News

  • Miracle on the Hudson for Sale

    Looking for an Airbus in pieces?

    Looking for the hull of a used Airbus 320 minus the working parts plus some history?

    It’s being offered up for bidding for about 2 million.

    Chartis Insurance Group says “Aircraft suffered severe bird strike event resulting in water emergency landing….Severe water damage throughout airframe. Impact damage to underside of aircraft….1999 AIRBUS A320-214” Chartis Insurance is a division of AIG, and is managing the auction that’s open to the public, scheduled to end on March 27.

    At the time I visited the site, there must have been a crowd at the door. Enter Aviation Salvage Here and all I did was lock up with a Server Too Busy error. Alas. But a second try showed me this:

    Engines Comments: Not available.
    Equipment Comments: Destroyed.
    Description of Accident: Aircraft suffered severe bird strike event resulting in water emergency landing.
    Description of Damage: Severe water damage throughout airframe. Impact damage to underside of aircraft.
    LogBooks Comment: Logbooks with Adjuster Contact noted above.
    Remarks: The engines for this aircraft are not included in this sale. An inspection of the airframe is being scheduled with interested parties, likely within the next 45 days. Please contact Dan Akers at daniel.akers@chartisinsurance.com should you wish to attend the inspection or view the airframe records. The aircraft was treated with a corrosion inhibitor in the Summer of 2009.

  • Homeland Security Pow wow

    Today Ministers of the European Union and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met in Toledo in agreement that “An international threat demands an international response.”

    The meeting dealt with broad issues advancing aviation security.

    The EU is divided amid concerns over whether scanners invade travelers’ privacy and pose health risks. Britain, the Netherlands, Italy and France have said they will start installing them, add more or use them on a trial basis but Spain and Germany express reservations.

  • British Airways Fast Track

    Strike-breakers are getting fast track training from Civil Aviation Authority-endorsed British Airways ” shadow workforce programme”. The training period is expected to take 3 weeks and graduate a completely trained job-ready workforce with an emphasis on safety over service.

  • National Aviation Merger Critiqued


    State-run Air India and Indian Airlines merger into National Aviation Company Ltd. has been criticized for being “done without proper homework,” “an unfortunate situation,” and “a stumbling block.”

    The differences of aircraft resources are perceived as a stumbling block, and is wasteful of the synergies of both Air India and Indian Airlines.

  • Flight Advisory

    January 19 – The FAA will put airspace restrictions and procedures in place in northwest Washington State to complement Canadian restrictions during the Winter Olympic games in Vancouver, Canada on January 29-March 24, 2010.

    FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
    FLIGHT ADVISORY
    The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
    and Paralympics Games
    The 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympics Games will take place over an eight (8) week period during the months of February and March 2010. The FAA at the request of the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defence as part of the airspace security measures will be placing restrictions and procedures in northwest Washington State to complement Canadian restrictions and procedures. The restrictions will coincide with the opening and closing of the Athlete Villages in Vancouver and Whistler, BC: January 29, 2010 to March 24, 2010. Additional NOTAMs may be issued and it is recommended that operators check NOTAMs frequently.
    Part 1. Restrictions
    Under the authority granted by 49 USC, the FAA may apply restrictions within
    airspace under its jurisdiction. Any person who knowingly and willingly violates
    these restrictions may be subject to certain criminal and/or civil penalties. Pilots
    who violate security TFRs or procedures may be intercepted, detained and
    interviewed by Law Enforcement/Security Personnel. They may also be subject
    to the following actions:
    a)
    The FAA may take administrative action, including imposing civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of airmen certificates; or
    b)
    The United States government may pursue criminal charges, including charges under Title 49 of the United States Code, Section 46307; or
    c)
    The United States government may use deadly force against the airborne aircraft, if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat.
    All aircraft flight operations are prohibited from the surface to but not including 18,000 MSL, within an area bounded by 490008N/1222847W or the HUH029005.2, thence clockwise along the 491142N/1231055W or the YVR329007.2 30 NM ARC to 484151N/1231519W or the YYJ080009.3 thence northeast along the US/Canadian border to the point of beginning, except as specified below.
    a.
    All aircraft entering or exiting the TFR must be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan and must be assigned a discrete beacon code by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility and be squawking that code prior to departing within or entering the TFR.
    Released January 15, 2010 Chg 1
    b.
    Only aircraft that are arriving or departing a local airfield may operate in this TFR. Aircraft may not loiter.
    c.
    DUAT filed VFR flight plans will not be accepted.
    d.
    Emergency/life saving flight (air ambulance/law enforcement/firefighting), military operations and other approved operations must call the HQ DEN Air Traffic Coordinator at 202-493-5107 prior to operating within the TFR. No flight plan is required for these operations in the US portion of the Olympic Airspace.
    e.
    Aircraft operating within this TFR must remain in two-way communications with ATC at all times.
    VFR Operations to/from Meadow Mist Airport (WN35) and Waldronaire Airport (90WA):
    a.
    Pilots are not required to file a flight plan for arrivals or departures.
    b.
    The aircraft must squawk code 1201 for WN35 or 1204 for 90WA to indicate the pilot’s intent to arrive or depart the airport.
    c.
    Pilots must exit the TFR via the most direct route before proceeding on course or if arriving, enter the TFR and proceed to destination via the most direct and shortest route.
    d.
    Pilots need not contact ATC unless otherwise directed, but contact with ATC is recommended.
    e.
    To transit the TFR, all aircraft must be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan with a discrete code assigned by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility. Aircraft must be squawking the discrete code prior to departure and at all times while in the TFR and must remain in two-way radio communications with ATC.
    VFR Operations for the following airports: Horse Fly Airport (WA88), Stuart Island Airpark (7WA5), Stuart Island West Airport (2WA3), Lynden Airport (38W) and Orcas I Airport (KORS):
    a.
    Due to the proximity to the TFR boundary and to assist federal agencies in identifying aircraft and pilot intent, pilots arriving or departing WA88, 7WA5, 2WA3, 38W and KORS must squawk a specific airport code.
    b.
    Airport Codes area as follows: WA88 is 1202, 38W is 1203, 7WA5 is 1205, 2WA3 is 1206 and KORS is 1207.
    Pilots of VFR aircraft departing locations within the TFR (US portion of the Olympic airspace) must file a VFR flight plan with FAA FSS at least 2 hours prior to the proposed departure time. VFR route information is required and pilot must contact FSS with all flight plan changes. Pilots must contact the Vancouver ACC at 1-866-998-2010 at least 30 minutes prior to the proposed departure time to receive a transponder code.
    Additionally, Canadian procedures require that all VFR operators departing US airspace and entering CYR 186, CYR 187 and CYR 188 must have received a valid Flight Authorization (FA) from the 2010 Olympic Integrated Security Unit (ISU). This Flight Authorization must be included in the remarks on the flight plan. Flight Authorization is not a requirement for operations in CYR 185.
    Released January 15, 2010 Chg 1
    The following operations are not authorized within this TFR: flight training, practice instrument approaches, aerobatic flight, glider operations, parachute operations, ultralight, hang gliding, balloon operations, agriculture/crop dusting, animal population control flight operations, banner towing operations, sightseeing operations, model aircraft operations, model rocketry, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
    Published Canadian NOTAMs for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games have established portal/gateway procedures for accessing the Olympic airspace. To supplement the Canadian procedures, the United States has established gateways to allow pilots of US registered aircraft access to airports within CYR186, CYR187, or CYR188. While utilization of U.S. gateway airports is voluntary, U.S. Registered General Aviation Aircraft that are not cleared through U.S. gateways described below will be required to use Canadian portal procedures.
    1.
    Gateway Procedures
    a.
    U.S. Registered Aircraft may use established Canadian portals or US Gateway airports that have been designated at Bedford Hanscom Airport (BED), Boise Airport (BOI), Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Long Beach Airport (LGB), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Minneapolis-St. Paul International/World Chamberlain Airport (MSP), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Spokane International Airport (GEG), Teterboro Airport (TEB), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Westchester County Airport (HPN), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) by DHS to accommodate aircraft arriving into airports within CYR186, CYR187, or CYR188 during the timeframe of February 1 – February 28, 2010. Screening at these Gateway airports will be conducted as authorized by law. During the remaining dates of the TFR, January 29-31 and March 1-3, pilots must use the established Canadian portals.
    b.
    Procedures for gaining approval from Canada for entering the Olympic airspace after undergoing screening at a US Gateways can be found at: http://www.v2010rfa.com.
    c.
    Please note that Canada requires that all applications must be submitted at least five days prior to the aircraft departure.
    During the Olympic timeframe it is recommended that operators of private aircraft submit eAPIS data to US Customs and Border Protection 24 hours prior to departure or at the time the provisional flight authorization is requested through the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit Registration & Flight Authorization web portal at http://www.v2010rfa.com . Early submission of eAPIS manifest data may assist in avoiding delays in gaining outbound clearance during this event.
    Released January 15, 2010 Chg 1
    WARNING
    This advisory contains an overview and preliminary information for the NOTAM to be published for the 2010 Olympics, see the published NOTAM for the exact procedures. For the latest information on Canadian airspace see the NAVCANADA website at http://www.navcanada.ca.
    It is recommended that all aircraft operators check NOTAMs frequently throughout this event for possible changes.
    Released January 15, 2010 Chg 1

