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Southwest Airlines Announces $100,000 Donation to National Wildlife Refuge Association

DALLAS, Oct 18, 2010 —

Today, Southwest Airlines announced that the airline reached its goal of donating $100,000 to the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) as a result of its “Help Us Help Them” giving program in which Southwest donated $1 for every EarlyBird Check-In(TM) purchased from Sept. 21, 2010 through Oct. 4, 2010. With the donation from Southwest Airlines, the National Wildlife Refuge Association will:

  • Work to permanently protect important wildlife habitat for Gulf Coast species like brown pelicans, seabirds, and sea turtles through land acquisition and conservation easements. This includes important beaches for nesting sea turtles, seabird nesting areas, and warm water springs for West Indian manatees;
  • Support habitat restoration work that will clean up soiled habitat and restore marshlands, beaches and uplands that are important for migratory birds, marine mammals and a spectrum of shellfish that are not just important for wildlife, but which serve as an engine of the Gulf Coast economy;
  • Build grassroots efforts to continue Gulf Coast recovery efforts over the long term by strengthening volunteer organizations and encouraging volunteer clean-up activities. This includes planting dune grass, cleaning up oil residue and damage, monitoring species recovery, and helping volunteers take action with their local and national representatives to keep fighting for the Gulf;
  • Advocate with decision-makers for increases in funding to restore the Gulf and provide needed support for our national wildlife refuges, cornerstones of wildlife conservation in America and premier destinations for people to enjoy wildlife.

“This generous contribution by Southwest Airlines and its many loyal customers will make a difference for the incredible variety of wildlife that call the Gulf home,” said Evan Hirsche, President of the NWRA. “Pelicans, sea turtles, manatees and a great many other species impacted by the oil spill stand to benefit from Southwest’s commitment.”

As the Official Airline of the NWRA, Southwest is proud to support the Association’s goal of conserving America’s wildlife heritage for future generations. To view photos of wildlife efforts and read a blog post, visit www.blogsouthwest.com.

“We are honored and privileged to support the work of the NWRA, and we couldn’t think of a better way to contribute to their efforts in the Gulf and around their refuge system than by donating time and funds,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Communication and Strategic Outreach. “We thank our Employees for giving their time to volunteer at refuges, and we thank our Customers for the wonderful response to our EarlyBird Check-In program during this giving period, which made the donation possible.”

The National Wildlife Refuge Association is committed to building strategic relationships that further its goal to strengthen the ecological integrity of our national wildlife refuges and thus ensure a diverse spectrum of plants and wildlife well into the future.

EarlyBird Check-In is a low-cost option (just $10 each way) that gives Southwest Airlines Customers the convenience of automatic flight checkin. EarlyBird Check-In Customers have a better opportunity to select a preferred seat and have greater access to overhead bin storage for carryon luggage than the general boarding Customers. The partnership with the NWRA also commemorates the program’s one-year anniversary.

For more information about the EarlyBird Check-In giving program, visit www.southwest.com. To learn more about the National Wildlife Refuge Association, visit www.refugeassociation.org.

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    Southwest Airlines Plane Diverts to Louisiana after Lost Cabin Pressure

    southwest_airlines_logoSouthwest Airlines flight WN-775 had to divert and make an emergency landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Louisiana, on July 29th.

    The Boeing 737-700 en-route from Tampa, Florida, to San Antonio, Texas, had to divert due to loss of cabin pressure.

    The plane landed safely.

    All 125 passengers and 5 crew members aboard remained unhurt.

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    Special flight safety checks are being carried out at New South Wales and Victorian aerodromes this week.

    NSW and Victorian aerodrome flight safety checks

    Special flight safety checks are being carried out at a range of New South Wales and Victorian aerodromes this week.

    There will be a series of low-level flights to make sure flight paths at the aerodrome continue to operate safely.

    A twin-engine Cessna Conquest aircraft will be used to conduct the safety checks within an area up to 35 kilometres from the local aerodrome.

    The two pilots flying the aircraft will ensure navigation aids are operational and not suffering interference, as well as looking for any new obstacles that could be a danger to aviation safety.

    The Civil Aviation Safety Authority requires these checks to be carried out every three years to maintain a high level of air safety at all aerodromes.

    Low-level flying is an essential part of the safety exercise, with aircraft down as low as several hundred feet at times.

    Local residents may notice an uncommon flying pattern, but this is to make sure obstacles are accurately marked on charts and no new obstacles exist. Obstacles can be towers, trees, masts or buildings that can be a danger to aircraft.

    The checks are scheduled to be carried out between 7 and 14 February 2011.

