior vice president.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

WhyBlue?

In an online article about the airline industry, BusinessWeek.com described as “a peculiar lifeline from across the Atlantic” the news that Deutsche Lufthansa was to become a minority shareholder of JetBlue Airways. The advantage for JetBlue was the “obvious” $300 million capital infusion at a time of financial squeeze. But the article quoted a Morgan Stanley analyst saying that “it's not clear to us what Lufthansa gains from such a transaction.” One motivation might be better access to JFK International Airport beyond what it has with its other partners. And the move comes at a time when JetBlue shares are down 50 percent from their 52-week high price, “making the investment far cheaper and more attractive,” the article noted.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

Maintenance workers to be recalled, hired

American Airlines announced plans to recall or hire 200 to 250 maintenance employees in anticipation of increased workloads in 2008. Staffing levels will change at American's overhaul bases in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Fort Worth, Texas; and Kansas City, Missouri; and at line maintenance facilities across the airline's system, the announcement said. The round of hiring will help support increased work volume next year now that American has begun overhauling landing gear on its Boeing 777 and 737 fleets and on the American Eagle Embraer Regional Jet fleet. American “will also start heavy checks on the General Electric CFM56-7 engine, which powers its Boeing 737-800 fleet,” the news release said.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

Careers for aviation educators

If finding a position in aviation education is your career goal, there are many ways to go about it. Universities, colleges, and flight training institutions are many, and most of them post job openings on their Web sites. Another, more concise approach to finding a position as a professor of aviation is to scrutinize professional opportunities posted on the web site of the University Aviation Association. UAA, based in Auburn, Alabama, describes itself as “The Voice of Collegiate Aviation Since 1947.” Among the goals in its mission statement is “to provide and nurture the linkage between college aviation education, the aviation industry, and government agencies.”

[ POSTED DECEMBER 18, 2007 ]

Pilots developing consolidation strategy

Unionized pilots at Delta Airlines are planning ahead for the impact of industry consolidation. The governing body of the Delta Air Lines pilots union met recently in Atlanta to discuss consolidation and union strategy, according to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Also attending were outside legal counsel, investment bankers, and industry experts. “Consolidation is an ever-present possibility in the airline industry and at some point may become inevitable or even desirable,” the news release said. “After years of career threats including the 9/11 repercussions, concessions, bankruptcy, and an attempt to reject the pilot labor contract, a hasty and ill-conceived merger attempt would be disastrous.”

[ POSTED DECEMBER 11, 2007 ]

Pact seen triggering mergers, fare cuts

The Open Skies Agreement that will end four carriers’ route dominance of traffic between London’s Heathrow Airport and the United States is comparable to “a new battle of the Atlantic,” said an article on Barron’s Online. “A study prepared for the European Union by the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton suggests that the initiative will generate at least 26 million additional trans-Atlantic passengers annually within five years, a 50-percent increase over the current 50 million. That could help the global aviation industry continue increasing its earnings,” said the article, an extensive treatment of the pact’s implications. In the more competitive environment, it said, fares would likely fall 10 percent or more; the changes also could trigger a round of airline mergers in Europe.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 11, 2007 ]

Record passengers, record delays

U.S. airlines are on track to transport a record number of passengers this year, reported the Associated Press from Washington, citing a government agency study. Despite the industry’s well-publicized struggles with delays, more than 522 million passengers traveled on U.S. airlines the first eight months of 2007, reported the Transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That was up 3.4 percent from the same period in 2006. Another record was the 81.2-percent-full domestic and international flights during the period. But “the industry's on-time performance in 2007 is the worst since comparable data began being collected in 1995. More than 24 percent of flights arrived late in the first nine months of 2007,” the report said.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 11, 2007 ]

Colgan to serve 9 new cities

United Airlines announced service to nine new East Coast cities from Washington-Dulles International Airport. Service between Dulles and Bradford, Penn.; Jamestown, N.Y.; and Parkersburg, W.Va. is to begin January 7, 2008. Service will begin a bit later from Altoona and Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Beckley, Clarksburg, and Morgantown, West Virginia; and Shenandoah Valley, Va. United Express regional partner Colgan Air will provide the service, using 34-seat Saab SF-340 aircraft.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 11, 2007 ]

