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FAA Proposes $275,000 Civil Penalty Against Continental Airlines

For Immediate Release
December 22, 2010

SEATTLE– The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $275,000 civil penalty against Continental Airlines Inc., of Houston, for operating two Boeing 737-900ER (extended range) aircraft on 73 flights when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

The FAA alleges Continental mechanics failed to follow the 737 Airplane Maintenance Manual when they installed incorrect main landing gear wheel-tire assemblies on two aircraft and released them for service on Nov. 7 and 19, 2009.

The manual contains specific instructions to mechanics not to use wheel-tire assemblies intended for the B-737-700, -800 and -900 on the heavier B-737-900ER. The manual says using the incorrect assemblies on the heavier version of the B-737 might lead to damage to the aircraft or injury to people working on and around the aircraft.

Continental has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency

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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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    FAA Forecast Predicts Air Travel to Double in Two Decades

    “NextGen” Investments Necessary to Meet Airspace Demands

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its annual forecast today predicting that air travel will more than double in the next 20 years. This report underscores the need to keep the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) on track to accommodate future growth.

    “We need to invest in aviation today to make sure America’s economy remains competitive,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “Innovative NextGen technology will help meet the demands of the future by getting passengers to their destinations safely and more quickly.”

    Today’s release of the FAA Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2011-2031 predicts that U.S. airlines will reach the one billion passengers-per-year mark by 2021, two years earlier than last year’s prediction of 2023.

    Through NextGen, the FAA is transforming the U.S. aviation system from radar- to satellite-based systems that will help passengers reach their destinations more quickly and will increase capacity and safety. New, more precise routes will also reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions and noise.

    “We are already seeing the tangible safety and efficiency benefits of NextGen,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Only a modernized air transportation system will be able to keep up with our forecasted demand.”

    The aviation standard to measure air travel volume is Revenue Passenger Miles (RPM) or one paying passenger traveling one mile. According to the forecast, RPMs are projected to more than double over the next two decades, from 787 billion in 2010 to 1.7 trillion in 2031.

    The FAA 20-year forecast predicts the number of passengers traveling on U.S. airlines will increase by 3.5 percent from last year to 737.4 million passengers in 2011. That figure is projected to grow an average of 2.8 percent each year during the remaining forecast period to 1.3 billion by 2031.

    Total landings and takeoffs at FAA towered airports are forecast to slightly decrease in 2011, and then grow at an average annual rate of 1.6 percent each year, reaching 69.4 million in 2031.

    Additional details on the forecast, including a detailed breakdown on general or private aviation, cargo demand, and landing and takeoff operations at airports and FAA facilities can be found in the FAA Forecast Fact Sheet Fiscal Years 2011-31 .

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    FAA Orders Inspections of Honeywell Emergency Locator Transmitters


    The FAA is issuing an Airworthiness Directive (AD) identical to the August 26 Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) directive which requires airlines to inspect Honeywell emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) by January 14, 2014 to prevent an electrical short and possible ignition source. The FAA AD has the same deadline for the U.S. fleet and will impact approximately 4,000 airplanes at a total cost of approximately $325,720. The investigation of the July 12, 2013 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 fire at Heathrow Airport continues under the leadership of the United Kingdom Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).

    In George’s Point of View

    Good for Transport Canada Civil Aviation beating us to the punch. Too bad that the deadline is January 14, 2014. Seems like they could behave with a bit more urgency with a potential fire hazard. Does this mean that–if one of these Honeywell emergency locator transmitters happens to cause a fire between now and January 14, 2014, the TCCA and the FAA are responsible? By setting a date months away, aren’t these agencies downplaying the hazard potential?

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  • IATA PR: IATA e-freight Goes Live In US Domestic Market

    Washington – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced today the dawn of a new era for the air cargo supply chain in the domestic United States market. IATA e-freight for domestic shipments went live in the US earlier this month and is currently operational at 58 US airports.

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

    The IATA e-freight implementation team was led by American Airlines Cargo in close cooperation with DB Schenker Logistics.

    International e-freight in the US went live in October 2008 and operates at Chicago, New York JFK and Miami for both imports and exports, and Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles for imports only. There are plans to increase the number of US ports for both export and import over the coming months.

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

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  • Press Release

    TUCSON, AZ, October 05, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ — Aerospace manufacturers currently in production in Mexico, as well as those considering options for low-cost country investment and sourcing will gather in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico from October 20 -22, 2009 at The Offshore Group’s Aerospace Manufacturing in Mexico Conference.

    Ricardo Dominguez Quijano will be one of the event’s featured speakers. Mr. Dominguez, of the Mexican Professional Aeronautical Engineers Association, will discuss the provisions and ramifications of a 2007 agreement that enables aerospace companies in Mexico to certify aerospace designs and components in accordance with US Standards, and in compliance with FAA Regulatory issues. The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, or BASA, aims to streamline production and to avoid costly recertifications or secondary reviews.

    Mexico is home to approximately 120 aerospace companies, and employs a work force that is rapidly approaching 20,000 workers. The Offshore Group’s Guaymas and Empalme, Sonora, Mexico industrial parks are home to one of the nation’s fastest developing aerospace clusters.

    Complete information about this unique industry event can be accessed by visiting:
    www.offshoregroup.com/guaymasaerospace.asp

    About The Offshore Group

    The Tucson, Arizona – based Offshore Group is Mexico’s leading provider of a turnkey outsourced manufacturing support or, “shelter,” solution that has enabled manufacturers to initiate and maintain low-cost, low-risk operations in Mexico since 1986. The Offshore Group’s 50+ manufacturing company clients are located in three gated and modern industrial parks with strategic locations in Mexico’s North Central and Western regions.

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  • FAA Calls on Airlines to Limit Cockpit Distractions


    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.

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