Public Statement

NewsRelease
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration

HAMPTON, Va. – In a little more than a week NASA’s next flight test, called Pad Abort-1, will lift off from the pad at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range, near Las Cruces, N.M.

A team from NASA’s Langley Research Center will travel to support the test, scheduled for May 6.

On Thursday, April 29, from 1 to 3 p.m., local media are invited to interview launch abort system (LAS) manager Kevin Rivers and chief engineer David McGowan before they travel to White Sands. Media should contact Amy Johnson at 757-864-7022 by noon Wednesday, April 28, if they would like to schedule an interview during that time.

The LAS was designed to offer a safe, reliable method of removing the astronaut crew from danger should an emergency occur on the launch pad or during the vehicle’s climb to orbit. It employs ground-breaking rocket technology never tested before. The development of the Orion launch abort system is led by NASA Langley in partnership with Marshall Space Flight Center. Langley also designed and produced the crew module simulator that will be used for the flight test

PA-1 is the first fully integrated test of the launch abort system that was developed for the Orion crew exploration vehicle as part of an ongoing mission to develop safer vehicles for human spaceflight applica¬tions. The Pad Abort-1 vehicle consists of a tower-like launch abort system positioned over a simulated crew module. For the test, the vehicle will be launched by its abort motor to a height of approximately one mile and approximately one mile downrange.

Demand Improvements Continue in March – Expect Volcano-Related Dip in April
Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that March 2010 international scheduled air traffic showed continued strengthening of demand. Compared to March 2009, passenger demand was up 10.3%, while cargo demand grew 28.1%. Both are improvements from the 9.0% and 26.3% growth for passenger and freight demand recorded in February.

These are strong gains, but the data is being compared to March 2009, which was the low point for international air travel during the recession. “March results show that the pace of the upturn is strong. But the trauma of the recession is not over. The industry has lost two years of growth, and passenger and freight markets are still 1% below early 2008 highs. Nonetheless, the pace of improvement, based on an improving global economic situation, is much faster than anybody would have expected even six months ago,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO. IATA noted that the International Monetary Fund revised global GDP growth forecasts from 3.0% to 4.3% for 2010.

With a 78.0% load factor recorded in March, passenger load factors remain at record highs. While demand expanded by 10.3% in March, capacity increases stood at 2.0%, boosting the load factor and creating much tighter supply and demand conditions. Global capacity remains 3-4% below pre-crisis levels.

International freight markets are also experiencing tighter supply and demand conditions. The 28.1% improvement in demand outpaced the 5.3% capacity expansion in March. This drove freight load factors to 57.1% — the highest since November 2002 when international freight load factors stood at 58.8%.

International Passenger Demand
Regional demand patterns continue to reflect the asymmetrical nature of the economic rebound.

• Asia-Pacific carriers posted strong demand growth of 12.6%, against a capacity expansion of 1.3%. The strength of the rebound in the region’s economies is supporting Asia-Pacific’s demand improvement. China’s economy grew by 11.9% in the first quarter while India’s economy is growing by 7.0%. There is also greater optimism for a return to economic growth in Japan.
• European carriers posted traffic growth of 6.0%, considerably weaker than the global improvements, but better than the 4.0% growth in February. This is the result of sluggish home economies and continuing high unemployment rates. European carriers reduced capacity by 0.8% compared to the previous year.
• North American carriers posted a traffic growth of 7.8%, lagging the global average, although considerably improved from the 4.4% recorded in February. Uncertainty over government budget cuts and tax increases is dampening demand for air travel, compared to other regions, particularly Asia-Pacific. North American carriers posted the highest load factor among the regions (81.6%) as a result of continuing careful capacity management.
• Middle Eastern carriers recorded the strongest traffic growth at 25.9%. While economic growth of 5% in the region is supporting some of this increase, a large part is attributed to market share gains on long-haul markets, connecting passengers over Middle Eastern hubs. Load factors of 76.2% were slightly below the global average.
• African carriers are now starting to see improving growth, having suffered market share declines for several years. During March, demand was up 13.6% and load factors grew to 67.4% for the month.
  Latin American carriers posted the weakest growth of any region, increasing only 4.6% in March. This is in sharp contrast to February when the region’s carriers grew by 8.5%. The reduction is largely due to the impact of the earthquake in Chile.

International Cargo Demand

Global air freight is now within 1% point of recovering to its previous high point of early 2008. International air freight volumes shrank by over one quarter during the second half of 2008. The upturn in the business inventory cycle has almost eliminated that decline, although the upturn for international air freight has taken twice as long as the collapse.