Retrenchment at Frontier

Soaring fuel costs have forced Frontier Airlines to cut 100 “corporate employees” in Denver and target fleet reductions, reported the Denver Business Journal, citing company sources. Some $5 million in savings are expected from the workforce reduction, which did not include any pilots, flight attendants, or other employees who work directly with aircraft. Fleet size and future deliveries would be evaluated, said Frontier President Sean Menke. Frontier has a fleet of 60 Airbus 318, 319 and 320s. “The cost of jet fuel has climbed 18 percent since October,” Menke said.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 11, 2007 ]

AMR to divest American Eagle

AMR Corporation, parent of American Airlines, has announced plans to divest American Eagle, its wholly owned regional carrier. AMR said the divestiture “is intended to provide it with the structure, incentives, and opportunities to win new business and provide new opportunities for American Eagle's employees. AMR also believes that the divestiture will enable American to focus on its mainline business.” The two airlines would continue operating under “a mutually beneficial air services agreement.” The form of the divestiture could be “a spin-off to AMR shareholders, a sale to a third party, or some other form of separation.” The target time period for completion is 2008. American Eagle operates an estimated 300 aircraft, with approximately 1,700 daily flights to more than 150 cities in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico. American Eagle is expected to generate $2.3 billion in revenue this year.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 4, 2007 ]

ALPA unit responds to divestiture news

American Eagle pilots union chairman Captain Herb Mark said Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) officials were awaiting a meeting with airline executives about the proposed divesture of American Eagle by American Airlines parent AMR Corp. “Any new ownership would be subject to our existing collective bargaining agreement, which contains protections for our pilots in the event of a sale or merger,” the statement said. “Regardless of who owns American Eagle, nothing is more important to ALPA than resolving the issues that have created strained labor relations between pilots and management. For several years pilots have been forced to fly more hours in a day because of understaffing. The staffing shortage has led to exhausting flight schedules, causing our pilots to sacrifice needed rest in order to meet the company’s bottom line.”

[ POSTED DECEMBER 4, 2007 ]

Airlines ‘proactive’ about first big storm

Winter weather woes have airlines lining up solutions before big storms hit this winter. United Airlines announced before last weekend’s Midwestern snowstorm that it would “proactively” cancel some flights and rebook customers on others. United also offered advice for customers traveling to, from, and through some Midwest hubs, waiving certain change fees as an incentive for travelers to reschedule their plans. Also reacting to the storm forecasts, Northwest Airlines issued temporary travel reaccommodation options for customers scheduled to travel the first weekend of December. Northwest customers could travel earlier or later than originally scheduled to, from, or through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Michigan “without penalty or administrative change fees.”

[ POSTED DECEMBER 4, 2007 ]

DOT fights ‘chronic’ delays

A government crackdown on “chronically late” airline flights has paid off, reported MarketWatch from San Francisco. A news report said the Department of Transportation’s efforts to scrutinize certain flights “that almost always show up late” seemed to be effective, “with none of the 183 most chronically delayed flights in early 2007 earning those black marks in the third quarter.” A DOT spokesman said schedule adjustments by the airlines involved improved performance.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 4, 2007 ]

Continental offers greener ‘footprint’

Continental Airlines announced the launch of a carbon offsetting program developed in partnership with nonprofit Sustainable Travel International. The voluntary program “allows customers worldwide to view the carbon footprint of their booked itinerary, which Sustainable Travel International calculates from fuel consumption of Continental's aircraft,” the news item said. The carbon-offsetting option was in keeping with a company-wide commitment to environmental responsibility. The airline said it has achieved almost a 35-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption per mainline revenue passenger mile flown over the past 10 years.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 4, 2007 ]

Delta adds Atlanta-Lagos route

Delta Air Lines inaugurated the only flights by a major U.S. airline between the United States and Nigeria on December 3. The daily nonstop service links Atlanta and Lagos, Nigeria, which is one of Africa's major business centers. Delta, which is the only U.S. airline to fly to Africa, flies between Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa (via Dakar, Senegal), and between New York-JFK and Accra, Ghana, the report said. A JFK-Lagos flight schedule was planned for June 2008.

