Career Pilot
Industry News Archive 2007
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.
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 week, using 225-seat, two-class Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]
Continental ground crews consider union
The Transport Workers Union has filed union-authorization cards with the National Mediation Board seeking an organization vote by about 8,000 Continental Airlines ground employees, reported the Associated Press from Houston. The workers load bags, handle freight, and do other ground tasks. A previous effort by the union to become the workers' bargaining agent was narrowly defeated last year. Union President James C. Little said the Continental workers’ pay was cut about 10 percent in 2005. Unlike the airline's union employees, they received no written guarantee that the cuts would be undone when the company resumed profitability, the AP reported. Continental recently reported earnings of $241 million for the three months ended September 30.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 23, 2007 ]
New York panel eyes 'congestion pricing'
A federal task force convened by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters in September is pondering how to open the bottleneck of New York's congested airspace, with special focus on curing chronic delays at the three major area airports. Otherwise, said an Associated Press report from New York, the answer may lie in a federal order to cut the number of allowed flights. The discussion has raised the idea of "congestion pricing," creating financial disincentives for scheduling flights during the busiest times of day. But the report said airlines are pushing for better airspace management instead. "For decades, jetliners traveling over the dense Eastern Seaboard have been directed to use a small number of old flight paths, some laid out in the days when pilots still navigated by signal fires," the report said. President Bush has asked the task force to report back by December.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 16, 2007 ]
United, Tam announce code share pact
United Airlines and Tam SA of Brazil have announced a code-sharing agreement allowing passengers to book service on both airlines and also apply frequent-flier miles toward either carrier. Tam operates from the Brazilian cities of Sao Paolo and Rio de Janiero to Chicago and Washington, D.C. When passengers arrive in the States they can connect to United flights for 35 cities including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle; the connecting flight can be booked at the same time as the overseas flight. The agreement is pending approval by oversight agencies in both countries, the Associated Press reported.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 16, 2007 ]
American pilots' union seeks benefits restoration
A pilots' union wants American Airlines parent AMR Corp. to restore benefits yielded during leaner times, reported Forbes.com. A news report cited a "scathing letter" to AMR Chief Executive Officer Gerald Arpey from Allied Pilots Association President Lloyd Hill, who "reiterated the union's frustrations with recent executive stock bonuses—$250 million worth over the last two years"—and accused executives at the parent company of American Airlines of withholding sick pay from disabled employees. The September 18 letter containing a strike threat was only recently made public in a Fort Worth Star-Telegram report. Reportedly the letter told Arpey, "Enjoy your blood money and your union-busting meetings. We'll see you in court, in the newspapers, and on the picket line." An airline spokeswoman described the communication as "a common thing you encounter during contract negotiations."
[ POSTED OCTOBER 16, 2007 ]
EU says yes to open skies, no to ownership limits
The European Parliament has backed an aviation agreement between the European Union and the United States to open up trans-Atlantic routes, reported the Associated Press from Brussels. But the EU remained concerned about U.S. limits on foreign ownership of airlines. The so-called open skies agreement allows airlines to fly from anywhere in the EU to any destination in the United States effective next March 30. "European negotiators now want to push on with new talks to eliminate remaining barriers on airline ownership and limits to routes EU airlines can fly in the United States," the AP reported. At present only four airlines—British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, and United Airlines—have the right to fly from Heathrow to the United States, a route accounts for about a third of all EU flights to the United States, the report said.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 16, 2007 ]
Airbus optimistic about A380
Airbus could sell upwards of 800 A380 superjumbos over the next 20 years, said sales chief John Leahy in an interview with Reuters TV. The European planemaker is set to deliver the first 555-seat airliner to Singapore Airlines following delays "that plunged it into losses and led to a restructuring plan that will see plant sales and 10,000 job cuts," Reuters reported. "I didn't think some of these leading airlines would stay with us through two years of delays on the A380, with five different CEOs and a battle between France and Germany over the governance of the company. They have," Leahy said.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 16, 2007 ]
Airline flight delays continue
Nearly 30 percent of airline flights were delayed in August, according to government data. The news came less than a week after President Bush promised to help address the problem, reported the Associated Press. The nation's 20 top carriers reported on-time arrivals of 71.1 percent in August, down from 75.8 percent a year ago, according to the Transportation Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "Through August, more than 25 percent of flights have arrived late—the industry's worst on-time performance" since the collection of comparable data began in 1995. "August's on-time performance was the second worst on record for that month, topped only by a 70-percent arrival rate in 2000," the news report said. Aloha Airlines boasted the best on-time arrival rate of 97 percent. Atlantic Southeast Airlines had the lowest on-time arrivals: 55 percent.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 9, 2007 ]
Continental looking to China, India
Continental Airlines will add destinations in booming India and China, tapping their booming economies to boost the carrier's international revenues, a top company official said to Reuters. Continental recently began a nonstop New York-Mumbai service and plans to add more Indian cities on taking delivery of its Boeing 787s, said James Summerford, vice president of European, Middle East, and Indian operations. "The two places to be in today are China and India," he added. Continental launched New Delhi-New York flights in 2005.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 9, 2007 ]
Talks between American, mechanics interrupted
American Airlines and one of its labor unions discontinued talks on extending a contract for mechanics and other ground workers. Now the airline and the Transport Workers Union will attack the task of negotiating an entirely new contract, reported the Associated Press from Forth Worth, Texas. The change was seen as a setback for American's hopes of buying an interval of labor peace with ground workers that would allow it to focus on negotiations with pilots and flight attendants. American is in early-stage talks with pilots and plans to begin negotiations with flight attendants in late 2007 or early 2008.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 9, 2007 ]
Delta sees record traffic
Delta Air Lines Inc. said overseas travel drove traffic and capacity gains in September. Occupancy reached a record for the month, the Associated Press reported from Atlanta. The airline's traffic rose 7.8 percent to 9.79 billion revenue passenger miles, from 9.08 billion during the year-ago period. A 14.1-percent surge in international traffic and 4.7-percent growth in domestic movement contributed to the result. "Overall occupancy rose to a record 77.6 percent of seats filled in September from 74.6 percent last year—driven by mainline, domestic, and Latin America gains," the report said. Pacific flights were the only category in decline. Capacity increased 2.1 percent.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 9, 2007 ]
ASA, pilots reach tentative agreement
Following five years of talks, pilots at Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) reached a deal with management. The tentative agreement was to be finalized and considered by the pilots' union leadership before being sent out to the pilots at large for final ratification, said a news release on the ALPA Web site. The proposed contract "reflects moderate increases in pilot pay, as well as enhancements in pilot scheduling, work rules, and job protections," the news release said. The agreement followed three days of "intense" negotiations. An overview of the agreement may be seen at the ASA pilots' public website.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 9, 2007 ]
Winter ops could be safer, ALPA says
Despite aviation's many technological gains, there is still no "reliable and repeatable way" to measure conditions of a runway in winter, said Capt. Terry McVenes, executive air safety chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association. His comments came following a recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) session on a runway overrun at Chicago's Midway Airport involving Southwest Airlines. "Winter is not far away, and snow, ice, and slush will soon pose safety hazards at airports across our nation," he said in a news release. "Pilots need to know the condition of runways in terms that mean the same thing to every pilot. Incredibly, we don't yet have a reliable and repeatable way to measure the condition of a runway, especially in dangerous circumstances such as standing water, slush, and wet snow." Describing pilot braking reports as "subjective," he said airline crews need "performance data based on actual flight tests to know how our aircraft will stop in all runway conditions." He also encouraged the FAA's effort to upgrade many airport runway safety areas.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 9, 2007 ]
Congress wants fix for delays
The fallout from last winter's episodes that saw airline passengers kept aboard ground-bound flights continues to settle on the legislative scene. The Associated Press reported that commercial airlines are opposing an official recommendation put forth at a Congressional hearing that the industry set mandatory time limits for removing passengers from delayed aircraft. The Transportation Department's inspector general recommended that airlines develop a definition of "extended delays," set a time limit for deplaning passengers, and publicize the policies. The Air Transport Association countered that imposing deadlines "would do more harm than good after a summer of record-setting delays," the AP reported.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
Regionals emerging under own brands
Some of the 40-plus regional airlines belonging to the Regional Airline Association have undertaken an expansion strategy that stresses flying under their own names, not just under the flags of other airlines, reported the Associated Press in a news item on the CNNMoney Web site. "Passengers might not know, for example, that a plane sporting Continental Express livery in fact is part of ExpressJet's fleet. ExpressJet now has an ambitious plan to take its own brand to 24 cities while it continues to fly for other airlines," the report said. It cited Roger Cohen, head of the Regional Airline Association, as terming that business model a "bellwether" for the industry. Mesa Air Group's inter-island service in Hawaii and a venture with a Chinese carrier, forming a Beijing-based regional, were other examples of the trend cited in the report.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
Russia to build regional jet
Russia plans to sell at least 1,000 of its new Superjet regional civilian airliner, and says that 70 percent are bound for export. The manufacturer, Sukhoi, set a target that exceeds the number of comparable models on backlog with the Canadian and Brazilian companies that dominate the market for airliners with less than 100 seats, reported Reuters. So far Sukhoi has sold 73 Superjets for delivery starting in 2008. United States and European certification are to be sought next year.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
Startup Virgin launches 4th route
Startup airline Virgin America has launched its fourth route, flying between Washington and San Francisco. It plans to add flights between the capital and Los Angeles next month, reported the Associated Press. Virgin is running twice-daily flights between Washington Dulles International and San Francisco International at introductory fares. US Airways Group Inc. and United Airlines also fly nonstop between Washington and San Francisco, while several carriers make the run to Los Angeles. British billionaire Richard Branson's new airline now offers service between New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. A San Francisco-Las Vegas route was to offer service beginning Oct. 10.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
Latin America could need 1,730 airplanes
China isn't the only engine driving growth in aircraft production—a career pilot watching industry trends should keep an eye turned southward as well. Latin American airlines will need 1,730 new airplanes worth $120 billion in the next 20 years, according to Boeing forecasts. At a Rio de Janeiro conference, Boeing officials predicted that air traffic in Latin America "will grow at a 6.8-percent rate in the future, above the world's average of 5-percent growth and second only to China's 8.8-percent growth forecast for the same time," reported the Puget Sounds Business Journal. Most of the planes will be single-aisle aircraft seating 90 or more, the report said.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
Pilots union backs bankruptcy-law fix
Capt. John Prater, Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) president, joined other union leaders and members of Congress to announce legislation aimed at changing bankruptcy laws "that helped airline managements strip workers of their hard-earned pensions, salaries, and work rules following the events of 9/11." The ALPA leader said in a statement that "managements and bankruptcy judges used the law to force America's workers to give too much after terrorists attacked this nation on that dark day in September. But now that the emergency is over, it's time to fix the bankruptcy code, and this bill is a good first step." Prater said that since 2001 pilots have "given more than $30 billion in concessions, sacrificing an enormous amount to save our airlines and our jobs." The bill promotes "economic fairness," through shared sacrifice by all company stakeholders, he said.