Despite the sluggish US economy, North American carriers have seen an international freight rebound (+32.2%). Both export and import volumes are very strong in the emerging economies of Asia-Pacific (+34.1%) and in Latin America which recorded the strongest growth at 47.9%.

European carriers showed the weakest improvement in freight demand at 11.7%, largely due to the slow economic recovery in the region.
The strong traffic recovery is expected to show a dip in April as a result of the eruption of an Icelandic volcano in April that saw the shutdown of large portions of European airspace over a six-day period. “European carriers were already showing the weakest recovery from the financial crisis through March. The volcanic ash crisis hit the weakest part of the industry the hardest. The majority of the US$1.7 billion in lost revenues was by Europe’s carriers. Passenger confidence is not affected and we expect a quick rebound. The combined impact of lost business and added costs will certainly hit the bottom line,” said Bisignani.

March Aviation Traffic Results

Mar 2010 vs. Mar 2009	RPK Growth	ASK Growth	PLF	FTK Growth	AFTK Growth
Africa	13.6%	11.0%	67.4	45.8%	8.9%
Asia/Pacific	12.6%	1.3%	79.1	34.1%	12.5%
Europe	6.0%	-0.8%	78.1	11.7%	-5.2%
Latin America	4.6%	-0.7%	73.3	47.9%	24.6%
Middle East	25.9%	14.8%	76.2	35.5%	15.0%
North America	7.8%	0.6%	81.6	32.2%	-1.1%
Industry	10.3%	2.0%	78.0	28.1%	5.3%

YTD 2010 vs. YTD 2009	RPK Growth	ASK Growth	PLF	FTK Growth	AFTK Growth
Africa	10.4%	8.2%	67.0	34.6%	7.4%
Asia/Pacific	10.5%	0.3%	78.6	35.9%	11.1%
Europe	4.3%	-0.6%	75.7	10.3%	-6.6%
Latin America	8.2%	1.4%	77.0	40.3%	22.2%
Middle East	25.0%	15.8%	75.1	34.0%	17.0%
North America	5.0%	-1.5%	78.4	31.6%	-3.0%
Industry	8.6%	1.6%	76.6	27.8%	4.0%

Notes for Editors:

• IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic
• Explanation of measurement terms:
• RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometres measures actual passenger traffic
• ASK: Available Seat Kilometres measures available passenger capacit
• PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used. In comparison of 2009 to 2008, PLF indicates point differential between the periods compare
• FTK: Freight Tonne Kilometres measures actual freight traffi
• AFTK: Available Freight Tonne Kilometres measures available total freight capacit
• FLF: Freight Load Factor is % of AFTKs used
• IATA statistics cover international scheduled air traffic; domestic traffic is not included
• All figures are provisional and represent total reporting at time of publication plus estimates for missing data. Historic figures may be revised
• International passenger traffic market shares by region in terms of RPK are: Europe 37.6%, Asia-Pacific 28.8%, North America 15.2%, Middle East 11.0%, Latin America 4.1%, Africa 3.3%
• International freight traffic market shares by region in terms of FTK are: Asia-Pacific 44.9%, Europe 24.7%, North America 15.9%, Middle East 10.4%, Latin America 2.8%, Africa 1.3%

For Immediate Release
April 26, 2010
Contact: Sasha Johnson
Phone: (202) 267-3883

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today called on air carrier operators to create and enforce policies that will limit distractions in the cockpit and keep pilots focused on transporting passengers safely.

“There is no room for distraction when your job is to get people safely to their destinations,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The traveling public expects professional pilots to focus on flying and on safety at all times.”

The Information for Operators (InFO) guidance reminds crewmembers and air carriers that any cockpit distraction that diverts attention from required duties can “constitute a safety risk.” This includes the use of personal electronic devices for activities unrelated to flight.

Last October the pilots of Northwest 188 over-flew their destination by 150 miles because they were using their laptop computers for personal activities and lost situational awareness.

“Every aviation professional needs to take the issue of distractions in the cockpit seriously,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “And when there are two or more professionals on the flight deck, they must hold each other to the highest safety standards. Allowing distractions is unacceptable.”

The FAA’s Sterile Cockpit Rule prohibits pilots from engaging in any type of distracting behavior during critical phases of flight, including take-off and landing.

In this InFO, the FAA is asking air carriers to address the issue of distraction through their crew training programs and to create a safety culture to control cockpit distractions.

