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Press Release: FAA Installs Equipment for NextGen Aircraft Tracking System


The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today announced the completion of a nationwide infrastructure upgrade that will enable air traffic controllers to track aircraft with greater accuracy and reliability, while giving pilots more information in the cockpit. This upgrade is a key improvement in the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

“This upgrade is an important step in laying the foundation for the NextGen system, which provides controllers a much more precise view of the airspace, gives pilots much more awareness and information, and as a result strengthens the safety and efficiency of our system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This state-of-the-art satellite system is already providing controllers with visibility in places not previously covered by radar.”

The nationwide installation of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) radio network supports a satellite-based surveillance system that tracks aircraft with the help of GPS. This provides more accurate aircraft location information than the current radar system.

NextGen refers to a set of initiatives being implemented by the FAA in collaboration with the aviation community to ensure that the United States has the safest, most efficient airspace possible for decades to come. In addition to ADS-B, NextGen improvements are already delivering benefits that include more efficient air traffic procedures that save time and fuel and reduce emissions.

“The installation of this radio network clears the way for air traffic controllers to begin using ADS-B to separate equipped aircraft nationwide,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. “It will also provide pilots flying aircraft equipped with the proper avionics with traffic information, weather data and other flight information.”

Of the 230 air traffic facilities across the country, 100 are currently using this system to separate traffic. It is expected to be connected and operating at all 230 facilities by 2019. All aircraft operating in controlled airspace must be equipped with ADS-B Out avionics that broadcast the plane’s location, by Jan. 1, 2020.

With the upgraded surveillance and broadcast system and aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out transponders, aircraft positions on controller screens update almost continuously, compared to every 4.7 seconds or longer with radar.
ADS-B also enables more accurate tracking of airplanes and airport vehicles on runways and taxiways, increasing safety and efficiency. The new system significantly improves surveillance capability in areas with geographic challenges like mountains or over water. Airplanes equipped with ADS-B In, which is not currently mandated, will give pilots information through cockpit displays about location in relation to other aircraft, bad weather and terrain, and temporary flight restrictions.

In addition to the operational benefits of ADS-B, each one of the 634 ground stations installed by Exelis of McLean, Va., is substantially smaller than a radar installation – resulting in less impact to the environment and less cost to maintain.

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    Delta Air Lines Supports Saudi Arabian Airlines’ Application to Join SkyTeam

    Jan 10, 2011

    ATLANTA, Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today issued the following statement in support of Saudi Arabian Airlines’ decision to join the SkyTeam global airline alliance in 2012.

    “Saudi Arabian’s growing hub in Riyadh and extensive network throughout the Middle East will bring Delta customers greater access to destinations across one of the world’s most important economic regions,” said Charlie Pappas, Delta’s vice president – Alliances. “We are honored that Saudi Arabian has chosen to link its future growth and success with Delta and our SkyTeam partners, while bringing our alliance greater access to destinations across the Middle East.”

    Saudi Arabian has a broad Middle Eastern and international network that will add 35 new destinations to the SkyTeam alliance network including Alexandria, Islamabad and Colombo. Delta customers can connect onto Saudi Arabian flights at Delta and SkyTeam hubs, including New York-JFK, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Milan.

    Saudi Arabia is one of the Middle East’s leading economies and one of the world’s largest oil producers. SkyTeam is actively working to grow its presence in the region, with Saudi Arabian Airlines becoming the first Middle Eastern airline to announce its intention to join SkyTeam.

    In 2010, the SkyTeam Alliance saw considerable growth in its tenth anniversary year. Vietnam Airlines and TAROM joined the alliance in June, while China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Aerolineas Argentinas are each slated to join by 2012.

    More information on Saudi Arabian Airlines and SkyTeam is available in the SkyTeam news release.

    Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 357 destinations in 67 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 75,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline’s service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world’s largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

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    International Boundary and Water Commission Casualties found near Tex/Mex Border.

