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Akron-Canton Airport Commissions Runway 5/23

The Largest Capital Improvement Project in Airport History

REEN, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — What does ten years and $60 million get you? How about a dream runway at the Akron-Canton Airport (CAK). At 11:20 a.m. this morning, we will commission the single largest capital project in airport history, the extension and safety upgrade of runway 5/23. The mammoth project is the centerpiece of the airport’s comprehensive capital improvement program — CAK 2018. More than 120 guests will witness the inaugural departure of an AirTran Airways Boeing 737 jet after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on the runway.

“This is a very special day at the Akron-Canton Airport,” said Rick McQueen, president and CEO. “This runway signifies more than just new pavement, it provides a path forward; to new destinations and new opportunities for decades to come. The improved 5/23 truly is our crown jewel and a vital piece of aviation infrastructure for the region.”

The improvements to Runway 5/23 include an additional 800 feet of runway length and a vital safety upgrade on the end of Runway 5. The project was born in 2000 as part of a nationwide Runway Safety Area improvement mandate. After careful consideration and a needs justification, the airport and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to include the extension; adding to the project’s impact and regional significance. After various federal approvals, construction began in late 2005. The total runway project cost $60 million. Most of the funding to support the Runway 5/23 project came from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program funds. The airport contributed five percent of the total project cost out of operating revenue. No bonds or other financing tools were used to finance the project.

5/23 Project
Overview:

August 2000: FAA determines both ends of 5/23 require runway safety area upgrade.
April 2004: Runway Safety Area Study that outlined the most effective method to accomplish the upgrade and justify the extension is completed.
December 2004: Environmental Assessment approved by the FAA.
October 2005: First grant was received and work began in October.
March 2006-Oct 2009: Earthwork to extend south end of runway.
March 2010: FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt delivers our last grant ($16 million).
November 2010: Runway commissioned and open for business.

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    Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne X-51A WaveRider Team Vies for Collier Trophy

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is among seven nominees competing for one of the most prestigious awards in aerospace, the National Aeronautic Association’s (NAA) Robert J. Collier Trophy. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is being nominated as part of the team that powered the hypersonic X-51A WaveRider vehicle last May in the longest-ever supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) powered flight. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

    The other X-51A team members are the U.S. Air Force, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and The Boeing Company. The Collier Trophy winner will be announced March 15 at NAA’s Spring Awards Luncheon.

    The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne scramjet engine is the world’s first air breathing hydrocarbon-fueled and -cooled propulsion system capable of powering vehicles at hypersonic speeds. The X-51A WaveRider demonstrated a number of critical “firsts” and achievements during its 3:30 minutes of flight, including scramjet ignition, stabilized combustion and thermal balance, and acceleration.

    “This historic flight has quite literally changed the course of aviation history, to the point where we can now be confident that scramjet power will be practical for transporting humans and payloads across the globe and into space at 6,000 mph, while also giving the U.S. military an effective tool to respond rapidly to threats,” said Steve Bouley, Vice President, Launch Vehicle & Hypersonic Systems, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. “The X-51A team would be an appropriate recipient of the 100th presentation of the Collier Trophy, named for a renaissance man whose interest in aviation did so much to encourage breakthroughs such as that demonstrated by the X-51A WaveRider.”
    Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines. For more information about Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, go to www.prattwhitneyrocketdyne.com. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is headquartered in Canoga Park, Calif., and has facilities in Huntsville, Ala.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Stennis Space Center, Miss.

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    Malaysia Airlines Media Statement

    Released at 12: 30 p.m. local time

    Tan Sri Md Nor Md Yusof, Chairman of Malaysia Airlines

    As you will be aware, last night the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najjib Razak, announced new evidence regarding the disappearance of MH370 on 8th March.

    Based on this evidence, the Prime Minister’s message was that we must accept the painful reality that the aircraft is now lost and that none of the passengers or crew on board survived.

    This is a sad and tragic day for all of us at Malaysia Airlines. While not entirely unexpected after an intensive multi-national search across a 2.24 million square mile area, this news is clearly devastating for the families of those on board. They have waited for over two weeks for even the smallest hope of positive news about their loved ones.

    This has been an unprecedented event requiring an unprecedented response. The investigation still underway may yet prove to be even longer and more complex than it has been since March 8th. But we will continue to support the families – as we have done throughout. And to support the authorities as the search for definitive answers continues. I will now ask our Group Chief Executive¸ Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, to provide you will with fuller details of our support for the families.

    Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Airlines

    I stand before you today not only as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines, but also as a parent, as a brother, as a son. My heart breaks to think of the unimaginable pain suffered by all the families. There are no words which can ease that pain. Everyone in the Malaysia Airlines family is praying for the 239 souls on MH370 and for their loved ones on this dark day. We extend our prayers and sincere condolences.

    We all feel enormous sorrow and pain. Sorrow that all those who boarded Flight MH370 on Saturday 8th March, will not see their families again. And that those families will now have to live on without those they love. It must be remembered too that 13 of our own colleagues and fellow Malaysians were also on board.

    And let me be very clear on the events of yesterday evening. Our sole and only motivation last night was to ensure that in the incredibly short amount of time available to us, the families heard the tragic news before the world did. Wherever humanly possible, we did so in person with the families or by telephone, using SMS only as an additional means of ensuring fully that the nearly 1,000 family members heard the news from us and not from the media.

    Ever since the disappearance of Flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines’ focus has been to comfort and support the families of those involved and support the multi-national search effort. We will continue to do this, while we also continue to support the work of the investigating authorities in the Southern Indian Ocean.

    Like everyone else, we are waiting for news from those authorities. We know that while there have been an increasing number of apparent leads, definitive identification of any piece of debris is still missing. It is impossible to predict how long this will take. But after 17 days, the announcement made last night and shared with the families is the reality which we must now accept. When Malaysia Airlines receives approval from the investigating authorities, arrangements will be made to bring the families to the recovery areas if they so wish. Until that time, we will continue to support the ongoing investigation. And may I express my thanks to the Government and all of those involved in this truly global search effort.

    In the meantime, Malaysia Airlines’ overwhelming focus will be the same as it has been from the outset – to provide the families with a comprehensive support programme. Through a network of over 700 dedicated caregivers, the loved ones of those on board have been provided with two dedicated caregivers for each family, providing care, support and counsel. We are now supporting over 900 people under this programme and in the last 72 hours, we have trained an additional 40 caregivers to ensure the families have access to round-the-clock support.

    In addition, hotel accommodation for up to five family members per passenger, transportation, meals and others expenses have been provided since 8th March and that will continue.

    Malaysia Airlines has already provided initial financial assistance of USD 5,000 per passenger to the next of kin. We recognize that financial support is not the only consideration. But the prolonged search is naturally placing financial strain on the relatives. We are therefore preparing to offer additional payments as the search continues.

    This unprecedented event in aviation history has made the past 18 days the greatest challenge to face our entire team at Malaysia Airlines. I have been humbled by the hard work, dedication, heartfelt messages of concern and offers of support from our remarkable team. We do not know why, and we do not know how this terrible tragedy happened. But as the Malaysia Airlines family, we are all praying for the passengers and crew of Flight MH370.

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  • ERUPTION OF EYJAFJALLA VOLCANO IN ICELAND – ICAO SYSTEM EFFECTIVE IN ENSURING THE SAFETY OF AIR TRANSPORT

    ICAO Release-April 15, 2010-

    The International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) system, established by ICAO in coordination with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), proved effective in ensuring the safety of air transport following the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjalla in Iceland on 14 April 2010.

    No incidents or accidents have been reported due to volcanic ash. Disruptions in air traffic, however, are being experienced in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia.

    Since volcanic ash is composed of very abrasive silica materials, it can damage the airframe and flight surfaces, clog different systems, abrade cockpit windows and flame-out jet engines constituting a serious safety hazard. Volcanic ash can also have a serious effect on aerodromes located downwind of a volcanic ash plume since it contaminates runways, ground equipment and aircraft parked or taxiing around the aerodrome.

    The IAVW system is designed to detect and track the movement of volcanic ash in the atmosphere and to warn aircraft in flight about this hazard. The main components of the system are comprised of nine volcanic ash advisory centres responsible for the provision of information related to areas and flight levels affected by volcanic ash and its future movement. These centres are strategically distributed around the globe. They are Anchorage, Buenos Aires, Darwin, London, Montreal, Tokyo, Toulouse, Washington and Wellington. Another important component of the system is the role of area control centres of each State to warn aircraft in flight about the location of the volcanic ash. They work together with selected State Volcano Observatories and the corresponding MET watch offices that are tasked with disseminating the corresponding warnings which are called SIGMETs.

