JetBlue considering Worcester Regional Airport, among others

WORCESTER —  JetBlue Airways Corp. is looking at Worcester Regional Airport.

Dave Barger, president and chief executive officer of the low-cost airline, visited the Worcester airport earlier this month, Massachusetts Port Authority spokesman Richard Walsh said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Barger said on his Twitter account Tuesday: “As for ORH (the federal designation for Worcester Airport), had a very nice visit with Massport 10 days ago. More soon!”

Mr. Barger and other JetBlue executives were at the airport April 13.

“We're definitely looking at it, but we're not ready to announce anything,” said Mateo Lleras, a spokesman for JetBlue, which has a major regional hub at Boston's Logan International Airport.

Mr. Barger's tweet was in response to a tweet from Worcester businessman Bill Randell, who closely follows the airport on his Worcester Blog. Mr. Randell congratulated Mr. Barger on JetBlue's 10-year anniversary of trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

The Worcester airport, which MassPort purchased in 2010, suffered the departure of its only commercial carrier, Direct Air, last month.

Direct Air has since filed for bankruptcy, leaving numerous creditors, including passengers who had bought tickets and vouchers.

City and Massport officials have been trying to woo new airlines to the airport in the wake of Direct Air's departure.

JetBlue has previously expressed interest in coming to Worcester, but the airline executives' recent visit is the first development since Mr. Barger said after a September speech at Boston College that Massport had “put Worcester on our radar screen.”

Mr. Barger, however, noted that expanding to Providence was a higher priority and suggested that the Worcester airport, located on a plateau atop a hill near the Paxton border, presents technical challenges because the location is often foggy, The Boston Globe reported at the time.

MassPort will conduct its regular monthly meeting at Worcester Regional Airport tomorrow morning.

Mr. Lleras, the JetBlue spokesman, confirmed that JetBlue is interested in the airport, but said it is only one of many the carrier is considering at any given time, and that the airport selection process is complex and takes from six months to three years.

“We're looking at many airports as well as your airport,” he said.

Mr. Lleras also noted that Mr. Barger, the JetBlue president and CEO, is an enthusiastic corporate leader known for visiting many potential locations.

“Dave's around a lot. He travels a lot. He's on the ground a lot,” Mr. Lleras said. “He gets excited. He wants us to fly everywhere.”

Mr. Barger's Twitter commentary and visit have left some local officials optimistic about the future of an airport that has had many losses of commercial airline service over the years and whose spotty record has led some critics to call for shutting it down.

“We've been building toward a big-time airline for a long time,” said Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton, chairman of the council's Economic Development committee. “Population growth, our centralized location and the near capacity of Logan has pointed toward an interest like this, like JetBlue.”

Source:   http://www.telegram.com

Vision Airlines Announces New Non-stop Jet Service to Myrtle Beach From 8 Markets Beginning May 31, 2012

SUWANEE, Ga., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Vision Airlines announced today new, non-stop 737 jet service to Myrtle Beach, S.C., from the following cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, and Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Louisville; Nashville; and Springfield, Ill. Seats are on sale now for flights, beginning May 31, 2012, through October 31, 2012. 

Vision Airlines' low-cost fares to Myrtle Beach start at just $109* each-way (including all taxes and fees). Tickets and complete vacation packages may be purchased at www.VisionAirlines.com or through the Vision Airlines Call Center at 1-877-FLY-A-JET (1-877-359-2538). Customers may also contact their local travel agent for more information. 

"We are excited to welcome Vision Airlines to MYR and we are confident that the markets that they've chosen will provide terrific opportunities for both Vision Airlines and our destination," said Mike La Pier, Director of Airports, MYR. "It's been our goal, along with the Chamber and Golf Holiday, to continue to work to bring new visitors to our destination with increased air service. We are pleased to partner with Vision Air to introduce all that Myrtle Beach can offer to a new and much greater audience," added La Pier.

In the past, passengers traveling to Myrtle Beach have had to endure long layovers, hours in the car, very expensive fares, and flying on cramped regional jets. Vision Airlines' non-stop, big jet, Boeing 737 service will save passengers time and money. 

"Vision Airlines' new, non-stop flights to Myrtle Beach are another step in providing low-cost air service to fantastic vacation destinations. The great golf courses and family-friendly beaches make Myrtle Beach an excellent vacation value," said David Meers, Senior Vice President of Vision Airlines. "Vision Airlines' non-stop, big jet, Boeing 737 service will save passengers time and money, making flying a more attractive option for traveling to Myrtle Beach this summer." 

For decades, Myrtle Beach has maintained its status as an award-winning destination. Many leisure travelers choose Myrtle Beach because of attractions that include 60 miles of beautiful beaches, top hotels and vacation rentals, championship golf courses, thrilling water sports, live entertainment, amusement parks and an abundance of dining options. Approximately 14 million visitors vacation in Myrtle Beach each year, and now Vision Airlines' new flights will make it more affordable and convenient to fly there. 

About Vision Airlines 

Vision Airlines has been in operation for more than 18 years offering low-cost flights to the most popular leisure destinations. Vision Airlines is an ETOPS certified Part 121 Air Carrier. The company's fleet consists of 19-passenger and 30-passenger Dornier turboprops, Boeing 737's and wide-body Boeing 767's. Vision Airlines offers both scheduled and charter flights to international and domestic destinations. Additionally, the company continues to offer popular tourist flights from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Vision Airlines has offices in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington DC. For more information please visit www.visionairlines.com

*Terms and Conditions 

$109 each-way is not available in all markets. Check www.VisionAirlines.com for all fares. Fares include full taxes and PFCs. Fares are subject to availability at the time of purchase. Fares, routes, and schedules are subject to change without notice. If purchased prior to check-in, customers may check their first standard size bag for $15 each-way and $20 each-way for any additional pieces. If customers are paying for checked luggage at the airport, their first standard size bag is $25 each-way and $30 each-way for any additional pieces. 

SOURCE Vision Airlines

Axis Jet receives FAA approval to use iPads in cockpits

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Axis Jet, a Sacramento-based aviation company, has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to utilize Apple's iPad tablet by the company's flight crews as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers.

"Traditional paper flight chart binders are large, heavy, unwieldy and difficult to update," says Axis Jet Chief Pilot Scott Malandrone.  "The iPad allows us an advantage is terms of safety and efficiency in the cockpit with the most up-to-the-second critical flight information."

Axis Jet operates jets and turboprops for charter and management based in Sacramento, Napa and Scottsdale, AZ. It is the first aviation company in the area to receive FAA approval. Since its inception in 2004, Axis Jet has remained committed to state-of-the art technology, including online scheduling and quoting for clients through the company's website. "There is an eco-friendly component of this move as well. Flight charts are large, heavy manuals that need to be updated monthly," said Axis Jet co-owner Matt Bosco. "Eliminating the paper charts means less weight, less fuel burn and less paper. We're excited to offer this environmentally-responsible program and safety enhancement to our clients."