    Released January 15, 2010 Chg 1
    Part 2. Resources
    1.
    Contact Flight Service for the latest NOTAMs relating to this event, 800-992-7433.
    2.
    For the latest information on Canadian airspace visit NAVCANADA at http://www.navcanada.ca or http://www.v2010rfa.com.
    3.
    The SOSC, System Operations Support Center, available 0700-1700 Easter M-F, phone 202-267-8276, is the coordination facility.

  • |

    JAL Fights going Belly Up

    The formerly state-owned Japan Airlines appears to be planning to file for bankruptcy protection in advance of a restructuring of debt. From April to September, JAL lost 1.5 billion dollars and is anticipating additional governmental assistance to the tune of several billion dollars, as well as JAL’s request for several hundred billions worth of loan forgiveness.

    Negotiations between Dutch KLM and US Delta indicate possible future alliances.

    Look for an official JAL announcement on Jan 19th.

  • NTSB Amends Reportage

    Notification and Reporting of Aircraft Accidents or Incidents and
    Overdue Aircraft, and Preservation of Aircraft Wreckage, Mail, Cargo,
    and Record

    The NTSB is amending its regulations concerning notification
    and reporting requirements regarding aircraft accidents or incidents.
    In particular, the NTSB is adding regulations to require operators to
    report certain incidents to the NTSB. The NTSB is also amending
    existing regulations to provide clarity and ensure that the appropriate
    means for notifying the NTSB of a reportable incident is listed
    correctly in the regulation.

    New subsections have been added.

    http://www.regulations.gov

  • Grounded Blue Wings Looking for $

    On its website, you will see this announcement:

    Effective immediately, as of noon on Wednesday, 13 January 2010, Blue Wings airlines is ceasing operation.

    The developments of recent weeks, and the tense overall economic situation in the aviation industry, have forced us to take this step.

    Blue Wings was established in 2002 chartering flights from from Düsseldorf, and a 48% share was acquired by Russia’s National Reserve Corporation (NRC) under Alpstream AG. Ownership is (was?) Alpstream AG (48%), Jorn Hellwig (26%) and NIL Investment (26%) but apparently a shareholder dispute led to the carrier being banned. Reportedly, staff has not been paid since November.

    The airline has a pending order of 16 Airbuses but the airline’s license is currently revoked by German authorities.

  • GOL: Brazilian Court Rules Negligence

    The Brazilian Court of Appeals has ruled negligence on the part of two American pilots.

    Over the Amazon rain forest, the Gol jet collided with an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet owned by ExcelAire Service Inc. of New York. The pilots of the New York-based executive jet had placed the transponder and collision avoidance system on standby prior to colliding with the Boeing 737 operated by GOL Linhaus Aereas Inteligentes SA on Sept. 29, 2006.

    The charges had been dismissed in 2008.

