Carrier

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    Medical Evacuation Halted

    What: Memorial Star medical helicopter en route from accident scene to Memorial Hospital
    Where: Midland Elementary off Broadway Street just south of Highway 24, Colorado Spring
    When: Jan 28, 2010
    Who: patient and crew
    Why: While transporting a 62 year old medical patient, the helicopter’s yellow caution light indicated the helicopter was experiencing mechanical problems. The crew decided to make a precautionary landing on an elementary school field.

    The patient was taken to Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

    A mechanic looked over the helicopter. No problems were reported.

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    Lufthansa restructures passenger business organisation

    Stronger customer focus through more efficient structures / Divisionalisation strategy to be continued / Launch of “Future Berlin” project / Changes to take effect on 1 April 2011

    Lufthansa is restructuring its passenger business organisation to take account of the changing competitive landscape. The new, more customer-driven organisation will also allow the company to respond more effectively to market challenges. The aim is to sharpen the focus on customers and the competition while at the same simplifying and speeding up internal decision-making and management processes.
    Ongoing development of the organisation will strengthen and sustain Lufthansa’s passenger business divisions, which will in future benefit from more efficient structures that are tailored to changed customer requirements, tougher competition and also to the new Group structure. The changes will take effect on 1 April.

    The re-allocation of responsibilities and new appointments to the Lufthansa German Airlines Board announced on 7 December 2010 will also become effective on 1 April. Captain Kay Kratky will then be responsible for the Frankfurt and Flight Operations division, Thomas Klühr for Munich and Direct Services and Jens Bischof for Sales and Revenue Management. Dr. Roland Busch will remain in charge of the Finance and Human Resources division. Carsten Spohr took up his position as a member of the Lufthansa Executive Board and, simultaneously, CEO Lufthansa German Airlines on 1 January.

    In the Finance and Human Resources division, the Controlling, Human Resources, Procurement, Airport Relations, Information management functions and a Finance project will have a direct reporting line to Dr. Roland Busch. Antonio Schulthess, who is joining Lufthansa from Swiss International Air Lines, will be responsible for Human Resources. Management of the other functions remains unchanged.

    In the Sales and Revenue Management division, headed by Jens Bischof, greater emphasis will be placed on Lufthansa’s business and leisure travel sales activities. To that end, a new department responsible for the business travel segment will be set up and headed by Marcus Frank. Christian Tillmans, meanwhile, will be in charge of private customer sales and tourism in the leisure travel business segment. In future, Sales and Revenue Management will be merged under the management of Lars Redeligx. From April, a number of appointments will be taken up in area sales management. Uwe Müller will be responsible for Germany and the Lufthansa Airline Group markets (Switzerland and Austria), while European markets will remain the remit of Dr. Karsten Benz. Jürgen Siebenrock, who is joining Lufthansa from Lufthansa Cargo, will be responsible for managing markets in the Americas and Steffen Harbarth will be in charge of Asia/Pacific. Joachim Steinbach will remain responsible for Africa and the Middle East.

    The reorganisation of the Frankfurt and Flight Operations division will create four functions with a direct reporting line to Captain Kay Kratky. Dr. Alexis von Hoensbroech will be responsible for Commercial Management. Andreas Döpper will remain in charge of Station and Infrastructure Development at Frankfurt. Wolfgang Kolhagen, who is moving from Condor Flugdienst GmbH to Lufthansa, will assume responsibility for cabin crew at Frankfurt. The Operations department at Frankfurt, which will in future incorporate flight operations as well as specific ground processes, will be headed by Captain Werner Knorr.