    Aerodromes undergoing flight safety checks this week include Moruya, Cooma, Corryong, Wangaratta, Warracknabeal, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Tocumwal, Tumut, Polo Flat, Albury, Corowa, Yarrawonga, Nhill, Deniliquin, Echuca, and Wagga Wagga.

    If poor weather or other factors do not allow the safety checks to go ahead on the planned days they will be carried out as soon as possible.

    CASA has contracted the operation of the special check flights out to Radiola Aerospace Pty Ltd – a company with wide international expertise in these specialist operations.

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  • Boeing Signs AU$44M Contract Expansion for Australian Army Rotary Wing Support

    OAKEY, Queensland, Feb. 26, 2010 Boeing has signed an AU$44 million change proposal with the Commonwealth of Australia to increase the scope of the Army Aviation Training and Training Support (AATTS) contract.

    Awarded the contract in 2007, Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia has been supporting the Australian Army’s Black Hawk and Kiowa helicopters with pilot, aircrew and technician training, operational fleet maintenance, and support services at the Army Aviation Training Centre in Oakey.

    Following detailed operational reviews, the Commonwealth and Boeing Defence Australia changed the scope of the AATTS contract to reflect the Army’s current and future aircrew training requirements. Under the updated contract, Boeing Defence Australia is additionally responsible for delivering:

    • The Initial Army Pilot Helicopter Qualification Course, using the B-206 Kiowa
    • 85 percent of S-70A-9 Black Hawk pilot training
    • CH-47 Chinook helicopter instructor and technician training.

    The $44 million agreement also includes the Commonwealth’s first one-year extension of AATTS, continuing the contract until September 2013. The original AATTS contract includes five one-year extension options.
    “The Commonwealth’s decision to both increase the scope of AATTS and extend the contract until 2013 reinforces Boeing Defence Australia’s position as the preeminent ab-initio [‘from the beginning’] training provider to the Australian Defence Force,” said Mark Brownsey, Boeing Defence Australia senior manager for Global Services & Support — Training Operations.
    “To date, Boeing Defence Australia has exceeded all Australian Army training and maintenance requirements, including standing up the entire program on time, completing 100 percent of training courses on schedule, supporting close to 7,000 training sorties annually, and providing maintenance support to the Australian Defence Force Kiowa fleet, which recently achieved more than 50,000 flight hours,” said Matthew Sibree, Boeing Defence Australia AATTS project manager. “To ensure AATTS continues on time and on budget, 20 additional employees will be hired on to the 160-strong team to ensure we meet our customer’s expectations.”

    The updated AATTS contract will further strengthen Boeing Defence Australia’s training capability while ensuring the Australian Army maintains a constant supply of qualified helicopter pilots, aircrew and technicians to conduct complex helicopter missions in support of domestic and global operations.

    Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and a business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is a leading Australian aerospace enterprise. With a world-class team of nearly 2,000 employees at 13 locations throughout Australia and two international sites, Boeing Defence Australia supports some of the largest and most complex defense projects in Australia.

    A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

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    OAG Reports Air Travel Growth, Over 285 Million Seats Offered Worldwide

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — OAG (www.oag.com), the global leader in aviation intelligence reports that worldwide scheduled airline capacity increased 5% in February, year-on-year, to a total of 285.7 million seats. The number of flights increased 4%, to 2.3 million departures worldwide during the month.

    In its monthly Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics (FACTS) report, OAG finds all regional markets recorded year-on-year growth in February, with the exception of capacity to and from Central and South America. This region lost 3% of its seat capacity, when compared to the same month last year, feeling the impact again this month of the loss of Mexicana services.

    Although capacity fell in Central and South America, overall; within Lower South America, scheduled capacity increased 12% year-on-year. The Brazilian market is showing the strongest growth in the region, with a 14% increase in domestic capacity in February compared to the same time last year.
    “The current expansion in some South American markets may be at the height of a growth period. The impending rationalization of carriers in the region, and the development of larger alliances such as that proposed by the LAN Group and TAM, could lead to capacity consolidation as network rationalization occurs,” said Peter von Moltke, Chief Executive Officer, UBM Aviation.

    Year-on-year, the two fastest growing markets in the world are those to and from the Middle East, and to and from Asia Pacific, in terms of frequency of service. The total number of flights offered to and from the Middle East grew 13% to a total of 49,014; flights to and from Asia Pacific increased 13% to a total of 55,965.

    Scheduled frequency and capacity to and from Europe was the second fastest growing region among the largest markets with scheduled capacity increasing by 11%, to a total of 21.3 million seats; frequencies increased 10%, to a total of 93,558. Growth within Europe, however, increased a modest 2% in both seat capacity and the total number of flights to a total of 59.5 million seats and 493,150 flights.