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    NTSB Safety Recommendation


    The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration:

    Require that Avions de Transport Régional (ATR)42-seriesairplanes operating in the United States incorporate a revised stickpusher activation angle of attack(AOA), such that the stick pusher activates before the stall AOA in the presence of airframe ice accretions. (A-12-24)

    Evaluate all U.S.-certificated transport-category airplanes equipped with stick pushers to ensure that the stick pusher
    activates at an angle of attack that will provide adequate stall protection in the presence of airframe ice accretions.(A-12-25)

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    DOT Press Release: Code Share Disclosure


    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined two ticket agents for violating the Department’s rules on disclosure of code-share flights. DOT issued a $125,000 fine against Carlson Wagonlit Travel and a $65,000 fine against Frosch International Travel, and both companies were ordered to cease and desist from further violations. The amount of the fines was based on the specific circumstances of the individual cases. Today’s consent orders are part of an ongoing effort by DOT to ensure that ticket agents comply with the code-share disclosure rules.

    “No one wants to arrive to their gate and learn for the first time that the airline they thought was operating their flight actually sold them a ticket for another airline,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We will continue to make sure that all companies selling air transportation are transparent with consumers and will take enforcement action when they fail to disclose code-sharing arrangements.”
    Under code-sharing, an airline sells seats on flights using its designator code, but the flights are operated by a separate airline.

    In this case, DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office made telephone calls to a number of agents during January and February of 2013 and inquired about booking certain flights. During these calls, the reservations agents for both companies failed to disclose that the flights were being operated under code-share arrangements. The agents identified only the name of the airline marketing the flight and not the name of airline operating the flight. This violated DOT rules requiring airlines and ticket agents to inform consumers if a flight is operated under a code-share arrangement, as well as disclose the corporate name of the transporting airline and any other name under which the flight is offered to the public.

    DOT takes enforcement action when necessary against companies that sell air transportation based on consumer complaints and the Department’s own internal investigations. DOT has now issued six fines for code-sharing violations this year, totaling $430,000.

    The consent orders are available at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2013-0004.

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    Jeppesen and Executive Jet Management Collaborate to Gain FAA Authorization for Use of Jeppesen Charts on iPad

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 11, 2011 — Jeppesen today announced that Executive Jet Management has received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to use the Jeppesen Mobile TC App for iPad as an alternative to paper aeronautical charts. The authorization allows Executive Jet Management to use iPad and the Jeppesen Mobile TC App as the sole reference for electronic charts, even during taxi, takeoff and landing. Executive Jet Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of NetJets Inc., is a leading provider of worldwide jet charter and aircraft management services.

    This announcement is a result of a three-month extensive in-flight evaluation managed by Executive Jet Management and Jeppesen with regular engagement of the FAA (including local and national Electronic Flight Bag authorization authorities). The cross-industry collaboration sets an important precedent for the aviation community. Lessons learned, processes established, and templates developed during this project may benefit other companies seeking to deploy EFB solutions on iPad.
    “The exceptional collaboration between operator, supplier and the FAA was remarkable,” said Mark Van Tine, Jeppesen president and chief executive officer. “This serves as a model for how the FAA can be engaged in working through a challenge and defining a solution that moves the industry forward safely and efficiently. Executive Jet Management’s role was critical to the success of this project. They possess the necessary skills, credibility and EFB experience to help all parties understand, from an operator’s perspective, the unique issues and benefits related to using iPad in flight.”

    The Jeppesen Mobile TC App and iPad were thoroughly evaluated by Executive Jet Management pilots who logged more than 250 flight segments. Pilots participating in the evaluation reported that they were particularly pleased with the App’s ease of use, simplicity to manage, speed and display clarity. As a result of the full analysis, enhancements to crew procedures, training updates and software improvements were included in the Jeppesen Mobile TC App version 1.2, released last month.
    The authorized EFB configuration is a Class 1 portable, kneeboard EFB solution that is secured and viewable during critical phases of flight as defined in FAA Order 8900.1. Information obtained from this evaluation will also be useful in gaining future authorization for Class 2 mounted configurations utilizing iPad.

    “Executive Jet Management was pleased to collaborate with Jeppesen and the FAA on this leading-edge iPad EFB solution and to support the introduction of this technology to the industry,” said Executive Jet Management President Robert Garrymore. “The collaboration with Jeppesen and the FAA was key in making this innovation possible and we are proud to be a part of it.”
    In support of the authorization effort:

    A total of 55 pilots and 10 different aircraft types from the Executive Jet Management fleet were involved in 250 flight segments to ensure a broad scope of feedback
    Jeppesen commissioned a successful rapid decompression test on iPad to 51,000 feet in altitude
    Executive Jet Management completed successful non-interference testing on the evaluation aircraft
    The project followed established FAA EFB authorization requirements applicable to an air carrier

    For more information on the Jeppesen Mobile TC App, please visit www.jeppesen.com/jeppesen-mobile-tc.

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