Axis Jet is an aircraft sales, management and Part 135 air charter company headquartered at the Sacramento Jet Center at Sacramento Executive Airport (KSAC) with aircraft based in California and Arizona.  Axis Jet is a division of Axis Aviation Group, Inc., privately-owned company founded in 2004 by award-winning aviation leaders Matt Bosco and Dan Kimmel.  Axis Jet is FAA-authorized to fly throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico and ARG/US Gold approved.

To contact Axis Jet, email fly@axisjet.com, visit www.axisjet.com or call 916-391-5000.

Media Contact: Tricia Bosco Axis Jet, 9168070863, tricia@axisjet.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE Axis Jet

KLM’s Delicious designed Sandwich Packaging on European Flights

KLM Royal Dutch Airline’s sandwiches on European routes will have new packaging from 1 June. This has been designed by students of the Avans/St Joost Schools of Art & Design in Breda, the Netherlands. At the beginning of this year, KLM announced the competition “Delicious Art”. The students were asked to come up with a design that is culinary, surprising, inspirational and energetic, and which corresponds to KLM’s distinctively Dutch character.

Together with its Facebook fans, KLM assessed the entrees. Silvie Buenen, Tom van der Pijl and Agnes Loonstra produced the winning designs. Soon the three winners will board a KLM flight where they will be able to admire their own products. The three designs will be used for six months on a total of five million packets.

Paul Elich, EVP KLM Inflight Services: “To inspire our passengers during their journey, KLM has been working for many years with established names in Dutch design, such as Marcel Wanders, Mart Visser and Viktor&Rolf. The Netherlands is full of young, undiscovered talent. By asking students of the Avans/St Joost Schools of Art & Design to design new sandwich packaging, we are offering young talent the opportunity to show their work to the whole world. We are thrilled that the winning designs relate so well to KLM.”

The KLM Inflight product label is called “Delicious”. This is printed on many of KLM’s Economy Class inflight products, such as snacks, meals, sandwiches and hot towels. The “Delicious Art” packaging will be used on board KLM and KLM Cityhopper European flights which last between 100 and 170 minutes. On flights shorter than 100 minutes they will be served until 09:00 hrs.

Source:  http://www.dutchdailynews.com

WestJet launches westjetcargo.com

Airline introduces a dedicated website for transporting cargo 

CALGARY, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - WestJet this week launched a new stand-alone website, westjetcargo.com, allowing guests to better utilize the airline's cargo shipping services.

The site's new features include the ability to:

• book, trace and track cargo shipments individually and in real time through an online tool
• access the most up-to-date shipping guidelines
• view a current list of shipping restrictions and embargoes
• request waybills and make claims online
• receive answers to frequently asked questions

"We are so pleased to introduce a new tool to serve guests looking to use WestJet's cargo services," said Henry Nizynski, WestJet Director of Business Development. "Since 1996 WestJet Cargo has leveraged the airline's commitment to on-time performance and a great guest experience, which extends to how we ship their items through our network." 

The launch of a dedicated website is a natural next step for WestJet Cargo, which began working with Exp-Air Cargo Ltd in 2010. This new relationship triggered a number of developments including a new payment structure, a system upgrade and a new sales team. WestJet Cargo currently serves 21 domestic stations with plans to expand into the U.S. and Mexico in the near future. 

For more information on WestJet Cargo, please visit westjetcargo.com. 

About WestJet

 

WestJet is Canada's preferred airline, offering scheduled service throughout its 76-city North American and Caribbean network. Inducted into Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame and named one of Canada's best employers, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. Named a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion, WestJet offers increased legroom and leather seats on its modern fleet of 98 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. With future confirmed deliveries for an additional 37 aircraft through 2018, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world. 

Connect with WestJet on Facebook at www.facebook.com/westjet

Follow WestJet on Twitter at www.twitter.com/westjet

Subscribe to WestJet on YouTube at www.youtube.com/westjet

 

SOURCE WestJet

Friend remembers Ex-Air Force Two pilot, father, cyclist killed when hit by SUV

LARKSPUR, Colorado  

A 46-year-old Air Force pilot was killed Sunday evening after troopers say he was hit by a Jeep on a state highway east of Monument. 

Lt. Col., Michael Joyal was riding his bicycle south on Colo. 83 when he was hit around 8:15 p.m. by a 2004 Jeep Wrangler that was also going south, said Trooper Nate Reid, a Colorado State Patrol spokesman.

Joyal died at the scene of the crash, which was just north of the El Paso County line.

A family friend, Lt. Col. Jason Brenneman, said Joyal was married with two children.

"He was a fantastic officer, a wonderful pilot and tremendous husband and father," he said.

Troopers suspect Sjvorne Chapman, 37, of Peyton, was driving the Jeep.

She was booked into the Douglas County jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and reckless driving, Reid said.

According to Joyal's LinkedIn Profile, he was a graduate of the Air Force Academy and retired from the Air Force in 2010 after a successful career as a pilot and intelligence officer.

His career included a five year stint flying Air Force Two -- the plane for the vice president of the United States -- and he flew in 114 countries and six U.S. territories. He logged more than 5,000 flight hours.

Read more:  

http://www.airforcetimes.com

http://articles.outtherecolorado.com

Bhoja Air plane crash: Civil Aviation Authority accused of giving clearance in violation of International Civil Aviation Organization rules

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is learnt to have allowed Bhoja aircraft to land at Islamabad airport when the sky was covered with cumulonimbus clouds - associated with violent events such as lightning, thunder and tornadoes - in violation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules.

The Meteorological Department had twice issued a weather warning to CAA on April 21 and on both the occasions it warned of an extremely high wind pressure.

CAA disregarded the warnings and allowed the Bhoja Air plane to land.

Flying in cumulonimbus clouds is clear violation of ICAO rules and entering them is akin to committing suicide: Any aircraft flying in the vicinity of these clouds experiences disruptions of communications and navigation equipment, besides facing serious hazards, a senior official of Met Off said on condition of anonymity.

He said that cumulonimbus cloud is one of the largest cloud formation on earth's weather patterns.

Tall, column-like cloud appearance, often with a flat top, can indicate severe lightning, heavy rains and high winds.

"If the CCA had properly followed Met Department's weather warnings and guided the aircraft to land at an alternative airport, the Bhoja plane's crash may have been avoided," he said.

