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No More Prayer Cards from Alaskan Airlines

Alaskan Airlines announced that 16.5 million passengers annually have been getting prayer cards from Alaskan airlines, but as of this february, the tradition will be no more. They are pulling the plug due to mixed reviews. The cards came delivered with on board meals.

The cards were an annoyance to some, a benefit to others, but from now on, they will be history. Whether or not passengers believe the cards were inappropriate, they will have to do without the quotes from the Book of Psalms unless they bring their own.

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    IATA Press Release: Opportunity for a Global Framework on Environment – IATA Urges Agreement at ICAO Assembly

    Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the governments of the world to reach an agreement on a global framework to manage international aviation’s emissions at the 37th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

    “The biggest challenge for this Assembly is to reach an agreement on a global solution to manage emissions from international aviation. A united aviation industry of airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers and general aviation has made ambitious commitments to cap and eventually cut its emissions. To be successful, governments must endorse these commitments in a globally agreed framework,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, to a group of delegates attending the ICAO Assembly in Montreal.

    The aviation industry is united behind three targets: (1) a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, (2) capping net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth and (3) cutting emission in half by 2050 compared to 2005. “No other industrial sector has made such ambitious global commitments. Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commended the aviation industry as a role model for other industries to follow,” said Bisignani.

    Bisignani highlighted several key elements which could help facilitate global consensus:

    • Place and Process: The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christiana Figueres, confirmed that ICAO is the forum for dealing with emissions from international aviation and that any agreement at ICAO would not, in any way, impact the position of any state on non-aviation issues discussed in the UNFCCC process.
    • Developing Nations: Even within a global agreement, ICAO has a track record of accommodating the needs of developing states. For example, ICAO’s global framework for noise reduction included extended timelines for developing states.
    • Growth: The industry’s global solution will facilitate growth and the economic benefits it brings even while reducing emissions. This will be achieved through the industry’s four- pillar strategy of investments in technology, more efficient infrastructure, more effective operations and globally coordinated positive economic measures.

    “Major blockers are being removed. The industry is ready. And most governments agree that a global framework is needed. There are still some hurdles to overcome, but we are moving in the right direction,” said Bisignani who noted that important regional groupings and individual states have indicated their wish for an agreement.

    The planned inclusion of aviation into the European emissions trading scheme in 2012 has helped to focus governments on the urgency of a global solution. “If this Assembly ends without an agreement, the next opportunity is 2013. In the meantime the industry would be faced with a growing patchwork of conflicting and overlapping measures. For example, against global opposition, Europe would have to try to move forward with its unilateral emissions trading scheme,” said Bisignani.

    “No government or industry player will want to face the consequences of such a development. It would lead to a breakdown of the global standards on which global aviation was built, a patchwork of uncoordinated taxes and schemes, strained bilateral relations and serious challenges on sovereignty issues,” said Bisignani.

    “The livelihoods of 32 million people and $3.5 trillion in economic activity depend on the success of global aviation. As leaders, everyone attending this Assembly has a great responsibility to continue building a safe, secure, efficient and sustainable future for this wonderful industry. The industry is committed to supporting governments in reaching agreement on a responsible solution for aviation and the environment. I am optimistic that we will be successful,” said Bisignani.

    The ICAO Assembly will discuss environmental issues in its Executive Committee on Thursday 30 September with conclusions to be reported by the Assembly’s conclusion on 8 October.

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    Wyle Veteran Named New President of the Company’s Lexington Park, Md.-Based Aerospace Group

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 7, 2011 — A longtime Wyle veteran has been named president of the company’s Lexington Park, Maryland-based Aerospace Group. Peter Green replaces Brent Bennitt, who has been promoted to the position of executive vice president in the company’s corporate offices.

    Green has spent the last 25 years with Wyle and its heritage companies as a systems engineer, program manager, chief pilot, and, for the last six years, as the Aerospace Group’s vice president for business development and strategic planning. Most notably, he played a key role in expanding Wyle’s presence in the DoD services market.

