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

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

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

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

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

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

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    FAA, Georgia Tech Sign NextGen Research Agreement

    July 6 – The FAA has reached an agreement with Georgia Tech to research how the increased sophistication on the flight deck under the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will affect flight crewmembers and controllers. The agreement is the first of several the FAA expects to announce in the coming months with universities that specialize in aviation-related human factors research. For the FAA, the work will be conducted by the Human Factors Research and Engineering Group, which is part of the Research and Technology Development Office.

    Amy Pritchett, an associate professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Aerospace Engineering, will lead a study of pilot response to alerts from the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) under NextGen. TCAS warns pilots about potential mid-air collisions and gives specific instructions on evasive action to both pilots. Pritchett’s team will examine how pilots should respond to these alerts in the future, when the increased safety and efficiency that comes with NextGen’s satellite-based technologies means that aircraft may be operating closer together.

    Frank Durso, an Engineering Psychology professor, will lead a team exploring how flight crews and controllers interact with automation. Specifically, Durso’s team will focus on how roles will evolve with NextGen technology. Durso will first lay the groundwork by examining how pilots and controllers work with today’s automation. His team will then see how pilots and controllers in the future can use automation to manage their workloads and to improve their situational awareness and performance. Research results will also help FAA develop guidance for aviation safety oversight of NextGen operations.

    Georgia Tech, which has conducted important aviation-related human factors research for the FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was chosen after the FAA conducted a thorough market survey of schools with expertise in this area. In addition to an outstanding staff and students, the school has a wide range of aviation research capabilities including air traffic control simulators and an Airbus flight deck simulator.

    The research done by Georgia Tech will be shared with the public through presentations of research findings at national and international symposia in order to foster a broad understanding of how NextGen will enhance the ability of pilots and controllers to effectively use new technologies and procedures.

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    Comair Machinists withdraw from FAA’s ASAP

    Delta Air Lines regional subsidiary of Machinists at Comair have withdrawn from the ASAP program, a 2008 initiative between the machinists union, Comair and the FAA was designed to identify potential aircraft maintenance-related safety issues and develop corrective action.

    However, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) describe the ambitious program as dysfuntional, as Comair’s anti-collaborative procedure is to take action against union members who submitted voluntary reports.

    The official press release is below:

    Machinists Withdraw From Comair ASAP Program

    Mon. August 02, 2010
    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 142 today announced it has withdrawn from the maintenance Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) at Delta Air Lines’ regional subsidiary Comair.

    “We have discussed the problems with this dysfunctional program with both Comair and the FAA for months.” said IAM District 142 President Tom Higginbotham. “We no longer have any faith that this program will ever be managed according to the regulations.”

    The ASAP program, a joint initiative between the Machinists Union, Comair and the FAA in place since 2008, was designed to identify potential aircraft maintenance-related safety issues and develop corrective actions to improve air transportation safety. The program is dependant upon technicians submitting reports which are then reviewed by an Event Review Committee (ERC) comprised of FAA, Comair and Machinists Union representatives. The ERC then identifies any problems or systemic issues and develop corrective solutions to prevent a future reoccurrence.

    The ASAP program is designed to take place without the reporting technician having to fear any punitive or disciplinary actions. Comair has taken actions against Machinist Union members who have submitted voluntary reports, contrary to the letter and spirit of the FAA’s ASAP program. Additionally, Comair has failed to provide a collaborative environment needed for an effective program to work.

    “We should not have to wait for an accident to occur before addressing safety issues,” said Higginbotham. “We are disappointed that Comair failed to take this program, which is effective and runs well at over 35 other carriers, seriously.”

    IAM District 142 represents 530 Comair Mechanic and Related employees in Cincinnati, OH; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Greensboro and Raleigh-Durham, NC and Detroit, MI. More information about the IAM at Comair is available at www.iamdl142.org.
    :

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    Air Transport Association Congratulates Senate on FAA Bill Passage That Furthers NextGen and Creates Thousands of U.S. Jobs

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today congratulated Chairman Jay Rockefeller, Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison and the Senate for passage of the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (S.223), which will help create jobs and modernize the air traffic control system. A modernized air traffic management system will improve operational efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and lower airline operating costs.

    “This bill moves the United States toward our goal of enabling a safe, sustainable and profitable airline industry that provides good value to customers and promotes global competitiveness,” said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “We applaud the leadership and significant work to pass a bill that reflects a continued commitment to safety and modernization of the air traffic control system by requiring that FAA establish and track performance metrics.”

