Passengers might fly supersonic very soon

Supersonic passenger travel was grounded in 2003 when British Airways and Air France cancelled their transatlantic Concorde service because of falling revenues and rising maintenance costs. The Aerion Supersonic Business Jet (SBJ) promises to help travelers break the sound barrier again. Named after a fleet-of-foot horse in Greek mythology, the Aerion SBJ will be able to carry a dozen passengers at speeds of up to Mach 1.5 for more than 4,000 miles. It is currently undergoing proof-of-concept aerodynamic testing of critical components in NASA wind tunnels and under the belly of a NASA F-15 supersonic jet. This Aerion SBJ will make it possible to fly from Paris to New York in four hours and 14 minutes, saving three hours off the trip compared to conventional jets.
And even in the United States, where supersonic flight is banned because of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sonic boom restrictions, the SBJ will be able to fly at a high subsonic speed of Mach 0.98 because of its unique, patented wing design, reducing coast-to-coast travel by 41 minutes vs. conventional aircraft.
Design breakthrough
The Aerion SBJ's wing represents a breakthrough in supersonic design and is the key to why the SBJ will be able to avoid the fate of the Concorde. Drag - the resistance caused by air as an airplane flies though it - is the enemy of speed and the enemy of economical operation. The Aerion SBJ's magic sauce is the use of supersonic natural laminar flow (SNLF) technology in the design of the wing. SNLF reduces drag.
Aerion's design completes a virtuous circle - it satisfies environmental regulations while providing economical operation and high performance.  Fastest aircraft are in museums
The passenger jet has been in the performance doldrums for nearly half a century. The first Boeing passenger jet, the four-engine B-707 introduced in the late '50s had a design speed of Mach 0.83. Today's state-of-the art commercial passenger jets such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus 380 and business jets such the Gulfstream are basically still in the same Mach range because of their wing design, Aerion wants to change that.

The company hopes to have its new generation aircraft certified by the FAA and in the air by 2015. In spite of the worldwide recession that has toiled the entire aviation industry, Aerion has received 50 deposits of $250,000 for the $80 million for SBJ. The company is actively discussing development of the aircraft with a number of potential OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners and hopes to have a deal in place by the end of the year. Aerion also sees a supersonic future that involves larger commercial passenger jets.

India to buy 57 more hawk jets

British Aerospace has won a Rs 3,640 crore ($800 million) order to provide the Indian Air Force and Navy with 57 additional Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers. The final terms and conditions for the contract were signed in the presence of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is in India on an official visit. India has already contracted BAE to supply 66 Hawks for the Indian Air Force. The jets are being assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics in Bengaluru (HAL). The Advanced Jet Trainer Hawk aircraft enable young pilots to make the transition from basic trainer aircraft to high performance fighters like the Sukhoi 30 or the Mirage 2000 which the Indian Air Force operates.

Passenger Jet crashes in Pakistan

Reports suggest that none of the nearly 152 people on board have survived this morning's plane crash in Islamabad.  This is Pakistan's worst-ever plane crash.  The passenger plane, an Airbus A321, operated by private airline AirBlue,with 146 passengers and 6 crew was headed from Karachi to Islamabad.  It went up in a haze of flames and white smoke close to 10 am in the heavily-forested Margalla Hills overlooking Islamabad. It was raining heavily in the region this morning and that, along with thick fog and the smoke from the crash made it tough for rescue helicopters to reach the crash site.  Rescue officials had to trek for close to an hour to reach the area. Through the day, Pakistani media carried conflicting reports on survivors, with some reporting that 45 people were alive.  Rescue officials reported that the plane's debris was spread over a huge area, and that dead bodies- charred beyond recognition -were strewn around the forest.

Lufthansa cargo plane crashes in Saudi airport

A Lufthansa MD11 cargo plane crashed at the Saudi capital's international airport on Tuesday but there were no casualties, the airline and the kingdom's civil aviation authority said. Two crew members were taken to hospital to undergo treatment for minor injuries. The firefighters have contained the fire, a spokesman for the General Authority of Civil Aviation reported. The two pilots exited the plane using emergency escape slides. There were no other crew members on board the aircraft. The MD-11 freighter carrying an 80-tonne load crashed at 1138 local time as it was arriving in Riyadh, Lufthansa Cargo said. The aircraft, which has been heavily damaged, was on its way from Frankfurt to Hong Kong via Riyadh and Sharjah. Europe's biggest cargo carrier said it was sending a team of experts to Riyadh to help investigate the cause of the crash. An airport official told Reuters the plane veered off the runway on landing: "It did not stop until the Royal Terminal runway. Soon after smoke started to emerge, followed by a fire". A local television channel earlier reported the cargo plane had split in half.