As technology advances, laptops and other devices are becoming valuable tools for pilots to use in their routine duties. But they must only be used in the cockpit if they assist pilots in safely operating an aircraft.

For Immediate Release
April 26, 2010
Contact: Tammy L. Jones or Paul Takemoto
Phone: (202) 267-3883

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) plan to modernize the national airspace system, controllers in the Philadelphia area now have the capability to use a satellite-based system to more efficiently and safely track and separate aircraft.

“This new technology is a tremendous leap forward in transforming the current air traffic control system,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “The operational benefits in Philadelphia extend as far as Washington, DC, and New York, which has some of the most congested airspace in the world.”

Called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), the new system is a core technology under the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). By using ADS-B, air traffic controllers have more precise information while separating aircraft in the sky and on the runways, leading to greater efficiency and safety benefits. Controllers who have access to ADS-B receive one-second update rates compared to four-and-a- half second update rates with radar.

Potentially, they will be able to reduce separation in the en route environment from the current five nautical miles to three, saving both time and money for the airlines while reducing the carbon footprint. Pilots flying aircraft equipped with ADS-B know precisely where they are and are able to see other properly equipped aircraft. They also have access to better information on area weather and receive flight information electronically, such as airmen notices and temporary flight restrictions.

Philadelphia is one of four key sites that the FAA selected to demonstrate ADS-B services. The other sites include Houston, Louisville, KY, and Juneau, AK. The sites were selected because of their unique airspace environments and local needs.

ADS-B coverage at Philadelphia extends 60 nautical miles out and approximately 10,000 feet up. It also covers the surface area and the approach corridors to the runways. Philadelphia was selected because of its current automation platform that is used by air traffic controllers, called the Standard Terminal Automated Replacement System. Also, UPS has equipped for ADS-B services and a large amount of their operations are conducted at Philadelphia International Airport. In addition, US Airways is in the process of equipping its aircraft to use ADS-B.

Philadelphia Airport also has Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X), which provides detailed coverage of movement on runways and taxiways allowing controllers to detect potential conflicts. The ASDE-X at Philadelphia has been upgraded to receive ADS-B data. Additionally, the ASDE-X surveillance data will be used as a Traffic Information Service – Broadcast (TIS-B) source so pilots can see non-ADS-B targets on their cockpit displays.

FAA is installing the ground infrastructure for ADS-B. The agency has proposed that airlines and private aircraft install ADS-B avionics by 2020. Some airlines and private aircraft have already started equipping in advance of that date. ADS-B is expected to be available nationwide by 2013.

Volcano Crisis Cost Airlines $1.7 Billion in Revenue – IATA Urges Measures to Mitigate Impact

Berlin – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated that the Icelandic volcano crisis cost airlines more than $1.7 billion in lost revenue through Tuesday—six days after the initial eruption. For a three-day period (17-19 April), when disruptions were greatest, lost revenues reached $400 million per day.

“Lost revenues now total more than $1.7 billion for airlines alone. At the worst, the crisis impacted 29% of global aviation and affected 1.2 million passengers a day. The scale of the crisis eclipsed 9/11 when US airspace was closed for three days,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

IATA noted there are some cost savings related to the flight groundings. For example, the fuel bill is $110 million a day less compared to normal. But airlines face added costs including from passenger care. “For an industry that lost $9.4 billion last year and was forecast to lose a further $2.8 billion in 2010, this crisis is devastating. It is hitting hardest where the carriers are in the most difficult financial situation. Europe’s carriers were already expected to lose $2.2 billion this year—the largest in the industry,” said Bisignani.

Mitigating the Financial Impact

“As we are counting the costs of the crisis we must also look for ways to mitigate the impact. Some of our airport partners are setting industry best practice. London Heathrow and Dubai are waiving parking fees and not charging for repositioning flights. Others airports must follow,” said Bisignani.

But the larger role is for governments. Bisignani made three specific requests for regulatory relief:

Relax Airport Slot Rules: IATA urged that rules on take-off and landing slot allocation (use it or lose it) be relaxed to reflect the extra-ordinary nature of the crisis.
Lift Restrictions on Night Flights: IATA urged governments to relax bans on night flights so carriers can take every opportunity to get stranded passengers back home as soon as possible.
Address Unfair Passenger Care Regulations: “This crisis is an act of god—completely beyond the control of airlines. Insurers certainly see it this way. But Europe’s passenger rights regulations take no consideration of this. These regulations provide no relief for extraordinary situations and still hold airlines responsible to pay for hotels, meals and telephones. The regulations were never meant for such extra-ordinary situations. It is urgent that the European Commission finds a way to ease this unfair burden,” said Bisignani.
Bisignani also urged governments to examine ways for governments to compensate airlines for lost revenues. Following 9/11, the US government provided $5 billion to compensate airlines for the costs of grounding the fleet for three days. The European Commission also allowed European states to provide similar assistance.

