[simpits-chat] Fwd: Fw: Flight Safety Information (31JAN03-044) (fwd)

Gene Buckle simpits-chat@simpits.org
Fri, 31 Jan 2003 12:33:36 -0800 (PST)


>Flight Safety Information (31JAN03-044)
>_________________________________
>
>*Russian Cargo Plane Crashes in East Timor
>*Norwegians with guns caught at Danish airport
>*Frontier Airlines Adds 16th Airbus A319 to its Fleet
>*United Airlines board supports restructuring plan
>*Interstate Jet To Begin Low Fare Service
>*Airline Ryanair Agrees to Buy Buzz
>*Ryanair orders 100 new Boeing planes
>*ATA Awarded FAA Approval for Lower Visibility
> Operations at Chicago-Midway Airport
>*Air France says key pilots union to strike Feb 2-5
>*Michael Marino Top Pick for CEO Aviation Partners
> Boeing Joint Venture
>*Snow, Arctic winds bring travel misery to Britain
>**********************************************
>
>Russian Cargo Plane Crashes in East Timor
>
>BAUCAU, East Timor (AP) - A cargo plane crashed while landing in fog
near an
>airport on East Timor's north coast, killing all six people aboard, a
U.N.
>official said Friday.
>
>The Russian-made IL-76 was carrying equipment for a Portuguese telephone
>company in East Timor, U.N. spokesman Wilton Fonseca said in the
capital,
>Dili.
>
>It crashed about three miles short of the airport in Baucau at about
3:30
>p.m., Fonseca said.
>
>``There was a lot of fog,'' Fonseca said. ``There was bad weather.''
>
>Fonseca said the United Nations sent a rescue plane to the area 60 miles
>east of Dili. Five bodies had been recovered.
>
>``We don't know of any survivors,'' U.N. Police Chief Peter Miller said.
>
>Witnesses said the plane circled twice before crashing into an abandoned
>house and bursting into flames.
>******************
>
>Norwegians with guns caught at Danish airport
>
>COPENHAGEN, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Danish airport police said on Friday they
had
>found two loaded handguns in a passenger's hand luggage.
>
>Police at Copenhagen airport arrested two Norwegian men aged 24 and 25
who
>were about to board a flight to Amsterdam on Thursday when the guns were
>detected by a baggage screening device.
>
>"There were two handguns, both were loaded, carried by one of the men in
his
>hand luggage. We are charging them with weapons possession -- not hijack
or
>terror," Detective Chief Superintendent Sven Mikkelsen said.
>
>One of the guns was a 9-mm revolver and the other a pistol with a
silencer,
>said an aviation source.
>
>The men were due to appear in court later on Friday. If found guilty,
they
>could be jailed.
>
>Mikkelsen said the men had told police why they were carrying the
weapons in
>the carry-on luggage but gave no details.
>
>Handguns are less common in Scandinavia than in many other European
>countries or the United States. One or two guns are found at Copenhagen
>airport each year, Mikkelsen said.
>******************
>
>Frontier Airlines Adds 16th Airbus A319 to its Fleet
>
>DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2003--Frontier Airlines today
announced it
>has accepted delivery of its 16th Airbus A319.
>
>The airline purchased the 132-seat Airbus A319 with financing led by
Credit
>Agricole Indosuez (CAI) with Deutsche Verkehrs Bank and HypoVereins Bank
>acting as participants. With today's announcement, Frontier's fleet
consists
>of 17 737-300s, four 737-200s and 16 Airbus A319s, for a total of 37
>aircraft.
>
>Each of Frontier's aircraft features a unique wildlife theme on its
tail,
>depicting animals native to the continental United States. The airline's
>newest aircraft features a photo of a snowy owl on each side of its tail
and
>on its wingtips. The wildlife photo originally appeared on Frontier's
>aircraft N270FL, a Boeing 737-200, and was taken by Robert Winslow of
>Durango, Colo.
>
>Denver-based Frontier Airlines employs approximately 3,000 aviation
>professionals and is the second-largest jet service carrier at Denver
>International Airport. Frontier and its regional jet partner Frontier
>JetExpress offer service to 39 cities. Frontier's fleet consists of 37
>aircraft, which feature a single-class configuration. In 1999, 2000 and
>2001, Frontier's maintenance and engineering department received the
Federal
>Aviation Administration's highest award, the Diamond Certificate of
>Excellence, in recognition of 100 percent of its maintenance and
engineering
>employees completing advanced aircraft maintenance training programs. In
>April 2002, Entrepreneur ranked Frontier one of two "Best Low-Fare
>Airlines." Frontier provides capacity information and other operating
>statistics on its Web site, which may be viewed at
www.frontierairlines.com.