Air India - Financial restructuring

Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav and his team are going to make a presentation on the plan for financial restructuring of the national carrier before the board and independent directors on Sunday. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel is also likely to attend the meeting. It is touted as the new turnaround plan that will focus on other things about restructuring the company's debt and streamlining its expenses. To qualify for the second round of equity infusion of  Rs 1200 crore from the government this year , the airline must show improved financial health. Last year, it received Rs 800 crore from the government. The management will have to get the Unions on board before they are able to implement the new turnaround plan. One aspect of the turnaround plan could also include renegotiating wage agreements with Unions. In the past, the Unions have openly opposed bits of the turnaround plan. The financial book of Air India has not shown prospects for quiet sometime now. Till 2009, Air India reported cumulative losses of Rs 8,461 crore , the estimated loss for the year 2010 is expected to be  of Rs 5,400 crore . Air India has an outstanding debt of Rs17,000 crore and runs on a monthly cash deficit of Rs 400 crore. With not much in hand to show from the past year, convincing the board with a turnaround plan is going to be nothing short of an acid test for Arvind Jadhav and his team. However, it will be interesting to see if their plan of restructuring is able to fly high or it remains grounded.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/air-india-financial-restructuring-in-the-offing-39504?cp

Ahmedabad airport shutdown - Plane stuck on runway

Ahmedabad airport was shut for over two hours on Thursday. A Jet Airways flight 9W 2510 from Ahmedabad to Indore, which was scheduled to take off at 8.55 pm, was stuck on the runway, bringing flight operations to a grinding halt. According to a press release by the airline, the nose wheel of the plane came out following which the pilots had to abort the take off. All passengers and crew are safe. They have been deplaned and taken to the terminal building where they are being looked after by the Jet Airways staff, the release said.
There were 57 passengers and 4 crewmembers on board the flight. A Notice to Air Men (NOTAM) was issued, which means the runway was closed.A crane was called in to tow away the aircraft so that flights can resume.

Virgin America orders upto 60 A320's

British entrepreneur Richard Branson provided a closing flourish to the Farnborough Airshow by doubling the size of his Virgin America airline fleet by video link from the Caribbean on Thursday.
The founder of airline Virgin Atlantic announced an order for 40 Airbus A320 single-aisle jets worth $3.3 billion plus options for 20 more. It was reported that the Branson will be celebrating his 60th birthday in a weeks time and to mark his 60th birthday he has placed orders for 60 brand new aircrafts. 

Kingfisher Airlines in deeper trouble

Vijay Mallya owned Kingfisher Airlines has landed in fresh trouble with Singapore based DVB Aviation Finance Asia Ltd , a subsidiary of Germany’s DVB Bank, suing the airline in the British courts for defaulting to the payment of aircraft rentals. The Singapore based company had leased two Airbus 320 aircraft to Kingfisher Airlines in 2006. The suit was filed on 16th July and will be heard by the Queen’s Bench division’s commercial court. A source from DVB Aviation, who did not want to be named, said the suit has been filed after the airline failed to pay dues for the last three months. These payments are made on monthly basis. The DVB Aviation official said the aircraft are still deployed with Kingfisher Airlines and they have not yet asked the airline to return the aircraft.

This is not the first time when Kingfisher Airlines finds itself in trouble for non-payment of dues. The company has oil dues of around Rs 484 crores which it owes to state run firm Hindustan Petroleum Corp Limited (HPCL). HPCL has asked for a bank guarantee from UB group has threatened to take the airline to the court if it does not clear dues by July-end.

The airline has run into problems with its bankers too with IDBI Bank recalling a Rs 900 crore loan in May this year. But after Mallya paid the short term Rs 150 crore loan, its other Rs 750 crore loan was rolled over.