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
DOT gives tentative OK for NWA Detroit-Shanghai flights
The Department of Transportation notified Northwest Airlines that its bid to provide nonstop service between Detroit and Shanghai has been tentatively approved effective March 25, 2009, said a news release on the carrier's Web site. Northwest plans to use Boeing 787s for the new service, which it said will "usher in a new era of customer comfort and convenience. The 787 will be one of the most environmentally-friendly commercial planes in the sky."
[ POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007 ]
Hiring minimums continue to drop
The minimum flight-hour requirements keep falling at national and regional airlines, reported AIR Inc., the Atlanta-based pilot career information resource firm. Some operators are willing to consider pilots with as little as 250 hours total time, or with 250 hours of multiengine experience. "Other airlines are offering signing or training completion bonuses as high as $5,000. Other airlines are providing employee pilot referral incentives as high as $1,000 per pilot," said the company in a monthly employment summary.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 ]
B-737 captain named to FAA post
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced that Henry P. Krakowski, a Boeing 737 captain and United Airlines vice president of flight operations, has been named chief operating officer of the FAA's air traffic organization. "As COO, Krakowski will oversee the operational and financial performance of the air traffic control system and the FAA's research and acquisition programs," said an FAA news release. Krakowski, who holds a master's degree in business and management from National-Louis University and a bachelor's degree in aircraft maintenance engineering from St. Louis University, is to start his new job on Oct. 1.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 ]
Boeing raises China forecast
Tracking growth in airliner sales will continue to mean keeping your eye on Asia. Boeing estimates that China will require 3,400 new airplanes over the next 20 years, at a price tag of $340 billion, reported Reuters from Hong Kong. Previously, Boeing had forecast that China would need 2,900 airplanes during the period. Single-aisle jets would account for 64 percent of the new demand. "China domestic frequencies have increased more than sixteen-fold since 1990, while airplane sizes have remained about the same," Reuters quoted Randy Tinseth, Boeing's commercial airplanes vice president for marketing, as saying from Beijing. The company expects China to remain its top non-U.S. market for the next 20 years, with one in 10 planes it builds to go to mainland China.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 ]
Majors see payroll growth
Delta, US Airways, and Continental Airlines Inc. were the leaders among major carriers in July payroll expansion, reported MarketWatch—reversing a four-year trend of industry job-rank reductions. Staffing increases among major carriers "follow sharp contractions from July 2003 to July 2007, as carriers laid off workers and didn't refill positions. Delta Airlines' payrolls shrank 17 percent in the July 2003 to 2007 period, alongside a 23-percent drop in employment at US Airways and a 25-percent drop in employment at Northwest Airlines Corp." the report said, adding that "in the second quarter, U.S. airlines posted their highest operating profit margin since 2000, according to government statistics."
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 ]
British Airways modifies U.S. service
British Airways in the spring plans to cut trans-Atlantic service to Detroit while adding service to four other U.S. cities, the Associated Press reported. The changes coincide with the March 30 date for the open skies agreement between the United States and the European Union, which allows European airlines to fly between any EU and U.S. city. A daily Detroit route, which operated for more than 50 years, will be discontinued as not profitable; the decision was seen as tied to declining U.S. auto industry prospects. London-bound flights from Dallas and Houston will land at Heathrow Airport rather than Gatwick. British Airways will add 10 new flights weekly between Heathrow and New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. It will also increase from seven to 10 the flights each week between Gatwick and Orlando, AP reported.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 ]
New cargo airline planned
Deutsche Lufthansa of Germany and logistics group Deutsche Post will launch a joint cargo carrier in April 2009, reported Reuters. The carrier will concentrate on shipments to and from Asia, and will operate a fleet of 11 leased new Boeing 777-200LRF aircraft, due for delivery beginning in February 2009. Lufthansa Cargo and Post's DHL Express parcel delivery division will own the airline. Destinations will include Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Bombay, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Nagoya, Chicago, and New York. The two airlines have operated a network between Europe, Asia, and the United States since 2004, the report said.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 ]
Air Inc: Jobs up, furloughs down
Air Inc., the Atlanta-based pilot career information resource firm, reported in its latest hiring summary that "the number of national airlines hiring last month doubled from that of August '06 (13 in '06 to 27 in August of '07), as did the number of pilots receiving jobs (226 in August of '06 to 577 last month)." Major carriers are also in a hiring mood. Last year only seven of the 15 carriers hired pilots in August; that improved to 11 hiring in August 2007. More good news: Pilot furloughs continued to decrease from 8,254 in August 2006 to 3,543 in August 2007. Air Inc. now predicts that upwards of 12,000 new pilot jobs will be created in 2007.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 ]
Job seminar set Sept 22 in D.C.
