MrSkyGuy : (PHOTO) Taken live from N986AT... MrSkyGuy : Geeking out at @SouthwestAir... Airline 'pit crews' work to keep flights on time. When a passenger plane lands, a ground crew of as many as 35 people takes the stage"We like to call it a highly choreographed ballet," says a United Airlines vice presidentTurning planes around quickly might be nice for passengers, but it means profits for airlinesThe ground crews make it happen safely and on time Houston (CNN) -- If you are heading home after Thanksgiving still groggy from L-tryptophan and an early morning Black Friday shopping spree, you're counting on a team of airline workers you might never see to get your plane out safely and on time.
"I think the pit crew analogy is actually a really good analogy," explains Stephanie Buchanan, vice president of the Houston hub for United Airlines. "We like to call it a highly choreographed ballet. There are a lot of moving pieces, a lot of teamwork that has to happen. " Best times to travel on a tight budget. Photo by ccapp33. Airline SAS aims for final union deal in survival fight.
COPENHAGEN/STOCKHOLM – Scandinavian airline SAS on Monday sought a deal with the last union opposing its plans for severe cost cuts aimed at avoiding bankruptcy and securing the airline's long-term future.
SAS, half owned by the governments of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, said it had secured a deal with seven of eight unions on wage cuts, working schedule changes and pensions and had only the cabin crew union of Denmark to go. The airline, hit by competition from lower-price rivals, last week announced plans to cut some salaries by up to 17 percent and lower overall staff to about 9,000 from 15,000 as it shrinks its business. That prompted media speculation SAS faced bankruptcy if it failed to get unions to agree to the cuts. But even if a deal is reached, analysts have questioned whether the airline can survive on its own in the long term as it faces competition from Ryanair and regional rival Norwegian Air Shuttle , both of which have lower operating costs. Flying Fanatics Try On a Dreamliner - The Middle Seat Terminal. Associated Press Give a bunch of airplane geeks and frequent travelers a new, innovative airplane and watch the excitement build.
When United Airlines flew 200 travel enthusiasts and top-tier frequent fliers on its newest jet, the BoeingBA +1.49% 787 “Dreamliner,” it was love at first flight. Except for some of the folks sitting back in the narrow seats of the coach cabin. The 787 has been in commercial service for more than a year, starting with All Nippon Airways9202.TO +0.90% in Japan. (For an assessment of the Dreamliner in service, see this Middle Seat from February.)
For passengers, the Dreamliner offers slightly higher humidity in the cabin. Holiday travel success maintained by airline mechanics. (CNN) - A lot is riding on people like Michael Baumgarten as more than 24 million travelers are expected to fly this Thanksgiving week.
Baumgarten is a technician for United Airlines at Houston Intercontinental Airport. "The airplane just pulled into the gate. Cathay Pacific Orders Six Airbus A350s. Pilot on Boeing 757 dies of heart attack mid-flight with 239 passengers on board. By Daily Mail Reporter Updated: 19:22 GMT, 21 January 2012 A pilot onboard a plane flying from Bangkok to Novosibirsk in western Siberia died from a heart attack, transportation prosecutors said Friday.
Sergei Golev, 44, suffered the attack in the cockpit and died despite all attempts at resuscitation - even a cardiologist, who was among passengers on the flight, failed to revive him. Fortunately the 239 passengers onboard the UTair Boeing 757 landed safely in Novosibirsk despite Golev's death. Death in the air: Pilto Sergei Golev passed away onboard a UTair Boeing 757 from Bangkok to Novosibirsk The captain attempted an emergency landing in the Chinese city of Chengdu, but abandoned it because Golev died before the jet touched down.
American Airlines' bankruptcy: Seeking the best partner for AA. Malaysia Airlines gets paperless cockpit via Lufthansa technology. Malaysia Airlines is anticipating time as well as financial savings with the implementation of an electronic flight bag system.
The Lido/FlightBag technology, which has been provided by Lufthansa Systems, gives pilots access to updated documents and information from flight planning applications, navigation charts and flight operation manuals. Lufthansa says the technology, which can be accessed via notebook, integrated with cockpit systems or on-board information systems, can save airlines up to US$1,000 per aircraft per year.
NB: Image via Shutterstock. African airlines to purchase fuel jointly. Photos of 1960 Brooklyn airline crash that sparked new era of 'black boxes' By Beth Stebner Updated: 11:20 GMT, 13 January 2012 Decades before the September 11th terrorist attacks, New York City saw another tragic event in its skies, when two airliners collided in mid-air over Brooklyn, weeks before Christmas.