Kingfisher Airlines wants to raise $250 million via a global depository rights issue. A rights issue by the promoters or a QIP (qualified institutional placement) is also being planned. This is part of a bigger $400 million fund raising exercise the airline has been planning for a while. SBI Caps is advising the ailing Kingfisher to restructure its Rs 7,413-crore debt (as on December 2009). Earlier, RBI had shot down SBI’s proposal to recast Kingfisher’s Rs 2,099 crore short-term debt. The remaining amount is long-term debt. 

China's Okay Airlines has ordered 10 Next Generation B737's

Boeing today announced at the Farnborough International Airshow an order with Okay Airways, the first privately owned airline in China, for 10 Next-Generation 737-800s. The order, valued at $800 million at average list prices, was previously recorded on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website as an unidentified customer. Okay Airways, an all-Boeing operator, obtained Civil Aviation Administration of China's (CAAC) approval and started commercial operation in March 2005. Okay Airways is headquartered in Beijing and uses Tianjin Binhai International Airport as its fleet base.

It currently operates four 737s, including three 737-800s and one 737-300 converted freighter, on trunk routes with direct flights to more than 20 domestic destinations. Okay Airways also will lease four 737-800s this year, and plans to expand its fleet by leasing five 737-800s each year prior to the new delivery.

"Okay Airways has been a dedicated operator of Boeing 737s since it was established. Boeing is honored that 10 more 737-800s will join Okay Airways' fleet to support its strategy in this fast-growing market," said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Okay Airways, which started with the Next-Generation 737-800."

Boeing announced in June that it will increase production rates on the Next-Generation 737 program to 35 airplanes per month in 2012 to meet continued strong demand for the airplane. The Next-Generation 737 family has more than 2,000 unfilled orders from customers around the world. The Boeing 737-800 is the best-selling version of the successful Next-Generation 737 family.

Flybe places orders for Embraer E 175 jets

Embraer and Flybe, one of Europe's leading low-cost and regional airlines, signed a contract for the sale of 35 Embraer  E175 jets, today, at the 47th Farnborough International Airshow, in England. The deal includes 65 options and 40 purchase rights, giving the order a potential for 140 Embraer 175s. The total value of the contract, at list price, is US$ 1.3 billion, based on January 2010 economic conditions, and could reach US$ 5.0 billion, if all options and purchase rights are exercised. The British airline's Embraer 175 jets will be configured in a single-class layout, seating up to 88 passengers with comfortable, 30-inch pitch (76 cm) Elite seats. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2011.

LAN confirms orders of 50 A320's

Chile's dominant airline LAN said on Tuesday it has ordered 50 Airbus A320 planes with a list price of around $4.15 billion as the carrier seeks to expand its operations in Latin America. LAN plans to double its fleet with an investment of about $7.7 billion by 2018. The 50 short-haul planes would be incorporated in its fleet between 2012 and 2016 and used in regional and domestic routes in Latin America. LAN has placed orders for 95 A320 planes that it would be delivered between 2010 and 2016, and might sell 15 A318 planes, a company spokeswoman reported to press.

LAN was one of the Latin American companies that made large commercial plane orders at the Farnborough Airshow on Tuesday. The Chilean carrier, one of the region's profitable airlines, has gained passenger traffic, rising 15.5 percent in June from a year earlier after growing 13.9 percent in May. In December, LAN signed a contract to buy 30 new Airbus A320 short-haul planes worth around $1.97 billion.

DGCA probes for an investigation for the accident at IGI International airport Delhi

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Air India management have instituted independent inquiries into the freak accident at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, where the nose wheel of an aircraft ran over and crushed the right foot and left thigh bone of a senior technician, on Sunday night. Raj Kishore (45) was operated on on Monday morning and is reportedly out of danger. The Delhi Police is also investigating the matter and has registered a case. Kishore’s statement to the police and independent versions of various airport officials, however, point to a communication gap between the pilot and technician that reportedly caused the accident.  In his statement, Kishore, who has over 20 years of experience, said the incident was an accident because of a communication gap. According to airline officials, the technician guides the pilot on movement on the ground. “It looks like a communication error between the pilot and the technician. At the time of pushback, Kishore fell and the front wheel of the aircraft ran over his leg,” an Air India spokesperson was reported saying this to media.