Many major airlines, national airlines, and other aircraft operators will be seeking new-hire pilot prospects at the Air, Inc. job fair on Sept. 22 in Washington, D.C. At the job fair, pilot job seekers will have the chance to meet recruiters, pick up applications, and perhaps even be interviewed. That's why it is recommended that you show up for the job fair and seminar portions of the event in interview attire. More information can be found on the Air Inc. Web site.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 ]
Hiring trend gets media notice
The major airlines are starting to hire again—and the trend has come to the attention of the national news media. A USA Today feature by Barbara de Lollis gave expansive treatment to how airlines are dealing with supply and demand dynamics in the pilot and non-pilot labor market of 2007. In the current business climate, airlines "are making selective use of unorthodox tactics to make sure they have an adequate selection of qualified applicants from which to choose: open houses, signing bonuses and referral fees," the report said. It cited government statistics showing that the six big "traditional" airlines in June 2007 saw the second consecutive month of payroll growth after 68 straight monthly declines.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 ]
US Airways to hire, recall pilots
US Airways has announced plans to hire more than 350 pilots. Training dates were to begin in November, said a news release on the company Web site. The airline will also move 140 pilots from US Airways Express carriers back to the mainline flying seats from which they were furloughed several years ago, the release said. New hires will move into the airline's growing fleet of Embraer 190s. That, in turn, will move currently employed pilots into Boeing 737s and Airbus A320-family aircraft. Positions will be filled over 12 to 16 months. Candidates can see qualifications and apply on-line at www.usairways.com/careers or by clicking the Careers link online at www.usairways.com.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 ]
Northwest retires 747-200s
Northwest Airlines this week retired its last Boeing 747-200 from scheduled service, reported Business Wire. The 430-seat aircraft built in 1979 most recently operated on the Tokyo Narita-Saipan route. "The 747-200 was the mainstay of our international fleet, particularly in the Pacific, for several decades," said Captain Lane Littrell, Northwest's fleet training captain on the 747-200. Two remaining 747-200s in Northwest's fleet will operate for approximately 18 months more as charter aircraft, the report said.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 ]
Senate adopts ALPA retirement-age language
An 88-7 vote of the U.S. Senate added an important modification to its Fiscal Year 2008 Transportation Appropriations bill, said a news release on the Air Line Pilots Association's Web site. The Senate, at ALPA's urging, added "Oberstar language" that ALPA supports for any legislative change of the mandatory pilot retirement age rule, the news release said. The amendment "replicates" language that Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) included in the House FAA reauthorization bill that passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 29. The language clarified issues including non-retroactivity, liability protection, and prohibited "unilateral changes to labor agreements and benefit plans." The Senate bill must be reconciled with the House Transportation Appropriations bill, which did not change the rule.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 ]
Boeing’s Dreamliner delayed
Boeing has decided to delay the initial flight of its new 787 Dreamliner another two months, and the move “acknowledges the enormous challenges of assembling the world's first composite-based commercial jetliner,” reported Businessweek.com. The company maintains that the 787 will be delivered on time, and that there are no threats to the new airplane program, which has achieved record-setting sales. Industry watchers expected a delay, the report said. The first flight would now likely take place in mid-November to mid-December, some three months behind the original schedule. Uncompleted work on the first aircraft and unfinished coding of flight-control software were cited as the main causes.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
Pilots wanted—in China
China's expanding civil aviation sector faces a shortage of 2,000 pilots over the next several years, reported Reuters from Beijing. An official said there would be an effort to get more women into flying careers. Gao Hongfeng, the deputy head of China’s General Administration of Civil Aviation, predicted the country would need an additional 9,000 pilots by 2010 as airlines add aircraft at a rate of up to 150 a year. “But speaking truthfully, we only have the capacity to train about 7,000, leaving us lacking 2,000 pilots,” he said during a Webcast carried on the central government's Web site and reported by the news service.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
VLJ air-taxi service gets FAA OK
Dayjet has received FAA authorization to fly Eclipse 500TM very light jets, the company announced. The company is readying its VLJ fleet to launch its so-called “Per-Seat, On-Demand” jet service. In the coming weeks, the Boca Raton, Florida-based company will begin taking online reservations, the company said in a news release. It will operate under FAR Part 135 charter rules with two-pilot crews.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
WAI offers career scholarships
Women in Aviation Inc. has announced the availability of scholarship applications for 2008. A link provided on the organization Web site takes you to the current scholarship list, guidelines for applying, and a means of downloading the official application in pdf format. “Our scholarship awards are a major part of what our organization is all about. In the past 10 years WAI has disbursed more than $4.5 million to its members to help them get ahead and advance into the aviation and aerospace careers they have always dreamed about,” said an announcement on the WAI Web site. Applications must be postmarked by December 1, 2007.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
New York airspace redesigned
The FAA has given final approval to an extensive New York airspace redesign project, reported Aviationweek.com. The redesign is intended to “significantly ease traffic flow into and out of New York and Philadelphia airports,” the report said. The redesign is said to be capable of bringing about cuts in delays of about 20 percent “if all aspects are implemented by 2011.” One of the integrated initiative’s main features is an increase in westbound departure routes from New York, reducing conflict between aircraft departing from different airports. It is hoped that the redesign will give controllers greater flexibility to reroute aircraft around bad weather in the terminal area, the news report said. Legal challenges could still come from communities concerned about noise.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
Planes to be full in the fall
Those airline delays and packed planes for which this summer was known may not disappear with the coming of fall. Reuters reported from Chicago that the airline industry, “struggling to extend a multiyear recovery, will try and keep planes flying as full as possible as it transitions from the hectic summer travel season to a much slower autumn.” Top air carriers recently reported that August flights were extremely crowded. UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, reported the highest load factor it has recorded for the period. Airline consultant Robert Mann predicted that “what they're looking to do going into the fall and winter is constrain supply growth so as to maintain pricing power.” One risk to the tight-capacity strategy was seen in a possible inability to cope with disruptions caused by fall and winter storms.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
Evergreen union merges with ALPA
Pilots and flight engineers at Evergreen International Airlines voted to merge their independent union with the Air Line Pilots Association, ALPA said. With 79.8 percent of eligible union members voting, 158 members—or 90.8 percent—voted in favor of the merger. ALPA’s executive board is expected to approve the merger next month; it would take effect November 1. Evergreen operates a fleet of Boeing 747Fs, and specializes in charter and contract freighter operations around the world.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 ]
Dreamliner webcast scheduled
Watchers of the aircraft manufacturing industry were being offered a chance to see a progress report on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on September 5 over the Internet. Boeing will webcast its 787 Dreamliner quarterly media briefing on Wednesday, September 5, said a company news release. Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Carson and Mike Bair, vice president/general manager of the 787 program, will discuss progress to date. Catch the webcast online.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 ]
In-flight condition monitoring expands
Six airlines adopted Boeing's in-flight airplane-monitoring system during the first six months of the year, said a company news release. That brought to 15 the number of airlines and freight carriers to initiate the condition-monitoring package, named Airplane Health Management. "With this tool, airlines can address problems proactively and begin working on issues before an airplane lands and arrives at the gate,” said Dan da Silva, vice president of sales and marketing for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. “That kind of lead time can help an airline turn what might have been a costly, disruptive delay into routine maintenance." The system provides fleet-wide information aggregated from other operators, which can be used to determine the effectiveness of particular maintenance actions in fixing problems, the news release said.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 ]
737 inspections hastened
Federal regulators have ordered airlines to accelerate wing-slat inspections on newer Boeing 737 jetliners after initial inspections turned up new fire risks, reported the Associated Press. It was the second airworthiness directive issued in four days on the aircraft. In the new AD, the FAA cut the time allowed for inspecting the slat downstop assembly to 10 days, from the original 24. Investigators in Japan had found that a right-wing bolt had pierced the fuel tank of the China Air Lines Boeing 737-800 that caught fire after landing in Okinawa on August 20.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 ]
Moscow air show brings $3 billion in contracts
The Moscow international air show closed August 26 with manufacturers reporting some $3 billion in contracts—triple the amount from the last show, but less than Western shows, the Associated Press reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin has set reviving the country’s commercial airliner business, which has suffered severe money problems since the Soviet Union's disintegration, as a top priority. United Aircraft Corp., an umbrella group for Russia’s plane makers, received $1.5 billion in contracts. “Many older-design Russian airliners do not meet Western standards for noise and emissions, limiting Russia's market,” the AP report said.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 ]
American Eagle interviews
Regional airline American Eagle will interview first-officer candidates at Regional Airline Academy (RAA) for training in the Embraer Regional Jet. On graduation from the course, training will continue at the American Eagle Training Center in Dallas, said an RAA news release. American Eagle will conduct interviews at RAA’s Deland, Florida, campus on September 26, 2007. More information is available on the RAA Web site.
[ POSTED SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 ]
New Delta CEO was chief of competitor
Delta Airlines’ choice of a new chief executive has fueled media speculation about mergers. An Associated Press report on the naming of former Northwest Airlines Corp. CEO Richard Anderson said that the choice “reignited speculation” about a merger, less than four months after the airline exited 19 months of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Anderson, 52, who already serves on Delta’s board and is an executive at UnitedHealth Group, is to replace Gerald Grinstein in September. “Clearly having Anderson named would raise that speculation,” Philip Baggaley, an analyst at Standard & Poor's, told the AP. “I don't think it necessarily draws any direct link, but it clearly will raise that thought.” Anderson told employees in a memo that he plans to “stay the course.”
[ POSTED AUGUST 28, 2007 ]
Pilots exit US Airways talks
Two-year-old talks aimed at creating the first joint contract to cover all pilots at the merged US Airways Group were jeopardized by a walkout of one pilot group’s negotiators. The walkout protested the timing of pay raises, reported the Associated Press. The Air Line Pilots Association represents both contingents of pilots in the talks. One group is from pre-bankruptcy US Airways; the other is from America West. The US Airways pilots walked out. A point of contention has been seniority rankings between the two groups. “We don't want to be talking about a joint contract until we're getting equal pay, right now, period," union spokesman Arnie Gentile said, according to the AP dispatch. Negotiations hit troubled waters in May when an arbitrator merged the pilots’ seniority lists. Former US Airways pilots sued to overturn the arbitrator's decision. Last week, they decided to withdraw from joint negotiations, Gentile said. The union seeks the same pay rate as America West pilots for the US Airways pilots, who on average make less. They have demanded that the pay increases begin Sept. 1.