    He is a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and served as a P-3 pilot and test pilot. He left active duty and joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1985, retiring in 2001. Green completed his graduate studies at the University of Southern California and the executive management program of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

    Wyle’s Aerospace Group provides a wide range of capabilities and services to the Department of Defense, including program office support; systems engineering; systems integration and analysis; cost analysis; life cycle management; sustainment engineering; pilot and aircrew services; test and evaluation support; and information operations.

    “Under Brent Bennitt’s leadership, the Wyle Aerospace Group has doubled in revenue over the last five years,” said George Melton, Wyle CEO and president. “Based on that outstanding record, Brent will focus on a broad portfolio of initiatives to accelerate Wyle’s growth and customer outreach. He will oversee Wyle’s multi-business unit pursuits and lead Wyle’s company-wide efforts in exploiting indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contact vehicles.”

    Bennitt joined Wyle in January 2005 and served as group president of the Aerospace Group which was formed as a result of the acquisition of General Dynamic’s Aeronautics business, formerly a sector within the Veridian Corporation. He joined Veridian as vice president of the Lexington Park, Maryland-based Naval Aviation Programs Group in 1998, and was named president of Veridian Engineering’s newly formed Aeronautics Sector in 2000.

    “My tenure as a group president, through our Veridian, General Dynamics and Wyle phases, has been a tremendously fulfilling experience for me,” said Bennitt. “It has been my honor to watch the Aerospace Group build itself into an organization with a culture, commitment, capability and business ethic that we can all be proud of.”

    Prior to joining Veridian, Bennitt served as a U.S. Navy vice admiral and had served as the commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet from January 1996 until his retirement in 1998. He commanded the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from 1987 to 1989. Bennitt graduated from the Naval Academy in 1964 and has flown more than 4,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft types and models.

    Wyle, a privately held company, is a leading provider of high tech aerospace engineering and information technology services to the federal government on long-term support contracts. The company also provides test and evaluation of aircraft, weapon systems, networks, and other government assets; and other engineering services to the aerospace, defense, and nuclear power industries.

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  • IATA Statement on US-EU Agreement

    For Immediate Release
    Date: 25 March 2010

    Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released the following comments in response to today’s Memorandum of Consultation on Second Stage Open Skies agreement between the US and the European Union:

    “It is disappointing that, at this critical time, we did not make significant progress on the issue of ownership. The agreement was not a step backwards, but it did not move us forward. The long-term financial sustainability of the industry is dependant on normal commercial freedoms. I urge both governments to keep this on the radar screen for urgent follow-up,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

    IATA welcomed the reaffirmation within the agreement that environmental issues leading up to COP-16 should continue to be addressed through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). “ICAO is the right forum to reach a global sectoral approach to deal with aviation’s carbon emissions. I welcome the agreement’s reaffirmation of this as the industry continues to pursue its ambitious environmental targets to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5% per year to 2020, cap net emissions from 2020 with carbon neutral growth and cut net carbon emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005,” said Bisignani.

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    Rolls-Royce wins $2.2bn TotalCare® deal from Emirates

    Monday, 14 February 2011—

    Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won a $2.2bn TotalCare® long term services contract from Emirates, covering Trent engines for 70 Airbus A350XWB aircraft. The agreement will bring the airline’s Rolls-Royce powered fleet of 128 aircraft, in service and on order, under TotalCare® arrangements.

    Tim Clark, President – Emirates Airline, said: “Emirates’ 70 A350XWB aircraft on order will play an important role in our growth when they come online in the next few years. This TotalCare® contract with Rolls-Royce is an important step in ensuring our A350XWB engine life cycle costs are managed effectively and maintained to the highest standards. Already current users of TotalCare®, we look forward to maintaining this relationship with Rolls-Royce to drive additional operational improvements.”

    Mark King, Rolls-Royce, President  – Civil Aerospace, said: “We are delighted to sign this contract with Emirates, a valued customer with three Trent engine family members already in service. With this contract all of Emirates’ Rolls-Royce powered fleet are, or will be, supported by TotalCare® packages that add significant value and allow customers to optimise their operations.”