“I am the first one to say that this industry does not want or need bailouts. But this crisis is not the result of running our business badly. It is an extra-ordinary situation exaggerated with a poor decision-making process by national governments. The airlines could not do business normally. Governments should help carriers recover the cost of this disruption,” said Bisignani.

Re-Opening Air Space

On Monday, the European Commission announced revised measures for handling airspace closures, following widespread criticism of their methodology.

“Airspace was being closed based on theoretical models not on facts. Test flights by our members showed that the models were wrong. Our top priority is safety. Without compromising on safety, Europe needed to find a way to make decisions based on facts and risk assessment, not theories,” said Bisignani.

“The decision to categorize airspace based on risk was a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, not all states are applying this uniformly. It is an embarrassing situation for Europe, which after decades of discussion, still does not have an effective Single European Sky. The chaos and economic losses of the last week are a clarion call to Europe’s political leaders that a Single European Sky is critical and urgent,” said Bisignani.

FedEx Express Resumes Operations at Charles de Gaulle Airport

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – April 19, 2010 (9:00 p.m. CDT) FedEx Express has restarted its operations at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris with a flight leaving CDG for Memphis and seven flights leaving the U.S. for CDG. Additional freight from the Company’s Asia Pacific and Middle East regions are also being flown into CDG.

Due to the fluid nature of the movement of the volcanic ash, the Company is still monitoring this situation very carefully and will continue to take advantage of any opportunity to fly into additional airports as they open. However, the Company cautions that it will take time to clear backlogs of cargo and customers should expect delays in shipments.

As previously noted, FedEx Express is focused on prioritizing freight on a “first in/first out” basis and indicated it is not accepting deferred international freight at this time. FedEx is asking those customers who have shipments requiring special attention; i.e. temperature control, dry ice or perishables hold their shipments until the Company is able to resume its normal flight schedule.

The Company’s Money Back Guarantee does not apply to delays of this nature that are beyond the control of FedEx Express.

Boeing Statement on President’s Remarks and the Need for Immediate Development of a Heavy-lift Vehicle

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 16, 2010 — Speaking at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 15, U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled proposed changes to the administration’s fiscal year 2011 budget submission for space exploration, including a crew rescue vehicle and a decision on a heavy-lift rocket in 2015. The Boeing Company responded today with the following statement:

“The president’s enthusiasm for space exploration was encouraging. We are pleased that the president remains committed to human spaceflight. We remain convinced that America stands at an inflection point with regard to space: If we make the right decisions today, we have the opportunity to create a new Golden Age of Space. Our national leadership’s focus on this bodes well for our country and its highly experienced space industrial base.

“Boeing has served as a major partner in humankind’s exploration of space since the beginning. Our talented people bring a mature understanding of NASA’s enduring needs; a practical, businesslike approach to innovation; and a commitment to mission assurance and the safety and success of our astronaut corps.

“We are encouraged by the extension of the International Space Station program and look forward to enhancing scientific research onboard, upgrading the space station, and using it as a U.S. national laboratory. Benefits to be gained from extension of the space station include international cooperation; medical and pharmaceutical advancements; its use as a test bed for demonstrating Earth-observation capabilities and future exploration technologies; and the availability of a waypoint for future exploration missions.
“Excellence in human spaceflight is an important part of the American identity and symbolizes global leadership on the highest of technological platforms. We are greatly concerned that by backing away from the challenges of human space exploration, the United States would relinquish its leadership of a mission that has inspired generations.

“A bold national space program also supports the United States’ security and economy by fostering a domestic work force that is educated and skilled in science, technology, engineering and math. It encourages the growth of new technologies and emerging businesses, large and small.
“We support the president’s call for increased investment in heavy-lift launch vehicle technology, but we believe the United States should be on a clear path to accelerate the development and production of this critical system, along with a deep-space capsule. Both of these vehicles are essential to any deep-space exploration mission. We have the technology and the people to commence development of these vehicles now. A plan that includes a heavy-lift vehicle would enable space exploration supported by humans, large-array telescopes and deep-space robotic missions. It could achieve maximum benefit from American tax dollars by drawing on the cutting-edge technology already being developed for the Constellation program.