    Update

    Senator John Cornyn–on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee, former Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge– released a Statement regarding the International Boundary and Water Commission Plane Crash

    “Since the disappearance of this aircraft earlier in the week, all of us have been hoping and praying for a miracle. So it is with a profound sense of sadness to learn that the wreckage has been found, and that the lives of these four men have been lost. Commissioner Marin and Jake Brisbin Jr. were devoted public servants and proud Americans whose loss will be felt throughout the border region. Their hard work and commitment, along with that of Commissioner Herrera’s, reflected the spirit of goodwill and partnership that is shared by the United States and Mexico as we work together on our common goals. Their family and loved ones are in my prayers tonight as the entire border region remembers their lives and legacies, and mourns this tragic accident.”

    src=http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ForPress.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=75aeea20-802a-23ad-4b54-496c3c561d42

    What: Chartered Cessna 421
    Where: Border Patrol located the wreckage in a remote rugged section of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, about 20 miles northwest of Presidio.
    When: The plane was reported missing after it did not land on time Monday in Presidio. It was found shortly after noon Wednesday
    Who: Found deceased: leaders of the U.S. and Mexican sections of the IBWC, Carlos Marin of El Paso and Arturo Herrera, of Ciudad Juarez, Mexicom, Jake Brisbin Jr., executive director of the Rio Grande Council of Government and pilot Matthew Peter Juneau
    Why: The group had traveled to inspect flooding conditions in Presidio and Ojinaga, an aerial view of the Luis Leon Reservoir. Cause of the crash is not known but the pilot had signalled a problem after taking off Monday from El Paso, Mexico.

    AP had inadvertently listed the passengers as deceased when the plane disappeared and optimistically attempted to retract the story, hoping the passengers would be found alive. Sadly, there were no survivors

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    Boeing’s India Commitment

    NEW DELHI, Feb. 9, 2010 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] will present world-class products and services including the F/A-18IN Super Hornet, C-17 Globemaster III, P-8I, AH-64D Apache and CH-47F Chinook to Indian government officials, military officers, and other valued stakeholders at Defexpo 2010. The exhibition takes place Feb. 15-18 at the Pragati Maidan complex in New Delhi.

    “This is an important year for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) in India,” said Vivek Lall, BDS vice president and India country head. “Many of our products and platforms are currently in competition or under active consideration by the government, and we are looking forward to demonstrating how they will quickly contribute to India’s defense modernization and bring long-term industrial benefits to the nation.”

    Boeing is kicking off its Defexpo participation with a preshow briefing for the media at noon on Thursday, Feb. 11, at the Taj Mansingh Hotel. During the show, BDS executives will invite stakeholders into an F/A-18IN Super Hornet cockpit simulator to demonstrate the aircraft’s advanced features, including its superior air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities. Boeing also will provide media briefings on the C-17 Globemaster III and on two Boeing Rotorcraft products in current competitions — the CH-47F Chinook and AH-64D Apache. An Airborne Battle Management briefing will cover Airborne Early Warning and Control as well as the P-8I long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft. India selected the P-8I for its navy last year; the first of eight aircraft is scheduled to enter the fleet in 2013.

    Boeing’s online press kit at www.boeing.com/bds/mediakit/2010/defexpo will be updated throughout the show with presentations from the briefings and schedule changes, if any. The site also contains program backgrounders, executive biographies and a link to high-resolution photos.

    Note: All briefing times are local to New Delhi.

    Thursday, Feb. 11 – Taj Mansingh Hotel
    1200: Boeing India overview with Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar and BDS Vice President and Country Head Vivek Lall

    Tuesday, Feb. 16 – Defexpo Conference Hall
    1445: C-17 Globemaster III briefing with Business Development lead Patrick Druez

    Wednesday, Feb. 17 – Defexpo Conference Hall
    1200: Rotorcraft briefing with Business Development leads Dean Millsap and Wes Spreen

    1400: Airborne Battle Management briefing with New Business Development Director Tim Norgart

    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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    Southwest Airlines Confirms FAA Acceptance of Transition Plan for AirTran Airways Acquisition

    Plan Outlines How the Two Operations Will Combine, Following Financial Close
    DALLAS, Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —
    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed Southwest Airlines that it has accepted the carrier’s transition plan to combine the operations of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Orlando-based AirTran Airways, following the financial close of its transaction to acquire AirTran. On Sept. 27, 2010, Southwest (NYSE: LUV) announced an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), the parent company of AirTran Airways (AirTran), for a combination of cash and Southwest Airlines’ common stock. Closing is subject to the approval of AirTran shareholders, receipt of certain regulatory clearances, and fulfillment of customary closing conditions.