[ POSTED DECEMBER 4, 2007 ]

United seeking to merge?

Indications including an “extended pause” in fleet expansion continue to signal that United Airlines parent UAL Corp. is searching for a merger partner, reported Reuters from New York. But the report, based on an analysis in Business Week’s December 3 edition, said that rumored potential partner Delta Airlines might merge with Northwest—not United, as earlier speculation had suggested. Reuters said industry experts “believe that a Delta deal with Northwest Airlines is more likely than one with United, as the two companies belong to the same international alliance and have complimentary route structures.” One industry expert quoted in the report said that United did not work as hard as other airlines to alter its business model during the company’s bankruptcy following the economic downturn of 2001 and 2002. Now the company believes that “a merger is the road home.”

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2007 ]

Fuel costs drive holiday fares higher

US Airways Group Inc. increased prices by $5 on domestic tickets to offset fuel costs, reported the Associated Press from New York. The fare hike “is the latest in a series of fare increases the industry has attempted in recent months as oil prices have surged,” the report said. When the increase was announced, prices for crude oil were hitting new trading records and closing in on $100 a barrel. The AP report quoted Rick Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com, noting that US Airways is not typically the carrier to initiate fare increases. Also, he said ticket price changes are rare during the Thanksgiving travel season. He predicted that other airlines would begin to match the increase.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2007 ]

Northwest seeks pilots, interns

Northwest Airlines plans to hire 250 to 350 pilots over the next 12 months and is inviting applicants to submit online profiles, said a hiring notice on the fifth largest airline’s Web site. “Pilot candidates who meet our qualifications and prescreening criteria will receive an e-mail and will be invited to complete an online application,” the notice explained. Northwest also has a number of unpaid internships available at the company’s Operations Training Center in St. Paul, Minn. Designed for students pursuing careers as a commercial airline pilot, they are open to juniors and seniors majoring in aviation or aeronautical science; students must earn college credit for their internship. For more information on this and other internships see the Northwest Airlines Web site.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2007 ]

ASA pilots ratify contract

Pilots at Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines voted to ratify a new contract following five years of negotiations, said a new release on the Air Line Pilots Association Web site. ALPA said 83.45 percent of voting pilots favored the agreement. “Despite many obstacles over the past five years, our pilots persevered and achieved a contract that further secures their jobs and provides overdue increases to their compensation,” said Capt. Dave Nieuwenhuis, chairman of the ASA ALPA unit.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2007 ]

FAA says UND’s ATC program top

The University of North Dakota Air Traffic Control Training program was ranked number one in the nation by the Federal Aviation Administration, the university announced. The award followed an FAA evaluation of 33 schools participating in the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative. More than 300 students are enrolled in UND’s air traffic control degree program, which incorporates classroom instruction and three air traffic control simulators.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2007 ]

Denver deicers undergo retraining

Some workers assigned to deice aircraft for many airlines at Denver International Airport must be retrained. A television station showed footage “of an instructor giving some applicants the answers to required written exams,” reported the Associated Press. A contractor serving airlines that account for about half of Denver’s traffic employed the trainer. An undercover employee of KCNC-TV in Denver applied for a deicing post, then secretly recorded some training. “The video showed an instructor giving applicants the answers to multiple-choice and written test questions, as well as telling them how to spell the word ‘hail’ and where to put commas,” the report said. An executive of the contractor said the instructor was fired after an internal investigation.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2007 ]

Delta bizjet subsidiary named ‘best’

Delta Airlines’ business jet subsidiary Delta AirElite Business Jets was named Best Private Jet Service by Executive Travel Magazine readers. The magazine’s Leading Edge Awards, published in October, honor travel industry leaders and innovators. Delta AirElite Business Jets provides aircraft charter, aircraft management, and a fleet membership program. The 23-year-old enterprise is the only business jet operator owned by a major U.S. airline. The company flies Bombardier Challenger, Learjet, Gulfstream, Hawker, and Cessna aircraft.