[ POSTED AUGUST 28, 2007 ]
Aviation security regs proposed
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced “steps that will strengthen aviation security through uniform and consistent passenger prescreening against government watch lists.” DHS is publishing two regulations to initiate the changes: The Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) Predeparture Final Rule, which enables DHS to collect manifest information for international flights departing from or arriving in the United States prior to boarding, and a Secure Flight Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM)—under which DHS would assume watch-list matching responsibilities from air carriers for domestic flights, and align domestic and international passenger prescreening. Both programs carry out 9/11 Commission recommendations, said a news release.
[ POSTED AUGUST 28, 2007 ]
Airlines brace for ‘Open Skies’
Airlines will be getting ready to compete with “new-found commercial freedom” for flights between U.S. and European cities under the Open Skies agreement that takes effect in March 2008, reported a CNN business news item. Business travelers may be the main beneficiaries—not necessarily from pricing, but with greater choices of airlines and with business-focused service gains. Airlines with the strongest brands and best quality products are likely to lure passengers away from European rivals by launching flights from other major European cities, the report said. The Open Skies agreement will end “exclusive arrangements granted to British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, and American Airlines to fly transatlantic out of (London’s) Heathrow,” the report said.
[ POSTED AUGUST 28, 2007 ]
Simulator enterprise restructuring
A worldwide operator of flight simulators will close four training centers, reported the Puget Sound Business Journal. Alteon Training LLC, a Boeing subsidiary, said it would close training centers in Long Beach, California; Dallas; and Kunming, China, by year’s end. A center in Luton, the United Kingdom, will close next year. The company, which is based in Renton, Washington, will expand training facilities in Miami and Seattle, and at Gatwick and Manchester in the U.K. It also plans to open a new training center in Shanghai, China, that will house the first Boeing 787 full-flight simulator. That effort will be a partnership with Shanghai Airlines, the report said.
[ POSTED AUGUST 28, 2007 ]
Are you a CFI looking for a job?
Looking for a flight instructor’s position that will build your multiengine time and provide a career track to the airlines? Scanning the Web sites of major flight schools is one way to pick and choose among the many opportunities—and locations—available out there. For example, a news release on the Web site of nationwide flight academy Airline Transport Professionals notes that the flight school is “always seeking CFIs with multiengine and instrument ratings.” Check the web site for details.
[ POSTED AUGUST 28, 2007 ]
Southwest takes over top spot
Using passenger traffic as the yardstick, Southwest Airlines is on track to best American Airlines in 2007 as the world's biggest airline, reported the Associated Press. A government study said the domestic discount airline already has surpassed American's domestic and international traffic total in the first five months of the year. Southwest transported 40.3 million passengers on domestic flights between January and May, an increase of 4.2 percent over 2006. American carried 40 million passengers during the same period, down 1.8 percent. The AP report cited the Transportation Department’s Bureau of Transportation statistics, which had placed American in the top spot for the past five years. Overall passenger traffic on U.S. airlines was up 1.8 percent for the five-month period.
[ POSTED AUGUST 21, 2007 ]
Midwest accepts bid
Midwest Air Group Inc., which had been resisting merger overtures by AirTran Holdings Inc., announced that it had accepted a higher bid, of about $450 million, from private equity firm TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines Corp., reported Reuters News Service. The $17-per-share offer, which was raised from $16 per share, “includes a passive investment by number-five U.S. airline Northwest, which partners with regional carrier Midwest,” the report disclosed. AirTran, the tenth largest U.S. carrier, had bid $16.27 per share. It issued a statement saying that it “was walking away from its bid,” said the report, which added that AirTran had sought Midwest because a merger would have created a national low-cost carrier. The sale is expected to conclude during the fourth quarter of the year.
[ POSTED AUGUST 21, 2007 ]
ASA pilots picket
Pilots for Atlantic Southeast Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International, took their message to the public last week. The Delta Connection carrier’s pilots picketed in the small communities they serve. “As the primary provider of commercial air transportation in many of these cities, the pilots think it’s only fair to tell the passengers that ASA is having a difficult time recruiting and retaining qualified pilots. The pilot shortage is due to low morale, fatiguing schedules, and low pay dating back to a contract signed in 1998,” said a news release on the Air Line Pilots Association Web site. “Five years is too long to wait for a new employment agreement,” said Dave Nieuwenhuis, chairman of the ALPA unit at ASA.
[ POSTED AUGUST 21, 2007 ]
Northwest subsidiary launches Embraer 175
Northwest Airlines will begin flying the new Embraer 175 regional jet on a flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to Minneapolis, reported the Associated Press. The 76-seat planes will be flown by Compass Airlines, the new Northwest regional subsidiary. The aircraft will be bought by Northwest and leased to Compass. “The regional carrier will begin with two of the jets and will add about two a month through the end of next year, when it will fly 36,” the report said. The aircraft include first-class seats and space for full-size carry-on bags. Compass is based in Chantilly, Virginia.
[ POSTED AUGUST 21, 2007 ]
Reviving Russia’s planemakers
Russian aircraft manufacturers will build approximately 4,500 airplanes by 2025 in a program to revive the industry in the post-Soviet era, officials said in an Associated Press report. Government spending of about $250 billion is aimed at energizing the industry, said Alexei Fyodorov, president of state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation. The company is an umbrella group for the country’s aircraft manufacturers. “Russia's civilian air sector now has some 2,500 aircraft. Only about 100 are Western-made, but they currently carry nearly a third of all passengers,” he said, speaking before the Moscow International Air Show.
[ POSTED AUGUST 21, 2007 ]
Embraer recovery forecasted
A news item on the Forbes.com Web site has put an optimistic spin on an announcement by the world’s fourth-largest aircraft manufacturer that profits dropped 49 percent during the second quarter. The bad financial news was caused by rising labor expenses, currency fluctuations, and efforts to increase production capacity. However, Brazil’s Embraer has carved out a market niche by building 30- to 120-seat regional airliners that “are key to its future, with those planes taking over regional and commuter routes that often don't justify the use of larger jets,” said the article. Shares of the company fell after the reduced profits were announcement. Embraer was also expanding sales of executive jets, the report said.
[ POSTED AUGUST 21, 2007 ]
1,400 apply for NWA pilot jobs
Resurgent Northwest Airlines received a strong response to its call to commence pilot hiring, reported a new s item carried on Business Wire. More than 1,400 pilots applied to join Northwest, "including more than 1,000 applications in the first eight days after the new recruitment was announced on July 24," the report said. "We're pleased with the quality and number of pilots interested in joining Northwest Airlines, and we are particularly gratified that 20 percent of the applicants were referred by current Northwest pilots and other employees," said Doug Steenland, the airline's president and chief executive officer.
[ POSTED AUGUST 14, 2007 ]
Qantas to launch flight training enterprise
In an address to Australia's National Aviation Press Club on August 1, Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon announced a venture by the airline into pilot training. "We are establishing an Australia-based flight training business, to be up and running by the end of this year, and which we expect will train 3,000 pilots over 10 years for all our airlines. We will also look at opportunities to cater to the needs of the broader aviation industry, allowing us to leverage the expertise—and prestige—that Qantas has in pilot training," he said.
[ POSTED AUGUST 14, 2007 ]
ALPA issues pilot awards
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has honored several airline pilots for contributions to safety and security. A Superior Airmanship Award went to a United Airlines crew, Capt. Scott Stoops and First Officer Brad Loper, "for their outstanding effort in avoiding a near runway collision" in Chicago on July 23, 2006. Another Superior Airmanship Award went to Air Canada Jazz Capt. Michael Nelson and FO Paul Cafouros for landing a CRJ 200 regional jet on Nov. 21, 2006, when the flaps malfunctioned during a missed approach in snow and low visibility.
[ POSTED AUGUST 14, 2007 ]
Virgin America launches
New low-cost carrier Virgin America Inc. began service August 8 despite a torrential rainstorm in New York that marred the splashy event's orchestration and prevented some dignitaries from attending. In remarks at the event, the airline's founder had some tart commentary on the state of U.S. airline service, according to Reuters New Service. "The American airline industry is abysmal, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson was quoted as saying at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport before passengers embarked on the first flight, to San Francisco. "The reason they go bust is they don't offer any service to the customer."
[ POSTED AUGUST 14, 2007 ]
Phoenix East adds dispatch course
Phoenix East Aviation, Inc. announced the addition of an Airline Dispatcher Course to its professional aviation courses. Phoenix East now offers the six-week, FAA-approved course at its Daytona Beach, Florida, facility. The training includes meteorology, federal aviation regulations, aircraft systems and performance, global navigation systems, communications, flight planning, and other topics required for FAA certification. "Both U.S. and international airlines in the U.S. readily hire FAA-certified dispatchers," the announcement said.