Two passenger planes – United Airlines Flight 826 and Trans World Airlines Flight 266 – collided while they were making their descents toward Idlewild and LaGuardia on December 16, 1960, leaving a trail of carnage and flames in their wake. Rivals Eye American Airlines. Hungary’s Malev Airline Ordered by EU to Repay State Support. (Updates with comment from government in fifth paragraph.)
Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Malev Zrt., Hungary’s unprofitable state-owned airline, was ordered by the European Union to repay loans and guarantees to the crisis-hit nation’s government. The European Commission said Hungary gave Malev financial help from 2007 to 2010 when the company wouldn’t have got financing on similar terms “nor possibly any financing at all” from any private investor “given its consistently difficult financial situation.” Porter Airlines adds flights to Washington, D.C. Porter Airlines will begin service to Washington Dulles International Airport beginning in April.
The regional airline, which operates out of the Toronto Island airport, said it will offer three daily round-trip flights on weekdays starting April 16. It will also have one round-trip on Saturdays and two round-trips on Sundays. “Greater Washington is a region that our passengers have told us is their number one priority for new Porter service,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “We expect great interest for both business and leisure trips and look forward to bringing competition to the route.” Begun in 2006, Porter Airlines has gradually expanded to other Canadian cities on the East Coast as well as Northern Ontario, and U.S. destinations including Newark, Boston and Chicago. VietJet Air launches new route to Ho Chi Minh City from Hanoi. Former Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong waved from VietjetAir’s first commercial flight after the plane made landed at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi.
Celebrating the airline launch were also Mr Nguyen Van Tuan, General Bureau Chief of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (left, holding sign) and Ms Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, General Director of VietJet Air (right, holding sign). VietJet Air is a new low-cost start-up in the Vietnamese market, following a series of setbacks that pushed back the official launch by four years. Unlike Jetstar Pacific, which is a local Qantas/Jetstar joint-venture, VietJet Air is fully Vietnamese-owned. On 25 December, the airline launched its first service, linking Hanoi (HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN). Artemis and Hargreaves Hale buy into start-up African airline. Artemis smaller company manager John Dodd has taken a near 10% stake in the business behind FastJet – a joint partnership with easyJet (EZJ.L) In Favourites Register or Sign in to receive email alerts for items in your favourites whenever we write about them.
Lufthansa tells Austrian to up cost-cutting efforts. Virgin America Takes Off With New Menu Virgin America launches "New Year's Resolution" menu. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Virgin America today launches a new menu that features healthier fare for travelers looking to keep their New Year's resolutions – even at 35,000 feet. The new Main Cabin and Main Cabin Select menus are available "on-demand" to Virgin America flyers via the airline's Red™ In-Flight Entertainment platform, which allows travelers to order cocktails, snacks and meals right from their seatback touch-screen any time during a flight. Virgin America's fresh, diverse range of menu options – including local fruits and vegetables, premium meats and artisan breads – reflects its California roots. The airline refreshes its menu quarterly in order to provide travelers with more seasonal and locally-sourced options.
Virgin America also offers cage-free eggs on its in-flight menu. The latest Main Cabin and Main Cabin Select menu includes lighter options like an Asian vegetable salad and a chickpea salad wrap – along with lower calorie and more healthful snacks like PopChips. AMR’s American Eagle Hires Bain to Review Labor Costs - Bankruptcy Beat. Analysis: Aircraft leases in crosshairs as AMR restructures.
US Airlines Nov Average Fuel Price/Gallon Jumps 27% From Year Earlier. American-airlines-cargo-tops-cargo. Nonstop Flights Stop for Fuel. Boeing 747-867F/SCD Aircraft Pictures. HmFfo. Funny archive at Flightstory.net - Aviation Blog. Well, what could I say… you just have to read this story about a TSA screening of 200 armed soldiers, returning home from Afghanistan on a military charter, at Indianapolis International Airport.
Link: Related: Pilot refuses AIT Screening - Fight for your Rights! Well you probably have seen the famous Cebu Pacific Safety Dance already at various news channels. Anyway Cebu Pacific plans to roll this out onto more flights and now there’s even a male dance, too. According to Cebu Pacific the safety demo dance is done at cruising altitude and a serious safety demonstration will be still conducted. Aviation-humor-cartoon1. IndiGo, SpiceJet airlines violate mandatory safety norms: DGCA : West News. Pankaj Upadhyay | Mail Today | Mumbai, January 9, 2012 | UPDATED 10:55 IST Be afraid would be an understatement if the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s latest report on Indian airlines is to be believed.