Source:  http://www.brecorder.com

'Gory, indecent, vulgar': Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority admonishes 17 broadcast media outlets for irresponsible coverage of Bhoja Air crash

Pakistan’s electronic media regulator on Wednesday issued a furious rebuke to 17 television channels after they broadcast graphic images of the victims of a plane crash.

A Bhoja Air Boeing-737 came down and burst into flames in fields near Islamabad on April 20 as it tried to land, killing all 127 people on board—the Pakistani capital’s second major crash in less than two years.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Wednesday ordered the channels to explain themselves over what it called “horrific and insane” coverage of the disaster.
 
In a strongly worded statement, PEMRA said the channels broadcast “unedited live footage of blood, gore, dead and mutilated bodies amid a private plane crash.”

The regulator said it was considering legal action against the broadcasters, calling their approach “extremely unethical and irresponsible.”

“There is no harm in taking edge over other channels in dissemination of timely and accurate news but the quest must not be to take lead in indecency or irregularity,” the statement said. “It’s high time that the channels must realize their responsibility and define the dos and don’ts.”

Source:   http://newsweekpakistan.com

General Dynamics Says Profit Fell 8.7% on Combat Unit Sales

By Gopal Ratnam
Apr 25, 2012 10:07 AM ET

General Dynamics Corp. (GD) said first- quarter profit fell 8.7 percent, because of a decline in sales and profit at its combat systems unit.

Net income declined $564 million, or $1.57 a share, from $618 million, or $1.64 a share, a year earlier, the maker of Abrams battle tanks and Gulfstream jets, said today in a statement. General Dynamics fell 1.2 percent to $69.19 at 10:04 a.m. in New York trading.

After adjusting for a non-cash charge of 13 cents a share, profit was $1.70 compared with the average estimate of $1.69 a share by 20 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales declined 2.8 percent to $7.58 billion.

Jay Johnson, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, sees international and domestic demand for Gulfstream jets offsetting weak orders for some of the company’s defense products this year.

The Gulfstream G650, a large-cabin, long-range business jet that’s in development, already has a backlog of more than 200 orders and “it’s a very, very well-received airplane before it ever even hits the market,” Johnson has said.

Defense Cuts

The company’s first quarter result “reflects continued growth in our aerospace segment as well as the challenges presented” by slow defense orders, Johnson said in the statement today.

The threat of automatic defense budget cuts, known as sequestration, is slowing orders for General Dynamics’ military radios, satellites, and information-technology systems, Johnson said Feb. 23.

General Dynamics, based in Falls Church, Virginia, said the European operations of its Combat Systems unit had a $67 million non-cash charge during the first quarter. The company reaffirmed today its forecast for 2012 profit of $7.10 to $7.20 a share made in January, less than the $7.33 a share estimate of 22 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

General Dynamics rose 79 cents or 1.14 percent to $70.06 yesterday in New York trading. They have gained 5.5 percent before today.

Sales at the company’s Aerospace unit, maker of Gulfstream jets, rose 20 percent to $1.62 billion, and profit gained 18 percent to $271 million, the company said.
Gulfstream Demand

Demand for Gulfstream jets was “healthy” in the quarter with “particularly strong interest from North American customers,” General Dynamics said in the statement.

The Aerospace unit had a funded backlog of $16.7 billion at the end of the first quarter, the company said.

In its defense business, the company’s “high exposure to Army spend is a concern,” Douglas Harned, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein LLC in New York, wrote in an April 23 note to clients. In addition to the Abrams tanks, the company makes Stryker combat vehicles for the U.S. Army. Harned rates the stock market-perform.

The Pentagon plans to cut about $490 billion from its planned spending over the next 10 years under budget-reduction legislation, with an additional $500 billion if the automatic cuts take effect starting in January.

Revenue at the Combat Systems unit, maker of Abrams and Stryker vehicles, fell 2.3 percent to $1.91 billion and unit income declined 27 percent to $203 million, the company said.

Sales at the Marine Systems unit, maker of the Navy’s destroyers and nuclear-powered submarines, fell 4.2 percent to $1.61 billion and profit gained 11 percent to $185 million.

Information Systems and Technology sales fell 13.3 percent to $2.44 billion and profit declined 21 percent to $218 million, the company said. 

Source:   http://www.bloomberg.com

International Plot to Smuggle US Stealth Tech to China Foiled: Feds

By RICHARD ESPOSITO and LEE FERRAN

April 25, 2012 

An international plot to provide China with highly classified U.S. military technology has been foiled, U.S. federal agents said. 

Two Taiwanese nationals were arrested after they told American undercover agents they were working for "associates" in the Chinese intelligence community and wanted to buy a surveillance drone and stealth technology related to the U.S.'s F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the FBI said in court documents released today. 

The plot was uncovered during a previous investigation into the pair's alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar counterfeit goods smuggling scheme and crystal methamphetamine operation. The pair, 45-year-old Hui Sheng Shen, also known as "Charlie," and 41-year-old Huan Ling Chang, also known as "Alice," have been charged with violating the Arms Export Control Act along with related drug charges and could face life in prison. 

"The charges... illustrate starkly why we do this work, and what is at stake when the security of our ports is breached for any reason," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. "National security isn't an a la carte enterprise. The same conduits that bring knockoff sneakers flood our communities with illegal drugs and establish dangerous criminal relationships." 

According to the FBI's account, a drug smuggling middleman in Hong Kong unknowingly led undercover agents to Shen and Chang who apparently acted in the U.S. on behalf of a larger drug syndicate. In the summer of 2011, the pair discussed drug smuggling operations with the undercover agents but it wasn't until September of that year that they brought up the drones, the E-2C Hawkeye surveillance aircraft, which they called the "big toy," and the F-22 stealth technology. 

At a meeting held in Las Vegas, an undercover agent told Shen he "would prefer not to make money on something that would hurt the United States," the FBI said. 

Shen replied, "I think that all items would hurt America." 

When the agents tried to learn who exactly Shen and Chang worked for, Chang began to say they had "special status" and could not travel to countries like the U.S. and the U.K., but Shen interrupted and said, "They are spies." 

The undercover operation came to a close in February 2012 when FBI agents met with Shen and Chang to "finalize" a major drug deal and allow the pair to take pictures of some sensitive U.S. military technology.

"The pair planned to avoid law enforcement detection by taking photographs, deleting those photographs, and bringing the memory cards back to China, where a contact had the ability to recover deleted items," the FBI said in the criminal complaint. "The defendants took the photos, but FBI agents were there to arrest them before the photos could be deleted." 

The F-22 Raptor is America's most advanced, and expensive, fighter jet. The Chinese have reportedly begun testing their own prototype for a next generation stealth fighter, known as the J-20.

