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Press Release – FAA Accepts Final FTI Outage Review Panel Report


For Immediate Release
November 12, 2010

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today accepted the second and final report on the November 2009 telecommunications outage prepared by an independent review panel assigned to investigate the incident.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt had asked the panel to examine the cause of the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) outage and to recommend strategies to reduce the potential for similar future outages. He also asked the panel to examine the FTI’s present and future architecture as it relates to emerging technology and future FAA systems.

The FTI system operates 24 hours a day seven days a week and provides communication support for the National Airspace System. Harris Corporation operates and maintains the FTI for the FAA.

Last April the FAA began carrying out the panel’s initial recommendations which included:

  • Developing new automated tools for making configuration changes to network devices
  • Increasing FTI workforce staffing during network maintenance
  • Developing an alternate means for the entry of flight plan information to limit the impact of telecommunications network failures on the flight plan entry system.
  • Creating two network enterprise management centers which give the FAA greater situational awareness of network activity and maintenance
  • Installing additional cybersecurity measures throughout the National Airspace System

The final report on the FTI outage lays out 14 long-term strategic recommendations the FAA should pursue as it transitions to future network systems. The FAA has already begun evaluating and working through the recommendations which revolve around five areas:

  • Governance: the decision making process for FAA systems
  • Situational Awareness: FAA network monitoring and information sharing
  • Interoperability: data sharing between systems and stakeholders
  • Resilience: ability of a network to continue operating under a variety of conditions
  • Cyber Security: the ability to thwart, detect, and respond to any attempts to compromise the system.

On the morning of Nov. 19, 2009 the FTI experienced an outage that resulted in system-wide delays. During the four-hour event, air traffic controllers managed flight plan data manually and safely according to FAA contingency plans. Air traffic control radar and communication were not affected during that time and critical safety systems remained up and running.

The panel confirmed the FAA’s preliminary assessment that the November outage was caused by a series of errors in network maintenance and monitoring during a telecommunications upgrade.

The panel is made up of the following participants: FAA Chief Information Officer David Bowen; Assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra; Department of Transportation Chief Information Officer Nitin Pradhan; Noblis CEO Amr Elsawy; former Director of Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Systems Vice Admiral (Ret) Nancy Brown; FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO) CIO Steve Cooper; and FAA Assistant Chief Counsel for Acquisition and Commercial Law Patricia McNall.

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    Boeing Delivers First 737-800 Boeing Sky Interior to China


    SEATTLE, Feb. 1, 2011 — Boeing and Air China today celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first Next-Generation 737-800 with the innovative Boeing Sky Interior. With this new addition in its fleet, Air China has become the first Chinese airline to operate the 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior, offering passengers an enhanced onboard experience with larger stowage bins and sculpted sidewalls, a LED lighting system with cove lighting and curved architecture and more intuitive passenger service units.

    Boeing Sky Interior is the latest in a series of improvements to the Next-Generation 737. The next to come will be a package of performance improvements that will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 2 percent – making the airplane a full 7 percent more efficient than the first Next-Generation 737s delivered. The performance improvements to the airframe and engine are in certification test, and will be phased into production between mid-2011 and early 2012.

    To date, 60 customers have ordered the new interior for 1,689 airplanes.

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    NTSB Release: Probable Cause of Denver Runway Accident Cited

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2010

    Lack of Rules Requiring Dissemination of Wind Condition Data and Pilot’s Insufficient Rudder Control Cited as Probablye Cause of 2008 Denver Runway Accident

    Washington, DC – The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of the 2008 Continental Airlines flight 1404 runway excursion accident was the captain’s cessation of rudder input, which was needed to maintain directional control of the airplane, about 4 seconds before the aircraft departed the runway, when the airplane encountered a strong and gusty crosswind that exceeded the captain’s training and experience.

    Contributing to the accident was the air traffic control system that did not require or facilitate the dissemination of key available wind information to air traffic controllers and pilots, and inadequate cross wind training in the airline industry due to deficient simulator wind gust modeling.

    On December 20, 2008, Continental Airlines flight 1404 veered off the left side of runway 34R during a takeoff from Denver International Airport. As a result, the captain initiated a rejected takeoff and the airplane came to rest between runways 34R and 34L. There was a post-crash fire.
    All 110 passengers and 5 crewmembers evacuated the airplane immediately after it came to rest. The captain and five passengers were seriously injured.

    At the time of the accident, mountain wave and downsloping wind conditions existed in the Denver area and the strong localized winds associated with these conditions resulted in pulses of strong wind gusts at the surface that posed a threat to operations at Denver International Airport.

    “This aircraft happened to be in the direct path of a perfect storm of circumstances that resulted in an unexpected excursion in an airport with one of the most sophisticated wind sensing systems in the country,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “It is critical that pilots receive training to operate aircraft when high wind conditions and significant gusts are present, and that sufficient airport-specific wind information be provided to ATC controllers and pilots as well.”