    “It’s been a great team effort by a lot of people to reach this initial milestone, but we still have a lot of work to do to ultimately bring our two carriers together. We appreciate the collaborative approach of all parties, including the FAA Joint Transition Team (JTT),” said Brian Hirshman, Southwest’s Vice President Maintenance and Engineering, and Executive Sponsor of the carrier’s Single Operating Certificate (SOC) team. “We consider this acceptance by the FAA as the first major milestone on the journey towards SOC. There are too many people to recognize individually, but we are hopeful the team’s hard work will allow us to achieve our SOC goal in the first quarter 2012.”
    Southwest and AirTran currently have separate operating certificates. The transition plan accepted by the FAA outlines the methodology, processes, tools, and timing to be employed to maintain the safety of their day-to-day operations during the transition period and to ultimately achieve a Single Operating Certificate. The SOC is issued by the FAA once all of the steps outlined in the transition plan have been completed. The carriers’ processes, and procedures may not be fully integrated when the SOC is issued, however; they will operate under a single FAA certificate at that time.

    Relevant to its submitted plan, Southwest clarified that after the transaction close, which is currently anticipated to occur during the second quarter of 2011, all certificated and flight-related AirTran Employees (Pilots, Dispatchers, Flight Attendants, Mechanics, Schedulers, etc.) will maintain their AirTran employment status at least until the SOC is issued by the FAA for the combined carriers. The logistics of how and when this group of certificated employees will then be transitioned to Southwest employment status has yet to be determined.

    In its 40th year 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. Beginning March 13, 2011, Southwest will initiate service to Charleston and Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina, and on March 27, 2011, service will begin to Newark Liberty International Airport. 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 Report(TM). Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.

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    FAA Penalty against Chem-Tronics


    WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a civil penalty of $359,350 against GKN Aerospace Chem-Tronics, Inc., an El Cajon, Calif.-based aircraft repair station,for allegedly violating FAA drug and alcohol testing regulations.
    The FAA alleges GKN failed to conduct required pre-employment drug tests and receive verified negative drug test results before hiring 17 people to perform safety-sensitive functions. The alleged violations took place between May and December, 2011.
    The FAA also alleges the company failed to test four randomly-selected individuals for alcohol use in January, April and July, 2011; failed to carry out all the required drug and alcohol testing for two employees as part of the return-to-duty process; and conducted inappropriate post-accident drug testing for two employees.
    The FAA discovered the alleged violations during an inspection of GKN’s testing program, Jan. 23-27, 2012.

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    Boeing Forms Information Solutions Business to Address Growing IT/Cyber Market

    ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 13, 2011 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has formed a new Information Solutions business to more efficiently offer proven, military-grade, software-based solutions for customers including the Department of Defense, the U.S. Intelligence Community, federal and international governments, and Fortune 1000 customers. John Hinshaw, Boeing’s former chief information officer, will lead the new business as its vice president and general manager.
    Information Solutions, a division of Network & Space Systems, part of the Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) operating unit, combines teams with similar operating cultures and software-development expertise from across BDS, including:

    • The cybersecurity and intelligence capabilities of Network & Space Systems’ Intelligence & Security Systems division
    • The logistics command and control (LogC2) business Tapestry Solutions and international LogC2 work, both from Boeing Global Services & Support.

    “We have built significant cyber, logistics and information services capabilities across Boeing through internal research and development as well as by targeted acquisitions,” said Roger Krone, president of Network & Space Systems. “By bringing those resources together into one customer-focused organization, we are not only better aligned as a company, but also better able to serve our customers’ growing information solutions needs across the dot-ic, dot-gov, dot-mil and dot-com domains.”

    Information Solutions is headquartered in Arlington and has approximately 4,000 employees.
    “As the chief information officer of two Dow 30 enterprises — Boeing and Verizon Wireless — I’ve lived through the challenges that customers face in delivering integrated, reliable, and secure information technology to enable their operations,” said Hinshaw. “Boeing knows how to deliver complex, mission-critical products and services, and we now will extend that expertise into the broader information technology market.”

    Of Boeing’s 10 acquisitions during the past three years, eight are now part of Information Solutions: the cyber/C4ISR-related acquisitions of RavenWing, DRT, Kestrel Enterprises, exMeritus, and Narus, and the LogC2-related acquisitions of Tapestry Solutions, Federated Software Group, and CDM Technologies.

    “Aligning that collection of talented employees in one organization validates our strategy to significantly build our information services capability for the cybersecurity and logistics command and control markets,” said Chris Raymond, vice president of BDS Business Development.

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