Malayasians' order with Boeing

Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets will be installed on all 35 of the 737-800 aircraft that Malaysia's national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, has on order with Boeing. The first aircraft will deliver later this year, with deliveries continuing into 2013."We are very pleased that Malaysia Airlines decided to install Blended Winglets on its entire fleet of 737-800 aircraft," says Aviation Partners Boeing CEO John Reimers. "This commitment assures they are operating the most efficient aircraft available with greater flexibility to meet the changing needs of the industry in Southeast Asia." Malaysia Airlines already has experience with Blended Winglets on a small fleet of leased 737-800 aircraft. APB's operational performance claims were verified in the daily operations of the aircraft and led to the fleet-wide investment decision. "We hope this is the first of many orders from Malaysia Airlines," says Reimers. "Blended Winglets will differentiate them from the aggressive low cost market in the region and provide a visible cost advantage over their competition."Blended Winglets are ideal to address the challenging operating conditions in Southeast Asia as they provide takeoff weight capability improvements of up to 6 tonnes from high altitude, hot and obstacle-limited airports while dramatically reducing fuel and engine maintenance costs on normal operations.

GE Capital services buys 40 B737's

GE Capital Aviation Services says it has ordered 40 Boeing 737-800 planes for $3 billion at list prices.

The deal announced at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday follows orders for other Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft from Emirates airline and newly created leasing company Air Lease Corp. — raising hopes the aviation market is improving after a two-year downturn.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker says his company has ordered three business jets from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. In a press conference Monday, he announced an order for two Global 5000 aircraft and a last minute addition a Challenger 605. The deal is worth $122 million at list prices, although airlines often negotiate substantial discounts. Al Baker says Qatar Airways is still talking to Bombardier about buying its C-Series commercial jet, but was not able to conclude a deal at the airshow.

Boeing and Emirates announce their order of 30 B777's

Boeing and Dubai-based Emirates Airlines today announced an order for 30 Boeing 777-300ERs (Extended Range) at the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow. Eighteen of these were previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website. Emirates is already the world's largest 777 operator with a fleet of 86 777s through direct purchase and lease, plus an additional 16 777-300ERs previously on order. It is also the only airline in the world to operate every model in the Boeing 777 family, including the 777 Freighter. "Since we took delivery of our first 777 14 years ago, the airplane's reliability, performance and operating economics have firmly established it as the backbone of our fleet," said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group.
"Our decision to further expand our 777 fleet reflects our plans to continue to build our fleet of the future and grow our expansive global network, which already spans six continents. It also demonstrates our commitment to operating a modern fleet that not only enhances the passenger experience but our operational efficiency as well." Emirates took delivery of its first Boeing 777, a 777-200, in 1996, and since then the airline has deployed the 777 on short-, medium- and long-haul routes.

"Emirates is today one of the world's leading airlines. Its growth over the years has established it as a truly global force in the aviation industry," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Emirates has played an important role in the success of the 777 with its strong support and valuable feedback over the years. Today's order underscores the airline's confidence in the airplane which forms the backbone of its fleet. For that we are very grateful." The Boeing 777 is the world's most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane. The 777-300ER extends the 777 family's span of capabilities, bringing twin-engine efficiency and reliability to the long-range market. The airplane carries 365 passengers up to 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km). Boeing incorporated several performance enhancements for the 777-300ER, extending its range and payload capabilities. Excellent performance during flight testing, combined with engine efficiency improvements and design changes that reduce drag and airplane weight, contributed to the increased capability.

B787 dreamliner makes International debut at Farnborough airshow

The Boeing B787 Dreamliner made its international debut landing at the Farnborough Airport at 9:09 a.m. (local time) in support of the Farnborough International Airshow that begins today.
It's an honor to showcase the 787 here at the Farnborough Airshow, said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. This is the first international trip made by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airplane came nonstop to Farnborough, U.K., from Seattle.
We took advantage of the flying time to conduct some flight testing on the way, Fancher said. They are taking every opportunity to complete the testing requirements when they fly.
The 787 Dreamliner is built by an international team and will provide airlines around the globe with a new level of efficiency in operations, with a 20 percent reduction in fuel use when compared to similar-sized airplanes. The 787 also brings a new level of passenger comfort to travelers including bigger windows and more personal space as well as an environment designed to help them arrive at their destinations feeling refreshed.
Boeing executives and members of the board of directors, dignitaries from the United States and U.K. and a wide variety of media were on hand to welcome Captains Mike Bryan and Ted Grady as they stepped off the airplane and welcomed visitors aboard. About a dozen people traveled on the airplane to conduct testing during the flight. Fancher and other Boeing executives will provide a media briefing on the 787 at the airshow's main press chalet at 10 a.m. (local time). The airplane, referred to as ZA003, will depart Tuesday afternoon, July 20.