    “Medium to long haul carriers continue to build their presence in European markets, with the objective of securing greater shares of the longer haul markets, which traditionally deliver higher yields,” continued von Moltke. “Carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways will continue to increase flights and open new markets as their development progresses, and increased frequencies to a number of European destinations are expected by these airlines throughout the year.”

    The number of scheduled services both within and to and from North America remained constant year-on-year, although a slight increase in average capacity per flight resulted in more seats being offered. Total capacity to and from this region increased 3%, to a total of 15.5 million.

    This data comes from the February 2011 edition of OAG FACTS (Frequency And Capacity Trend Statistics), a monthly report with interactive graphs to display performance trends of specific airports, routes, countries or regions, sourced from OAG’s consolidated database of global airline schedules. A more detailed review of this month’s OAG FACTS statistics – including information about specific regions, routes and airports – is available to download at: (http://www.oagaviation.com/OAG-FACTS-February-2011-EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY

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    Nose Gear on Southwest Airlines Plane Collapses at Baltimore Airport

    southwest_airlines_logoSouthwest Airlines flight WN-149 had to face a delay after the aircraft’s nose gear collapsed at Baltimore–Washington International Airport, Maryland, on August 4th.

    The Boeing 737-300 plane was being pushed back when its nose gear collapsed.

    All 126 passengers and 5 crew members disembarked safely.

    The airline arranged a replacement plane for the passengers.

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  • NTSB: Glass Cockpits

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2010

    NTSB STUDY SHOWS INTRODUCTION OF ‘GLASS COCKPITS’ IN GENERAL
    AVIATION AIRPLANES HAS NOT LED TO EXPECTED SAFETY
    IMPROVEMENTS

    Washington, DC — Today the National Transportation Safety
    Board adopted a study concluding that single engine
    airplanes equipped with glass cockpits had no better overall
    safety record than airplanes with conventional
    instrumentation.

    The safety study, which was adopted unanimously by the
    Safety Board, was initiated more than a year ago to
    determine if light airplanes equipped with digital primary
    flight displays, often referred to as “glass cockpits,” were
    inherently safer than those equipped with conventional
    instruments.

    The study, which looked at the accident rates of over 8,000
    small piston-powered airplanes manufactured between 2002 and
    2006, found that those equipped with glass cockpits had a
    higher fatal accident rate then similar aircraft with
    conventional instruments.

    The Safety Board determined that because glass cockpits are
    both complex and vary from aircraft to aircraft in function,
    design and failure modes, pilots are not always provided
    with all of the information they need — both by aircraft
    manufacturers and the Federal Aviation Administration — to
    adequately understand the unique operational and functional
    details of the primary flight instruments in their
    airplanes.

    NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman highlighted the role that
    training plays in preventing accidents involving these
    airplanes.

    “As we discussed today, training is clearly one of the key
    components to reducing the accident rate of light planes
    equipped with glass cockpits, and this study clearly
    demonstrates the life and death importance of appropriate
    training on these complex systems,” said Hersman. “We know
    that while many pilots have thousands of hours of experience
    with conventional flight instruments, that alone is just not
    enough to prepare them to safely operate airplanes equipped
    with these glass cockpit features.”

    Today, nearly all newly manufactured piston-powered light
    airplanes are equipped with digital primary flight displays.
    And the number of older airplanes being retrofitted with
    these systems continues to grow.

    “While the technological innovations and flight management
    tools that glass cockpit equipped airplanes bring to the
    general aviation community should reduce the number of fatal
    accidents, we have not — unfortunately — seen that happen,”
    said Hersman. “The data tell us that equipment-specific
    training will save lives. To that end, we have adopted
    recommendations today responsive to that data —
    recommendations on pilot knowledge testing standards,
    training, simulators, documentation and service difficulty
    reporting so that the potential safety improvements that
    these systems provide can be realized by the general
    aviation pilot community.”

    Based on the study findings, the NTSB made six safety
    recommendations to the FAA: 1) enhance pilot knowledge and
    training requirements; 2) require manufacturers to provide
    pilots with information to better manage system failures; 3)
    incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary
    flight displays into training materials and aeronautical
    knowledge requirements; 4) incorporate training elements
    regarding electronic primary flight displays into initial
    and recurrent flight proficiency requirements for pilots of
    small light general aviation airplanes equipped with those
    systems, that address variations in equipment design and
    operations of such displays; 5) support equipment-specific
    pilot training programs by developing guidance for the use
    of glass cockpit simulators other than those that are
    approved by the FAA as flight training devices; and 6)
    inform the general aviation community about the importance
    of reporting malfunctions or defects with electronic flight,
    navigation and control systems through the Service
    Difficulty Reporting system.

    The complete safety study will be available at www.ntsb.gov
    in several weeks.

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