    Prosecutors accused the pilots of accidentally turning off the transponder that transmits the jet’s location. The defense says Brazilian air traffic controllers should have informed the Long Island pilots that their transponder was turned off. There’s no indication that the Legacy’s control panel indicated that the transponder was off, and that controllers set the planes on a collision course.

    The Legacy landed safely but everyone on the GOL jet died. Flight controllers failed to alert pilots that they were on a collision course and also did not notice–or communicate that the transponder was off.

    The two U.S. pilots Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino could get up to three years in prison after “a string of catastrophic errors committed by Brazilian air traffic controllers. In essence, they put and kept these two planes on a collision course.”

    ExcelAire says that “the transponder issue is a distraction from the true cause of the accident, which is an air traffic control system that put two airplanes on a collision course for about an hour.”

  • |

    Drunken United Airlines Pilot Charged

    LONDON–51-year-old pilot Erwin Vermont Washington pleaded guilty today for being above the alcohol limit for flying a plane. United has removed him from duty. He was pulled from London-Chicago Flight 949 (Boeing 767) in November. He scored a 31 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath. The blood test indicated 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. The limit for pilots is 20 milligrams.(for a car it is 80 milligrams.)

    Washington was tried in Uxbridge Magistrates Court near London and has been released on bail. For pilots being over the legal limit for flying, the maximum sentence is two years in jail and a fine.

    Sentencing will be Feb. 5.

  • Subverted terrorist

    Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab is not the only individual who boarded a flight with unmixed chemicals (two-part concoction of the high explosive PETN and possibly a glycol-based liquid explosive,) and bad intent. On Nov 13, in Mogadishu, Somalia, African Union peacekeeping troops arrested a man carrying carrying powdered chemicals, liquid and a syringe on to a Daallo Airlines flight scheduled to go from Mogadishu to Hargeisa, to Djibouti and then to Dubai.

  • Bombardier Nose Landing Case Dropped

    Failure to attach a bolt to a Bombardier jet to lock the front landing-gear doors did not result in an indictment. The case was dropped supposedly to lack of cooperation of the manufacturer regarding specifically who failed to attach the bolt.

    No one was injured in the the nose landing of the Bombardier DHC8-Q400 at Kochi airport in western Japan in 2007.

  • |

    MIAMI, Dec. 29

    Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group will be meeting Tuesday to mark the 37th anniversary of the 1972 Florida Everglades airplane crash that killed 101 passengers.

    The crew was attending to a landing gear light, and distracted from the fact that the plane was losing altitude.

    75 passengers survived.

    Bonds formed in family association support groups can be very strong, and continue nurturing the survivors for decades.

  • Aviation Security Tightening

    There are already consequences of Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab’s attempted terrorism of the recent Detroit-bound flight from Amsterdam. Passengers are having to deal with additional searches and heightened security. Not only in Amsterdam, but also Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC has increased airport security.

    The Mideast reported no new security restrictions.

  • |

    New DOT Consumer Rule Limits Airline Tarmac Delays, Provides Other Passenger Protections

    DOT 199-09
    Monday, December 21, 2009
    Contact: Olivia Alair
    Tel.: (202) 366-4570

    New DOT Consumer Rule Limits Airline Tarmac Delays, Provides Other Passenger Protections

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a new rule that significantly strengthens protections afforded to consumers by, among other things, establishing a hard time limit after which U.S. airlines must allow passengers to deplane from domestic flights.

    “Airline passengers have rights, and these new rules will require airlines to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly,” Secretary LaHood said.

    The new rule prohibits U.S. airlines operating domestic flights from permitting an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without deplaning passengers, with exceptions allowed only for safety or security or if air traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations. U.S. carriers operating international flights departing from or arriving in the United States must specify, in advance, their own time limits for deplaning passengers, with the same exceptions applicable.

    Carriers are required to provide adequate food and potable drinking water for passengers within two hours of the aircraft being delayed on the tarmac and to maintain operable lavatories and, if necessary, provide medical attention.

    This rule was adopted in response to a series of incidents in which passengers were stranded on the ground aboard aircraft for lengthy periods and also in response to the high incidence of flight delays and other consumer problems. In one of the most recent tarmac delay incidents, the Department fined Continental Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines and Mesaba Airlines a total of $175,000 for their roles in a nearly six-hour ground delay at Rochester, MN.