Emirates to place more aircraft orders

Emirates airline is set to place a $5 billion order for 20 Boeing B777 wide-body jets, aviation sources said on Saturday.The order could be a key feature of the opening day of the July 19-25 Farnborough air show on Monday, when the Dubai-based airline is expecteded to hold a news conference. Boeing declined to comment.

An order for 20 of the latest model of 777s, which seats 365 passengers, would be worth $5.4 billion at list prices. Emirates, the largest airline in the Arab world, placed an order for 32 Airbus A380s at the Berlin air show last month and said it was likely to order more aircraft soon.

DGCA tightens norms for charter operators

In order to improve safety standards, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has doubled the paid up capital that non-scheduled air transport operators would have to maintain to run chartered services. Earlier, the paid up capital that operators needed to maintain for a fleet of three aircraft (helicopters or planes) was Rs 1 crore. Now they would need to show the DGCA a minimum balance of Rs 2 crore to maintain a fleet of two aircraft.

Mumbai has one of the largest helicopter bases at the Juhu airport and a significant number of chartered services operate out of the city. According to a DGCA official, this move is to ensure that operators who are in the non-scheduled air transport business are serious about safety standards. DGCA wants to ensure that operations are financially viable and that operator does cut corners and compromise safety. Often people just import machines and start these services, we want them to be financially healthy.  The DGCA has however exempted gliders, hot air balloons, airships and Microlights from this rule. A hot air balloon, for instance, would cost less than Rs 50 lakh and it would be non-viable for a chartered service to keep aside a minimum of Rs 2 crore for a machine of Rs 50 lakh. 

 Some operators however feel that even these norms are 'stringent' for helicopters and airplanes and that it may hit expansion plans in future. “Expansion plans of some operators may be hit. Operators may need to procure an additional aircraft to break even, but it would be difficult with the increased paid up capital they would have to show,” said R N Johri, MD of Aman Aviation and Aerospace Solutions. “It will also be tougher for individuals and small players to start their chartered services,” said Captain Vijay Madan, managing director of AAA Aviation, at the Juhu airport.

Aircraft makes emergency landing at Delhi after loosing cabin pressure and air conditioning system

A Pune-bound Air India plane, with 144 people onboard, landed in emergency conditions due to failure of its air-conditioning system and fall in cabin pressure soon after take off from Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi, on Thursday. Air India flight IC 849, with 138 passengers and six crew members, was scheduled to leave at around 4 pm  but just before its take-off, the pilot informed that the flight would be delayed as he had detected some technical fault in the plane. Aircraft engineers repaired the fault and declared the aircraft fit for flying.

"The plane took off around 5 pm but after remaining airborne for about 20 minutes, we felt the aircraft was shaking and we could smell foul smell," , a passenger onboard the aircraft, said. The pilot declared he will have to make an emergency landing and within 25 minutes the plane landed at Delhi airport. An Air India official said the plane had to land due to fault in air-conditioning system and fall in cabin pressure but all on board were safe and the passengers flew to Pune in another aircraft at around 7 pm.

Mid air collision averted at Ben-Gurion Intl airport

A near collision between two El Al planes coming in to land at Ben-Gurion International Airport is being investigated by the Transportation Ministry. The two planes came dangerously close to each other last Friday morning, when at least 10 incoming flights were kept circling due to traffic overload, officials said. It was reported earlier this week that delays before landing included a risk of running out of fuel, with one El Al flight starting preparation for landing in Amman.

The situation on Friday was worse than first thought. Yitzhak Raz, the ministry's chief investigator of air accidents, said that close to 4 A.M., the air traffic controller in Ben-Gurion's northern sector lost control of the situation. Consequently, airplanes were in danger of colliding. In one case, an El Al plane's automatic warning device was activated, signaling a dangerous proximity to another El Al plane waiting to land. The captain was forced to divert the aircraft. A preliminary probe found that due to the numerous planes circling, transmission with the traffic controllers in the northern sector was filled with noises, which made it difficult for pilots and controller to hear each other so planes came dangerously close.

