
Click the above link to visit Norad’s Santa Tracker page tracking in Google Maps. OR you can
also track Santa in Google Earth – which lets you see 3D mountains, valleys, and buildings.
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Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants’ Union Ratifies Boeing 737-800 Tentative Agreement
DALLAS, Nov. 18, 2010
Southwest Airlines is pleased to announce that its Flight Attendants, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556, voted to ratify a tentative agreement reached with the Company in September to add the Boeing 737-800 to the current collective bargaining agreement. With this positive vote, the Flight Attendants’ current contract will also be extended by one year, becoming amendable May 31, 2013, and will include the potential for wage rate increases based on the Company’s financial performance. TWU 556 is made up of more than 9,700 Flight Attendants.“Since we began evaluating the opportunity to introduce the Boeing 737-800 into our fleet, the TWU negotiating committee and Leadership Team quickly grasped the potential benefits along with the added operational complexities associated with this decision,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “This was an important step in our due diligence process, and we are pleased that our hard working Flight Attendants recognize the long-term benefits of adding this new aircraft to our fleet.”
The decision to add the -800 still isn’t final. The carrier is still waiting for a ratification vote with its Pilots’ Union, SWAPA, and is continuing to evaluate network and configuration options. Any details regarding firm orders with Boeing, timing, and quantity of deliveries are still to be determined. If the Company pursues the -800, a joint committee would meet to work on the logistical details related to scheduling and bidding procedures that adding a fourth Flight Attendant will require.
After nearly 40 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers–offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, now serving 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One ReportTM. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,100 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.
United Leads In On-Time Performance Among Peers For November 2010
January 11, 2011
CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2011 – United Airlines today announced the company was first in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights among America’s five largest global carriers* for November 2010, ending the month with 91.4 percent of flights arriving at their destinations within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, according to data measured by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and published in the Air Travel Consumer report released today.
The report released today also showed United ranked first among America’s five largest global carriers for the 12 months ending in November, and second overall for the month of November 2010 among all 18 carriers included in the Air Travel Consumer Report, irrespective of size.
Press Release: Boeing Assembles First 747-8 Intercontinental Forward Fuselage
EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 14 — Boeing achieved another significant milestone for the first 747-8 Intercontinental Sunday night with the assembly of the airplane’s forward fuselage. The 89-foot, 2-inch (27.2 meters) fuselage section, featuring the airplane’s signature upper deck, was moved from the assembly tool for sealing and testing before beginning systems installation.
The 747-8 features a stretched fuselage compared to that of the 747-400. It is 18 feet, 4 inches (5.6 meters) longer than its predecessor. Much of the stretch — 13 feet, 4 inches (4.1 meters) — is located in the forward fuselage. The remaining additional 5 feet (1.5 meters) are located aft of the wing. The 747-8’s stretched fuselage provides for 51 additional seats to accommodate 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration and 26 percent more cargo volume.The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is the new, high-capacity 747 that offers the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger airplane, while providing enhanced environmental performance.
Taxi and Ground Movement
NOTICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION N JO
Air Traffic Organization Policy
Effective Date:
June 30, 2010
Cancellation Date:
March 10, 2011
SUBJ: Taxi and Ground Movement Operations
1. Purpose of This Notice. This notice amends Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control, Paragraph 3-7-2, Taxi and Ground Movement Operations, by deleting the phraseology and procedure of issuing “taxi to” when authorizing an aircraft to taxi to an assigned takeoff runway, thus allowing an aircraft to cross all runways/taxiways which the taxi route intersects except the assigned runway.2. Audience. This notice applies to the Terminal Services organization and all associated air traffic control facilities.
3. Where Can I Find This Notice? This notice is available on the MYFAA employee Web site at https://employees.faa.gov/tools_resources/orders_notices/ and on the air traffic publications Web site at http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications.
4. Explanation of Policy Change. This change establishes the requirement that an explicit runway crossing clearance be issued for each runway (active/inactive or closed) crossing and requires an aircraft/vehicle to have crossed the previous runway before another runway crossing clearance may be issued. At airports where the taxi route between runway centerlines is less than 1,000 feet apart, multiple runway crossings may be issued after receiving approval by the Terminal Services Director of Operations.
5. Procedures. Change FAA Order JO 7110.65, paragraph 3-7-2, to read as follows:
3-7-2. TAXI AND GROUND MOVEMENT OPERATIONS Issue the route for the aircraft/vehicle to follow on the movement area in concise and easy to understand terms. The taxi clearance must include the specific route to follow. When a taxi clearance to a runway is issued to an aircraft, confirm the aircraft has the correct runway assignment.
NOTE-
1. A pilot’s read back of taxi instructions with the runway assignment can be considered confirmation of runway assignment.
2. Movement of aircraft/vehicles on nonmovement areas is the responsibility of the pilot, the aircraft operator, or the airport management.
a. When authorizing an aircraft/vehicle to proceed on the movement area, or to any point other than assigned takeoff runway, specify the route/taxi instructions. If it is the intent to hold the aircraft/vehicle short
of any given point along the taxi route, issue the route and then state the holding instructions.
NOTE-
1. The absence of holding instructions authorizes an aircraft/vehicle to cross all taxiways that intersect the taxi route.
2. Movement of aircraft/vehicles on nonmovement areas is the responsibility of the pilot, the aircraft operator, or the
airport management.
Phraseology, no change.
06/30/10 N JO 7110.528
2
EXAMPLE-
“Cross Runway Two Eight Left, hold short of Runway Two Eight Right.”
“Taxi/continue taxiing/proceed to the hangar.”
“Taxi/continue taxiing/proceed straight ahead then via ramp to the hangar.”