>
>SOURCE: Frontier Airlines
>*****************
>
>United Airlines board supports restructuring plan
>
>CHICAGO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The board of United Airlines' parent, UAL
>Corp.,said late on Thursday it unanimously supported a restructuring
plan to
>pull the airline out of bankruptcy but still provided no details on what
>that plan looks like.
>
>"After very productive discussion, the board was unanimous in its
support
>for the need for fundamental transformation of the airline," the company
>said in a statement. "The board encouraged the management team to pursue
>further detail and analysis of the plan's strategic initiatives, which
it
>agreed formed a sound basis for the company's plan of reorganization."
>
>United, world's second largest airline, filed for bankruptcy Dec. 9, the
>largest airline ever to do so.
>
>Other than large cost cuts from both labor and non-labor groups and
>unspecific plans to launch a low-cost "airline within an airline,"
details
>of the "transformational" business plan have been sparse. Sources
familiar
>with the document say it is lengthy -- about 150 pages -- and has been
>presented to creditors and other constituents.
>
>Two big unions at United, the flight attendants and pilots, have already
>begun to criticize at least some of the plan for the low-cost carrier.
>Pilots said they will not support a separate type of company or
splitting up
>the airline.
>
>UAL is scheduled to release its yearly financial results early Friday
and is
>expected to post a loss larger than its record $2.1 billion in 2001.
>*****************
>
>Interstate Jet To Begin Low Fare Service From Lehigh Valley
International
>Airport Nonstop To Los Angeles
>
>LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lehigh Northampton
Airport
>Authority and Flightserv Inc. d/b/a Interstate Jet announced today new,
>low-fare air service to Los Angeles. Service will begin on April 3, 2003
>nonstop from the Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) to the Los
>Angeles International Airport (LAX). This is the first nonstop service
to
>the west coast area from the Lehigh Valley International Airport. The
>aircraft will be a 757-200ER with 215 seats. An introductory fare of
$49*
>each way will be available for the first 60 days of service - seats are
>limited. Reservations must be booked by February 28, 2003 and travel
>completed by May 31, 2003 to take advantage of these introductory fares.
>
>Cary Evans, executive vice president of Interstate Jet, stated, "We
chose
>the Lehigh Valley International Airport because the greater Lehigh
Valley
>region is in need of reliable low cost air service to the west. We also
see
>opportunities for expansion of our air service to other markets where
large
>jets would fill the need," he added. "Interstate Jet is very pleased
with
>the support of the airport authority to make this service possible. We
view
>it as a partnership and we want to build upon success to offer new
>destinations out of Lehigh Valley International Airport in the near
future,"
>said Evans.
>
>"This is an exciting opportunity for the Lehigh Valley International
Airport
>and the Lehigh Valley region," commented George F. Doughty, Executive
>Director for the Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority. "It is our plan
to
>continue to work with Flightserv to identify additional destinations for
low
>fare high value service in the future."
>
>After the introductory time period is over, normal fares will begin at a
low
>$99 each way with a maximum fare of $219. No advance purchase or
Saturday
>night stay is required and travel may be booked one way or roundtrip.
>
>To purchase tickets call toll free, 1-877-FLY-IJET or by calling your
local
>travel agent. More information on the service is available at the
website
>www.flyijet.com. Travelers can also contact the Lehigh Valley
International
>Airport at 1-800-FLY-LVIA (359-5842) or visit the Airport's website at
>www.lvia.org for more information on services and facilities.
>
>Lehigh Valley International Airport is located near Allentown,
Pennsylvania
>and serves a twelve county area with a population of 2.5 million people.
>The Airport is easily accessible from communities in eastern
Pennsylvania
>and northern New Jersey areas.
>
>Schedule:
>
>Allentown, PA (ABE) - Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
>
>Flight 991 (except Tuesday) Departs - 8:30 a.m. Arrives - 11:45 a.m.
>
>Los Angeles, CA (LAX) - Allentown, PA (ABE)
>
>Flight 992 (except Tuesday) Departs - 1:30 p.m. Arrives - 9:30 p.m.
>
>*Fares are one way. Seats are limited at the introductory fare, capacity
>controlled and may not be available on every flight. Reservations must
be
>made before March 1, 2003. Black out dates around holidays apply. Travel
>must be completed by May 31, 2003. Regular fares begin at $99 and
maximum
>fare is $219 each way. All flights are Flightserv, Inc. d/b/a Interstate
>Jet public charters operated for Interstate Jet by Trans Meridian
Airlines.