Source:  http://abcnews.go.com

F-35 a 'serious mismatch' for Canada's North, retired colonel says

By Jeff Davis, Postmedia News 

April 25, 2012 9:30 AM

OTTAWA — A retired air force fleet manager fired a salvo at the F-35 Wednesday, saying the strike fighter is ill-suited for Arctic missions and may become obsolete soon after it enters service.

Retired colonel Paul Maillet, an aerospace engineer and former CF-18 fleet manager, said the F-35 does not meet the needs of the government's Canada First Defence Strategy, a key pillar of which is Arctic sovereignty.

"How do you get a single engine, low-range, low-payload, low-manoeuvrability aircraft that is being optimized for close air support . . . to operate effectively in the North?" he asked.

Maillet called the F-35 a "serious strategic mismatch" to Canada's military needs, and suggested the Royal Canadian Air Force would be better off purchasing a fleet of F-18 E/F fighters.

Maillet, who twice ran as a federal Green party candidate, said the billions the government is planning to spend on F-35s would be better used on schools and health care.

Maillet, who now works as an anti-corruption consultant, said a truly competitive bidding process was never held. Instead, he said, the decision was made by the "Old Boys club of air force generals and politicians" under pressure from allies and the "military industrial complex."

The trend lines in aerial combat, Maillet said, point to manned aircraft becoming a thing of the past. Unmanned drone technology is progressing at a staggering pace, he said, and they will soon be capable of air-to-air dogfights.

Given the pace of drone development, Maillet said, the F-35 could be the last major manned fighter project. With new drone fighters not too far off, he said, Canada could hold off on a major purchase — and extend the life of the aging CF-18s — until these come to market.

"We could do the skip-a-generation thing," he said.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page has asked the federal government for new information about the F-35 fighter jets so he can prepare an updated estimate of their real cost.

Page received a request from Liberal defence critic John McKay to "undertake an update of the life cycle cost estimate of the F-35."

In a letter to the deputy minister of national defence, Robert Fonberg, dated April 23, Page asks that the Department of National Defence hand over "information and documents" that provide a "full life cycle cost" of the aircraft.

Earlier this month, Auditor General Michael Ferguson delivered a report highly critical of the Defence Department's handling of the F-35 project.

A few days later, the government revealed it knew weeks before the last election that the aircraft would cost $10 billion more than the $14.7 billion Canadians were originally told.

The auditor general's report, released on April 3, indicated Defence Department officials twisted government rules, withheld information from ministers and Parliament, and whitewashed cost overruns and delays afflicting the F-35 program.

In the letter, Page asks specifically for "operating and support costs," which the department notably left out of previous estimates.

Page encourages the department to use the U.S. government's $137 million U.S. per aircraft price tag — which he notes has been verified by an independent, non-partisan agency.

The government has two weeks to respond to Page's request.

Source: http://www.canada.com

India's New Delhi airport to be world's most expensive: Industry body

Reuters, 25 Apr 2012 | 08:39 PM

India's New Delhi airport will become the world's most expensive, with its operator GMR Infrastructure Ltd permitted to raise charges, hurting the airport's ambition to become an aviation hub, an airline industry body said.
 
Earlier on Wednesday, GMR, which received a regulatory approval to raise the airport charges from May 15, called the increase "inadequate" to cover its costs.

Air ticket prices for international flights operating from the airport would rise by an average of Rs 580 ($10.99), while domestic fares would increase by an average Rs 290 , GMR said in a statement.

The revised charges would push up the landing and parking fee for aircraft, apart from raising the user development fee, GMR said, a move that may discourage foreign airlines to operate to and from the Indian capital.

"India's aviation industry is already sick. This increase in Delhi's charges will put it in intensive care from a cost perspective," Albert Tjoeng, assistant director of corporate communications at International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement.

The move may also hurt demand from cost-conscious Indians, who are already battling high inflation and have the option of travelling by much cheaper trains.

Airports Authority of India, Germany's Fraport and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd are GMR's consortium partners for the airport. ($1 = Rs 52.7700 )

Source:  http://profit.ndtv.com

American Airlines tells judge it needs more union concessions

by JASON WHITELY
WFAA
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:50 AM

NEW YORK — American Airlines parent company AMR Corp. told a federal bankruptcy judge in New York Tuesday it is squeezing out savings as it restructures.

A top executive of the carrier told the court that cutting labor costs is the only option it has left on the table.

The future of a storied airline and 13,000 union workers is being laid out in the courtroom more than 1,500 miles from its Fort worth headquarters, in sight of the Statue of Liberty.

Taking the stand on Tuesday was Beverly Goulet, American's Chief Restructuring Officer. She said the company and its consultants have squeezed out all the savings they can from the airline — $4 billion worth.

She said pilots, flight attendants and ground workers must now take a 20 percent pay cut, worth another billion dollars.

Laura Glading, representing the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said she understands the airline's strategy in the wake of similar restructurings at other airlines. "I think American looked at the other bankruptcies and said, 'We're going to get what we want. Everyone else has. And so we won't be denied.'"

She's right; no other airline has been.

Still, American's unions continue to suggest to the court that a merger is the carrier's only option to save jobs — and the airline itself.

In court, Goulet admitted to union attorneys: "I think there are advantages to larger [airline] networks," but she wouldn't concede that American must merge to grow.

"American Airlines has a business plan going forward," said American spokesman Bruce Hicks. "It isn't like we're trying to follow five different plans; we know what we want. We're heading in that direction. It's the plan that will return American Airlines to sustainable profitability and success."

Tuesday's testimony sometimes got mired in the mundane. The judge half-joked to attorneys: "We'd like to finish this hearing sometime this calendar year. We seem to be hop-scotching around."

One of the flight attendants' lawyers pointed out the problem — that the court is dealing with three different groups, all of them facing an uncertain future — a future that's likely to be decided in this New York courtroom.

Source:  http://www.khou.com

GoAir may re-launch late-night flights to attract budget fliers

In order to beat the rising costs and make flight tickets affordable for the budget fliers GoAir is planning to start late-night flight services. The airline is also making strategies of permeating smaller cities and is in talks with many state governments for seeking permission.

Jeh Wadia, MD, GoAir said, “The airline is contemplating tossing back its red-eye flights once again, and it is in dialogue with several state governments to allow it to develop non-capital city routes with lower sales tax on the air turbine fuel (4% as opposed to 27%).” This idea was developed after GoAir successfully launched its flight services to the small town of Nanded in Maharashtra.

Source:  http://www.journeymart.com

JetBlue Takes Off Between Newark and San Juan, Puerto Rico

press release
April 25, 2012, 9:00 a.m. EDT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- JetBlue Airways JBLU +1.07% , Puerto Rico's largest carrier (a), today launched service to its 12th nonstop destination from San Juan's Luis Munoz MarinInternational Airport (SJU), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Flights are on sale now at www.jetblue.com/ .