[ POSTED ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007 ]

Emirates academy taps Cirrus, Eclipse

Dubai Aerospace Enterprises Flight Academy has purchased two SR22 aircraft from Cirrus Design Corporation of Duluth, Minnesota, accepting delivery at the Dubai Airshow. They will be used for “curriculum development and instructor standardization training,” Cirrus said. DAE Flight Academy also ordered 12 Eclipse 500 jets, marking Eclipse's entry into the ab initio flight training market, said a company news release. Delivery is scheduled to begin next year. The company said the aircraft is “ideal for the new ICAO multi crew pilot license (MPL) and a great tool to prepare for the airline training.” The academy uses technically advanced aircraft to train zero-time pilots.

[ POSTED ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007 ]

Investors push Delta-United combination

Large investors are pressing for a merger of Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. The Associated Press reported from New York that a hedge fund which advocates a combining of the two airlines has taken its case to major shareholders of the two companies in search of support. That presentation was led by former Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune, who is an adviser to hedge fund Pardus Capital Management LP. The agenda “included talks on how to save the U.S. airline business but the focus was on consolidating the Atlanta-based Delta and the Chicago-based United.” The AP reported. Pardus holds about 2.5 percent of Delta's shares and about 4.8 percent of United’s, it said.

[ POSTED ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007 ]

ALPA may face ouster vote

Some dissatisfied US Airways pilots have moved forward with plans to replace their union in contract talks with the carrier. The company wants to put all pilots on a single salary and benefits agreement, reported the Associated Press from Phoenix, Arizona. The new US Airline Pilots Association said it has asked the National Mediation Board to call a representation election. A successful vote would oust the Air Line Pilots Association International. USAPA President Stephen Bradford said more than 3,000 signatures out of about 5,300 of the airline’s pilots have been gathered—enough under federal rules to call a vote and win collective-bargaining rights, Bradford said. ALPA urged pilots to stick with them, reported the AP. The airline is struggling to combine its labor force after America West Airlines acquired US Airways in 2005.

[ POSTED ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007 ]

Retirement-age language passes

By a vote of 270 to 17, the U.S. House passed the Transportation Appropriations conference report that includes language to raise the upper age limit for airline pilots to 65, said a news release on the Air Line Pilots Association Web site. The language “is consistent with ALPA’s Executive Board resolution adopted on May 23” on how such a change should be brought about. The news release expressed optimism that the Senate would pass the appropriations bill conference report promptly. However, a veto threat looms because the appropriations bill “is $3 billion more than the administration requested,” ALPA said.

[ POSTED ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007 ]

Grounding of airliners considered

The rising cost of fuel has led airlines to consider steps such as grounding aircraft, Reuters reported from Washington. The news service said United Airlines might ground up to 100 airliners to save money on fuel. Other carriers are thinking about similar moves, the report said, citing an industry source. United’s chief financial officer, Jake Brace, recently told investors, “We have a lot of flexibility in our fleet in that we have a little over 100 unencumbered aircraft that we could ground, sell, whatever we needed to if the demand environment were such that it didn't make sense to fly those planes.”

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

UPS hiring window closing Nov. 15

The United Parcel Service hiring window was to close Nov.15, 2007, but may reopen in January 2008, depending on the airline’s hiring needs, reported AIR Inc., the Atlanta-based pilot career information firm. Minimum qualifications include 1,500 hours fixed-wing time; 1,000 hours pilot in command of a fixed-wing turbine aircraft; and an ATP certificate or commercial/instrument/multiengine. Experience flying large jets internationally is preferred.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

Probe demanded after underfueling report

Have air carriers “underfueled” aircraft as a cost-saving measure in the high-priced fuel environment? New Jersey’s two U.S. senators called for investigation of that after a New York City TV station’s news report. Reuters said senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez sought investigations into a report that “more planes over a six-month period this year landed at Newark Airport with minimum fuel than in a similar time frame two years ago. In some cases this year, pilots declared fuel emergencies for immediate clearance to land.” Menendez requested that the FAA investigate and issue interim reserve-fuel guidelines that increase the margin for error. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said, “We don't have any indication right now that airlines are flying planes with less than the required amount of fuel.”