    The rule also:

    • Prohibits airlines from scheduling chronically delayed flights, subjecting those who do to DOT enforcement action for unfair and deceptive practices;
    • Requires airlines to designate an airline employee to monitor the effects of flight delays and cancellations, respond in a timely and substantive fashion to consumer complaints and provide information to consumers on where to file complaints;
    • Requires airlines to display on their website flight delay information for each domestic flight they operate;
    • Requires airlines to adopt customer service plans and audit their own compliance with their plans; and
    • Prohibits airlines from retroactively applying material changes to their contracts of carriage that could have a negative impact on consumers who already have purchased tickets.

    Today’s final rule was adopted following a review of public comments on a proposal issued in November 2008. The Department also plans to begin another rulemaking designed to further strengthen protections for air travelers. Among the areas under consideration are: a requirement that airlines submit to the Department for review and approval their contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays; reporting of additional tarmac delay data; disclosure of baggage fees; and strengthening requirements that airline ads disclose the full fare consumers must pay for tickets.

    The rule goes into effect 120 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. The rule may be obtained on the Internet at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2007-0022.

  • | | |

    FAA: Operating Status for Washington DC

    FAA headquarters, along with other Federal offices in the DC Metro-area, will be closed on Monday, December 21, 2009 due to the record-breaking storm that affected the region over the weekend.

    Designated emergency personnel should report to work as scheduled. Employees scheduled to telework may be required to work that day, depending on their telework agreements and arrangements made with their supervisors.

  • Coast Guard suspends search for overdue pilot

    NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard suspended it’s search at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday, for a 50-year-old man who reportedly lost communications after departing St. Petersburg, Fl., Tuesday, in a single engine airplane.

    The Coast Guard received a call from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at approximately 4 p.m., Thursday reporting that Mark Nichter, a 50-year-old pilot, lost radio communications, at approximately 9,900 feet, Tuesday, 140 miles southwest of St. Petersburg, Fl.

    Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., launched an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane and crew that conducted three search patterns, totaling 1,890 square miles, an area larger than Rhode Island. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) was also issued to mariners as a caution in the area.

  • East Coast Snowbound


    Snow in Philly
    The weather makes aviation news today–
    Snow storms are stranding passengers in airports (and on streets and highways) due to the hazardous conditions.

    DC, for example, has a blizzard warning with promise of snowfall accumulations ranging between 12 to 22 inches

    Also expecting snow are Baltimore (blizzard warning), Philadelphia, New York, Richmond, Tennessee , North Carolina and the southern New England states.

    Icy conditions on the road are causing accidents.

  • Flyglobespan Busted

    Flyglobespan, Scotland’s biggest airline, is out of business. All flights have been cancelled and all aircraft grounded.

    Passengers who are on vacation and stranded can make claims if they paid by credit card.

    A help line has been provided for stranded passengers:
    +44 (0) 2034410846 for Europe
    0871 271 9000 for UK calls

    Air travel Organisers Licensing may be able to assist.

    The airline stopped taking bookings yesterday afternoon when the rescue package—a financial deal with Jersey-based Halcyon Investments— failed to materialize.

    Fluglobespan had ten planes and flew from airports including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, Manchester, Gatwick and Belfast.

  • | |

    Always the Last to Know

    In spite of reports to the contrary, Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines deny emergencies that occurred during Sunday’s power outage at the Lagos airport. The rest of the world knew about the power outage even before power was restored. Apparently however, no one told Qatar Airways or Ethiopian Airlines.

    Even the brand-spanking new radar system installed at Murtala Mohammed International Airport will not function without power. And neither can communications.

    Of course, how do you communicate while in denial?

    Pilots coped by flying in a holding pattern or rerouting to other airports when they stopped receiving input from ATC during the power outage.

    Officials of Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways can play all the semantic games of denial that they want. The game is up. Everyone knows. Newspapers got wind of the power outage forcing up to a dozen planes into holding patterns, some of them until they experienced a fuel crisis and had to land without official clearance. There’s nothing like a little journalism to clear the air.