"We've quickly become the largest carrier in the Commonwealth, thanks to the steadfast support from the community and the numerous ties between the two cities," said John Checketts, director of route planning for JetBlue. "We will continue to add more routes and new destinations from San Juan, where we will soon have a new terminal to better serve our customers and expand our operations."

"The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is extremely pleased that JetBlue has taken the Newark Gateway to add seats to San Juan as the new nonstop service will now provide additional air service to one of our main markets," said Luis Rivera-Marin, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. "We look forward to the arrival of visitors traveling from Newark who can now take advantage of the carefully planned departure and arrival times to visit us and enjoy everything we offer as the Caribbean's most diverse and complete destination."

JetBlue's proposed schedule between Newark and San Juan*:

        Newark to San Juan:      San Juan to Newark:

        Depart - Arrive          Depart - Arrive

        9:29 a.m. - 13:29 p.m.   5:05 p.m. - 9:16 p.m.

        - Flights operate daily effective April 25, 2012-

        - All times local -

       
* First week schedule to vary.

JetBlue operates up to 18 flights a day from Newark, with nonstop service to Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach.

JetBlue's flights to and from San Juan will be operated with the airline's comfortable Airbus A320 fleet. In Puerto Rico, JetBlue currently serves San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce, with service to twelve nonstop destinations, eight within the continental U.S.: Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Jacksonville, Newark, New York, Orlando, and Tampa and four within the Caribbean: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and St. Croix.

Customers on all flights will enjoy JetBlue's award-winning service featuring convenient, assigned seating; a first-checked bag free (b); complimentary and unlimited name brand snacks and drinks; comfy leather seats; and more legroom than any other carrier in coach (c).

The airline plans to begin its 13th route from San Juan on May 15, 2012, when service between the island and West Palm Beach International will begin.

About JetBlue AirwaysJetBlue is the largest airline in Puerto Rico flying more seats in and out of the island than any other carrier; known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) and super-spacious Even More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 70 cities with 750 daily flights. Next week, JetBlue plans to introduce service to Dallas/Fort-Worth. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For more information or reservations, call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, 1-801-365-2583, or visit www.jetblue.com .

(a) As measured by number of seats in and out of Puerto Rico.

(b) Baggage weight and size limits apply.

(c) JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach, based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways

http://www.marketwatch.com

SpiceJet to operate first international flight from Madurai

Published on Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 18:02
Source : PTI
Updated at Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 18:50 

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet will become the first airline to operate an international flight from Madurai Airport with the Civil Aviation Ministry approving a proposal for connecting the city with Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told a Tamil Nadu MP that his Ministry has approved operation of a flight from Madurai to Colombo. "He (Ajit Singh) told me that he has cleared a proposal allowing Spicejet to operate between Madurai and Colombo," Virudhunagar MP Manick Tagore said after meet Singh here today.

Tagore has been demanding that the Ministry should allow private operators to fly to international routes from Madurai to facilitate people in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. This would mean Madurai getting its first international connectivity after being elevated as an international airport.

When Spicejet starts the operation, Madurai would become the third airport in Tamil Nadu to operate international flights.

Source:   http://www.moneycontrol.com

Boeing profit up on stronger airliner sales

Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:14am EDT
By Kyle Peterson

April 25 (Reuters) - Boeing Co posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, helped by an increase in commercial airplane deliveries, and the world's largest aerospace and defense company raised its earnings forecast for the year.

The news from Boeing, which makes commercial airplanes and military products, sent its shares up more than 2 percent in premarket trading.

The company is raising production rates on commercial airplanes to meet increased demand while battling defense budget constraints.

"As of late, investors have turned Boeing into an execution story, and execute they did," said Alex Hamilton, managing director of EarlyBirdCapital.

"We believe investors should be pleased given the performance of all sectors, including defense, which is highly impressive given the backdrop of the defense budget," Hamilton said.

Boeing's first-quarter net profit rose to $923 million, or $1.22 per share, from $586 million, or 78 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding a gain from resolved litigation, earnings were $1.11 per share, beating the analysts' average estimate of 94 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Boeing declined to identify the litigation. Earlier this month, a California appeals court threw out Pendrell Corp's potentially $775 million victory against Boeing in a lawsuit over launch and satellite contracts between the two companies.

Boeing had been setting money aside in case of an unfavorable ruling, but the outcome made this provision unnecessary.

Shares of Boeing were up 2.4 percent to $75 in premarket trade after the results.

The company, which competes with EADS unit Airbus for orders, said revenue rose 30 percent to $19.4 billion, topping expectations for $18.4 billion. Boeing said its order backlog at the end of the quarter was $380 billion, up from $356 billion at the beginning of the year.

The company raised the upper end of its 2012 profit forecast to $4.35 a share from $4.25 while keeping the low end at $4.15. It affirmed its 2012 revenue outlook of $78 billion to $80 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney said in a statement that the company's outlook remained positive.

Revenue at the commercial unit increased 54 percent to $10.9 billion on higher delivery volume and an improved mix of the planes it delivered. Shares of the company typically track commercial orders and deliveries.

Boeing, which gets paid for its airplanes when customers receive them, has said it delivered 137 commercial airplanes in the first quarter, up 32 percent from a year earlier. Most of the growth came from 737 deliveries.

At the defense business, revenue increased 8 percent to $8.2 billion. Sales of military aircraft rose 27 percent to $4.3 billion.

Boeing logged orders for 805 commercial airplanes in 2011, adjusted for cancellations. As a result, it lost the race to Airbus, which had orders of 1,419.

Boeing has pledged to strike back in 2012 with sales of its revamped narrowbody, the 737 MAX, which features a new, fuel-efficient engine. The plane is due to enter service in 2017.

The company booked 412 net orders for commercial airplanes during the quarter, including 301 firm orders for the MAX.

The MAX competes with the Airbus A320neo, which also has a new engine.

Boeing is increasing production rates on its commercial airplane programs, including the 787 Dreamliner, its new carbon-composite aircraft. The first delivery of the Dreamliner came last year after three years of delays.

The company wants increase monthly production of 787s to 10 by the end of 2013 from the current rate of 3.5. Some experts believe that target is unattainable.

The target appeared even less realistic in February after Boeing found a flaw on the fuselage of as many as 55 Dreamliners that needed to be corrected before it could deliver the airplanes.

Boeing said previously that the glitch had resulted in signs of "delamination" on a support structure in the rear fuselage. Delamination occurs when repeated stress causes laminated composite materials to begin to separate.

http://www.reuters.com

Harris Corporation to Upgrade Air Traffic Control Communication Systems in the Dominican Republic and Uruguay

press release
April 25, 2012, 8:00 a.m. EDT

MELBOURNE, Fla. & GATINEAU, Quebec, Apr 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Airports have selected Harris to provide advanced voice communications system.

