Boeing Rolls Out First 787 Dreamliner Built In South Carolina

April 29, 2012 - The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be assembled in South Carolina rolled out of final assembly on Friday to great fanfare from the crowd of nearly 7,000 Boeing employees and invited guests. The festival-like atmosphere, featuring aerial displays, music and entertainment, was a fitting celebration to commemorate   Read More

Alaska Airlines Bay Area Team Gets A Lesson In Diversity By Going To The Dogs

April 29, 2012 - About 30 Alaska Airlines operations management team employees from the Bay Area literally went to the dogs recently to experience and learn the challenges of the visually impaired. Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) invited Alaska and Horizon Air employees from the three Bay Area airports to its campus in San Rafael, Calif., to provide Read More

OIG Testifies The State Of Aviation Safety And FAA’s Oversight Of The NAS

April 27, 2012 - On Wednesday, Jeffrey B. Guzzetti, the Assistant Inspector General for Aviation and Special Programs testified before the House Aviation Subcommittee regarding the state of aviation safety and the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of the National Airspace System (NAS) (see report). Specifically, the  Read More

Legislation Would Remove Canada Geese From JFK Airport

April 27, 2012 - After another plane departing from a New York area airport was struck by geese Tuesday night forcing an emergency landing, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced new legislation on Wednesday. This legislation would cut bureaucratic red tape between the U.S. Department of  Read More

Wheeltug To Introduce Aircraft Nose Wheel Taxi On The Airbus A320

April 26, 2012 - Alitalia and WheelTug announced the signing of a partnership to introduce an innovative electric drive system for taxiing the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. Alitalia is the main Italian airline with 25 million transported passengers (in 2011), with an operating fleet of 146 aircraft and a network of 95 destinations in  Read More

A350 XWB Aft Fuselage Delivered To Final Assembly Line

April 26, 2012 - Airbus has delivered the aft fuselage for the A350 XWB static test airframe to the final assembly line in Toulouse (France). This final section of the fuselage will be assembled with the front and centre fuselage sections which were joined up in early April. Assembled at Airbus’ site in Hamburg (Germany), the 20 meter long carbon fiber aft  Read More

Hawker Beechcraft To Layoff 350 Employees, May Seek Bankruptcy Protection

April 25, 2012 - Back in March Hawker Beechcraft began to announce employee layoffs in its various departments and employees working on various aircraft including the Beechcraft King Air, Piston and Premier IA and the Hawker 4000 and 987 family. On Monday the company sent out layoff letters to its employees in its Wichita operations  Read More

Pittsburgh International Airport Receives Runway Improvement Grant

April 25, 2012 - U. S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a $7.1 million grant for the next phase of the Runway 14-32 rehabilitation project at Pittsburgh International Airport. "This project will help keep the airport moving safely and efficiently for the more than four million passengers that fly through Pittsburgh each year," U.S. Transportation  Read More

P&W PT6C-67E Turboshaft Engine Receives Canadian Type Certification

April 24, 2012 - Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC), has received Transport Canada type certification for the PT6C-67E turboshaft engine that will power Eurocopter’s EC175 helicopter. The Eurocopter EC175 is a new multirole helicopter and the PT6C-67E is the latest turboshaft engine in the PT6C-67 family for the medium  Read More

First U.S. Commercial Flight Of Genx-Powered Dreamliner Lands In Boston

April 24, 2012 - A GEnx-powered Boeing 787 Dreamliner made the first U.S. commercial landing in Boston Sunday afternoon. The flight launched a new nonstop route between Asia and Boston operated by Japan Airlines. JAL took possession of two Dreamliners last month in Seattle and will soon open a second new nonstop Dreamliner route between  Read More

US Navy To Upgrade 20 Year Old Analog ATC Radars With Digital Technology

April 23, 2012 - The U.S. Navy has purchased two more radar systems from Raytheon Company as part of a continuing effort to replace outdated analog air traffic control systems with digital technology. The new radars will be installed at military bases in New River, North Carolina and Quantico, Virginia. The Digital Airport Surveillance Radar (DASR) ASR-11 is the  Read More

Survey Reveals Airports Deliver The Most Attractive Audience To Advertisers

April 23, 2012 - A nationwide Scarborough research survey found that Business Frequent Flyers are 83 percent more likely than all American adults to be the first to try or buy new products and services. This custom study was commissioned by Clear Channel Airports (CCA) and conducted by consumer market research firm Scarborough. The survey results highlight the value  Read More

Unions Prepare For Possible Merger Of US Airways And American Airlines

April 22, 2012 - US Airways Management announced they have signed agreements with three unions at American Airlines, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), and the Transport Workers Union (TWU). The three unions issued a joint statement of support for a merger with US Airways. “We look Read More