    TotalCare® long term service agreements, in place on 90 per cent of all Trent engines, are designed to minimise customer financial risk and enhance operational performance and reliability, allowing operators to concentrate on their core business.

    The new TotalCare® contract for Trent XWB engines comes two months after Rolls-Royce won a $1.2bn TotalCare® contract for Trent 700 engines powering 27 Airbus A330s and Trent 800 engines powering 21 Boeing 777s.

    1. 1. Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets – civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
    2. As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 2,500 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in nearly 120 countries, with an installed base of 54,000 gas turbines.
    3. Annual underlying revenues were over £11 billion in 2010, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £59.2 billion at 31 December 2010, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
    4. Rolls-Royce employs 39,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries.  Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
    5. In 2010, Rolls-Royce invested £923 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
    6. Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research. 
    7. The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment, and to further developing employee skills.
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  • International SOS Evacuates 800 Clients From Egypt, Provides On-the-Ground Assistance in Wake of Turmoil

    CAIRO, Feb. 2, 2011 — International SOS, the world’s leading international healthcare, medical and security assistance and concierge services company, said it has evacuated over 800 people from Egypt today, who are primarily expatriate employees and families of International SOS clients, and students. Via seven flights, the passengers will be escorted to Frankfurt, Paris and Dubai, where International SOS reception teams are waiting to meet them. According to on the ground sources, operating flights in and out of Egypt has been very difficult, with significant delays and last minute cancellations.

    In the immediate wake of the uprising, International SOS activated a crisis management team at its London alarm center and began to coordinate operations with its Philadelphia, Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva, and Dubai alarm centers.

    This crisis team, whose initial members left within a few hours of the unrest, is made up of medical, security, aviation and logistics experts. In addition another team consisting of security specialists representing a joint venture from International SOS and Control Risks is working from Cairo, Alexandria, Asyut and Suez. The security specialists are providing real-time reports to assist members seeking information on colleagues in Egypt and on the ground conditions there. Missions are being planned and executed at the time of this release.

    “Some of our security specialists who were just in Tunisia are now in Egypt. They are able to deliver first-hand information and coordinate operations with our locally-based partners,” said Kevin Duffey, Managing Director of International SOS Assistance.

    International SOS estimates that calls to its alarm centers had increased by 180% over the past weekend. Our global team has handled calls from hundreds of clients. At the time of this release, 40 clients from private corporations, non-profit organizations, and universities have had over 800 travelers evacuated from Egypt.

    “We have been able to utilize our pre-established network in Egypt to provide transportation, security and medical care for our clients,” said Kevin. “During severe political upheaval and other situations that may impact travel, companies need to look after their employees who are abroad. Crisis plans as well as systems to track and communicate with their travelers are crucial in helping organizations fulfill their duty of care.”

    Additionally, International SOS and Control Risks have activated TravelTracker, a proprietary system to help identify members in the affected areas, and have responded to calls at International SOS’ 28 alarm centers around the world.

    About International SOS
    International SOS (http://www.internationalsos.com) is the world’s leading international healthcare, medical and security assistance and concierge services company. Operating in over 70 countries, International SOS provides integrated medical, clinical, security, and customer care solutions to organizations with international operations. A global team of over 8,000 employees led by 970 full-time physicians and 200 security specialists provides services including planning, preventative programs, in-country expertise and emergency response to 69 percent of the

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    News You Didn’t Hear in February: Pilots Arm Detaches Leading to Hard Landing

    The carrier is Flybe.

    The aircraft was on a scheduled commercial air transport flight from Birmingham to Belfast
    City, with the commander, in the left flight deck seat, as pilot flying. It was night, and
    although there was no low cloud affecting the airport, the wind at Belfast was a strong
    west?south-westerly, gusting up to 48 kt. Before the approach, the commander checked
    that his prosthetic lower left arm was securely attached to the yoke clamp which he used to
    fly the aircraft, with the latching device in place. But his arm came off, leading to a hard landing.

    Official report:

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