    Following the creation of the new Munich and Direct Services division headed by Thomas Klühr, the strategy of divisionalisation will be carried forward and developed. The organisational structure of the operational units at Frankfurt will also be established in full at Munich under Helmut Wölfel as Commercial Manager. Captain Kai-Uwe Spannbauer will be in charge of Operations at MUC. In future, Munich cabin crews will be managed by Heike Birlenbach, while Burkhard Feuge will be responsible for Station and Infrastructure Development at Munich. Oliver Wagner will remain in charge of Direct Services, which will be responsible for all Lufthansa flights that are not routed through the Frankfurt or Munich hubs. Responsibility for Lufthansa’s activities in Italy will be bundled in a separate department and assigned to Michael Kraus, who will thus be responsible for Lufthansa Italia operations and Lufthansa’s sales organisation in Milan. In addition, he will remain Managing Director of Air Dolomiti.

    As part of the restructuring process, new cross-functions will also be created. In future, aside from strategy development, the Business Development unit will oversee network and corporate development as well as fleet dimensioning and allocation. This function will be headed by Armin Herzwurm. Product and Marketing Management will be bundled in another cross-divisional function, which will be managed from April by Dr. Reinhold Huber. The new “Future Berlin” project will be launched to look into ways of expanding Lufthansa’s market position in Berlin. The manager responsible for this new function will be Josef Bogdanski. Managers in charge of the cross-functions will report direct to the CEO of Lufthansa German Airlines, Carsten Spohr.

    Christian Tillmans’ move from the management of Lufthansa CityLine to Lufthansa will create a vacancy on the Board at Lufthansa’s regional subsidiary. Stephan Klar will therefore be proposed to the Lufthansa CityLine Supervisory Board as a new member of the airline’s Board of Directors.

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    AvStar Aviation Group

    Announces Closing Date for Aircraft Charters, LLC Acquisition; Subsidiary, Twin Air Calypso Limited, Inc., Moving to New Facility

    HOUSTON, Jan. 28, 2011 / / — AvStar Aviation Group, Inc. (AvStar) today announced that February 15, 2011 has been set as the tentative closing date for the acquisition of a 35% interest in Aircraft Charters, LLC. The Letter of Intent for this acquisition was first announced in late December 2010

    AvStar also announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Twin Air Calypso Limited, Inc. (Twin Air Calypso) will be moving their passenger and freight operations to new facilities. February 15, 2011 is the projected date for the passenger operations of Twin Air Calypso to move into the newly constructed complex of Sheltair Northside. Sheltair Northside is located at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Twin Air Calypso will occupy approximately 2400 sq. ft. of the complex for passenger operations. Freight operations will be conducted from an adjoining building of the same complex. In addition to rental savings over the current facility, the relocation agreement includes a tenant preferred fuel rate, which will save the company more than $75.000.00 per year based upon current operations. These savings will increase the company’s profitability and shareholder value.

    “Twin Air Calypso’s move to the new facility will give the company a new image and allow us to better accommodate our clients. By separating the passenger and freight operations the passengers will enjoy an airline terminal atmosphere while the freight operations will be able to expand with the additional space. The fuel cost reduction contributes directly to the bottom-line and will increase as our operations expand. This move along with the appointment of Art Stevenson as Chief Pilot provides us the infrastructure for our move to commuter status. With the improvement we already see in this year’s revenues, and the anticipated opening of West Palm Beach, 2011 will be a watershed year for Twin Air Calypso Limited, Inc. All of our associates are excited about this move and look forward to welcoming our clients to our new surroundings,” said Clayton Gamber, CEO of AvStar Aviation Group, Inc.

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    Vision Airlines

    $49 FLORIDA FARE SALE ENDS MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011
    SUWANEE, Ga., Jan. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Vision Airlines, the nation’s newest big jet, low-cost carrier, will end its $49* introductory one-way Florida fare sale on Monday, January 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.

    “However, Vision Airlines still offers the lowest one-way fares in the industry on its direct flights from 17 southern U.S. departure cities to six Florida destinations,” says company spokesman Bryan Glazer. “On average, Vision Airlines’ fares to Florida cost $89. Fares across the airline’s route system range from $69 – $199.”

    The first flights start taking-off on March 25, 2011.

    “Vision Airlines has now sold more than $1 million in tickets, since we opened our online store and call center 13 days ago,” says Chief Operating Officer David Meers.

