The US Air Transport Assn. (ATA) said an analysis by consultancy Oliver Wyman demonstrates that the pilot fatigue and duty time rules FAA is proposing to implement would "have severe negative effects on US airline employment … while reducing service, especially to small communities."
Air France KLM revealed its long-awaited order for new-generation, long-range aircraft Friday, stating that its board approved the order of 50 firm aircraft plus 60 options. A spokesperson confirmed to ATW that the 50 firm aircraft are evenly divided between Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s. Air France KLM cautioned that the orders are "still subject to the finalization of discussions with the manufacturers."
Turkish Airlines will resume 4X-weekly Istanbul Ataturk service to Benghazi (Sept. 13) and Tripoli (Sept. 24), following airport infrastructure work. KLM will launch 2X-weekly Amsterdam-Luanda Boeing 777-200ER service Nov. 14. Vueling will start daily Barcelona El Prat-Lille service at the end of March 2012.
Chinese carriers earned an aggregate profit of CNY6.59 billion ($1.03 billion) in August, up 27.4% over a net income of CNY5.17 billion in the year-ago month, crediting domestic market growth.
The Transport workers Union (TWU), which represents 3,800 Qantas’ (QF) baggage handlers and ground staff, has instructed its members to walk off the job Tuesday.
International trade statistics through the first half of 2011 reveal that "the overall picture for global freight is one of growth slowing down," the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) International Transport Forum (ITF) said in a new global trade and transport "statistics brief" released this week.
Emirates’ has beaten IATA’s fuel efficiency average by 25% with consumption of 4.12 liters per 100 passenger-kilometers. The IATA average is 5.4 liters for 100 pax-kms. The airline also beat out fuel efficiency champions Lufthansa at 4.2 liters per 100PK and Cathay Pacific at 4.84 liters per 100PK.
Embraer and GE Aviation have concluded a series of biofuel test flights in Brazil aboard a CF34-8E-powered E-170. One of the aircraft's two engines was powered by a 50/50 blend of camelina-derived hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and Jet-A. “This series of tests, and their very positive results, gives us a lot of new information to continue our sustainability program as it relates to future products,” Embraer EVP-engineering and technology Mauro Kern said.
Australian bio-fuel producer Jatenergy has sold 200 tonnes of crude Jatropha oil to Lufthansa for use on the airline’s trial using biofuels on its Hamburg to Frankfurt services, according to BioFuel International. Jatenergy said that the Jatropha is sourced from its plantations in central Java, had been sold at $1,000 per tonne, which equates to around $140 a barrel. The Jatropha was refined by the Finland’s Neste Oil.
Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson has lashed out at the UK government’s controversial air passenger duty (APD) calling it “something of a disgrace.” Branson cited the example of the Caribbean, where air travel is the only way to reach the islands and called for the tax to be lowered and redirected to flights where there were alternatives.
Airbus has become an ambassador of the new Global Restoration Council and Coalition that is led by former Prime Minister of Sweden Göran Persson. The council was launched at the international reforestation summit, Bonn Challenge, which took place in Bonn, Germany Sept. 5 and has an objective to reforest 15% of the degraded forests worldwide by 2020.
The US Departments of Agriculture and Energy and the Navy will invest up to $510 million over the next three years in partnership with the private sector to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power commercial and military transportation. The initiative, announced by President Barack Obama in August, follows the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future, the administration’s framework for reducing dependence on foreign oil.
The Transport workers Union (TWU), which represents 3,800 Qantas’ (QF) baggage handlers and ground staff, has instructed its members to walk off the job Tuesday.
US Airways announced that William Post, retired chairman and CEO of Pinnacle West Corp. has joined its board of directors. Post, 60, will serve on the board's Compensation and Human Resources Committee and its labor committee. Emirates Airline (EK) confirmed that former Lufthansa manager Thierry Antinori will join the Dubai-based carrier Oct 1. Antinori will become executive VP, replacing divisional SVP-Commercial Operations Worldwide Richard Vaughan, who will retire, said EK.
The US FAA said it is proposing a $590,000 civil penalty against Seattle-based Alaska Airlines (AS) for allegedly operating a Boeing 737-400 on 2,107 flights without performing required maintenance after chafed wiring, resulting from an improperly installed hose clamp, caused a 2010 flight deck ceiling fire while the plane was parked at the gate at Anchorage International.
US House of Representatives passed Tuesday by unanimous consent legislation extending FAA and surface transportation funding into next year, pushing the issue to the Senate, which must act on the bill before Friday to avert another partial FAA shutdown.
SAS Group president and CEO Rickard Gustafson announced a new strategy, SAS 4Excellence, aimed at reducing costs by 3%-5% annually until 2015 and returning the carrier to profitability.