>See operator-participant contract for full information. Price does not
>include up to $9 PFC's and up to $5 September 11th security fees per
>roundtrip, and a $3 federal excise tax per segment. A segment consists
of
>one takeoff and one landing. Fares are non-refundable but may be
exchanged
>for a $35 fee. Fares and schedules subject to change. Not other
discounts
>apply.
>
>SOURCE Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority
>*****************
>
>Airline Ryanair Agrees to Buy Buzz
>
>LONDON (AP) - Low-cost airline Ryanair said Friday it has agreed to buy
>rival buzz from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for $24.7 million.
>
>The deal would leave only two major players in the European no-frills
>airline market, Ireland-based Ryanair and Britain's easyJet.
>
>Ryanair said it would use cash reserves to pay for buzz, which carries
about
>2 million passengers a year. Ryanair said it hoped to double the number
of
>passengers.
>
>Ryanair and KLM said their boards approved the purchase and they
expected
>the deal to be completed in early April if antitrust regulators give the
>green light.
>
>On the Net:
>
>Ryanair, http://www.ryanair.com/
>
>buzz, http://www.buzzaway.com
>******************
>
>Ryanair orders 100 new Boeing planes
>
>Deal brings firm orders to 125 737-800 series
>
>LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Ireland's low-fare airline, Ryanair, on Friday said
it
>plans to order as many as 100 new Boeing planes.
>
>Ryanair said it ordered the Boeing 737-800 series aircraft "to
facilitate
>Ryanair's rapid European growth plans." Terms were not released; the
list
>price for the planes is $6 billion, but Ryanair is expected to have
agreed
>to pay less.
>
>Ryanair last year ordered 150 737-800's from Boeing as well. Taking the
two
>deals together, Boeing now has firm orders for 125 jets from Ryanair,
which
>also has an option for an additional 125 more.
>
>Ryanair (RYAAY: news, chart) said it expected that the new aircraft will
>create 3,000 new jobs in Ryanair, with over 800 pilots, more than 2000
cabin
>crew and over 200 engineering and operational people. Shares of Ryanair
were
>down over 2 percent in London at 415.50p in midday trade in London.
>
>Earlier Friday, Ryanair said it has bought rival discount airline Buzz
from
>KLM (KLM: news, chart) for 23.9 million euros in cash ($28.5 million).
>
>Buzz will have 19 million euros cash on completion, Ryanair said. Buzz
>currently operates a network of 21 routes from London Stansted to
Germany,
>Holland, France and Spain, as well as two French domestic routes.
>******************
>
>ATA Awarded FAA Approval for Lower Visibility Operations at
Chicago-Midway
>Airport
>
>INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 2003--ATA (American Trans Air,
Inc.)
>is now the only commercial airline at Chicago-Midway with Federal
Aviation
>Administration (FAA) approval for lower visibility operations.
Currently,
>advanced technologies exist in ATA's new fleet of Boeing 737-800 and
Boeing
>757-300 aircraft. These technologies include auto flight systems and
Head-Up
>Guidance Systems that enable the aircraft to reduce landing visibility
from
>Runway Visual Range (also know as RVR4000) of 3/4 of a mile to 5/8 of a
mile
>(RVR3000). The lower visibility-landing operations allow for fewer
aircraft
>diversions, fewer delays and better on-time performance. The approval
goes
>into effect today.
>
>"ATA is aggressively working to find every resource available to enhance
its
>flight operations," said Jim Hlavacek, ATA's Chief Operating Officer.
"We're
>proud to be the leader in introducing new technologies for more
efficient
>flying at Chicago-Midway."
>
>ATA now has the youngest, most fuel-efficient scheduled fleet among the
>major carriers. The Boeing 737-800 is equipped with performance
enhancing
>winglets that reduce aerodynamic drag and boost the aircraft's
performance.
>The aircraft, which seats 175 passengers, includes the latest avionics
and
>safety improvements. The Boeing 757-300 has the lowest seat-mile cost of
any
>single-aisle and mid-sized jetliner, making it an extremely
cost-effective
>airplane for the carrier to operate. The aircraft burns less fuel than
older
>mid-range airplanes, meets community noise restrictions and complies
with
>strict new international emissions standards. The aircraft seats 247
>passengers.
>
>SOURCE: American Trans Air, Inc.
>******************
>
>Air France says key pilots union to strike Feb 2-5
>
>PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - French carrier Air France said on Friday it
>expected limited disruption to flights on February 2-5 after the
National
>Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL) decided to join two minority unions in
>striking.