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

Continental’s diversity program praised

Continental Airlines was among 16 companies featured in Latin Business magazine's Corporate Diversity Honor Roll for the second consecutive year. The listings were published in the magazine's Summer/Fall 2007 issue. The companies were praised for their “well above average” employee diversity programs. “We are very pleased that our diversity efforts are being recognized and applauded,” said Pete Garcia, Continental vice president for Latin America. “We embrace and reflect diversity in everything we do, from our workforce to our supplier base, from customer programs to community outreach.” Approximately 17.52 percent of Continental's workforce is of Hispanic descent, and Hispanics occupy many top-level positions at the company, the news release said.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

Union pay plan rebuffed

American Airlines rejected a pilots' union pay-raise proposal on grounds it would cost the company more than $1.4 billion annually, the Associated Press reported from Hurst, Texas. On another labor front, American took on the Transport Workers Union. TWU Vice President Dennis Burchette said members want pay raises next year “that will fully make up for pay cuts they took in 2003, when the company was near bankruptcy,” the AP reported. The pay reductions averaged nearly 18 percent in 2003. Annual raises since then have been 1.5 percent. TWU represents seven worker groups, mostly baggage handlers and mechanics.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

Northwest eyes Vietnam

Northwest Airlines, participating in a first-ever U.S. trade mission to Vietnam, says the airline says it is ready to begin new service via Tokyo as soon as government restrictions are eased. “Northwest wants to participate in the development of this exciting new market and bring the benefits of a new U.S. carrier—and the NWA network—to Vietnam,” said Fred Deschamps, Northwest’s vice president for international marketing and sales. The airline said Vietnam first needs to ease restrictions on U.S. carrier service via Japan.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

ALPA lauds NTSB focus on fatigue

The National Transportation Safety Board’s Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements were praised by the Air Line Pilots Association. “NTSB’s decision to again name worker fatigue among its Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements reflects both the seriousness of the threat and the slow pace of action to address it. Today’s federal aviation flight- and duty-time limits are an outdated patchwork of rules developed decades ago. The regulations fail to take into account current science, flight schedules, aircraft equipment, and travel distances,” said Capt. Terry McVenes, ALPA’s executive air safety chairman. ALPA would “urge the FAA to pursue realistic, science-based flight- and duty-time limits that make certain that airline pilots in both passenger and cargo operations are rested and ready to perform their jobs,” McVenes said.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2007 ]

American, Eagle pilots reach agreement

Pilots at American Eagle and American Airlines reached a tentative agreement with their respective managements that settle three outstanding disputes over the parties’ flow-through/flow-back agreement. The agreement will allow a significant number of American Eagle pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International, to move to American Airlines. Before that can happen, however, furloughed American Airlines pilots—represented by the Allied Pilots Association—must be recalled to American Airlines. “We believe that if we can create a joint interest centered on career progression and a strong relationship with our mainline, we will be best positioned to address the existing disparity between mainline and regional pilot scope interests,” said Herb Mark, master executive chairman of the Eagle pilot group. The agreement will facilitate pilot recruitment at American Eagle by providing guaranteed movement in the pilot seniority list, bonus programs, and incentives for pilot retention. According to its Web site, American Eagle flight officer candidates currently must have 500 hours’ total time and 100 hours’ multiengine time.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2007 ]

New era seen for Stewart Airport

Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, could take on new importance to metro-New York City air travel. The Associated Press reported that the airport was taken over by Port Authority officials “who promised to remake the underutilized Hudson Valley airport into a bustling hub for New York City-area travelers.” With the major area airports confronting capacity and delay problems, officials in New York and New Jersey see Stewart as a potential source of relief. Stewart is about 60 miles north of New York City. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will spend $78.5 million to assume a lease to operate the former Air Force base through 2099, the AP reported.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2007 ]

Airbus delays taking financial toll

Airbus parent EADS (European Aeronautics Defense & Space Co.) announced that delivery delays of its A400M military aircraft could cost up to $2 billion. That led the company to abandon its full-year profit guidance to the financial community and announce that it would issue a revised forecast when third-quarter earnings are released, reported the Associated Press from Paris. But a company statement warned that additional delays are possible. Analysts compared the announcement to recent schedule troubles with the superjumbo A380; the first of which was delivered to Singapore Airlines nearly two years late.