The Airport Authority commented: On July 9, 2010, airplanes were waiting [to land] in the northern center west of Israel's coastline. The delays were not related to the runway construction work going on.... During the incident the air traffic controller noticed two airplanes were too close to each other. He dealt with the situation and reported it as a non-severe incident, in line with regulations.

El Al commented: The pilots acted in line with regulations and their instructions.

Air China to buy new Boeing, Airbus jets

Air China is in talks to buy wide-bodied jets from Boeing Co and Airbus, including A350 and B787 jets, to revamp its fleet, a source close to the carrier said on Wednesday. The ongoing negotiations with Airbus and its U.S. rival also cover exchange of Air China's used jets for new ones. Air China was not ready to comment on this issue. Air China, which has a fleet of 256 jets, operates 245 routes servicing 30 countries and regions.

Etihad and Emirates need almost 80,000 new employees in the next decade

Two largest airlines are gearing up for one of the biggest recruitment drives in aviation history, with plans to hire 80,000 pilots, cabin crew and other staff over the next decade.
The immense growth in hiring at Emirates airline and Etihad Airways comes at a tough time for the industry in many other parts of the world. The UAE carriers’ extra staff will be needed to operate hundreds of new aircraft that are on order. The number of aircraft being bought is expected to increase this month when representatives of the region’s big carriers gather at the Farnborough International Airshow to announce their latest orders, the report said. In Abu Dhabi, Etihad is already one of the largest employers, with about 8,000 staff. By 2020, when all of its planes have been delivered, it should have 27,000 employees.
Emirates Group has even greater staffing needs. The company, which includes the airline and a global network of ground handling, travel and ticketing agencies, will double in size by 2020 to a fleet of about 300 aircraft, from 149 today,  “It took us 25 years to get to 40,000 employees, but in the next 10 years we will double that to 80,000,” said Rick Helliwell, the vice-president of recruitment at Emirates. Factoring in current employees who retire or move on, Emirates will require more than 60,000 new employees over the decade, including 2,500 pilots and 20,000 cabin crew, Mr Helliwell said.

Runway problems at top airports in India

The runway centre-line on Mumbai airport’s main runway is marked in a curved fashion, the landing aids installed in the new Bangalore and Hyderabad runways were not calibrated properly, a runway in Kolkata airport is so constructed that it gets waterlogged during monsoon. One would think that when it comes to runway infrastructure there is no room for shoddy work. But these runways make an exception to the rule.

Centre-line lights of the main and secondary runways of Mumbai airport have been out of order for the last nine months. It would continue this way till October this year. With the onset of monsoon, pilots are having a tough time operating to and from Mumbai airport in poor weather conditions. Now it seems, all these decades, the runway centre-line of main runway 09/27 ran in a curve as it was not marked properly.

‘‘The old centre-line lights on main runway were not in a straight line. It was a curve. As part of the runway upgradation programme, we will be resurfacing the runway and installing new centre-line lights,’’ said a Mumbai International Pvt Ltd spokesperson. The centre-line has been marked correctly in the beginning and the end of this runway. It’s around the middle that the deviation begins and goes up to about one-and-a-half metres to the right only to come back to the actual position. ‘‘Not having centre-line lights is a temporary phase,’’ the spokesperson added. If Mumbai’s airport has a crooked runway centre-line, then Kolkata’s Runway 19R can beat the worst of the low-lying areas when it comes to waterlogging during monsoon. ‘‘The secondary runway, 19R, was extended to 9,000 feet about six months back. But the area in the beginning of this runway gets waterlogged when it rains. Even after it stops raining, the water remains on the runway,’’ said a senior commander.

In the new airports of Bangalore and Hyderabad, the glide-paths were not calibrated correctly. A glide-path is part of Instrument Landing System (ILS) and it transmits signals upto 10 nm, to give descent angle guidance to aircraft. The standard glide-path angle is 3 degrees and both these airports, with no obstructions in the approach funnel, could have had their glide-path calibrated to 3 degree. But for some reason, the Airports Authority of India officials had calibrated it to 3.3 degrees.