--Modernized air traffic control (ATC) system will enable airports to support economic growth.

--Contract represents Harris' first ATC business in the Dominican Republic and Uruguay; supports company's international growth initiative.

Harris Corporation HRS +0.55% , an international communications and information technology company, has been awarded contracts to modernize the air traffic control systems in the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

Harris will supply its Liberty-STAR(TM) Voice Communication and Control System (VCCS) to the Cibao International Airport in Santiago de los Caballeros and to the Aeropuerto de Punta del Este in Maldonado. The Liberty-STAR(TM) VCCS features a modular architecture, open-platform software, and commercial-off-the-shelf hardware that deliver a reliable, scalable communications solution for ATC towers, airline and area control dispatch, flight service stations, and mobile shelters.

Both airport systems will be equipped with touch-screen operator positions, radio and telephone interfaces, and a System Maintenance, Administration and Reconfiguration Terminal (SMART) POSITION(TM). At the Cibao International Airport, the system also will feature a digital recorder and a Liberty-MET weather system.

Harris will install the systems and provide operation and maintenance training for the air traffic controllers and technical staff at both locations.

"Both of these airports are critical to their respective economies. Cibao International is one of the busiest in the region, supporting the Dominican Republic's vital tourist trade. Punta del Este is Uruguay's second busiest airport and serves as a vital hub to their largest trading partners in Brazil and Argentina," said John O'Sullivan, vice president of Mission Critical Networks for Harris Corporation. "The advanced capabilities offered by the Liberty-STAR system will provide our newest customers with a powerful and cost-effective solution for maintaining trade relations through their safe and secure airways."

Harris has extensive experience developing mission-critical solutions that support civil and military air traffic control operations worldwide, including more than 200 customers in 50 countries. While these are the company's first ATC communications contracts in the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, Harris has supplied communications systems for a wide range of countries in the region, including the Bahamas, Aruba, Barbados, and the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, and Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Brazil in South America.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $6 billion of annual revenue and about 17,000 employees -- including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications(R) products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com .

SOURCE: Harris Corporation

http://www.marketwatch.com

Scared American Airlines passengers abandon flight

2012-04-24 20:49:03
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

At least 12 American Airlines passengers who were scheduled to depart the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston to Miami, this evening refused to board the aircraft which had mechanical and electrical problems earlier today.

Flight AA2038 was scheduled to depart at 8:45 this morning, but never left until 7:53 p.m.

"They first told us that plane was defective and they had to get some parts from Miami, and the aircraft would leave at 10:00 a.m, then they said 2:00 p.m, which moved to 4:00 p.m and the time went on and on," says Margaret Wadsworth, a passenger who spent 13 hours waiting at the airport.

According to Wadsworth, when she and the other passengers eventually boarded the aircraft at 5:30 p.m, inside the plane was extremely hot.

"Some of us started to panic, and within minutes we were told there was an electrical problem," she said.

The airline was forced to disembark all the passengers, where further checks were made, after which the aircraft departed, but not before the 12 passengers and their bags were delisted.

Cheryl Campbell, a mother with her three-year-old daughter, who was booked enroute to Baltimore, Maryland, said if she had refused to go on the aircraft she would have been forced to wait for the next available flight and that could take several days."

An American Airlines official said once the passengers requested to be taken off, the airline was obliged to adhere to their request.

She also said there was no other flight that could accommodate the passengers all day today.

"Our flights were full, so were the other carriers that they asked to transfer on," said the airline official, when asked about transferring the passengers to Caribbean Airlines.

"There was nothing we could do but to have them wait until the problem was fixed."

Bhoja Air tragedy: Peshawar High Court lambasts government for failing to inspect planes

By Umer Farooq
Published: April 23, 2012

PESHAWAR: It was clearly a case where the judiciary wishes it did not have to say to the government: “We told you so.”

At a hearing of various cases on Monday, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan expressed his exasperation at the government’s failure to launch an inquiry into the airworthiness of all public and private aircraft in the country’s domestic aviation sector in the aftermath of the AirBlue tragedy two years ago.

“Our orders were defied, but if they had been followed, dozens of innocent lives could have been saved,” said the chief justice, referring to the recent Bhoja Air Flight B4213 crash, which killed 127 people.

It appears that the chief justice was not actually hearing any cases related to either the AirBlue or the Bhoja Air tragedies, but decided to take up the issue with the government’s lawyers on what was the first working day of the court after the most recent crash.

Justice Khan reminded the government that in the aftermath of the AirBlue crash, the Peshawar High Court had ordered the defence ministry to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the flying capacity of all planes in the domestic aviation sector within 90 days, an order that the government pleaded unconvincingly that it had complied with.

“Not even a single step has so far been taken. What is the government doing?” asked the chief justice. “Those orders were meant to prevent incidents like this [Bhoja Air crash].”

The order had been issued on February 21, 2012, during a hearing of the case in which relatives of the victims of the AirBlue crash were suing the airline for negligence and incompetence. The Peshawar High Court had issued the orders to the Civil Aviation Authority – the highest aviation regulator in the country – and the Ministry of Defence, which is the single largest shareholder in the state-owned Pakistan International Airlines. Both authorities had been ordered to hire international experts to assess the capabilities of all planes in the country.

“The cheapest thing in our country is human life,” said the embittered chief justice.

http://tribune.com.pk

2010 AirBlue crash: Peshawar High Court orders government to suspend Civil Aviation Authority chief. Airbus A321-231, AP-BJB. Accident occurred on July 28, 2010 near Islamabad-Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Pakistan

PESHAWAR / KARACHI: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued orders to the federal government to suspend the director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

As hearing resumed into the petitions filed by relatives of AirBlue Crash 2010 victims, the court said that CAA DG Nadeem Khan Yousafzai must remain suspended until, in accordance with an earlier court order, an inquiry is completed by international experts into the AirBlue crash and then into the recent Bhoja Air crash.

Citing Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003, the court issued notices to Yousafzai and Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi for violating the court’s writ. They have been ordered to appear in person on May 30.

However, the court issued only a show-cause notice to Bhoja Air’s Managing Director Arshad Jalil, saying that since no representatives of the airline had appeared before the court, taking stricter action would not be correct.

An assistant to AirBlue Counsel Wasim Sajjad told the court that 107 of 152 affected families had been compensated and paid Rs5.5 million each.

However, a petitioner refuted the claim saying that he had presented all documents and certificates but was yet to receive any compensation.

The court then gave AirBlue 20 days to compensate all heirs, saying that in the event that the airline fails to comply with the order, the court will ask the federal government to suspend its activities and withdraw all facilities.