    As a result of this accident the NTSB issued 14 recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration regarding mountain waves, wind dissemination to flightcrews, runway selection, pilot training for crosswind takeoffs, and crashworthiness.

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    Engineered Material Arresting System Fact Sheet

    Background

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that commercial service airports, regulated under Part 139 safety rules and federally obligated, have a standard Runway Safety Area (RSA) where possible. The RSA is typically 500 feet wide and extends 1,000 feet beyond each end of the runway. The FAA has this requirement in the event that an aircraft overruns, undershoots, or veers off the side of the runway. Many airports were built before the 1,000-foot RSA length was adopted some 20 years ago, and it is not practicable to achieve the full standard RSA. This is due to obstacles such as bodies of water, highways, railroads, and populated areas or severe drop-off of terrain.

    The FAA began conducting research in the 1990s to determine how to ensure maximum safety at airports where the full RSA cannot be obtained. Working in concert with the University of Dayton, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO) of Logan Township, NJ, a new technology emerged to safely arrest overrunning aircraft. EMAS uses crushable concrete placed at the end of a runway to stop an aircraft that overruns the runway. The tires of the aircraft sink into the lightweight concrete and the aircraft is decelerated as it rolls through the material.

    Benefits of the EMAS Technology

    The EMAS technology improves safety benefits in cases where land is not available, or not possible to have the standard 1,000-foot overrun. A standard EMAS installation extends 600 feet from the end of the runway. An EMAS arrestor bed can be installed to help slow or stop an aircraft that overruns the runway, even if less than 600 feet of land is available.

    Current FAA Initiatives

    The Office of Airports prepared an RSA improvement plan for the runways at approximately 575 commercial airports in 2005. This plan allows the agency to track the progress and to direct federal funds for making all practicable improvements, including the use of EMAS technology. Of the approximately 1,000 RSAs at these airports, an estimated 65 percent have been improved to full standards, and an estimated 90 percent have been improved to the extent practicable, not including the relocation of FAA-owned navigational equipment.

    Presently, the EMAS system developed by ESCO using crushable concrete is the only system that meets the FAA standard. The FAA has conducted research through the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) that examined a number of alternatives to the existing approved system. ACRP Report 29, Developing Improved Civil Aircraft Arresting Systems, is available at the Transportation Research Board.

    Many of the EMAS beds installed prior to 2006 need periodic re-painting to maintain the integrity and functionality of the bed. The EMAS manufacturer has developed improved plastic seal coating for EMAS beds. This new coasting should eliminate the need for the periodic re-painting.

    EMAS Arrestments

    To date, there have been eight incidents where EMAS has safely stopped overrunning aircraft with a total of 235 crew and passengers aboard those flights.

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  • Flight 447: Press release N° 4

    Paris, 01 June 2009 – 14:44 local time
    Press release N° 4
    Versão brasileira abaixo

    Air France expresses its deepest sympathy to the relatives and friends of the passengers and crew who were on board AF flight 447 on 31 May 2009, which disappeared somewhere between Rio de Janeiro and Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

    Air France is doing its utmost to provide support to relatives and friends: counselling with physicians and psychologists as well as specially trained Air France volunteers has been set up at the airports of Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2 and Rio de Janeiro.

    Air France has also established a special toll-free number for the attention of relatives and friends of passengers who may have been on board. They can use this number to obtain information on whether or not a member of their family or friends was on board.

    Phone number reserved for relatives and friends

    0800 800 812 in France,
    0800 881 20 20 in Brazil,
    and + 33 1 57 02 10 55 for calls from all other countries.

    Air France will release further information as soon as it is available.

    NB: We ask journalists not to call this number, which is reserved for relatives and close friends.

    Português
    Air France dirige suas sinceras condolências às famílias e amigos dos passageiros e membros da tripulação que se encontravam a bordo do voo AF 447 do dia 31 de maio, desaparecido entre o Rio de Janeiro e Paris Charles de Gaulle.

    A Air France está concentrando todos os seus esforços em dar suporte às famílias e parentes: uma assistência psicológica foi instalada no aeroporto de Paris Charles de Gaulle 2 e no aeroporto do Rio de Janeiro. Ela é composta de médicos e psicólogos, assim como voluntários da empresa, especialmente treinados para estas situações.

    A empresa também colocou à disposição um número de telefone toll free especial de atendimento às famílias dos passageiros. Ela informa, conforme solicitação, de uma eventual presença a bordo de um familiar.

    Números de telefone reservados às famílias
    0800 881 20 20 para o Brasil,
    0800 800 812 para a França,
    e 33 1 57 02 10 55 para outros países

    Air France comunicará outras informações assim que elas estiverem disponíveis.

    NB : Solicitamos aos jornalistas que NÃO liguem para este número, reservado às famílias.