Cargo absolutely booming - Lufthansa

"The cargo business is currently absolutely booming. For the first time in over 10 years we are seeing not just strong imports out of China, but also strong exports to China," Stephan Gemkow said.
Demand in China for goods made in the United States and in Europe is rising as wages improve and markets open. Trade data published on Saturday showed that imports rose 34.1 percent in June.
At the same time, exports rose 43.9 percent, giving China a USD$20 billion trade surplus.
Global industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said last month that demand for both air travel and air freight rose strongly in May and now exceeds levels seen before the global economic downturn.
Air cargo is seen as a leading indicator of the health of global trade. Lufthansa, Germany's biggest airline, on Friday reported a 20 percent rise in June cargo.

Air India resume hiring

With their balance sheets once again looking nice, some airlines have resumed hiring, others are buying aircraft and some like Air India are trying to get an image makeover. For this, the national carrier is hiring for its top posts. But how smart will these high-cost hires prove for the airline which is still deep in the red? Among the top jobs available at Air India are that of Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Human Resource Advisor and a Chief Operating Officer for Air India Express. Even though the company already has six directors doing much of the same job, and has recently hired a Chief Operating Officer at the cost of Rs 3 crore per year. While the Air India says these additions that are part of the national carrier's turnaround strategy, these big ticket recruitments in a company whose losses run into 5400 crore is causing concern for many. Air India also wants to hire an advertising agency to improve its public image even as it already has a staff of 17 who draw hefty salaries to do just that.

Air France jet makes emergency landing after bomb thoax

An Air France passenger jet headed from Rio to Paris made an emergency landing in northeastern Brazil on Saturday night due to a bomb threat. All 405 passengers and 18 crew members were safely evacuated from Air France Flight 443, said Jorge Andrade, a spokesman for airport authority Infraero. Recife international airport was closed for about 30 minutes but reopened after officials isolated the jet, he added.Solange Argenta, an Infraero spokeswoman at the Recife airport, said authorities were examining the jet to determine if the threat was real.

"They're still inspecting the aircraft. It is possible that it could be cleared and resume its flight tonight," Argenta said.Argenta said the threat was phoned in to the Rio airport after the flight took off at 4:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. EDT; 1920 GMT). The plane landed in Recife at 7:53 p.m. (6:53 p.m. EDT; 2253 GMT). Flight 443 was on the same route as an Air France jet that crashed last June off Brazil's northeastern coast, killing all 228 on board. While no definite cause has been determined in the crash, authorities have repeatedly ruled out foul play.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/brazil-air-france-jet-lands-after-bomb-threat-36778?cp

PetroSA in court over air deal

PetroSA, the state-owned energy company, is being taken to court after replacing a private aviation company's charter service with the South African Air Force.PetroSA terminated its dealings with Indwe Aviation last Wednesday and the next day co-opted the air force to transport workers from George airport to its offshore installations, including a platform that supplies gas to a refinery in Mossel Bay and the Orca floating crude oil production platform.

Martin Steynberg, chief operating officer of Indwe Aviation, brought an urgent application in the Cape Town High Court to compel PetroSA to retain his company."I am advised that it is unlawful for the SAAF to conduct what amounts to commercial air transport operations," Steynberg said in court papers.He asked that PetroSA let his company continue with the air service until the two parties reach a new deal.Steynberg's company leased two Sikorsky helicopters for R1.4-million a month for the PetroSA contract. The helicopters each carry 19 passengers and are capable of landing at sea.Steynberg said his company, which had provided the service to PetroSA for two years, had been negotiating a new contract for more than a year.He said he was informed in May that PetroSA's board, under the chairmanship of Popo Molefe, had passed a resolution to extend the contract for a year, but that PetroSA officials then told him otherwise last Wednesday.

FAA orders airlines to inspect wind shield on wide body boeing

After a cockpit fire forced a United Airlines Boeing 757 to make an emergency landing in May at Dulles International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to either inspect or replace windows in their Boeing airplanes.
The agency issued an airworthiness directive Friday telling airlines to inspect the front-facing windows in their Boeing widebodies, their 747s, 757s and 767s. The problem is with improperly tightened screws in the heating elements that keep the windows from heating up.
There have been 11 cockpit fires related to the problem in 20 years.
The FAA hasn't exactly moved swiftly on this issue. In its press release it says that it first proposed the airworthiness directive more than two years ago.