Aviation Reform Legislation To Address Cargo Pilots

April 22, 2012 - U.S. Representatives Chip Cravaack and Tim Bishop introduced H.R. 4350, the Safe Skies Act of 2012. Importantly, the bill would ensure that pilot rest requirements apply to all cargo air operations. Following the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash on February 12, 2009, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed a rule  Read More

Porter Airlines Operates Canada's First Biofuel-Powered Revenue Flight

April 22, 2012 - Porter Airlines successfully conducted the first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada. In the successful conclusion to a test program that was launched in 2010, the airline flew one of its Bombardier Q400 turboprops from its base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Ottawa using a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel in one of its engines. The fuel was certified to the new American Society for Testing and  Read More

Seattle’s Museum Of Flight Welcomes First Portion Of NASA’s Shuttle Trainer

April 22, 2012 - The Museum of Flight in Seattle unveiled the first sections of the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, three Engine Bells marking the first of several shipments of the trainer, which will be housed at the Museum’s Charles Simonyi Space Gallery. Museum of Flight President and CEO Doug King hosted a brief news conference to announce the arrival and to unpack one of the three Engine Bells, which are approximately nine feet in diameter  Read More

Gulfstream To Award Two Aviation Maintenance Scholarships

April 20, 2012 - Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., in conjunction with Women in Corporate Aviation, will award two $5,000 scholarships for professional development or career advancement in the field of maintenance aviation technology. The award winners will be considered for future co-op and internship positions with Gulfstream  Read More

Airline Pilots Meet With Senate Banking Committee On Ex–Im Bank Reauthorization

April 20, 2012 - Airline pilots from across the nation representing the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) took to Capitol Hill to attend a U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The pilots  Read More

From Vietnam To OEF, Pilot Flies Last Mission Of Career

Delta Air Lines Signs Agreement With OSHA On Seat Belt Compliance Measures

April 19, 2012 - Delta Air Lines has signed a corporatewide settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration in order to protect workers who operate baggage handling vehicles. The agreement covers approximately 90 of the Atlanta-based company's airport sites that fall under federal OSHA's jurisdiction, as well as 16,000 Delta employees and   Read More

Venture Aircraft Acquires Assets Of Swift-Cor Aerospace

April 17, 2012 - Venture Aircraft, a leading supplier to the aerospace industry, has acquired certain assets of fellow manufacturer Swift-Cor Aerospace, Inc. Venture has acquired certain of Swift-Cor’s assets and manufacturing facilities in California and Kansas, and will now operate 4 plants, two in Gardena, CA, one in Compton, CA  Read More

Space Command Officials To Eliminate Airmen Flight Suit And The Leather Jacket

April 17, 2012 - Air Force Space Command officials announced that Airmen assigned to the command will cease wearing flight suits, the green flight jacket and the A-2 Leather Jacket by the end of the fiscal year. This policy only affects Airmen assigned to AFSPC. Directed by Gen. William L. Shelton, the AFSPC commander, the move is   Read More

FAA's Manage Systems Engineering 2020 Contracting Practices Insufficient

April 16, 2012 – The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General released is final report on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Systems Engineering 2020 (SE-2020) contracts. SE-2020 is a portfolio of contracts that FAA is using to obtain professional and technical services to support its development and implementation   Read More

TSA Testing Document Verification Technology At Washington Dulles Airport

April 16, 2012 – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will began testing new technologies designed to enhance TSA’s ability to identify altered or fraudulent passenger identification documents and boarding passes at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The technology will also be tested at Houston George Bush  Read More

British Airways Acquires British Midland Airways, Forecast Net 1,200 Layoffs

April 15, 2012 - British Airways began consultation with trade unions on proposals to integrate BMI mainline into its operations at Heathrow. The acquisition of BMI by British Airways’ owner, International Airlines Group (IAG), was given regulatory approval from the European Commission in late March. BMI is losing more than £3m a week and, without this acquisition, was  Read More

Court Upholds Night Time Flight Ban At Frankfurt Airport

April 15, 2012 - The decision by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig to uphold a night-time flight ban at Frankfurt Airport will damage one of the world’s premier gateways for international trade and harm the local and national economy, says the Chairman of The International Air Cargo Association’s (TIACA) Industry Affairs Committee. Despite strong industry  Read More

Boeing Makes 737 MAX Design Changes Improves Fuel Performance

CBP Air And Marine Spot Submersible Loaded With Cocaine Worth $1 Billion

April 12, 2012 - In three separate incidents in a one-week period, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine (OAM) P-3s operating out of National Air Security Operations Centers in Jacksonville, Florida (NASOC-JAX) and Corpus Christi, Texas (NASOC-CC), assisted in the interdiction of a narco Self Propelled Semi-Submersible  Read More