    “On January 18, minutes after Vision Airlines unveiled its 23 city mega-expansion plan and announced its one week $49 seat sale, the company’s reservations center was flooded with phone calls and its website was overwhelmed by more than 50,000 hits; causing its servers to crash,” says Glazer. “Within 48 hours, Vision Airlines sold-out of the limited $49 fares.”
    Vision Airlines’ Sales and Marketing Director Clay Meek explains, “To deal with the technical problems, Vision Airlines increased its server capacity, brought more customer service agents on board and then added more $49 seats on every flight. To top-it-off, we extended our $49 introductory fare sale, which was slated to end on January 23, but will now end this Monday night.”

    Meers emphasizes, “At this juncture, Vision Airlines believes it is more important to satisfy first-time customers rather than turn them away because they missed-out on a fare sale. Our first goal is to get passengers on Vision Airlines’ jets so they can experience our fast, friendly and efficient service. After their first flight on Vision Airlines, we are confident that we will earn passenger’s repeat business.”

    Vision Airlines Cities

    • Asheville, NC – Atlanta, GA – Baton Rouge, LA – Birmingham, AL – Chattanooga, TN
    • Columbia, SC – Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, FL – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    • Greenville/Spartanburg, SC – Gulfport/Biloxi, MS – Houston, TX – Huntsville, AL
    • Knoxville, TN – Little Rock, AR – Louisville, KY – Macon, GA – Miami, FL
    • Niagara Falls/Buffalo, NY/Toronto, Canada – Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, FL
    • Sanford/Orlando, FL – Savannah, GA – Shreveport, LA
    • St. Petersburg/Clearwater/Tampa, FL
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    Southern Air Appoints Industry Veteran Robert L. Crandall to Board of Directors

    NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 31, 2011 — Southern Air Holdings, Inc. today announced that Robert L. Crandall, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AMR Corporation and American Airlines, has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors.

    “Southern Air is one of the most experienced and fastest growing air cargo carriers in the world,” said Mr. Crandall. “The company has an exceptional record of performance and great potential in its markets. I look forward to working closely with CEO Dan McHugh, his management team and the Board to support Southern Air’s continued expansion and long-term success.”

    “Bob is renowned in the industry and his decision to join our Board is an important endorsement of what we are accomplishing at Southern Air,” said Daniel J. McHugh, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Air. “His deep knowledge of the aviation industry and proven track record of leadership will be invaluable as we seek to position the company to be the world’s leading ACMI operator by continuing to expand our customer offerings while maintaining the highest standards of safety, reliability and customer service.”

    “We are very excited to have Bob join the Southern Air team,” said Rowan Taylor, Chairman of the Board of Southern Air and a Partner at Oak Hill Capital Partners. “His profound industry and business experience will be a great asset to Southern Air as it continues to expand and upgrade its fleet and extend its global reach.”

    Mr. Crandall joined American Airlines in 1973, becoming President in 1982, and Chairman and CEO in 1985. During his 25-year tenure, Mr. Crandall was instrumental in introducing several changes that revolutionized the travel industry. This includes launching an expansion program at American Airlines which more than tripled the company’s size and transformed it from a medium-sized domestic carrier to one of the world’s leading international airlines with revenues of more than $20 billion.

    Mr. Crandall is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Celestica Inc. and a Director of Aircell.

    He earned a B.S. from the University of Rhode Island and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

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    American Airlines Assists Customers Affected by Weather in Midwest

    FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Due to the anticipated weather impact on the Midwestern United States, American Airlines offers customers the convenience to change their plans. Customers ticketed to travel on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection flights to, from or through the airports listed below may change flights as shown without penalty.

    If you are traveling to/from/through those cities on Jan. 31-Feb. 2 and your ticket was issued no later than Jan. 30, you may begin travel as late as Feb. 6.

