Air Line Pilots Association Statement on Continental Airlines Flight 1404

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    Boeing Begins Flight Testing UK Chinook Mk4

    LONDON, Jan. 24, 2011 — Boeing and its Boeing Defence UK subsidiary today announced that the Boeing UK Rotorcraft Support team has begun flight testing the first Chinook Mk4 helicopter for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The first flight took place on Dec. 9 in Hampshire, England.

    “Project JULIUS, as the Mk4 program is known, will modernize the current Royal Air Force Chinook fleet – essentially giving us new aircraft,” said Chris White-Horne, Mk4 project team leader for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence.
    Project JULIUS will modify 38 Mk2/2A Chinooks into the Mk4/4A configuration and eight Mk3 Chinooks into the Mk5 configuration. All the aircraft will be delivered to RAF Odiham in Hampshire.

    A major part of the modification for both the Mk4/4A and Mk5 aircraft is the Thales TopDeck cockpit. Thales UK is under contract with Boeing to supply its Cockpit Display System/Mission Avionic System, which will provide improved situational awareness, increased safety and options for capability enhancement. The upgraded and integrated cockpit display includes four multifunction displays, two stand-by flight displays, updated communications interfaces, and two new air data computers.
    “The first of the modified JULIUS Chinook helicopters is expected to be available to commanders before the end of 2011,” said David Pitchforth, managing director, Boeing UK Rotorcraft Support. “The entire Mk2 fleet will be fitted with the JULIUS cockpit by early 2015, followed by Mk2A and Mk3 modifications by 2015 and 2016, respectively.”

    The modifications also include the addition of a third crew-member seat and an update of Airworthiness & Safety Certification and Qualification for the modernized Chinook. The aircraft are being modified at the Gosport Fleetlands facility operated by Vector Aerospace, Boeing’s principal subcontractor for deep support of the RAF Chinook fleet. Vector Aerospace has established a dedicated production line at Fleetlands to support the JULIUS program, with specialist component manufacture provided from its Almondbank facility near Perth, Scotland.

    “Vector Aerospace is delighted to be associated with this significant milestone. It is a testimony to the skill and dedication of our teams in Fleetlands and Almondbank, who have worked in a spirit of true partnership with our customer Boeing and the key equipment suppliers,” said Tim Rice, managing director, Vector Aerospace UK.

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    Severe Winter Weather Expected to Affect United and Continental Flights in the Northeast Region This Week

    CUSTOMERS TRAVELING TO IMPACTED CITIES MAY RESCHEDULE WITHOUT PENALTY ON UNITED.COM OR CONTINENTAL.COM
    CHICAGO, Dec. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) today announced travel options for United and Continental customers whose flight plans may be affected by severe winter weather forecast for the Northeast region. Weather conditions are expected to make air travel difficult, forcing some delays and cancellations of flights at United’s hub at Washington Dulles and Continental’s hub at New York / Newark Liberty International Airport for travel from Dec. 25 through Dec. 27. Operations at other airports throughout the Northeast region may also be affected.

    Change Flights for No Fee at united.com or continental.com

    Customers scheduled on flights to, from or through the impacted areas may reschedule their itinerary with a one-time date or time change, and the change fees will be waived. If a flight has been canceled, a refund in the original form of payment may be requested. Complete details and eligible travel dates are available at www.united.com and www.continental.com.

    The fastest and most convenient way to change travel plans is via united.com or continental.com, and customers should continue to manage their reservations on the respective company’s website from which their ticket was purchased. Customers may also book a new reservation, change an existing reservation or check flight status by calling United Reservations at 800-UNITED-1 or Continental Reservations at 800-525-0280 or their travel agent.

    Another excellent way to receive information about flight delays, cancellations and gate changes is with United’s EasyUpdate service or Continental’s TripAlert service, which provide customers notifications via phone, text or e-mail.

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  • IATA e-freight goes-live in Austria

    Vienna – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today announced that IATA e-freight is now operational in Austria, with Vienna Airport being Austria’s first airport to implement the e-freight standard.

    IATA e-freight is one of the Simplifying the Business projects that improve service and cut costs. It aims to take the paper out of the air cargo supply chain. Facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities. IATA e-freight effectively eliminates the need to send 20 core paper documents with air cargo shipments, hence streamlining processes, improving speed and reliability and cutting costs.

    The e-freight implemention in Austria is truly a industry effort, with participation from the whole supply chain. The e-freight implementation team was led by Emirates Sky Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo. The team started the implementation process in April 2010 and delivered IATA e-freight on schedule. The strong support and involvement of the forwarding community and their association including DHL Global Forwarding, Kühne & Nagel and Schenker, as well as the Bundesministerium für Finanzen (BMF) and the local customs authorities contributed to the success of the e-freight implementation. Austria is the 28th e-freight location worldwide to deliver paper-free cargo.

    With e-freight implemented in Austria, there will be time savings for the transportation and availability of goods by up to 24 hours due to the electronic clearance and paper free process. E-freight will also bring similar benefits to other airports in Austria. IATA aims to build on the success at Vienna Airport to implement e-freight in more airports in Austria, starting with Salzburg and Linz.

    IATA’s target is to implement e-freight in 44 countries by the end of 2010, representing more than 80% of global air-freight volumes. These countries need to have the appropriate international treaties and customs framework in place in order to be able to implement e-freight.

    IATA e-freight is also operational in Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Denmark, Dubai, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

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    Boeing to Highlight the Products and Services Australia Depends on at Avalon 2011

    MELBOURNE, Victoria, Feb. 22, 2011 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] will highlight the products and services that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) depends on every day during this year’s Avalon 2011 Australian International Airshow. The show begins March 1 at Avalon Airport near Melbourne and coincides with the 90th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
    “Boeing is committed to providing products and services that allow the ADF to carry out vital operations in-country and overseas,” said Bill Profilet, Boeing Defense, Space & Security vice president, Australia Business Development. “We’re proud of our 85-year relationship with the RAAF and look forward to furthering this partnership for years to come.”

    Boeing products on display during the show include the RAAF’s F/A-18F Super Hornet, F/A-18A Hornet, C-17 Globemaster III and 737 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft and the Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system. Boeing-manufactured aircraft displayed by other countries will include a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker and C-17 Globemaster III, and a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757.
    The Boeing-sponsored Afternoon Airshow and Night Alight Finale on March 4 will feature the RAAF’s new advanced, multirole Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets. Boeing will hold a series of briefings on key products and programs throughout the show. Each day, media can check the briefing schedule at the media center and Boeing chalet for updates.

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    American Airlines eyes Boeing Engine Pylons

    Cracks in the engine pylons of three American Airlines Boeing 767’s are prompting concerns over the need of more frequent inspections of Boeing 767’s. The FAA says American and Boeing are looking for the cause of the cracking, which was discovered during routine metallurgical tests. Boeing is preparing a service bulletin establishing new guidelines for inspecting this particular part, over and above the every “1500 flights” which stands now. The flight which originally caught American’s attention had developed the cracks during the last 500 flights since its last pylon inspection. Caution about underlying structural issues is being addressed.

    The preliminary conclusion is that certain maintenance practices may play in the underlying cause of the cracking. A known issue is that some of the cracks arise from holes used to install bolts, implying that the bolt holes may compromise the structural integrity, or at least affect the pylon’s longevity; and may affect “fail-safe” design.

    The FAA has not yet mandated inspection of 767 other jets operated by other carriers, nor have they determined if winglets are a contributing factor.

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