[ POSTED AUGUST 14, 2007 ]
Business jets mean pilot jobs
Luxury international jet travel is getting media attention as a growing aviation market segment, and that growth may signal new job opportunities for pilots. A recent article by Danielle Sonnenberg of TheStreet.com focused on Talon Air's business model in the highly competitive field. The charter company has a fleet of 11 jets with three more scheduled for delivery. The article examining Talon and its niche in the business-jet market cited "significant” growth in that segment in the past 15 years, as well as a 15-percent increase in the numbers of jets shipped in the first half of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, a statistic provided by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Talon Marketing Director Jason Kaufman hopes the company will expand into such Southeast markets as Florida, "which will entail hiring more full-time pilots along with acquiring additional hangar space.”
[ POSTED AUGUST 7, 2007 ]
ALPA: Expedite 'CrewPASS'
Thousands of "highly vetted" and prescreened pilots are rescreened every day under security procedures at the nation's airports. The government could save millions of dollars eliminating that redundancy, says the Air Line Pilots Association. That is why ALPA expressed satisfaction with the passage by Congress of H.R. 1, the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. "The measure includes an ALPA-backed provision which requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a process that would give flight deck and cabin crew members expedited airport access through screening check points,” said a news release on the ALPA Web site. "We have a proposal that provides a low-cost and effective process to leverage existing technology to screen crew members, saving TSA time and money,” said ALPA President Capt. John Prater. Developed by an industry working group in February, ALPA's Crew Personnel Advanced Screening System (CrewPASS) is "based on the TSA's highly successful Cockpit Access Security System (CASS). CASS uses employee databases of participating airlines to electronically confirm the identity and employment status of pilots so that they may gain access to the jump seats of airplanes belonging to companies other than their own.” Using that concept, CrewPASS would electronically screen flight crews "quickly, efficiently, and effectively, thereby fixing the current security deficiency,” ALPA said.
[ POSTED AUGUST 7, 2007 ]
Northwest tackles cancellations
Plagued by scheduling difficulties that have led to the cancellation of numerous flights, Northwest Airlines Corp. and its pilots have agreed on a way to ease pilot workloads and keep scheduled flights moving. The Associated Press reported from Minneapolis that the tentative agreement would pay pilots time-and-a-half for flying more than 80 hours a month. A previous 80-hour cap was increased to 90 during bankruptcy proceedings. Perfect attendance between Aug.4 and Sept. 3 would bring union workers a bonus of up to $1,000 as an incentive to keep the busy Labor Day holiday period running smoothly. The hundreds of flight cancellations at the end of June and July caused by a shortage of available pilots were seen to have put a blot on Northwest's profitable emergence from Chapter 11, and have angered and inconvenienced passengers.
[ POSTED AUGUST 7, 2007 ]
New light shed on Brazil accident
A Brazilian newspaper reported that a power lever was in the wrong position and was probably a major cause of a Brazil's worst air accident last month, reported Reuters. The newspaper, Folha de Sao Paulo, cited flight recorder data. The Airbus A320 operated by Brazilian carrier TAM Linhas Aereas went off a wet runway after landing at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo on July 17. It struck a cargo terminal and burned. "Data from the flight recorder suggests that the thrust lever for one of the turbines was in the ‘accelerate' position when it should have been switched to idle,” the newspaper reported, according to Reuters. It added that "the newspaper said a pilot error was likely but didn't rule out a failure of the aircraft's computer.” A transcript made public in Brazil revealed that the crew was aware that a thrust reverser was defective. Airbus has issued a safety advisory emphasizing the need for pilots to follow proper landing procedures when a thrust reverser is not working.
[ POSTED AUGUST 7, 2007 ]
Jet Airways adds to 777 fleet
Boeing and India's largest private air carrier, Jet Airways, announced that the airline will exercise options for three 777-300ER (Extended Range) airliners, according to a news release issued by PRNewswire-FirstCall. Using list prices, the order would be valued at more than $790 million. It follows an order for 10 777-300ERs in 2005. "It is vital that Jet Airways continues to expand its fleet progressively to ensure its leadership position in India's dynamic aviation market," the report quoted Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal as stating. Jet Airways received its first 777-300ER in April.
[ POSTED AUGUST 7, 2007 ]
Mach-speed internet
American Airlines said it will be the first U.S. carrier to test in-flight high-speed Internet service, reported the Associated Press. American said it would test the internet service in 2008 on some Boeing 767-200s, mostly on transcontinental routes. The connection will be fee-based, but the charge will not be revealed "until broadband-equipped flights are ready to go,” reported AP, citing AirCell LLC, the company that will provide the link. Some international carriers offer Internet service. American's executive vice president of marketing, Daniel P. Garton, said that if successful, the service could be extended throughout the airline's fleet.
[ POSTED AUGUST 7, 2007 ]
Brazil fires official
Reuters reported that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fired his defense minister. There had been calls for the action after nearly 200 people died in Brazil's worst air crash in July. "Waldir Pires was forced out as defense minister after two deadly air crashes in less than a year and months of chaos in Brazil's air traffic system, which is run by the military," the report said. He was to be replaced by Nelson Jobim, a retired Supreme Court justice. Jobim, the report said, previously had declined an offer to lead the ministry.
[ POSTED JULY 31, 2007 ]
Boeing's profits soar
Forbes.com reported a Boeing profit statement in which the company said profits soared in the second quarter, with strong sales in both commercial jetliner and defense businesses. Earnings rose to $1.1 billion versus a loss of $160 million in the comparable year-ago period. The results easily topped investor expectations, the Forbes report added, noting that recently Boeing's earning have been on a "hot streak."
[ POSTED JULY 31, 2007 ]
Booming travel boosts Air China
Air China announced soaring profits for the first half "due to the strengthening Chinese currency, investment gains and a booming travel market," reported FT.com. The carrier said its net profit increased more than 2,000 per cent.
[ POSTED JULY 31, 2007 ]
FAA lauds pay-for-performance agreements
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have signed an employment agreement covering approximately 1,200 engineers and architects. The covered employees are "responsible for planning, design and installation of facilities, systems and equipment to ensure the safety of the National Airspace System," said an FAA news release. Negotiations took nine months, and the agreement was overwhelmingly ratified by union membership. It was the FAA's second voluntary agreement with labor unions representing agency employees in recent months. A pact was signed in May with the National Association of Government Employees Local covering more than 200 air traffic assistants. An FAA bargaining goal in both negotiations "was to bring more employees under the pay-for-performance plan. As a result of these two labor agreements, the FAA will increase the percentage of employees in its pay-for-performance plan to 84 percent," the news release said.
[ POSTED JULY 31, 2007 ]
APA questions exec stock bonuses
The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 12,000 pilots of American Airlines, criticized an announcement that AMR Corp.'s top executive bonuses will continue to be tied to the American Airlines corporate parent's stock. "A service industry corporation should base management bonuses on the quality of the product provided to their customers," said APA President Capt. Lloyd Hill, according to Business Wire. "Basing management bonuses on AMR's stock value does not serve the long-term interests of our stockholders, customers or employees." AMR had previously announced that in April 2010, its top five executives will receive stock grants of at least 258,200 total shares. "It is time for the AMR Board of Directors to realign their priorities and base management bonuses on the quality of the product we provide," Hill added, describing the airline as "understaffed" and the workforce as "uninspired" by management decisions. Some 2,570 American Airlines pilots on furlough.
[ POSTED JULY 31, 2007 ]
United accepting pilot applications
United Airlines has begun taking applications for new pilots for the first time since 2001, reported the Denver Post. The move was seen as a sign of United's recovery since emerging from more than three years in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2006. In June, United said that it would add international flights, and expected to hire about 100 pilots this year. "We're investing in our business," said Hank Krakowski, United's vice president of flight operations, in a statement was quoted by the newspaper. The hiring follows the airline reaching the end of its list furlough roster. Recruitment will be online at united.com/pilot.
[ POSTED JULY 24, 2007 ]
Profits down at Southwest
Southwest Airlines said that second-quarter profits declined 17 percent. Rising fuel costs weighed on the discount carrier, reported the Associated Press. Ticket demand was sluggish, but improved in June. Cost-cutting moves include an offer of buyouts to 25 percent of Southwest employees and a delay in deliveries of some jets from Boeing. Earnings were $278 million in the April-June quarter, compared to $333 million the previous year.