Apart from Kingfisher Airlines and Air India Express, other carriers such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Jet Airways and JetLite also have a patchy track record on passenger safety. The DGCA has found that financial distress was leading airlines to violate mandatory safety norms. B 737 Gravel operation. Virgin Atlantic: 25 years, Still Red Hot. Breakingtravelnews. Hong Kong Airlines Limited has been granted traffic rights between Hong Kong and Taiwan with immediate effect. Hong Kong Airlines will launch four daily passenger flights and all-cargo services with 650 tonnes per week on Taipei or Kaohsiung routes, commencing in the first quarter of 2012. Taiwan is one of the fast-developing passenger and cargo markets in Asia, with continued strong and fast-growing demand in the tourism and freight industries. The new allocation of traffic rights not only provides Hong Kong and mainland passengers with a wider choice and enhanced convenience, but also lays a strong foundation for developing the third runway at the Hong KongInternationalAirport.
This will further develop Hong Kong’s position as a leading international traffic hub. Hong Kong Airlines looks forward to the development of Taipei and Kaohsiung routes taking the airline to a new chapter. Pilot averts tragedy as lightening hits PIA plane. A Farewell to the Airbus A340. La Guardia Terminal Update Sought. Heavy Lift - News. Chefs in cabin crew for first-class meals on Etihad. AirTran departs Q-C today. AMR’s American Says Air Traffic Fell 0.9% After Bankruptcy. (Updates with seating capacity in last paragraph.) Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- American Airlines’ passenger traffic fell 0.9 percent in December, the first month following parent AMR Corp.’s bankruptcy filing.
Domestic traffic, measured as miles flown by paying passengers, declined 3.9 percent while international climbed 3.7 percent, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said in a statement today. AMR on Nov. 29 became the last major U.S. full-service carrier to seek Chapter 11 protection, following rivals such as Delta Air Lines Inc. American has taken steps to reassure its most frequent fliers about the continuation of service since entering bankruptcy, said Robert W. Mann, president of aviation consultant R.W. Pilots tried controlled landing in crash that killed 12. Pan-Am's ad for poseur cowboys. This Pan-Am ad from 1983 really grabbed my attention with an oddly disharmonious message: first you have the cowboy, sleeping with his hat over his eyes, a symbol of ruggedness and the ability to relax and sleep anywhere, out on the range under a cactus.
But then you have the ad's USP: "Delta has spacious, comfortable seats. " Do cowboys really value comfort? Isn't that a little citified? You know: "The chores! The stores! Ah, but the cowboy is wearing a suit. Odd. AWAS agrees sale and leaseback with IndiGo Airlines Asset Finance International. Shenzhen Int'l Completes Shenzhen Air Stake Buy. Shenzhen International Holdings said it has completed the acquisition of a 24 percent stake in Shenzhen Airlines, lifting its interest in the airline to 49 percent and enhancing its exposure in the growing Chinese domestic aviation market.
Local government-backed Shenzhen International, an investment holding company with a focus on logistics and infrastructure facilities, agreed in May to pay CNY788.6 million yuan (USD$125 million) for the stake from Shenzhen Huirun Investment, which declared bankruptcy in January 2011. Waikiki sand project will widen beach. Errors - Australian Business Traveller. Cargoitalia calls it quits. Airbus Wins Order for A380s From Hong Kong Airlines. Boeing 727-35 Aircraft Pictures. Vickers 953 Vanguard Aircraft Pictures. Fairchild Hiller FH-227C Aircraft Pictures.
Nokia Lumia 800-branded passenger jet is plane crazy. Flydubai Expands Further. Constant loses forces JS Air to close its operation in Pakistan. Latest news, Breaking news, Pakistan News, World news, business, sport and multimedia. TIA plans $27.6 million expansion to accommodate international flights, fix bottlenecks. Google’s Flight Search becoming formidable, which could be a problem.
Dalian Airlines launches from Dalian, China’s 16th busiest airport; China Southern currently has 35% of airport market. Alarm as Airbus finds cracks in A380 wings. Gulf Airlines may slow aggressive growth plans. Philippine Airlines rehab good for tourism - DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco - The Philippine Star » News » Business. DOT fines AirTran $60,000 for unclear advertising.
DGCA pulls up airlines over safety. Airlines Not Happy With Impending Fee Transparency Rules. Maui Airline Seat Capacity Rising in New Year. Breakingtravelnews. What a Dying Airline Looks Like. Chartered direct service flights from Moscow Russia's first private airline touches down in Seychelles. And the Traveling Salesman. And the Traveling Salesman.