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2007 ]

American, Delta increase fares

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines raised round-trip fares on flights within the continental United States by $20 to offset the cost of jet fuel, reported Reuters from Chicago. The increase came after other carriers raised fares in recent weeks, as the price of crude oil was setting new records. “Just since August, average spot market crude oil prices have risen by nearly $14 a barrel,” American parent AMR Corp. said. “That increase translates into more than $1 billion of additional annual expense (for) American.”

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2007 ]

FAA: Worst incursions down

The Federal Aviation Administration says it exceeded its goal for reducing the most serious runway incursions by 25 percent in fiscal year 2007. The FAA made the announcement in a news release on its Web site. “There were 24 serious runway incursions this past year out of more than 61 million operations, or one incursion for every 2,545,000 operations, improving on the agency’s goal of no more than one incursion for every two million surface movements,” the announcement said. “The agency’s focus on better training, clearer signs, and new procedures has made our runways safer,” said Hank Krakowski, chief operating officer for the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. Long term, the FAA will seek technological solutions including “cockpit warning systems and deployment of runway status lights in conjunction with ASDE-X, a safety tool that enables air traffic controllers to detect potential runway conflicts by providing detailed coverage of movement on runways and taxiways.”

[ POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2007 ]

Capping JFK flights an 'admission of failure'

Federal dictates to either reduce flights or boost peak-period landing fees for airlines as a means of reducing delays would be an admission of failure for both the government and the industry, a Boeing Company executive said. The comments about so-called congestion pricing—by Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes—were reported by The Associated Press. Federal aviation regulators recently held a two-day meeting focused on addressing "epidemic" delays at JFK, which had "the worst on-time departure record of any major U.S. airport through August," the AP reported. The current government proposal to fix delays seeks a reduction of the airport's hourly flight limit by 20 percent.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

Mesa becomes partner in new China airline

Joint venture carrier Kunpeng Airlines has begun operating in China's Shaanxi Province, reported Reuters from Beijing. The airline is a venture between China's Shenzhen Airlines Ltd. and U.S.-based Mesa Air Group Inc. and marks the first such venture by a U.S. carrier in the expanding Chinese market. Rapid expansion is planned before next year's Beijing Olympics. The airline "gives Mesa a foothold in one of the world's fastest-growing economies at a time when expansion for regional carriers in the United States is slowing," the report said. The new airline, whose controlling stake is held by the Chinese partner, uses three 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 jets. The report said the airline plans to expand to six aircraft by the year's end, with a 20-aircraft fleet to be in operation before the August 2008 Olympic Games.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

ExpressJet trimming routes

Regional airline ExpressJet will halt service between Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Louisville International Airport on December 1, said a report in the Triangle Business Journal. RDU spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin cited the airline's complete exit from Louisville. Houston-based ExpressJet is a regional carrier for Continental Airlines that has begun flying passengers under its own brand on regional routes, using 50-seat jets. The report said ExpressJet would continue flying to six destinations from Raleigh-Durham.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

Air France strike impact worse than expected

Air France flights were disrupted because of several days of strikes by flight attendants, the Associated Press reported from Paris, but officials hoped for improvements this week. Flight attendants were striking over pay and working conditions, but negotiations were expected to resume. The labor action, during a holiday period in France, "proved more disruptive than the company had initially projected, with fallout from domestic delays affecting long-haul flights and international connections as well," the AP reported.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

NWA boasts 'best' margin

Northwest Airlines Corp. reported third quarter pre-tax profits of $405 million, said a news announcement on Business Wire—a 57-percent improvement over the third quarter of 2006, exclusive of reorganization items. For the nine months of 2007 so far, Northwest reported $778 million in pre-tax profits, or a 153-percent improvement over the equivalent period in 2006. Doug Steenland, president and CEO, was quoted as stating that the company's third quarter pre-tax margin "was 12 percent, the highest among U.S. network carriers."