CAA releases crash report

The investigation report on the Airblue plane that crashed into Margalla Hills on July 28, 2010 was released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday.

According to data recovered from the black box, the aircraft’s captain had ignored the air traffic controller’s suggestions several times.

The report concluded that the crash was a case of Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT), in which aircrew failed to display superior judgment and professional skills in a self-created unsafe environment.

In their pursuit to land in inclement weather, they committed serious violations of procedures and breaches of flying discipline, which put the aircraft in an unsafe condition over dangerous terrain at low altitude.

The complete report can be viewed here.

http://tribune.com.pk

Satisfied with the television coverage of the Bhoja Air crash? Boeing 737-200, AP-BKC, Flight B4-213, Islamabad, Pakistan

By Atika Rehman  

As the Bhoja Air plane went up in flames on Friday evening, so did tempers within the Pakistani social media crowd.

Along with the “RIP all victims of Bhoja Air crash” status updates on Facebook, there were angry tweets questioning why television channels aired the passenger list and why images of the crash site were being aired.

It seemed that it was easier for people to direct their fury at the media for being “sensational, insensitive and unethical”.

Some from the media circle, however, defended the coverage and retaliated by saying that the reporters were doing their jobs.

This brings to light a few questions: do people realise how television works? Are viewers aware of the challenges of reporting tragedies?

I asked The Express Tribune staff a few questions and recorded them in the video above. Their answers were varied and interesting, especially since they are journalists who have a good understanding of the breaking news cycle.

I hope you can join in and add to the debate.

Read more:  http://blogs.tribune.com.pk

General Electric would benefit in United order of 200 Boeing 737s

 Bloomberg News

Published 09:45 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2012

United Continental Holdings Inc. is negotiating only with Boeing Co. for an order of about 200 narrow-body jets after dropping discussions with Airbus SAS, two people familiar with the matter said.

Talks had been under way for at least six months about a mix of current-generation Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s plus variants with new, more-efficient engines, said the people, who declined to be identified because details aren't public.

An all-Boeing order would also benefit CFM International, the General Electric Co.-Safran SA venture that makes the only engines used on the 737. CFM competes with United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney unit on the A320neo model.

The 737 is the world's most widely flown airliner, and Boeing planes account for more than three-fourths of the main fleet of 701 jets at United Continental, which was formed in the 2010 merger between UAL Corp. and Continental Airlines Inc.

"It will be a nice win for Boeing and GE," Jeff Sprague, co-founder of Stamford-based Vertical Research Partners, said in a telephone interview. "Although the new company is called United, it's really being run by Continental management and they've always been a Boeing carrier. It was probably natural for them to go toward Boeing and CFM for fleet commonality."

A United deal would cement ties to a longtime customer and build on Boeing's victory over Airbus in winning a 100-plane purchase from Delta Air Lines Inc. in August. Airbus and Boeing, split a 460-jet order with AMR Corp.'s American Airlines in July. The list value for 200 737s would be about $16.9 billion, based on the $84.4 million retail price of the 737-800.

"If United goes with Boeing for this order we see this as a helpful market-share gain," Robert Stallard, an RBC Capital Markets analyst in New York, said in a note to clients. He has an outperform rating on Boeing, which like United is based in Chicago.

Spokesmen for United, Boeing and Toulouse, France-based Airbus all declined to comment about the status of the latest negotiations.

Boeing slid 0.9 percent to $72.86 at the close in New York as U.S. stocks slumped, while United, the world's largest airline, fell 0.3 percent to $22.85. Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. dropped 4.4 percent to 29.25 euros earlier in Paris.

Aircraft Options

Some of the planes in the 200-jet total may be options for future aircraft, said the people. The value of the order may rise once United settles on terms, because the 737-800 is less expensive than the so-called MAX model with upgraded engines. Airlines typically buy at a discount.

Continental had an exclusive relationship with Boeing dating back two decades. The new United is run by Jeff Smisek, who joined Continental in 1995 and was chief executive officer during the merger talks. United's fleet management group is overseen by Gerry Laderman, senior vice president of finance and treasurer, who joined Continental in 1988.

Boeing is trying to reclaim the top spot in commercial production lost to Airbus in 2003. Airbus had record orders of 1,419 aircraft last year, while Boeing's tally was 805. Airbus has said 2012 orders may fall by half as an initial flurry of purchases of its A320neo wanes.

United is refreshing a single-aisle fleet that includes Boeing 757-200s, with an average age of 18.2 years, and 737-500s that average 16.6 years old. Boeing no longer makes either model.

Before the merger creating the new airline, UAL's United agreed in December 2009 to split an order for 50 wide-body jets between Boeing and Airbus. That deal was for 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and the same number of Airbus A350s.

Source: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com

Flint Bishop Airport filling available seats in March, but number of seats remains down

Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 8:30 PM
By Cathy Shafran, mlive.com

FLINT, MI -- The latest passenger numbers from Flint Bishop Airport confirm what airport officials suspected. The number of people flying out of the Flint airport continues on a downward trend, and will likely continue to do so through the year.

"This year we will likely be down 10-20 percent," said Bishop Airport spokesperson Pat Corfman.

Corfman made the prediction after load factor numbers were presented at the Bishop International Airport Authority regular board meeting Tuesday evening.

"In March we were down 5.5 percent with the number of seats filled," said Corfman. "The good news is that although we are down in available seats, the seats the airport does have are consistently full."

Corfman points to what the airline industry calls its 'load factor' as proof of a continued passenger interest in Flint's airport. The load factor is the percentage of full seats for every seat available.

"The load factor tells us we were 81.7 percent full in March of this year," said Corfman. "That means we were up from the prior month when the load factor was closer to 79 percent."

Corfman says the problems for Bishop Airport continue to involve airlines serving Flint which are in a state of flux.

"American is in bankruptcy, Continental is in the United merger, Delta is still thinking of what to do with the Northwestern flights and Frontier has been dismantling the Milwaukee hub," Corfman said.

As a result of all the unknowns, she says, American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines have all reduced the number of flights out of Flint, and the Frontier flights to Milwaukee were lost. AirTran flights have remained the same despite a takeover from Southwest Airlines.

Corfman says she was expecting the light at the end of the tunnel next year when she anticipated Southwest Airlines could begin adding flights from Flint.

"But now Southwest is having problems with code share with AirTran, Corfman said. "It will be difficult to add new Southwest flights until the codeshare is fixed."

Source:  http://www.mlive.com

Editorial: Distressing state of aviation industry - Pakistan

April 25, 2012
BUSINESS RECORDER

As some of the victims of Friday's Bhoja Air crash were being buried, two more planes belonging to a private company, Shaheen Air, miraculously escaped disaster on Sunday.