    • Bloomington/Normal, Ill. (BMI)
    • Cape Girardeau, Mo. (CGI)
    • Cedar Rapids, Iowa (CID)
    • Champaign, Ill. (CMI)
    • Chicago (ORD)
    • Des Moines, Iowa (DSM)
    • Detroit (DTW)
    • Dubuque, Iowa (DBQ)
    • Evansville, Ind. (EVV)
    • Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. (TBN)
    • Fort Wayne, Ind. (FWA)
    • Grand Rapids, Mich. (GRR)
    • Joplin, Mo. (JLN)
    • Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Mich. (AZO)
    • Kansas City, Mo. (MCI)
    • Kirksville, Mo. (IRK)
    • Manhattan, Kan. (MHK)
    • Marion, Ill. (MWA)
    • Milwaukee (MKE)
    • Moline/Quad Cities, Ill. (MLI)
    • Northwest Arkansas, Ark. (XNA)
    • Oklahoma City, Okla. (OKC)
    • Peoria, Ill. (PIA)
    • Quincy, Ill. (UIN)
    • St. Louis (STL)
    • Springfield, Ill. (SPI)
    • Springfield, Mo. (SGF)
    • Traverse City, Mich. (TVC)
    • Tulsa (TUL)
    • Wichita, Kan. (ICT)
    About American Airlines

    American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American’s award-winning AA.com® website provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve approximately 750 destinations in nearly 150 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc.

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    Goodrich and Royal Jordanian Airlines Sign Support Agreement

    Work will be performed through Prime Solutions(R) at the Goodrich Dubai campus

    Goodrich and Royal Jordanian Airlines Sign Nacelle Services Agreement for Support of Airbus A320, A340 and Embraer E195 Fleets

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 31, 2011 -Goodrich Corporation has signed a nacelle services agreement with Royal Jordanian Airlines. The five-year Prime Solutions(R) agreement covers maintenance and support of nacelles and thrust reversers for the airline’s fleet of V2500-powered Airbus A320s, CF34-10E powered Embraer 195s and CFM56-5C- powered Airbus A340s. The agreement will be managed through Goodrich’s Dubai campus in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, which will provide the regional support to this national airline of Jordan.

    Bob Gustafson, Goodrich Aerostructures vice president and general manager of Aftermarket Services said, “This agreement demonstrates the breadth of services we offer on different aircraft types that are in different stages of their lifecycles. From the newer E195 airplanes to the more mature A320s and the out-of-production CFM56-5C nacelles on the A340-200, Goodrich is committed to offering world-class nacelle maintenance services on all of these programs.”

    In addition to demonstrating the breadth of services and programs offered, Gustafson added that the agreement is another example of an airline recognizing the value of securing long-term nacelle services with a locally positioned nacelle MRO. “Goodrich’s Dubai campus is strategically located to provide local services to airlines so that they can achieve time and cost savings from having repairs performed on large components close to their main operating bases,” he said.

    Royal Jordanian president and CEO Hussein Dabbas agreed that the Goodrich strategic MRO location was an important factor in the airline’s decision. “We are pleased to put this Prime Solutions agreement into place and that the work will be performed at the Goodrich Dubai campus, which is close to the Royal Jordanian base in Amman, Jordan,” Dabbas said. “The A320s, A340s and Embraer 195s represent a significant portion of the airline’s fleet and we look forward to the maintenance work being performed by a well-known, renowned nacelle MRO.”

    Prime Solutions is a comprehensive suite of maintenance services and asset/inventory management programs that can be fully customized to meet any airline’s needs for nacelle maintenance.

    Royal Jordanian is Jordan‘s national carrier and began operations more than 47 years ago. Under the guidance and direction of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the airline connects Jordan and the Eastern Mediterranean area with the rest of the world. It continues to continuously modernize and upgrade its services, renew its fleet and expand its route network and operations. Royal Jordanian operates flights from Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. Its fleet covers a network of 58 destinations on four continents.