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

FAA expands air traffic education program

The pool of air traffic controller candidates could soon increase significantly. Nine more colleges and universities have been selected by the FAA to train future controllers, the agency said in a news release—making a total of 23 schools that participate in the agency's Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program. "Of the 1,815 new controllers hired in fiscal year 2007—a number exceeding the target set in the agency's controller workforce plan—approximately 800 were graduates of CTI schools," the announcement said. Graduation does not guarantee a ticket to the FAA Academy, but students accepted may skip the initial five-week basic training in air traffic control. Starting pay for new air traffic controllers is higher than for most entry-level pilot jobs.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

ALPA officials testify at Canadian inquiry

Security screening methods ignore the trustworthiness of pilots and focus "on a search for objects," said Capt. Craig Hall, the Air Line Pilots Association's national security committee director for Canada. His comments came in testimony before a Canadian government inquiry to evaluate airline security improvements since the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight that killed more than 300 people. "Unless and until the system becomes more human-centered, rather than weapon-centered, we will remain vulnerable to potential hijackings and other aircraft attacks," he said, according to a news release on the ALPA Web site.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 30, 2007 ]

Southwest, Continental had profitable summers

Summer vacation was a happy time at Southwest Airlines and Continental Airlines. Both reported record passenger loads and higher profits despite rising fuel prices, reported the Associated Press Southwest reported third-quarter profit more than triple those a year ago. Continental’s higher earnings stemmed from heavy volume on international routes. Although recent fare hikes by some airlines do not seem to be deterring travel, a threat does loom. “Long term, the big concern is the economy, but right now fuel is the monkey on their backs,” Ray Neidl, an analyst for Calyon Securities, told the AP. “The airlines would be producing spectacular results if oil weren't at $90.”

[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]

ERAU career expo open to public

More than 100 employers in aviation/aerospace, engineering, and high-tech industries will meet with job hunters at the 2007 Industry/Career Expo at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The free event, open to the public, will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on November 7 and 8 in the university’s ICI Center at 600 S. Clyde Morris Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida. Airlines represented will include Air Wisconsin, American Eagle, ATA Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, and World Airways. See the university’s Web site for more information.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]

AIR Inc. sets Atlanta job fair Nov. 17

AIR Inc., the Atlanta-based pilot career information resource firm, will hold its last job fair of 2007 in Atlanta on November 17. AirTran, Jet Blue, Southwest, Cathay Pacific, and Emirates will be among the more than 20 airlines and companies recruiting pilots. For job fair information, see the Web site.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]

Independent service costly for regional

Trying to launch its own brand-name service, one regional carrier is finding out about market risk. Reuters reported from New York that ExpressJet Holdings Inc. registered a second consecutive quarterly loss from bearing the cost burden of starting up its own scheduled service. ExpressJet, which operates regional flights for Continental Airlines, began flights under its own brand in April—but reported a net loss of $22.3 million compared to previous-year profit of $22.7 million. ExpressJet had to find new uses for 69 aircraft, roughly 25 percent of its fleet, “after Continental canceled a capacity purchase agreement last year,” said Reuters. Its largest undertaking was its own scheduled service with about 42 aircraft, linking cities such as Oklahoma City and San Diego.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]

NetJets boosts pilot pay

Fractional-share aircraft operator NetJets has added an addendum to its current pilot contract that increases pay rates and establishes 100 new domiciles, reported AIR Inc., the Atlanta-based pilot career information resource firm. The addendum includes the following salaries:

• 1st year FO: $56,875/year (7 day on/7 day off schedule)
• 5th year CPT: $100,408/year (7 day on/7 day off schedule)
• 1st year FO: $62,563/year (15 day flexible schedule)
• 5th year CPT: $110,449/year (15 day flexible schedule)
• 1st year FO: $69,188/year (18 day fixed schedule)
• 5th year CPT: $122,147/year (18 day fixed schedule)

Pilots are to vote on the addendum October 29. If passed, the current contract will run through 2012.

[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]

American to add Chicago-Moscow route

American Airlines will begin nonstop service from Chicago O'Hare to Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport on June 2, 2008, said an announcement on PRNewswire-FirstCall. Moscow will be the fifth major international destination added by American from O'Hare since November 2005, when nonstop service to Delhi, India, began. In April 2006 a daily nonstop flight to Shanghai, China, was initiated. Flights to Buenos Aires and Beijing will be added in December 2007 and March 2009, respectively. American plans to fly the Chicago-Moscow route six days a