Fatigue management software in testing
Kronos Inc. is partnering with Circadian, a research firm specializing in crew scheduling, to integrate Circadian's fatigue and alertness module into Kronos' airline crew management software. HR 5900, the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act, requires all commercial airlines to have an FAA-acceptable fatigue risk-management plan. Kronos says its automated schedules for cabin and cockpit crew will be evaluated in real time for fatigue risk, enabling crew planners to determine acceptable levels of crew fatigue.
Airline mergers exemplify carrier differences
As major airlines continue to merge, more than just pilot seniority lists have become an issue. Case in point is the proposed merger of AirTran and Southwest. The former is now asking Southwest to abandon some of its longstanding business practices, including the lack of assigned seating and business class. A group called Save Our Seats has been formed to petition Southwest to keep the two-cabin system.
Corporate flying activity increasing
Although the owner of the aircraft may have changed, it’s clear that corporate aviation activity continues to increase. CSI Aviation Services, an aircraft charter and leasing company, said recently that demand is down for corporate travel services but up for executive jet charter. And Aviation International News reports that one forecasting firm says demand is more than a third better than it was at this time last year.
Report predicts increase in regional jet activity
More than 4,000 new regional aircraft will make their way into the world’s airlines between 2010 and 2019, according to market research firm Forecast International. In its new report, “The Market for Regional Transport Aircraft,” the company says that 64 percent of that total will be regional jets, while the other aircraft will be turboprops. Familiar players, including Bombardier, Embraer, and ATR, will lead the sales effort, according to the company.