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    NTSB COMPLETES DATA COLLECTION FOR EXPERIMENTAL- AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT Study

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    Throughout the 2011 calendar year, the NationalTransportation Safety Board has been conducting a study ofExperimental Amateur-Built (E-AB) aircraft to evaluate thesafety of this growing and innovative segment of general aviation. In addition to using the information gathered during its accident investigations, the NTSB has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and individual owners and builders to evaluate a range of issues unique to this popular segment of general aviation.

    “The cooperation we have received from EAA and the E-AB community has been tremendous,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P Hersman. “Through this study, we hope that we’ll be ableto give the innovators and aviators in the community
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    As part of the study, NTSB investigators have conducted in-depth investigations of 222 E-AB aircraft accidents that occurred during 2011. Fifty-four of these accidents resulted in 67 fatalities. Most of these accidents (93%) involved
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    accounting for the most. More than half (53%) of the E-AB accidents investigated in 2011 involved E-AB aircraft that were bought used, as opposed to having been built by the current owner.

    The EAA has supported the study by conducting a web-based survey of E-AB owners and builders. More than 5,000 E-AB owners and builders responded to EAA’s survey, and 4,923 of these responses were sufficiently complete to use in
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    “The NTSB is extremely pleased with the number of respondents who participated in the survey,” said Dr. Joseph Kolly, Director of the Office of Research and Engineering. “The survey data provides us with quantifiable, factual
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    The safety study is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012.

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    NTSB PROVIDES INVESTIGATIVE UPDATE AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OF LAB WORK RELATED TO BOEING 787 BATTERY FIRE IN BOSTON


    January 23, 2013
    WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman will provide an update on the NTSB’s investigation of the Jan. 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

    Chairman Hersman will brief credentialed members of the news media on the progress of the investigation, after which she and senior staff will take questions. Those unable to attend in person can call in to a teleconference line.

    Reporters will then be invited to view the materials laboratory where the battery is being examined. Photography will be allowed but no “stand-ups” or taped reporting from the lab will be permitted.

    For planning purposes, RSVP is required for those planning to either attend in person or call in.

    Location: NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza East, SW, Washington, DC

    Date: Thursday, January 24, 2013

    Time: 2:30 p.m.

    Participants: Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman; John DeLisi, Director of NTSB Office of Aviation Safety; and Dr.
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    The following factual information has been developed about the battery: It consists of eight cells of 3.7 volts each. All eight cells had varying degrees of thermal damage. Six of eight cells have been CT scanned and have been disassembled to expose their electrodes. All electrode windings in the battery are in the process of being photo-documented and are undergoing microscopic examination. In the coming days, the remaining two cells will undergo the same examination. Additional information will be provided tomorrow.

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    Press Release: FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Five Companies

    FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Five Companies

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to assess civil penalties ranging from $50,000 to $70,000 against five companies for alleged violation of the Federal Aviation Regulations or Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

    $50,000 against Spirit Airlines, Inc., Miramar, Fla., for returning an aircraft to service, and then operating that aircraft on revenue passenger flights when it was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations. The FAA alleged that Spirit failed to replace a faulty elevator aileron computer (ELAC) after the aircraft experienced an uncommanded pitch down of the nose while operating between Orlando, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico on Aug. 21, 2009. Although Spirit’s maintenance program required replacement of the ELAC computer, the airline did not do so before flying the A321 on a revenue passenger flight the next day from San Juan to Fort Lauderdale, when the aircraft experienced another uncommanded pitch down.

    $63,525 against Friendship Airways Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., an air taxi operator, for operating two Cessna 402 aircraft on 77 commuter flights in violation of its air carrier certificate and operations specifications. The FAA alleged that the two aircraft were not authorized for use for the flights between June 21 and July 21, 2008 because they were not listed on the company’s operating specifications for commuter service.

    $50,000 against Fleet Aviation of White Plains, N.Y., an on-demand charter and air taxi company, for operating two of its aircraft on 251 flights between June 15, 2009 and March 19, 2010 when crews had not completed the emergency drills required by its training program.

    $54,000 against Englund Marine Supply Co. of Astoria, Ore., for offering a package containing flammable gasses and liquids to UPS for transportation by air from Astoria to Rio Vista, Calif., March 26, 2010. The package was discovered leaking at Portland before it was loaded on an aircraft.

    $70,000 against Coty, Inc., of New York, for offering a package containing perfume, a flammable liquid, to FedEx for transportation by air from Upland, Calif., to Covington, Wash., March 9, 2010. FedEx employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport discovered the shipment leaking.

    In all instances of alleged hazmat violations, the materials offered were not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, labeled and in proper condition for shipment under the hazardous materials regulations.

    Companies have 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s notice of proposed civil penalty to respond to the agency.

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