NTSB Issues Recommendations To Increase Safety At Air Races

April 11, 2012 - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided an investigative update on Tuesday, on last year's crash of a highly modified P-51D airplane at the National Championship Air Races in Reno Nevada. On September 16, 2011, the pilot of the Galloping Ghost experienced an upset while turning between pylons 8 and 9 on the race course. The airplane  Read More

Space Shuttle Discovery To Make Last Flight With A Fly Over Washington Metro Area

April 11, 2012 - NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with space shuttle Discovery mounted atop will fly approximately 1,500 feet above various parts of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on Tuesday, April 17 for its last flight. The flight, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is scheduled to occur between 10 and 11 a.m. EDT. NASA  Read More

Alaska Airlines Partners With Banfield Pet Hospital For Fur-St Class Pet Care

April 10, 2012 - Alaska Airlines announced an exclusive partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, the nation's largest general veterinary practice, to help travelers prepare their pets for takeoff. With more than 800 hospitals in 43 states, Banfield Pet Hospital is offering Alaska Airlines customers traveling with or shipping their pets a free office visit  Read More

U.S. - Brazil Aviation Partnership To Connect Brazil And U.S. Aviation Sectors

April 10, 2012 - The FAA on Monday joined with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) together with Brazil's Ministry of External Relations to announce the launch of the U.S., Brazil Aviation Partnership. The Aviation Partnership is a unique public  Read More

Jose Wejebe Spanish Fly Host Dies In Plane Crash

April 9, 2012 - Outdoor Channel's popular Spanish Fly fishing show host, Jose Wejebe, 54 died on Friday in a plane crash in which he was flying. Wejebe had departed Everglades Airpark (X01) airport in Collier County, Florida just before 5 PM when the single-engine experimental aircraft appeared to have entered into a stall  Read More

Lockheed Martin Awarded Digital Cockpit Contract On Navy MH-60 Helicopters

April 9, 2012 - The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.05 billion, five-year contract to provide more than 200 digital cockpits and integrated mission systems and sensors for the Navy MH-60R “Romeo” and MH-60S “Sierra” helicopters. Rear Adm. Paul Grosklags, U.S. Naval Air Systems vice commander said “U.S. Navy crews operating the Read More

Court Order Restricts Trading Of Equity And Debt Claims Against Pinnacle Airlines

April 8, 2012 - Pinnacle Airlines announced that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has entered an order that imposes substantial restrictions on trading in equity interests in and debt claims against Pinnacle Airlines Corp. and affiliates. On April 1, 2012 Pinnacle Airlines announced that the Read More

Aircraft Parts Brokers Sentenced For Procurement Fraud Against The Military

April 8, 2012 - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announced the sentencing of Henry McFlicker, 67, of Parkland, Florida, and Ayodha Persaud, 63, of Coral Springs, Florida, for their participation in a procurement scheme to defraud the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy and the commercial aviation  Read More

F/A-18 Navy Jet Crashes In Virginia Beach Destroying A Number Of Homes

April 7, 2012 - An F/A-18D assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 crashed in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Friday. Approximately 12:05 PM the jet crashed just after takeoff at a location just off of the base. The F/A-18D crashed into an apartment complex destroying a number of homes. Smoke and flames consumed the  Read More

Coast Guard Purchases 2 More Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Airplanes

April 7, 2012 - The U.S. Coast Guard exercised a $78.54 million contract option Wednesday to purchase the service’s 16th and 17th HC-144 Ocean Sentry maritime patrol airplane from EADS North America. The Coast Guard has already taken delivery of 13 Ocean Sentries, with the 14th due by July.  The Coast Guard exercised the first option on  Read More

Airbus Starts Final Assembly Of First A350 XWB

April 5, 2012 - This first A350 XWB airframe will be used for the static structural tests that all new aircraft undergo as part of their certification process. The assembly of the first flying A350 XWB, MSN1, will start during summer. The centre fuselage was delivered to Toulouse on Wednesday 4th April 2012 by Beluga from Airbus in St   Read More

FAA Launches Air Traffic Control NextGen Initiative In Houston

April 5, 2012 - Top U.S. Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration officials met with aviation partners in Houston on Wednesday as part of a newly-launched collaborative effort to make air traffic control more efficient, help airlines improve on-time performance and reduce emissions generated by aircraft flying into and out of Houston’s  Read More

Border Patrol Seizes Two Aircraft Involved In Alien Smuggling

April 5, 2012 - Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector disrupted two separate incidents in which individuals attempted to utilize two commuter aircraft as a means to smuggle illegal aliens out of the Imperial Valley on March 30. The Imperial Valley lies in California's Imperial County. It is  Read More