[ POSTED JULY 24, 2007 ]
Regionals recovering from pilot attrition
Aviation Daily noted that "some of the larger U.S. independent regional carriers appear to be emerging from a pilot shortage that unexpectedly hit the airlines during the first quarter, but challenges continue in recruitment and overall minimums appear to be falling as carriers attempt to cast wider nets for qualified applicants." Pinnacle, ExpressJet, and Republic confronted pilot staffing problems in the first three months of the year. "Pinnacle's 20-per-month pilot attrition rate was almost double that of typical stats in the nine-10 range. ExpressJet lost some of its senior check airmen, which caused a lag in checkride time for other pilots. Republic Airways Holdings attributed part of its reduction in scheduled operations for its legacy partners during the second and third quarters of 2007 to 20-percent attrition levels in the first quarter," said the news item. The carriers reported the situation as "less intense now." Pinnacle and SkyWest Airlines said hiring minimums have not been lowered.
[ POSTED JULY 24, 2007 ]
JetGreen?
Environmental Emissions and training issues head up the agenda of the 2007 Air Line Pilots Association Safety & Security Forum's agenda, aid an ALPA news release. The issues will be addressed at the 53rd Annual ALPA Air Safety & Security Forum from August 8-9, at the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C. Questions to be raised include: Has the global pilot shortage hit North America's shores? Is the airline industry ready to ‘Go Green?' Are new pilots being trained on the job, with passenger lives in their hands? See ALPA's Web site www.alpa.org for more information.
[ POSTED JULY 24, 2007 ]
Northwest petitions on-line
Northwest Airlines is asking for support for its request to launch new nonstop Detroit-Shanghai and Detroit-Beijing service, tapping an on-line petition drive. "The Department of Transportation plans to award a limited number of new routes to China between 2007 and 2009. Northwest Airlines is asking the DOT for authority to fly Detroit-Shanghai nonstop service beginning in 2007 and Detroit-Beijing nonstop service beginning in 2009," the airline said in a news announcement.
[POSTED JULY 24, 2007]
ALPA: civilian flight training is quicker
More airline pilots are finding their way to the flight deck through civilian flight training, and applicants should consider that route, says career guidance for future pilots offered on the Air Line Pilots Association Web site [ http://www.alpa.org ]. "More than half of the pilots currently flying for U.S. airlines have had military training, with the percentage slightly lower in Canada. In both countries, however, the military services are training fewer pilots and requiring longer service commitments. You may reach your goal of becoming an airline pilot sooner through civilian training, much of which is geared to airline flying. Pilot training can be obtained in colleges through aviation courses or from privately operated flight schools," it said.
[POSTED JULY 24, 2007]
Flight-time minimums lower
Kit Darby, president of aviation career consulting firm AIR Inc., told Aviation Daily that minimum flight hours required for airline hiring—which reached 1,500 hours total time and 500 multiengine before September 2001—are down, to as low as 500 hours total time and 50 multiengine in some cases. Darby also noted that several regional carriers were offering captains "off the street bonuses of $2,500-$5,000." Opportunities to earn bonuses have been extended in some cases to nonpilot employees recruiting pilots for regional carriers. One such incentive program, at SkyWest, has acquired the name "Share Our Journey."
[POSTED JULY 24, 2007]
US Airways orders 90 jets
US Airways has announced tentative plans to order at least 90 new Airbus jets valued at more than $10.7 billion to replace planes and add long-range aircraft, according to Atlanta-based aviation career consulting firm AIR, Inc. The purchase will include 60 single-aisle Airbus A320 aircraft, eight wide-body A330s, and 22 long-range A350 XWB jets.
[POSTED JULY 24, 2007]
New JetBlue CEO reviews business strategy
JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said the airline is undertaking a second "rigorous" review of its business strategy and could sell more planes if necessary, AIR Inc. reported. Barger said costs are under control, but "there is still opportunity for improvement."
[ Posted July 24, 2007 ]
Job fair planned in D.C.
AIR, Inc. will hold its next job fair September 22 at the Hyatt Regency Reston near Washington, D.C. Airlines already scheduled to attend include majors Continental, Delta, and Southwest; and nationals Air Wisconsin, AirNet, American Eagle, Champion Air, Pinnacle, US Airways/PSA, Republic Airlines, SkyWest, and Trans States. For information on all current and future seminars visit AIR, Inc.'s Web site [www.jet-jobs.com] or call 800/JET-JOBS (538-5627).
[ Posted July 24, 2007 ]
Dreamliner officially in production
Boeing said that it has officially begun production on the company's new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It will be manufactured at the production facility in Everett, Wash., although workers at the Boeing plant at Port San Antonio will also play a major part in the airplane's development, reported bizjournals.com. Four hundred new employees will be hired at the work site in San Antonio "to perform modifications work on 11 Boeing 787 aircraft once they roll off the assembly line in Washington," the report said. That work will include installing electronic and mechanical equipment, making software upgrades, testing systems, and removing or replace wiring, if needed, the report added.
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
Get bumped, get paid
Airlines would have to triple passengers' compensation for being involuntarily bumped from flights under a proposal under study by U.S. transportation officials, reported Reuters. Carriers' operating expenses likely would increase if the proposal is adopted. The Transportation Department was seeking public comment on four plans to stiffen the penalty carriers must pay individual travelers in some circumstances for problems arising from overbooking. "A fifth proposal would not change compensation levels now set at a maximum $200 if rebooking results in a delay of up to two hours for domestic travel and four hours for international flights. If those deadlines cannot be met, compensation can increase to $400," the report said. Involuntarily bumped passengers now also receive a refund of their original fare or a voucher for future travel. The report cited official figures that there were nearly 56,000 "denied boardings" in 2006 involving major airlines and affiliates. That was an increase of 10,000 over the previous year. Although no change is required, officials have been criticized for inadequately investigating consumer complaints about airline service, said Reuters.
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
On-line petition supports route bid
A news item carried on PRNewswire-FirstCall said that American Airlines has launched a Web site "to gain public support for its application to begin nonstop service to Beijing, China, from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on March 25, 2009." American "is asking its employees as well as travelers; businesses; and civic, political, and community leaders who are interested in supporting American's bid for authority to fly from Chicago to Beijing" to go to a dedicated Web site [http://www.flytochinaonaa.com]. The Web site details the proposed route and directs visitors to an online petition they can sign in support of American's bid.
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
China Southern to buy Airbus, Boeing aircraft
China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. plans to buy 20 A320 jets from Airbus and 25 737-800 planes from Boeing, said a Reuters news dispatch, reporting a filing with the Shanghai stock exchange. In the filing, China Southern disclosed that the 20 Airbus aircraft would be set for delivery from March 2009 and August 2010. The Boeings, to be purchased by a 60 percent-owned unit, Xiamen Airlines, would be delivered from July 2011 to November 2013. Financing would be through "internal resources and bank loans," the report said.
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
Record quarter, half for Westjet
Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet announced its sixth consecutive month of record load factors for 2007. The results also were a record second quarter and a record first half for the year, said an announcement carried by Marketwire. The June 79.9 per cent load factor was up 2.8 points compared to June 2006, accompanied by capacity increases of 17 per cent to 1.2 billion ASMs (available seat miles). Revenue passenger miles increased 21 percent.
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
Airports going green on the ground
Driven by rules and incentives, airports are employing more vehicles for transporting passengers and employees that put less stress on the environment, reported USA Today.For example, the report said, the buses and cars that are property of Phoenix Sky Harbor and Dallas/Fort Worth airports run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Other airports such as those in San Jose, San Francisco, Milwaukee, and New York have been "aggressively" acquiring alternative-fuel-powered vehicles. The report noted that more than 25 major airports "use shuttles or employee passenger cars using natural gas."
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
NBAA awards 53 career-enhancement scholarships
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced on its Web site that the organization and its Flight Attendants Committee have recognized 53 recipients of the 2007 NBAA Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Scholarship. The acknowledgements came at NBAA's 12th Annual Flight Attendants Conference in San Diego, California on June 29 and 30. "NBAA and its Flight Attendant Committee promote education and training as a means for business aviation flight attendants and flight technicians to enhance their professional careers," the news release said.
[ Posted July 17, 2007 ]
Northwest cuts flights to free up pilots
Capacity cuts by Northwest Airlines were seen restoring efficient service after a week of cancellation difficulties. Pilots, through their union, expressed dismay about probable lost revenue, according to Reuters. "I think this is better than last-minute cancellations, but we would prefer that we have enough pilots to fly all the revenue flights," said Monty Montgomery, spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Northwest said it would cancel one of its Detroit-Frankfurt flights beginning July 18 to make more pilots available; then in August it will cut domestic mainline capacity 3 percent. Between June 22 and June 28, Northwest said it canceled about 11.9 percent of its mainline—meaning owned and operated—flights, the news report said.