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    Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines, Seattle Anesthesia Outreach Partner for Relief Flight


    SEATTLE, Jan. 27, 2011 — For the second time in less than two months, Boeing ( Ethiopian Airlines and Seattle Anesthesia Outreach (SAO) have partnered to deliver medical equipment to Black Lion Hospital, Ethiopia’s largest hospital. The first consignment was delivered in December 2010.

    Approximately 2,700 pounds (1.2 metric tons) of medical supplies were loaded into the cargo hold of a new Boeing 777-200LR (longer range) delivered to Ethiopian Airlines on Jan. 26. Some of the supplies, such as electrical converters and other power items, supplement the anesthesia equipment transported in December.

    “Through collaborative efforts such as this, Boeing is able to help bring relief to people around the world. Black Lion Hospital provides free medical care to the poor and this equipment will improve capabilities there,” said Liz Warman, director of Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship for the Northwest region.

    The supplies will prove vital when a group of 28 Seattle doctors, nurses and technicians travel to Ethiopia next month as part of ongoing humanitarian support to that region.

    Since 1992, Boeing and airline partners as well as non-profit partners in the Humanitarian Delivery Flights (HDF) program have collaborated on many humanitarian missions.
    Ethiopian Airlines is committed to support worthy social activities, which are designed to help build sustainable livelihoods for individuals and the community.

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    Smokey Continental Airlines Flight Lands at Newark


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Heber Alejandro Doblado Perez

    What: Continental Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from Newark to Boston
    Where: Newark Liberty Airport
    When: Jan 26, 2011
    Why: On take-off, the plane filled with smoke. The pilot announced that the smoke was due to de-icing procedures, and made an emergency landing in Newark. Weather conditions at the time included snow, and freezing temperatures.

    The plane made a safe landing with emergency services on standby.

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    Plane Struck By Lightning


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Daniel J. Evans

    What: Piedmont/US Airways Havilland Dash 8-300 en route to Lynchburg
    Where: Lynchburg Regional Airport.
    When: Jan 26, 2010, 10:35 a.m.
    Who: 13 passengers, 3 crew
    Why: While en route during a heavy rainfall, the plane was struck by lighting.

    The plane was 20 nautical miles from Lynchburg at the time of the lightning strike and made a safe landing under a magnitude “Alert Two” emergency. An electrical failure was reported but the plane landed and taxied under its own power.

    The plane was then scheduled to be ferried off for repairs. Passengers were scheduled on alternative flights.

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    Qantas: AC Failure, Cabin Pressure


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Allen Zhao

    What: Qantas B737-400 en route from Adelaide to Melbourne
    Where: Melbourne
    When: Jan 24, 2011
    Who: 99 passengers and six crew
    Why: On experiencing an air conditioning problem, (turning off an overheated air conditioning system and the second system shut down), the plane lost cabin pressure. Thirty minutes out of Melbourne, the pilot descended to 10,000 feet, and continued to make a safe landing at Melbourne.

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    Air New Zealand Bird Strike

    What: Air New Zealand Boeing 737 en route from Dunedin to Wellington
    Where: Dunedin
    When: Jan 26, 2011 4: 50 pm
    Who: 115 passengers
    Why: 20 minutes after takeoff, the plane had a bird strike; a bird was ingested into an engine. The plane returned to make a safe landing

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    US Airways Flight Lands Fast at Burlington

    What: US Airways en route from Philadelphia to Burlington International
    Where: Burlington International
    When: Jan 25, 2011
    Who: 82 passengers
    Why: Before landing, the plane initiated a flap warning light, indicating a problem with the flaps, which help slow the plane.

    Emergency crews were on standby during the landing which was expected to be fast, due to the flap problem.

    On landing at Burlington, the fast landing stressed the brakes and heated them up. A right brake indicated it was running hot; but there were no injuries. This was the 2nd of two “phase 5” (high level) emergency landings. Both had safe outcomes.

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    Thomas Cook Selects CFM56-5B to Power New A321s In $200 Million Engine Order

    –West Chester, Ohio– Thomas Cook Group today announced that it has selected the CFM56-5B engine to power 12 Airbus A321 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2014. The engine order is valued at more than $200 million U.S. at list price. The new airplane order was signed earlier today.