In the first incident, the tires of a Boeing-737 carrying 127 people from Islamabad burst upon touchdown due to a landing gear malfunction.

Luckily for the passengers, the aircraft did not catch fire.

Neither the aircraft nor the airport was ready to deal with any such eventuality.

The plane's emergency exits never opened, and the fire engines took a while to arrive at the scene, only to rush back to fetch water.

The passengers disembarked through the regular door and stairs.

It is not difficult to imagine what might have happened had the plane caught fire.

In the second near miss, the fuel tank of the same company's plane, carrying 200 passengers, started leaking just as it was about to take off from the Lahore Airport en route to Mashhad in Iran.

Luckily, the airport staff spotted the leakage and stopped the flight.

What these incidents close on the heels of the Bhoja Air tragedy, as well as the earlier Airblue crash clearly show is that the Civil Aviation Authority and the concerned ministry, the defence ministry, have been too lax in implementing flight safety rules and procedures.

After the Bhoja Air tragedy, the CAA officials had insisted that required safety standards and regulations had been observed in allowing the company to restart its operations after a long break.

The claim now stands thoroughly exposed.

The tragedy was waiting to happen.

And the government had been duly warned.

Notably, more than three months ago, ie, on January 9, a Peshawar High Court bench hearing a petition filed by the relatives of the passengers killed in the July 2010 Airblue plane crash had expressed dissatisfaction over "consistent negative reports" about the performance of the national carrier, PIA, as well as private airlines.

The court had given elaborate instructions to the government on ensuring the safety of all aircraft without delay, also directing it that "this aspect of the matter must be investigated by experts to be provided by the ICA, the Consortium for Aviation System Advancement, the Airlines Pilots Associations and other safety organizations." Unfortunately, however, the court's directions remained unheeded.

And within a span of two days, first there was a fatal crash and then two close calls.

Perforce the government has finally acknowledged, albeit indirectly, that there are issues that need to be addressed.

Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar announced a plan of technical inspections of all private airlines' aircraft.

In view of what has happened, it would have made sense had he ordered grounding of all planes owned by the three companies involved in the tragedies and near-misses until the inspection process was completed.

But the government has no such intention.

Which, to say the least, is sad.

In any case, public trust in the safety of private airlines having been shaken completely, few are expected to take the risk of using any of the private companies' flights.

And as noted by the PHC, PIA's safety standards are not so reliable, either.

The seriousness of the situation warrants a matching resolve on the part of the government to right the wrongs.

Heads must roll.

So far it seems to be focused more on damage control than to stem the rot in the aviation industry.

The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, has already rejected the 'judicial commission' the government set up to inquire into the causes that led to the Bhoja Air disaster, saying inclusion of controversial persons in it "shows that there is something fishy and the government is trying to hide facts behind the incident." The issue is too sensitive to allow any room for doubt.

An impartial inquiry commission ought to be constituted in consultation with the Supreme Court so that public confidence in both the public and private airlines is restored, and their international reputation also improves.

Source:  http://www.brecorder.com

RBS Aviation Capital has 'successful quarter'

The Irish Times - Wednesday, April 25, 2012

FIONA REDDAN

RBS Aviation Capital, an aircraft lessor with headquarters in Dublin, placed aircraft with three new customers, transacted 10 deliveries, signed a number of lease agreements, and reported six sales in the first quarter. Deliveries included two Airbus A319-100s to Aer Lingus in January and March.

Peter Barrett, chief executive of RBS Aviation Capital, said it had been “another successful quarter for the company”, noting that he was “particularly pleased” to have delivered aircraft to three new customers. Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui acquired RBS Aviation Capital for $7.3 billion (€ 5.8 billion) in January.

Meanwhile, fellow lessor Avolon, which was established by Domhnal Slattery, a founder of RBS Aviation Capital, in 2010, has also released its first quarter update. The aviation leasing company, which has its headquarters in Dublin, said its fleet now exceeded 100 aircraft and that total capital raised had reached $4.6 billion. It also secured commitments from three new lending banks during the quarter. According to Mr Slattery, Avolon remains on track to have a fleet of 150 aircraft by 2014.

Source:  http://www.irishtimes.com

JetBlue Flight 571 bird strike at Westchester County Airport (KHPN), White Plains, New York

Damaged JetBlue airliner after two geese struck its windshield, forcing it to declare an emergency and return to Westchester County Airport. 

Matthew Brown/The Journal News

 

Emergency responders and aircraft mechanics survey the damage to a Jet Blue plane that made a safe emergency landing at the Westchester County Airport in Purchase April 24, 2012. The pilot declared an emergency just after takeoff, after a pair of Canada geese struck the plane's windshield. 

 Matthew Brown/The Journal News

8:12 PM, Apr. 24, 2012 

Written by Yaron Steinbuch

HARRISON — A JetBlue airliner bound for Florida declared an emergency seconds after taking off at Westchester County Airport and landed after two geese struck its windshield about 6:30 p.m. tonight.

No injuries were reported after Flight 571, a two-engine Embraer 190 regional jet with 58 people aboard, made an emergency landing, said Jeremy Nielson, an operations manager at the airport.

"There was damage to the plane and the pilots decided to return to the airport," Nielson said. "I'm sure the passengers are happy to be on the ground."

The aircraft's windshield and wipers were damaged. Debris could be seen on the windshield as the jet sat on the tarmac with airport personnel assessing the damage.

"If the birds had ben ingested in the ingested in the engines I'd have been more concerned," Nielson said.

Nielson said the aircraft landed safely about five to seven minutes after it had taken off for Palm Beach.

The passengers were scheduled to board another aircraft by about 8 p.m. and depart for Palm Beach.

By BILL SANDERSON

Last Updated: 7:35 PM, April 24, 2012
Posted: 7:35 PM, April 24, 2012

Geese smacked into a JetBlue plane taking off from Westchester County Airport tonight, sparking a frightening emergency that sent the crippled jet back to the airport.

“We got to come back. We hit two big geese,” a pilot aboard Flight 571 to West Palm Beach radioed to air controllers just after the plane lifted off at about 6:45 p.m.

“We are declaring an emergency,” the pilot said.

As controllers rerouted planes and helicopters taking off and landing at the airport in Harrison, the pilots of the Embraer jet made it roughly six miles northwest of the airport before they turned back.

They were on the ground about seven minutes after the crisis began.

“JetBlue 571, nice to have you back,” a relieved controller radioed as the Embraer jet landed at 6:52 p.m.

The jet was an Embraer 190, which can carry 114 passengers. It was unclear how many people were board the goose-crippled flight. Authorities and the airline did not return phone calls.

Source: http://www.nypost.com