“Taxi/continue taxiing/proceed on Taxiway Charlie, hold short of Runway Two Seven.”
or
“Taxi/continue taxing/proceed on Charlie, hold short of Runway Two Seven.”
b. When authorizing an aircraft to taxi to an assigned takeoff runway, state the departure runway
followed by the specific taxi route. Issue hold short restrictions when an aircraft will be required to hold short
of a runway or other points along the taxi route.
PHRASEOLOGY-
“Runway (number) taxi via (route as necessary).”
or
“Runway (number) taxi via (route as necessary)(hold short instructions as necessary).”
EXAMPLE-
“Runway Three Six Left, taxi via taxiway Alpha, hold short of taxiway Charlie.”
or
“Runway Three Six Left, taxi via Alpha, hold short of Charlie.”
or
“Runway Three Six Left, taxi via taxiway Alpha, hold short of Runway Two Seven Right.”
or
“Runway Three Six Left, taxi via Charlie, cross Runway Two Seven Left, hold short of Runway Two Seven Right.”
or
“Runway Three Six Left, taxi via Alpha, Charlie, cross Runway One Zero.”
c. Aircraft/vehicles must receive a runway crossing clearance for each runway that their taxi route
crosses. An aircraft/vehicle must have crossed a previous runway before another runway crossing clearance
may be issued.
NOTEA
runway crossing clearance is required to cross or operate on any active/inactive or closed runway.
EXAMPLE-
“Cross Runway One Six Left, hold short of Runway One Six Right.”
06/30/10 N JO 7110.528
3
d. When an aircraft/vehicle is instructed to “follow” traffic and requires a runway crossing, issue a
runway crossing clearance in addition to the follow instructions and/or hold short instructions, as applicable.
EXAMPLE-
“Follow (traffic), cross Runway Two Seven Right.”
or
“Follow (traffic), cross Runway Two Seven Right, hold short Runway Two Seven Left.”
e. At those airports where the taxi distance between runway centerlines is less than 1,000 feet, multiple
runway crossings may be issued with a single clearance. The air traffic manager must submit a request to the
appropriate Terminal Services Director of Operations for approval before authorizing multiple runway
crossings.
REFERENCEFAAO
JO 7210.3, Para 10-3-10 MULTIPLE RUNWAY CROSSINGS
Renumber subparagraphs d thru f as f thru h.
6. Distribution. This notice is distributed to the following Air Traffic Organization (ATO) service
units: Terminal, En Route and Oceanic, and System Operations Services; the ATO Office of Safety;
Office of the Service Center; the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service; the William J. Hughes Technical
Center; and the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.
7. Background. The FAA Runway Safety Call to Action Committee issued several recommendations
to address improving runway safety across the NAS. In response to the Committee’s recommendations,
the ATO convened a Safety Risk Management Panel to evaluate the safety of the Committee
recommendations. These are two of the recommended changes from the Call to Action Committee.
Changes will also be made to the AIM and AIP. Title14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91.129(i),
will be changed after the completion of the rulemaking period.- FAA | ICAO | press release
International Progress on Environmental Standards

Earlier this year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) advanced two important goals to make air travel cleaner and quieter worldwide. As a member of CAEP, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) played a crucial role.“Air transportation continues to grow within and amongst nations,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “These new environmental standards and procedures recognize that we can work together internationally to achieve positive advancements in making aviation as environmentally efficient as possible.”
Relating to aircraft noise, CAEP has recommended a new international standard for newly designed aircraft that would reduce noise by 7 decibels relative to the current noise standard. The new requirement would become effective in 2017 for large aircraft and in 2020 for smaller models.
To address global warming greenhouse gases produced in air travel, CAEP has agreed to new international certification procedures for aircraft relating to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. At previous CAEP meetings, the committee had agreed on how to measure CO2. These new certification procedures now open the door for CAEP discussions on how stringent the standard should be set and whether the standard should only be applied to newly designed aircraft or some application to in-production aircraft. These discussions are expected to be completed by 2015.
NTSB RELEASES 2009 AVIATION ACCIDENT STATST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2010NTSB RELEASES 2009 AVIATION ACCIDENT STATISTICS; ON-DEMAND ACCIDENTS AT LOWEST LEVEL IN LAST 20 YEARS
Washington, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board today released preliminary aviation accident statistics for 2009 showing an overall decrease in U. S. civil aviation accidents that includes general aviation and on-demand Part 135 operations. In fact, on-demand Part 135 operations had the lowest number of accidents and fatal accidents for that type of air operation in the last 2 decades.
The total number of U.S. civil aviation accidents decreased from 1,658 in 2008 to 1,551 in 2009. Total fatalities also showed a decrease from 566 to 534. The majority of these fatalities occurred in general aviation and scheduled Part 121 operations.
General aviation accidents decreased from 1,566 in 2008 to 1,474 in 2009. There were 272 fatal general aviation accidents, down from 275 the year before. However, the accident rate increased to 7.20 per 100,000 flight hours in 2009 from 6.86 in 2008, due to the decrease in the number total of flight hours. Although fatalities decreased from 494 to 474, the fatal accident rate increased to from 1.21 to 1.33.
Last year, one fatal accident occurred involving a scheduled Part 121 operator. On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8- 400, operating as Continental Connection flight 3407, crashed outside of Buffalo , New York, resulting in 50 fatalities.
On-demand Part 135 operations reported 47 accidents in 2009, a decrease from 58 in 2008. Fatalities also decreased from 69 in 2008 to 17 in 2009. The accident rate decreased to 1.63 per 100,000 flight hours in 2009 from 1.81 in 2008.
Tables 1-12 providing additional statistics are available at: http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/Stats.htm