    In addition to the firm aircraft order, Thomas Cook Group also plans to lease CFM56-5B-powered A320 family aircraft from operating lessors.

    Thomas Cook Group plc is one of the worlds leading leisure travel groups and operates a total fleet of more than 90 aircraft and carries 17 million passengers each year. The fleet is split into four airlines: the UK airline, the German airline flying under the Condor brand, the Scandinavian and Belgian airlines.

    All of Thomas Cook’s new CFM56-5B engines will incorporate an engine performance improvement package. The modifications will reduce engine fuel consumption by 0.5 percent and lower maintenance costs by 1 percent.

    The CFM56-5B PIP is currently undergoing flight tests at Airbus and is schedule for certification in the second quarter 2011. Airline entry into service is planned for the third quarter 2011. The engine will maintain the same noise signature as the current production engine. These engines also meet current International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection standards (CAEP /6) requirements.

    CFM56-5B engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran group) and GE. CFM, the world’s leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, has delivered more than 21,600 engines to date. The CFM56-5B engine powers every model of the Airbus A320 family and has been chosen to power approximately 55 percent of all A320 aircraft in service or on order.

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    American Airlines Orders Two GE90-Powered Boeing 777s

    –EVENDALE, OHIO– American Airlines has ordered two new GE90-115B-powered Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The aircraft will be delivered in late 2012.

    “GE Aviation is very pleased that American Airlines will be the first U.S. airline to operate the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft,” said Kevin McAllister, vice president and general manager of global sales for GE Aviation. “American and GE enjoy a relationship that started in the late 1960s, with American being the launch customer for the CF6-6 powered DC10-10. The entire GE team is excited to see that American will soon be operating our most advanced turbofan engine in service, the GE90-115B.”

    The Boeing 777-300ER, -200LR and 777 Freighters powered by GE90-115B engines have been highly popular aircraft/engine combinations. More than 580 of these aircraft have been ordered by 43 customers worldwide.

    At 115,000 pounds of thrust, the GE90-115B engine combines advanced technologies from the GE90 family with three-dimensional aerodynamic (3-D aero) compressor and wide-chord, swept composite fan blades for greater efficiency. The dual annular combustor emits no more than 40 percent of the hydrocarbons allowed by today’s international standards. Since entering service in 2004, the GE90-115B engine has proven to be one of the quietest engines per pound of thrust.

    Snecma of France, Avio SpA of Italy, and IHI Corporation of Japan are revenue-sharing participants in the GE90 program.

    The GE90-115B engine is part of GE’s “ecomagination” product portfolio — GE’s commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers’ environmental and operating performance.

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    Open Door Plane Lands at Burlington International Airport

    What: United Express/Atlantic Southeast Airlines en route from Burlington International Airport to Washington-Dulles in Virginia
    Where: Burlington International Airport, Vermont
    When: Jan 24, 2010 6:45 a.m.
    Who: 43 passengers
    Why: While en route, the pilot was having trouble steering; a light indicated that a passenger door was open. A “Phase 5 Emergency” was declared, and rescue vehicles were on standby.

    The flight returned to Burlington International Airport not long after takeoff and made a safe landing.
    There were no injuries reported.

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    Disorderly Passenger Dropped off IN Salt Lake


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Fabrizio Gandolfo

    What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from San Francisco,CA to Fort Lauderdale,FL
    Where: Salt Lake City
    When: Jan 24th 2011
    Who: 1 unruly passenger
    Why: While en route, a passenger insisted on paying cash for a headset, although Jet Blue only accepts credit cards.

    The flight diverted to Salt Lake City where the passenger was taken off the plane. It is not reported if the passenger ever got his headset, nor if he was released into police custody.