Heathrow Games Terminal At Heathrow Airport Reaches Major Milestone

April 5, 2012 - Heathrow’s Games Terminal, which will act as the departure point for the world’s athletes and officials following the Olympic Games, passes a significant construction milestone with a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony. ‘Topping out’ traditionally marks the point at which a structure becomes weatherproof. London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow is a  Read More

Boeing Successfully Completes CST-100 Spacecraft Parachute Drop Test

April 4, 2012 - Boeing successfully completed a parachute drop test of the company's Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft on Tuesday at the Delmar Dry Lake Bed near Alamo, Nev. CST-100 is part of the Boeing Commercial Crew Transportation System (CCTS), which will provide the United States with the capability  Read More

MD Helicopters Announces New MD 540F Helicopter

April 4, 2012 - MD Helicopters of Mesa, Arizona released details of its new armed scout helicopter the MD 540F, the newest addition to MD’s fleet of single engine turbine helicopters. The 540F is an upgrade to the popular MD 530F; boasting a 6-bladed, fully articulated rotor blade system made up entirely of composite material, in addition to a   Read More

Air Traffic Controllers Association President, Paul Rinaldi To Serve Second Term

April 3, 2012 - National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi and Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert will serve a second three-year term after an election deadline last Friday passed without any nominations received from possible challengers for either position. Rinaldi and Gilbert will finish out their first  Read More

Iberia Airlines Sues Pilot Unions Over What It Calls Illegal, Abusive Strikes

April 3, 2012 - Iberia Airlines, flag carrier airline of Spain filed lawsuits against its pilots union, Sepla Union and Stavla Union with the Chamber for Social and Labor Matters, at the National High Court. The suit refers to the set of strikes called by both unions in December and the new set of strikes called by Sepla during the next months. Iberia filed  Read More

First F-35 Center Fuselage Produced By Integrated Assembly Line

April 3, 2012 - Northrop Grumman Corporation's first F-35 center fuselage produced by its Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) was delivered to Lockheed Martin on March 16, 2012. While the company has delivered 69 center fuselages since 2005, this is the first produced using the IAL. The IAL maximizes robotics and automation, providing additional capacity and assembly capability  Read More

TSA Precheck Screening Benefits Expanding To Additional Airports

April 3, 2012 - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced new details regarding the expansion of the TSA PreCheck initiative. Since its launch in October 2011, more than 640,000 passengers have been screened through TSA PreCheck. By changing procedures for those travelers the agency knows more about, through information they voluntarily provide and  Read More

Tuskegee Airman Visits Coast Guard Training Center

April 2, 2012 - Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile played host to one of the last surviving Tuskegee airmen, Thursday, during a brief visit to the unit where he spoke to the crewmembers and trainees who are stationed there. Before his tour, Calvin Moret was treated to a tour of the facility that included in-depth descriptions of   Read More

Passenger Airline Employment Rose 2.1 Percent

April 2, 2012 - U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 2.1 percent more workers in January 2012 than they did in January 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported. This is the 14th consecutive month that full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers have been higher than the same month of the previous year Read More

Diamond Aircraft Pursuing Unleaded Fuel Capability For All Diamond Models

April 2, 2012 - Diamond Aircraft has announced that it is actively pursuing certification of unleaded fuel operation for its gasoline powered models, starting with the popular Lycoming powered versions of the DA40 single and DA42 twin engine aircraft. Diamond's approach is to offer its customers a choice of powerplant solutions and environmentally responsible fuel options to  Read More

Pratt & Whitney and Boeing Sign Engine Contract to Power KC-46 Tanker

April 2, 2012 - Bennett Croswell, president of Pratt & Whitney’s Military Engines division, and Maureen Dougherty, Boeing vice president and program manager, KC-46 Tanker Program, hosted a ceremonial engine contract signing event at Boeing’s Tanker Program Office in Mukilteo, Wash., for contracts previously awarded to Pratt & Whitney. The contracts support PW4062 engine purchases to  Read More

Airbus A400M Performs High-Altitude Tests At La Paz, Bolivia

April 1, 2012 - The Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter recently visited La Paz, Bolivia as part of a series of high-altitude performance tests. Grizzly 2 completed a number of flights from the airport at La Paz which is more than 13,000ft above mean sea level. Operations from high-altitude airports like La Paz are challenging  Read More

Giving Latin American Aviation The Freedom To Succeed

April 1, 2012 - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments and other stakeholders in Latin America to unite to give aviation the freedom to succeed by improving aviation safety, making badly needed investments in infrastructure and reducing the heavy tax burden on the industry. “The freedom to succeed depends on  Read More