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    JetSelect Aircraft Maintenance Services, LLC Obtains FAA Certification as a Part 145 Repair Station

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 22, 2011
    — JetSelect Aviation, LLC, a Global Aviation Service Provider, announced today that its maintenance division has obtained FAA Certification as a Part 145 Repair Station. JetSelect Maintenance Services, LLC operates its repair station and offers aircraft maintenance services from their primary base at the Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Columbus, Ohio.
    JetSelect’s Maintenance Team consists of highly skilled and experienced technicians who have proven their capabilities maintaining one of the largest private charter fleets in the U.S. With this latest certification, they will be able to market their expertise and private jet maintenance services to the aviation community.

    Robert Austin, CEO for JetSelect Aviation, commented, “Our aircraft maintenance team has worked very hard for this achievement and we are very proud to have our private jet maintenance capabilities stand out in the aviation marketplace. As an organization we are experiencing solid and planned growth on several fronts and this certification will strengthen our ability to support our operations as well as to enhance our revenue streams.”

    Gordon MacSwain, Director of Aircraft Maintenance for JetSelect Aviation, said today, “We are pleased with this major achievement which is the result of a lot of hard work by our team. The timing is right, the location is right, and our market is steadily growing. We are excited about our accomplishments and you can expect us to build upon our outstanding capabilities, technology and experience to create a legacy of superior private jet maintenance service.”

    Mario Bustamante, Manager of JetSelect’s Avionics Department, added, “This is what we have been working towards. Our Airframe, Engine and Avionics capabilities can now be fully leveraged by the marketplace. We are extremely excited about this milestone achievement in the airplane maintenance industry.

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    GOL Announces Commercial Agreement with Passaredo Linhas Aereas

    GOL adds six cities to its route network with Passaredo’s routes, which will be available in its sale channels

    SAO PAULO, Dec. 21, 2010 -FirstCall/ — GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A., the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, has signed a commercial agreement to sell, in all its sales channels, tickets of Passaredo Linhas Aereas, a Brazilian domestic airline that recorded growth of 130.89% last year.

    Passaredo currently operates 103 flights to 20 destinations in Brazil. As a result of the agreement, GOL will add the cities of Marilia, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Jose de Rio Preto (Sao Paulo), Barreiras, Vitoria da Conquista (Bahia) and Ji-Parana (Rondonia) to its route network. GOL, operating through Passaredo, also offers eight new direct flights, including Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul) to Goiania (Goias) and Uberlandia (Minas Gerais) to Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont Airport).

    GOL passengers connecting with Passaredo flights will only need to check-in once and their baggage will go directly to the final destination.

    Based in Ribeirao Preto, Passaredo Linhas Aereas began operations in 1995. Its fleet currently comprises 15 aircraft – five Embraer EMB-120s and ten Embraer ERJ-145 jets, with a capacity for 30 and 50 passengers, respectively. By July 2011, however, it will be operating 23 aircraft, with the addition of eight already contracted ERJ-145s.

    “This is a strategic agreement for GOL because Passaredo is a well-known regional airline which will add important destinations to our route network, improving our penetration and offering our passengers new direct flight options”, declared Claudia Pagnano, GOL’s Market Vice-President.
    The routes will be handled by all GOL’s sales channels, available for purchase up to the day before the flight. The agreement does not include the accumulation of SMILES mileage on Passaredo flights.

    For Captain Felicio, the CEO of Passaredo Linhas Aereas, the company is assuming a strategic position in the market. “GOL is an excellent partner. We believe in a strong regional aviation market, where we will be operating with penetration for one of the leading airlines in Latin America. This is the system they use in North America and Europe”, he concluded.

    About Passaredo Linhas Aereas

    Passaredo has expanded more than any other airline in Brazil since 2004, recording annual growth of close to 100%, and currently operates 103 daily flights to 20 cities in 10 Brazilian states. It focuses on flights carrying up to 50 passengers, operating on medium-potential routes with high-tech aircraft, high fuel consumption efficiency and low-cost maintenance. Its aircraft are manufactured by Embraer and there are more than 1,200 units operating worldwide. Passaredo puts great emphasis on top-class customer service, prioritizing comfort, safety, efficiency and punctuality. Given its intention of maintaining its regional identity, the partnership with GOL will complement its operations, allowing it to offer a wider range of destinations to its clients.

    About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

    GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and BM&FBOVESPA: GOLL4), (S&P/Fitch: BB-/BB-, Moody`s: Ba3), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, offers more than 900 daily flights to 59 destinations that connect all the important cities in Brazil and 14 major destinations in South America and Caribbean. The Company operates a young, modern fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, the safest and most comfortable of its class, with high aircraft utilization and efficiency levels. Fully committed to seeking innovative solutions through the use of cutting-edge technology, the Company – via its GOL, VARIG, GOLLOG, SMILES and VoeFacil brands – offers its clients easy payment facilities, a wide range of complementary services and the best cost-benefit ratio in the market.

    This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to growth prospects of GOL. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of GOL’s management concerning the future of the business and its continued access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan. Such forward-looking statements depend, substantially, on changes in market conditions, government regulations, competitive pressures, the performance of the Brazilian economy and the industry, among other factors and risks disclosed in GOL’s filed disclosure documents and are, therefore, subject to change without prior notice.

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