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    Aeromar and Continental Airlines to Start Codeshare Flights

    CHICAGO and MEXICO CITY, Jan. 25, 2011
    Aeromar and Continental Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) and a Star Alliance member, today announced that they will begin codeshare cooperation on routes within Mexico.

    Effective Feb. 1, 2011 Continental will initially place its code on Aeromar-operated flights between Mexico City and 13 destinations in Mexico. The codeshare builds on frequent-flyer cooperation launched in August 2010 that permits Continental OnePass members to accrue and redeem miles on all Aeromar-operated flights. In addition, Continental international first- and business-class passengers, Presidents Club members and Star Alliance Gold customers may access Aeromar’s Salon Diamante lounge in Mexico City.

    “The expansion of our partnership with Continental Airlines via codesharing will continue to broaden our leading joint market presence to better serve our customers, especially at a time when Aeromar is phasing in its first regional jets and further developing its route network within Mexico,” said Ami Lindenberg, Aeromar president.

    “We are pleased to expand our cooperation with Aeromar, which complements our extensive service to Mexico and offers new options to our customers,” said Jim Compton, executive VP and chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings, Inc.

    About Aeromar

    Founded in 1987, Aeromar is Mexico’s most experienced airline. From its main operations base at Mexico City’s International Airport Terminal 2, Aeromar currently covers a network of 21 destinations in Mexico, as well as San Antonio, Texas, in the U.S.A. It performs over 100 average daily flights with a fleet of ATR-42 turboprop and CRJ-200 jet complying with the IOSA certification for the airline industry’s highest operational and safety audited standards established by IATA.

    Aeromar is a highly customer-focused airline, featuring the most convenient schedules and amenities for the business and leisure traveler, such as the “Salon Diamante” executive lounges, which are available at the Aguascalientes, Colima, Jalapa, Mexico City and Tepic airports. All-inclusive vacation packages, VIP charter flights and “FastPaq” courier and freight are among some of Aeromar’s additional products and services. For further information please visit us on the web at www.aeromar.us.

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    Sabre, American Airlines Statement

    FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 24, 2011 – American Airlines and Sabre have agreed to put the litigation between the two companies on hold until June 1, 2011.

    American Airlines and Sabre will begin work shortly in an effort to reach a new agreement. Both parties will return to operating as they were prior to Jan. 5, 2011, in terms of Sabre displays, American Airlines content and economic terms.

    Officials at American Airlines and Sabre will not have any further comment on this announcement at this time.

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    RAF Escorts Etihad with Unruly Passenger


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Marvin My

    What: Etihad Airlines Airbus A340-600 en route from Abu Dhabi to Heathrow
    Where: Stansted airport, north of London.
    When: Jan 24, 2011
    Who: 37-year-old British man
    Why: After a passenger made threats, the flight was provided two Royal Air Force jets as escort. The flight diverted to Stansted airport where the plane made a safe landing,and the passenger was taken into custody. There were no injuries.

    The unruly passenger did not threaten the safety of the aircraft.

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    Airbus Diverts to Omaha


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer

    What: US Airways Airbus A320-200 en route from Chicago O’Hare to Phoenix
    Where: Eppley Airfield, Omaha
    When: Jan 23rd 2011 9:30 am
    Who: 107 aboard
    Why: While en route, the plane developed electrical problems affecting cabin temperature. The pilot made a safe landing after diverting to Omaha, and landing without nose gear steering, without which, the plane had to be towed to the gate.

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    Southwest Airlines Emergency Landing in Oakland

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, en route from San Francisco to Chicago
    Where: Oakland
    When: Jan 22nd 2011 2:51 pm
    Who: 86 passengers
    Why: While en route, the pilot of the Southwest Airlines Boeing received a warning message indicating a fire in wheel well. The pilot diverted to Oakland and made a safe landing where passengers disembarked and waited to transfer to another plane.

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    Air France Moving Forward: Obfuscating the Issue and Consumer Politics

    George’s Point of View

    While we are waiting for news of where Air France Flight 447 disappeared to, somewhere in the ocean (and no one can really say with any great specificity anything more specific than somewhere between Rio de Janeiro and Paris France because everywhere they apparently believe it was, they looked, and it wasn’t) Air France is coming out with a report.