[ POSTED JULY 10, 2007 ]
Ex-CEO blue over losing job
In an interview with CNNMoney.com, JetBlue Airways founder and Chairman David Neeleman conceded that he was not happy when his company's board of directors forced him out as chief executive officer in May. He said he believes he'd still have the job if not for the ice storm and service crisis that struck JetBlue in February. "Obviously, when you found a company, and you're the visionary and you start it from Day 1, no one really wants to give up the reins," he said to CNNMoney.com after appearing at the Fortune Leadership Forum. He described his removal as "abrupt" as well as "a traumatic thing for a company," said a news report on the CNNMoney Web site.
[ POSTED JULY 10, 2007 ]
Delays worst in 13 years
CNNMoney also reported that the nation's airlines experienced the worst delays in 13 years, accumulating sharply increased cancellations in the first five months of this year. The numbers were released by the Department of Transportation. "Of the roughly three million flights between January and May, about 73 .6 percent were on time, the government reported, down from 77.4 percent last year. That marks the lowest on-time percentage for the same period since the government began tracking the numbers in 1995," the CNNMoney report said. In the period, cancellations increased 79 percent, to 75,925, compared to the same period one year ago.
[ POSTED JULY 10, 2007 ]
Superjumbo seen meeting Asia demand
The Associated Press reported from an aviation conference in Bangkok, Thailand, that Airbus is expecting its A380 superjumbo to be critical to Asia as an enlarging middle class adopts airline travel. Boeing, however, will stay focused on smaller aircraft, the AP said. Airbus was set to deliver its first A380, seating 555 persons, in October to Singapore Airlines after a year's worth of production setbacks. "The A380 will be very important for the Asia-Pacific region with the large population centers and big hubs," said Joost van der Heijden, senior airline marketing director for Airbus, in attendance at Asia Forum 2007 in Bangkok. "We actually see the hub traffic doubling over the next 20 years so that will definitely continue to grow."
[ POSTED JULY 10, 2007 ]
FedEx expanding China service
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., announced that it has made its next-business-day service available to customers throughout China. FedEx began its next-business-day service on May 28. Coverage has expanded from 19 to more than 30 cities, it said. Forty-eight-hour service "is offered in more than 200 cities and counties. As a result of increasing customer demand, the number of cities being served continues to expand rapidly," the company said. "We have seen healthy and encouraging demand from our existing international customers and potential new customers. Since we began operations less than a month ago, thousands of domestic express packages have already passed through our hub in Hangzhou," said David L. Cunningham, Jr., president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express.
[ POSTED JULY 10, 2007 ]
U.S. economic expansion seen
A modest expansion of the U.S. economy may develop in the coming months as a vigorous job market overcomes weakness in housing prices, reported the Associated Press. It cited the Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators, which rose 0.3 percent in May, beating expectations. Economists said jobs should continue to be plentiful, even though an unexpected uptick was seen in jobless claims last week.
[ Posted July 3, 2007 ]
Frustration new reality of air travel
Crowded flights and delays may become realities of the slimmed-down U.S. airline industry as it strives for profitability after a long downturn, said a Reuters report from Chicago, citing an industry expert. "On one hand, it's good because it puts airlines closer to profitability," said consultant Michael Boyd. "On the other hand, it's bad because there is no excess slack in the system." The report noted that the Air Transport Association, a trade group, says airliners will average more than 80 percent full this summer when a record 209 million travelers travel by air.
[ Posted July 3, 2007 ]
Continental pilots rally for management
About 100 Continental pilots joined a rally held in conjunction with the Continental shareholders meeting earlier this month in downtown Houston, reported the Air Line Pilots Association. The rally was to acknowledge management's decision to meet with Continental pilots to discuss "a protocol agreement for contract negotiations," said ALPA in a news release on its Web site. In May, the union had asked the company to begin contract negotiations this summer, to finish negotiations by the contract's "amendable date" of Dec. 31, 2008. The company agreed.
[ Posted July 3, 2007 ]
Airliner prices rise
With the cost of raw materials rising, Boeing raised prices on its commercial airplanes by almost 6 percent on average, reported Reuters. Boeing, a large purchaser of aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber, described the price increase as consistent with "the general inflation rate for manufactured goods." Boeing's revised price list appears on its Web site.
[ Posted July 3, 2007 ]
Southwest questions growth expectations
Southwest Airlines' CEO said that the airline could be forced to slow its growth because revenue increases are not meeting expectations. An Associated Press report noted that Southwest has been growing about 8 percent a year "by adding planes and serving more cities, but it might have overshot the runway." Occupancy on planes has dropped, and fare increases can't cover the rising costs of fuel. Chief Executive Gary Kelly said company officials set their 2007 plans assuming a stronger economy, according to the report. Continental Airlines Inc.'s chief financial officer disagreed that air-travel demand has slowed down. Jeffrey J. Misner saw continued strong demand provided fares stay low enough, said the AP.
[ Posted June 26, 2007 ]
Airline, Boeing agree on delay
Continental also announced that it agreed with Boeing Co. to delay delivery of six jets from 2009 until 2010. The airline still plans to receive 30 planes in 2008, with 24 more coming in 2009, reported the Associated Press.
[ Posted June 26, 2007 ]
Jets giants urged to cooperate on tech
Boeing and Airbus should lay aside rivalry and develop together clean aviation-industry technology, according to Louis Gallois, the European aircraft maker's chief executive. Ft.com reported that "Mr. Gallois, echoing the industry's concern as governments seek to crack down on aviation's environmental impact, invited his U.S. rival and other engine and aircraft makers to pool research on technology to cut carbon emissions." He said antitrust regulations would not prevent the two entities from a cooperative research effort.
[ Posted June 26, 2007 ]
Paris Air Show site of news announcements
At the Paris Air Show, Airbus unveiled $30 billion of orders on June 18, including a deal that had been expected to go to rival Boeing, reported Reuters. Airbus on the opening day of the air show announced a $17 billion sale to Qatar Airways and also proclaimed that it had "beaten Boeing to a $10 billion order from US Airways," the news service said. Both sales involved the A350 XWB, with Qatar taking 80 of the A350 XWB and three of the A380 superjumbos. The report quoted Airbus as stating that Qatar will be the first airline to get the A350 in 2013.
[ Posted June 26, 2007 ]
Corporate jet demand grows
The chief of Bombardier's business jet division gave an interview at the Paris Air Show and noted that tight airport security and healthy corporate profits drive demand for the company's "flying boardrooms," reported MarketWatch. "We've seen an increase in demand since 9/11," said Pierre Cote. He said Chinese, Indian, and Russian entrepreneurs have also come to savor the comfort and productivity that private jets can deliver. The report described the Canadian jet maker exec as "keen" to emphasize "improvements Bombardier has made to the existing Lear Jet, Challenger and Global families."
[ Posted June 26, 2007 ]
C-17 resumption planned
Citing a government official, WSJ Online's Paris Air Show notebook reported that Boeing plans to extend production of C-17 cargo jets and resume its full supply chain. The source of the report was U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne. Boeing had started shutdown of the C-17 supply chain in March absent a Pentagon commitment. Still unclear was whether the 2008 U.S. budget would include additional C-17s.
[ Posted June 26, 2007 ]
NEWS ANCHOR TO HEADLINE 787 ROLLOUT
Tom Brokaw will serve as master of ceremonies at the rollout of the new Boeing 787 on July 8, reported the Puget Sound Business Journal. Some 15,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, and another 30,000 are expected to watch the event via satellite in Japan, Italy, and the United States. The 787 is to enter service in May 2008.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
TRAINING CENTER OPENS IN NEW JERSEY
Training and simulation firm CAE announced the opening of a new business aviation training facility, the CAE SimuFlite North East Training Centre, near the Morristown, N.J., airport. Plans were also announced to expand the center from six simulator bays to 12, the company said in a news release carried on Canada's CNW Telbec. CAE operates 24 civil training centres. The six-bay North East Training Centre will provide training for the new Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft, as well as Falcon 900EX EASy, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Gulfstream IV, and Sikorsky S-76 aircraft. Other platforms to be added include a fully convertible Gulfstream 450/550 full-flight simulator, the statement said.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
EMERGING MARKETS FUEL AIRLINER DEMAND
International Lease Finance Corp. said continued demand from emerging markets such as China will keep demand for commercial aircraft strong through 2008, but expects orders to slacken in 2009, reported the Reuters news service. ILFC, a unit of American International Group Inc., is the world's largest aircraft leasing firm. It expects aircraft orders to exceed 1,000 this year as it did the last two years, Chief Operating Officer John Plueger said, with demand driven by China and India.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
ALPA DEPLORES 'FIXING BLAME' BY BRAZIL
Air Line Pilots Association Executive Air Safety Chairman Terry McVenes issued a statement in response to the indictment in Brazil of two pilots involved in a 2006 midair collision over that country. "ALPA's International Safety Committee has placed a high priority on developing regulatory and investigative policies that will prevent the criminalization of aircraft incidents and accidents throughout the world. While ALPA has been successful in many places, some factions unfortunately remain intent on fixing blame rather than improving safety," said the statement in part. It appeared on ALPA's Web site.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS 'WANTED'
Testifying at a Congressional hearing, ALPA President Capt. John Prater added two items to a "Most Wanted" aviation safety improvement list of the National Transportation Safety Board, said an ALPA news release. He urged the NTSB to add to its list "the need for industry-wide adoption of non-punitive safety reporting programs, such as the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP); and increased training levels for today's new-hire pilots" who have less experience than past hires. "Airline pilots are the ultimate safety net in our industry," Prater told the U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
INVESTORS HINDERING INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION?