    With enforcement bodies like IATA and EASA empowering the airline passenger and providing oversight, and the aviation industry taking advantage of the (practically) instantaneous communication the world enjoys, legitimate airlines have made it universal policy to be as “transparent” and honest as possible regarding the unavoidable multitude of mini-disasters that constantly creep up in the course of making the world safe for aviation. It is that kind of wide-awake, constant open trouble-shooting and problem-solving which makes flying as safe as it is. No one wants to be “caught with their pants down”– but when it happens, you can be sure most airlines do their best to be wearing shiny clean underwear when it happens.

    Except in countries where denial reigns over truth. Countries that have certain airlines on a banned list.

    Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines say “none of their pilots complained about an enforced landing prompted by depleted fuel.” Maybe their pilots are scared to open their mouths, especially if they’re familiar with that policy of denial.

    One wonders if their pilots–or air traffic control, for that matter–had cell phones. Surely SOMEone in ATC called the main office and said, “Excuse me boss, but we have 12 planes circling, and no electricity. What do we do? What is the policy on that?” Surely SOME pilot used a cell phone, and told somebody somewhere, “Dude, we gotta land, we’re running out of fuel.”

    What did they say at headquarters? Pretend it’s not happening?

    To the folks in charge at Qatar and Ethiopian: Listen, nobody’s perfect. These things happen. Don’t deny it. Take responsibility. You examine what went wrong. You fix it so it doesn’t happen again.

    You don’t pretend it didn’t happen. You’re not a seven year old who broke Mama’s favorite cup or tracked mud on the carpet.

    You don’t fire the poor shmuck who happened to be on the duty that day.

    You admit the problem, own it, examine it in detail, and fix the mechanism, and make helpful policies for what to do if it happens again. And to go the distance, you award that poor shmuck on duty, because while you were sitting there with your head in the sand, denying any problem existed, somebody somewhere on the front lines—pilots and/or ATC—made some right decisions that kept people alive.

  • Financial Partnership

    Sky Holding, a San Francisco leasing company, has secured $500 million in equity from Los Angeles Oaktree (private equity firm.) The latest incarnation of their long-standing relationship will provide airline sale/leaseback financing. According to Sky holding’s press release, the latest “$500 million investment from funds managed by Oaktree will enable Sky to finance over $2 billion of Boeing and Airbus aircraft annually, with sale/leaseback activities set to begin in the first quarter of 2010.”

  • British Airways Strike

    Strike dates will be from 22 December to 2 January.

    The airline plans to cancel domestic UK flights first and keep as many international services flying as possible.

    Customers who have tickets for flights during the strike period can exchange for other calendar dates. (Options are to refund, rebook or reroute.)

    Under contest are new staff contracts which include a single on-board management grade, no seniority, promotion on merit, and pay set at market rate plus 10%. British Airways is under pressure to restructure and permanently reduce its costs.

  • Aviation Safety: Oversight of FAA Safety Initiatives.

    FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt Thursday testified before the Senate aviation subcommittee.

    The hearing focused largely on Colgan Flight 3407 and flight fatigue.

    Senate Commerce Committee Chair John Rockefeller pushed for NextGen.

    NextGen is an umbrella term for the transformation of the United States’ national airspace system (NAS). NextGen represents an evolution from a ground-based system of air traffic control to a satellite-based system of air traffic management.

  • H.R. 4217 Passes

    The Senate passed H.R. 4217, the bill extending FAA programs and excise taxes through March 31, 2010.

    The current extension expires at the end of the 2009.

    The extension provides $2 billion in AIP contract authority for the first six months of the year.

    H.R.4217

    Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.

    Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15](introduced 12/8/2009)

    Cosponsors (6)

    Latest Major Action: 12/10/2009 Passed/agreed to in Senate.

    Status: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

    View text of the legislation

  • Air India to Cut (or Cut Cuts)

    The issue of performance payments is being reviewed after the (Indian) unions rejected a 50 per cent cut proposal.

    Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav is meeting with the committees reviewing the productivity-linked incentives, examining the PLI issue of pilots, engineers, officers and other technical and non-technical staff.

    The examination is part of an operational and financial turnaround plan pruning costs, increasing yields and making profits for Air India.