    An Air France assessment initiated by Chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta in 2009 and performed by an international panel of eight aviation experts dubbed the Independent Safety Review Team is due to be released Jan 24, 2011.

    Its inception was timed, not too surprisingly, six months after the fatal crash, and although officially having nothing to do with the fatal event, its timing alone suggests an optimistic attempt on the part of Air France’s media team to counterbalance the lack of consumer confidence in the airline after they lost a whole plane and 228 lives.

    The report will cover training, technical and flight-safety issues, though the not-too-hidden agenda may be to reflect changes made since the crash of Air France Flight 447, (whose wreckage we all know has still not been located.) The report is a beginning of the “New Transparancy” proposed by Air France. There are people who would like to see that transparency extend to some old news, such as what is going on with the search for the wreckage of the worst accident in French aviation history.

    The last (02:10) ACARS transmission from Flight 477 contained a set of coordinates indicating the location as 2°59?N 30°35?W officially the last known position, (when the twelve warning messages with the same time code indicated autopilot and auto-thrust system had disengaged, TCAS was in fault mode, and flight mode changed from ‘normal law’ to ‘alternate law’) but one wonders if the instrumentation was already in disagreement at that point, i.e. if that location data could be as faulty as the frozen pitot tubes.

    So the report will be out today. The Assessment of Air France training, technical and flight-safety issues is bound to be a big event, but as the media and airline waves these initiatives in the public face, there are a lot of people still staring out to sea, looking for that lost wreckage, who won’t be distracted by any (see-here-look-at-this-news-see-how-much-we-are-improving) sleight of hand.

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    US Airways and Expedia Sign New Multi-Year Partnership Agreement

    TEMPE, Ariz. and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — US Airways (NYSE: LCC) and Expedia, Inc., the world’s largest online travel company (Nasdaq: EXPE), today announced they have signed a multi-year strategic partnership agreement to continue offering US Airways’ full range of products and services, including all fares and inventory, through Expedia®, Hotwire® and Egencia® sites around the world.

    Under the agreement, US Airways has committed to offer all of its content to Expedia through the global distribution system (GDS) model, a central reservation system which is used by travel agencies to search and book travel. In addition, Expedia has committed to working with US Airways to enable the distribution of its Choice Seats product (offering customers the benefit of purchasing window or aisle seats toward the front of Coach class) through new channels, including the Expedia online travel marketplace.

    US Airways’ Senior Vice President, Marketing and Planning Andrew Nocella said, “We are committed to making it as easy as possible for our customers to purchase tickets from US Airways through as many sources as possible. More and more people want to book their own travel and they want to do it online. Expedia is the world’s largest online travel company and we’re pleased that they will continue to be one of our key points of distribution.”
    US Airways, Expedia and the companies’ many loyal customers will benefit from the new agreement, which gives US Airways continued access to Expedia’s marketplace, online travel expertise, broad reach and targeted merchandising opportunities. Additionally, Expedia’s travelers will gain greater access to all fares across US Airways’ extensive network of domestic and international flights. US Airways’ more than 3,200 flight options per day, and Expedia’s leading hotel and car rental offerings will allow consumers to find the most comprehensive travel options at the most competitive prices available, all in one place.

    Expedia’s Co-President, Partner Services Group Dhiren Fonseca said, “Expedia and US Airways share a commitment to providing travelers with affordable travel options around the world, without sacrificing the high level of service they have come to expect from our companies. They are one of the brands our customers come to look for and we’re thrilled to extend our partnership.”

    Expedia’s Co-President, Partner Services Group Gary Fritz added, “This agreement demonstrates the significance of Expedia’s marketplace for both our valued partners and our loyal customers. Expedia is committed to working collaboratively with our partners to offer customers the broadest range of opportunities at the guaranteed best prices.”