“Remaining at the forefront of human spaceflight is the only choice worthy of this great nation and to the long line of explorers and visionaries who brought us to where we are today.”

ICAO Release-April 15, 2010-

The International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) system, established by ICAO in coordination with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), proved effective in ensuring the safety of air transport following the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjalla in Iceland on 14 April 2010.

No incidents or accidents have been reported due to volcanic ash. Disruptions in air traffic, however, are being experienced in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia.

Since volcanic ash is composed of very abrasive silica materials, it can damage the airframe and flight surfaces, clog different systems, abrade cockpit windows and flame-out jet engines constituting a serious safety hazard. Volcanic ash can also have a serious effect on aerodromes located downwind of a volcanic ash plume since it contaminates runways, ground equipment and aircraft parked or taxiing around the aerodrome.

The IAVW system is designed to detect and track the movement of volcanic ash in the atmosphere and to warn aircraft in flight about this hazard. The main components of the system are comprised of nine volcanic ash advisory centres responsible for the provision of information related to areas and flight levels affected by volcanic ash and its future movement. These centres are strategically distributed around the globe. They are Anchorage, Buenos Aires, Darwin, London, Montreal, Tokyo, Toulouse, Washington and Wellington. Another important component of the system is the role of area control centres of each State to warn aircraft in flight about the location of the volcanic ash. They work together with selected State Volcano Observatories and the corresponding MET watch offices that are tasked with disseminating the corresponding warnings which are called SIGMETs.

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the
Federal Aviation Administration:

Require Honeywell to revise the software logic within the MK
XXII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System so that a
fault in the radio altimeter system would not prevent the
look-ahead feature from functioning without notification to
the pilot. (A-10-60)

Once Honeywell revises the MK XXII Enhanced Ground Proximity
Warning System (EGPWS) software logic (as described in
Safety Recommendation A-10-60), require all operators using
the Honeywell MK XXII EGPWS to install the revised software.
(A-10-61)

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the
Federal Aviation Administration:

Provide pilots and maintenance personnel with information
that (1) transport-category aircraft tires can lose up to 5
percent pressure per day, (2) it may take only a few days
for such tires to reach an underinflation level below what
the aircraft maintenance manual specifies for tire
replacement, and (3) the underinflation level that would
require tire replacement is not visually detectable. (A-10-
46)

Virginia, NASA keep eyes on skies for air quality

HAMPTON, Va. – Air quality in the skies above Hampton Roads will be monitored daily under a new partnership between NASA’s Langley Research Center and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

The agreement relocates the state agency’s air-quality measurement operation to Langley following closure of the Hampton organization where it had been located, the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. The DEQ’s new site is expected to open in May, said Margaret Pippin, the scientist coordinating the move at Langley.

“This site will bring together the partnership of NASA, DEQ, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a coordinated effort to assess the relationship between space-based observations and surface observations of air quality,” Pippin said.

The federal and state agencies are both interested in generating a comprehensive data record of pollution from industrial processes and vehicles.

The DEQ station will be located at Langley’s Chemistry and Physics of the Boundary Layer Experiment site (CAPABLE), which will measure ozone and nitrogen dioxide. The DEQ will measure ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter.

The partnership will be mutually beneficial, said Pippin. The DEQ will have a bigger pool of data and a larger location to add to its statewide network of air-quality monitoring sites. And NASA scientists will be able to use the combined measurements to enhance a future satellite mission to measure air quality from space.

Since the early 1970s, the DEQ has worked with the EPA to uphold the standards of U.S. Clean Air Act. That includes taking widespread air quality measurements in Virginia and keeping a data record.

NASA Langley’s Science Directorate has a legacy in atmospheric science as well, leading early discoveries about the ozone hole and improving knowledge of human-created pollution on air quality and the atmosphere.
Last week at the new Langley site, NASA and DEQ began monitoring what the U.S. EPA calls “criteria pollutants.” These are the emissions from factories, power plants and cars that can damage human health, plants, the environment and infrastructure. They include ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and other airborne particulates.

“For NASA Langley and the DEQ, I see this as a win-win situation where we can work together, share air-quality data and monitoring information and learn from each other,” said Tom Jennings of the DEQ Office of Air Quality Monitoring.
The DEQ’s transition to Langley will occur over the next two months and result in two identical environmental shelters positioned in a mirror image to one another – one for NASA’s instruments and the other for DEQ’s.

The partnership was formalized in what is called a Space Act Agreement, which was signed last week. The agreement calls for a five-year partnership at the Langley site.