Financial Times internet site FT.com reported that the chief executive of Lufthansa warned that increasingly bold attempts by private equity investors to enter the aviation sector hinder industry consolidation. "In an interview with FT Deutschland, the Financial Times's sister paper, Wolfgang Mayrhuber admitted private equity bids for airlines had thwarted the German carrier's own acquisition plans," the report said.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
AIR FRANCE RETIRES 737
Reuters reported that the last Boeing 737 in the Air France fleet had completed its final flight for the carrier. In the late 1990s the airline had operated 50 of the twin-engine Boeing transports on the European and North African network. They have now been replaced by the A320 family of Airbus aircraft, said the news service.
[ Posted June 19, 2007 ]
FAA EXPANDING PEAK SUMMER PROGRAM
The FAA plans to expand an air traffic program that reduces flight delays during the peak summer season. The Airspace Flow Program "gives airlines the option of either accepting delays for flights scheduled to fly through storms or flying longer routes to safely maneuver around them," the agency said in a news release. The program was launched last year at seven locations in the Northeast. "On bad weather days at major airports in the region, delays fell by 9 percent compared to the year before. Cost savings for the airlines and the flying public from the program are estimated to be $100 million annually," the FAA said. This summer, Airspace Flow Program locations will be increased from seven to 18, with the goal of easing delays for flights through the South and Midwest, as well as transcontinental flights. The FAA added that Airspace Flow Programs will also be used in non-weather-related circumstances, such as extreme traffic congestion near major cities.
[ Posted June 12, 2007 ]
RUSSIAN AIRLINE BUYS DREAMLINERS
Boeing announced that it has received an order from the Russian airline S7 Group for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, as well as rights for another 10 jets. The order's value was $2.4 billion based on list prices, reported the Puget Sound Business Journal. S7, of Novosibirsk, Siberia, became the first Russian airline to order the 787, which is intended to replace the airline's older fleet, Boeing said in a news release. The first 787s are scheduled to fly later in 2007, with the jet to go into service in May 2008. So far, Boeing said the new jet has brought 584 orders from 45 customers worldwide.
[ Posted June 12, 2007 ]
AIRLINE INDUSTRY MEETS IN VANCOUVER
The world airline industry convened its annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada, with global warming and the threat of international terrorism front among the subjects on its agenda, reported Agence France-Presse. It was the 63rd General Assembly of the International Air Transport Association. Anthony Concil, IATA's spokesman, told AFP that this year, one of the top issues during the assembly was going to be the environment. More than 150 airline CEOs, in addition to management representatives from airports, civil aviation authorities, manufacturers, and nongovernmental organizations attended the three-day event.
[ Posted June 12, 2007 ]
AVIATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE?
What has aviation got to do with climate change? A CNN report quoted sources stating that the aviation industry has become a notable contributor to atmospheric carbon pollution which is said to be a cause of accelerating global warming. The report cited the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as stating that more than 85,000 flights take off daily from the world's airports, burning 130 million tons of fuel annually—a quantity projected to increase to 300 million tons by 2015 and 450 million tons by 2050. The aviation industry is seen to be responsible for about two percent of the world's carbon emissions—less than the 18 percent placed in the air by the auto industry, but still detrimental. Air travel also generates significant greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxide, made worse for the environment by having been emitted at high altitudes. "Indeed IPCC scientists have estimated that greenhouse gas pollution from high-flying jets is up to four times more damaging to the environment than identical levels of pollution emitted at ground level," CNN's report said.
[ Posted June 12, 2007 ]
RYAN'S PROFITS EXPECTED TO SLOW
Marketwatch reported that Ryanair Holdings, Europe's largest low-cost airline, warned that the Irish air carrier's profit would rise only 5 percent next year, compared with 42 percent growth in fiscal 2007. The company expected average fares to decline by up to 5 percent while unit costs would rise by 6 percent to 7 percent on longer routes, with higher airport charges at London' and Dublin. CEO Michael O'Leary said that he expected a double-digit profit growth rate the first half of the year, but the airline could sustain some losses in the second half. He said doubled U.K. ticket taxes, higher interest rates, and increased charges at some airports were contributing to higher costs.
[ Posted June 12, 2007 ]
VIRGIN EMBRACES BUSINESS CLASS
Reuters reported that Virgin Group founder Richard Branson plans business class-only flights with a fleet of up to 15 new aircraft. The flights would first serve New York, followed by other US cities. Virgin's business-class flights to New York would originate in Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Milan, and Zurich, as well as from London. The company said that frequent flyer programs and the ability to plug into U.S. domestic flights operated by Virgin America due to begin next month would be advantages over competitors. A Virgin spokesman told the wire service that the new Virgin airline would try to meet or beat competing fares.
[ Posted June 12, 2007 ]
Pilots and crewmembers associations merge
The executive board of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) unanimously approved a merger agreement between ALPA and the Capital Cargo Crewmembers Association (CCCA). The union merger is to go into effect June 1, with the full transfer of representational rights to ALPA. The Capital Cargo crewmembers voted May 1 to merge their independent union with ALPA. The CCCA executive council had endorsed the CCCA-ALPA merger agreement in February, reported an ALPA news release.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
US Airways reports activity
In a report of April and year-to-date results for 2007, US Airways Group announced revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for the month of 5.5 billion, down 0.1 percent from April 2006. Capacity was 6.6 billion available seat miles (ASMs), down 0.2 percent from April 2006. April's passenger load factor was 82.2 percent, compared to 82.1 percent in April 2006. US Airways President Scott Kirby noted that the passenger revenue per available seat mile environment "has weakened from the rapid growth rate seen in 2006 leading to more difficult year-over-year comparisons, particularly in the second quarter. In addition, the month was impacted compared to last year due to the timing of the Easter holiday." America West and US Airways report combined operational performance to the Department of Transportation. For the month of April 2007, the combined domestic on-time performance was 63.2 percent, with a completion factor of 98.6 percent.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
Boeing optimistic about growth
Boeing Co. has reaffirmed its optimistic growth outlook for 2007 and 2008. The Associated Press reported that Boeing informed investors that the company remains on track for double-digit earnings increases and revenue associated with activity linked to its new product, the Boeing 787 jet. The assessment was made public at the aerospace firm's annual investor conference in Chicago.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
US-China aviation pact a milestone
The United States and China have signed a broad civil aviation agreement that is expected to more than double the number of daily passenger flights between the two countries by 2012, to 23. U.S. airlines are currently permitted only 10 flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Officials estimate that the new terms will reap $5 billion of new business for U.S. carriers. The announcement was made by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters at the close of economic talks in Washington. The pact allows for one new flight to be added in 2007, one in 2008, four in 2009, three in 2010 and two each in 2011 and 2012. Peters said the agreement allows the United States to designate three more U.S. airlines to operate in China, and by 2011, the Chinese government will cancel restrictions on cargo flights and carriers.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
First pilots typed in Hawker 4000
Two pilots from Talon Air of Farmingdale, New York, are the first pilots to have been certified under FAR Part 135 to fly the Hawker 4000. Pilots Jason Sanders and Reiner Seuss completed initial type ratings. Talon Air worked closely with Flight Safety International and the Federal Aviation Administration to facilitate the certification of the FAR Part 135 training program for the Hawker 4000, said a company news release.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
Citation sales agreement worth $280 million
Cessna Aircraft Company announced at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland that Austria's JetAlliance has ordered 25 Citation business jets valued at $280 million. The order consisted of one CJ1+, six CJ2+, five CJ3, three XLS+, one Sovereign, two Citation X, and seven Citation Mustang aircraft, for delivery in 2009 and 2010. In 2006, Cessna delivered 1,239 aircraft, including 307 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $4.2 billion and an order backlog of $8.5 billion. The global fleet of almost 5,000 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information is available on the Web site.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
Jetfly buys PC-12s
JetFly, the European fractional aircraft ownership program, and Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. signed an agreement for JetFly to purchase six PC-12s, to be delivered through 2009. Jetfly is headquartered in Luxembourg.
[ Posted June 5, 2007 ]