Cathay adds a new feather to its cap

Cathay Pacific Cargo is heading a new direction today.The airline’s first ever trans-Atlantic flight departs Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 4:50 p.m. CDT en route to Amsterdam, Netherlands; Dubai, United Arab Emirates and then home to Hong Kong. It will have arrived Chicago from Hong Kong via Anchorage, Alaska, making it the airline’s first around-the-world flight as well.
The airline has spent months developing the new route, which will initially be operated twice weekly, every Friday and Sunday (when departures will be at 10:50 p.m. CDT), using a Boeing 747-400 freighter. Cathay Pacific already offers eight trans-Pacific freighter flights a week to Hong Kong from Chicago, providing traditional cargo services plus specialty services such as pharmaceutical and live animal handling.

Kin's of the victim of Mangalore crash get legal help from US man

He is not a lawyer, not even an air crash investigator and he makes no claims to being an insurance expert. But world over, grief stricken families of air crash victims from the remotest corners of an Amazonian village to a Russian town know him by name, and share with him a "tremendous rapport", as he himself puts it and sometimes, even lunch.

He is George Hatcher, a self-described air crash consultant and adviser who helps families take on colossal aircraft companies or airlines in US courts for damages after the loss of a dear one in a crash. Many families have won millions of dollars in settlements, he says and for many, the battle is still on. Hatcher, at 67, made his first ever trip to India last weekend and headed straight to the May 22 Air India crash site in Mangalore. He met families of the victims, spoke to young widows of Gulf-based Indian workmen even as their tiny tots played in the same room and convinced at least 10 of them that they deserved more than the mandatory compensation the airline was bound, under an international treaty, to give them. With him was Nishit Dhruva, partner of a Mumbai-based law firm M Dhruva & Partners who has joined hands with three large US law firms and setting the stage to sue Boeing, the American aircraft maker, in US courts for the biggest Indian air crash in decades.

Hatcher told, "You are a fare paying passenger. You need to be paid a compensation after any crash. The question is how much." That's where he comes in."I am just a bridge between lawyers and the clients," he said. But he doesn't knock on victims' doors unless he is sought. It is law firms that seek his help. In the US, law forbids law firms from chasing victims for the first 45 days after a tragedy.In India, now, Hatcher says he feels the families of the 170-odd victims, many of whom are poor, deserve to be placed on an equal footing to seek better damages.In India, though, he said Air India had a good flight record, experts in the field are pointing fingers at "a pilot error". But some, he added, "suggest turbine problems". With it being a US plane, what is being looked at is "multiple culpability" as this is the third 737 800 going down in recent times.As Hatcher says, "It is not enough to pay out one pay cheque, clear the wreckage, submit a report and say that we are even. Assess each victim based on parameters, including age, education, job, income, number of dependents, pain and suffering."

Demand on Asian routes boost European airlines

Stronger demand on Asian routes boosted air traffic in June, three European airlines said on Wednesday, noting a rise in sales of business class tickets as economies begin to recover from the global downturn.
Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline, posted a strong rise in revenue in the month as growth in both passenger and cargo activity outpaced capacity, which had deliberately been held down during the recession.
Scandinavian airline SAS and Finnish national carrier Finnair also said passenger traffic had risen last month, by 0.4 percent and 12 percent year-on-year, respectively.
All three airlines attributed part of the boost to a recovering market for air travel in Asia, where economic growth has accelerated. SAS and Finnair both said Asian traffic was up 26 percent in June.
"Particularly corporate travel has increased ... The demand comes, above all, from European and Asian markets," Finnair Chief Executive Mika Vehvilainen said.
Franco-Dutch Air France-KLM said passenger traffic rose 4.7 percent and its load factor, which measures how well an airline fills its planes, rose 3.5 points to 83.8 percent.

Flying can become cheaper than ever before

Ryanair, one of Europe's low cost airline has come up with an innovative idea to offer very cheap tickets. This means a lot, you don't get a seat to sit for your journey rather you would be given a seat to stand. The aviation law says that all the passengers on board a flight should be seated and wear a seat belt during take off and landing. Not sure how far this idea can be implemented, Ryanair has proposed this. This mean that more passenger's can be accommodated if they were standing. Ryanair has claimed that it would be able to sell a ticket for as low as $10. But the American plane maker Boeing has already ruled out such a theory being implemented at a very early stage. Airbus is yet to comment on this. If this is made possible, if not on long haul routes at least on the shorter leg journey then flying will be cheaper than taking a bus.