>
>Air France said about 85 percent of short, medium and long-haul flights
>would go ahead on those dates, as three other pilot unions are not
>participating in the strike.
>
>"This call for a strike is a shock in the increasingly uncertain climate
>that is a result of the current international situation," Air France
said in
>a statement.
>
>The last major pilot strike left scores of Air France flights grounded
for
>four days in early September 2002, with the workers' requests including
a
>pay rise.
>
>The September strike cost Air France some 80 million euros ($85.96
million)
>and halved its share price in less than a month.
>
>Further action was avoided in the autumn after the airline and the
unions
>reached an agreement, but SNPL rejected the new pay pact in December.
>
>Air France said it deplored the confrontational approach of the unions
as
>negotiations on the deal were resumed on January 22 and a meeting was
>planned for next week.
>
>By 0849 GMT shares in Air France were quoted 2.93 percent lower at 8.61
>percent, underperforming the Europe-wide DJ Stoxx cyclicals index.
>
>Air France shares have lost almost seven percent since the start of the
>year, with airline stocks coming under pressure from mounting fears a
>possible war in Iraq could hit tourism.
>
>The French government, which owns 54.4 percent of the airline, has said
it
>may sell up to 40 percent when market conditions improve.
>******************
>
>Michael Marino Top Pick for CEO Aviation Partners Boeing Joint Venture
>
>SEATTLE, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Joe Clark, Chairman and CEO of Aviation
>Partners, Inc., announced today the appointment of Michael Marino as the
CEO
>of Aviation Partners Boeing (a joint venture between Aviation Partners,
Inc.
>and the Boeing Company).
>
>"We searched the entire aviation community to find the right person to
lead
>APB into the future," says Joe Clark. Today we're on the threshold of a
>number of exciting programs to Performance Enhance a wide range of
Boeing
>aircraft models using Blended Winglet Technology. With his extensive
>engineering and management experience in the aerospace industry, Marino
is
>the perfect choice to lead Aviation Partners Boeing. I look forward to
>working closely with Mike on our future programs."
>
>Marino was formerly Vice President of Technical Services and
Modifications
>for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. Other senior Boeing management
>positions held by Marino include Manufacturing Leader for Commercial
>Aviation Services, and Director of Operations for the Boeing Long Beach,
CA
>division, where he had overall manufacturing responsibility for MD-80,
>MD-90, MD-11 and 717 production airplanes.
>
>Marino made a name for himself at Douglas Aircraft and as a result was
>recently inducted into Wayne State University's College of Engineering
Hall
>of Fame for Revolutionizing Large Aircraft Assembly Techniques at
Douglas
>Aircraft Company in Long Beach, CA. Marino led his team at Douglas to
>develop the skills necessary to modify the way large airplanes are
built,
>which resulted in significant productivity improvements and cost
savings.
>
>To date, Aviation Partners Boeing has equipped over 200 Next Generation
>Boeing 737-700s/800s and BBJ 's with Blended Winglets. In Q1 2003,
Blended
>Winglets will be certified on the Classic Series 737-300, followed
shortly
>thereafter by the 737-400. Blended Winglet development programs are also
>underway for the Boeing 747, other Boeing models, and a finalized
>configuration for the Boeing 767 is expected Q3 of 2003. There are more
>than 11,000 Boeing airplanes alone that can be fitted with Blended
Winglets.
>
>Blended Winglet technology, pioneered by Aviation Partners, Inc. ten
years
>ago for the Gulfstream II business jet, dramatically reduces aircraft
drag
>and improves both fuel economy and performance. In Next Generation
>737-700/800 and BBJ applications, operators have reported truly dramatic
>results; 4 to 5% reductions in fuel burn, a reduced noise footprint and
>reduced engine emissions. The environmentally friendly benefits of
Blended
>Winglets have captured the attention of Boeing operators and regulators
>worldwide.
>
>Aviation Partners Boeing looks forward to improving the productivity of
the
>entire airline industry over the next 15 years with its revolutionary
>Advanced Blended Winglet Technology.
>
>SOURCE Aviation Partners, Inc.
>******************
>
>
>Snow, Arctic winds bring travel misery to Britain
>
>LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Snow showers and Arctic winds swept down the
east
>coast of Britain on Friday, trapping thousands of motorists and
disrupting
>airports.
>
>Motorways to the north of London ground to a halt after a series of
minor
>accidents, and airports struggled to get flights away with staff caught
up
>in the traffic.
>
>With more snow forecast, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said he
wanted
>to know the reason for the chaos.
>
>"Snowfall in January is hardly unexpected. I have asked the Highways
Agency,
>the rail industry, tube and local authorities for an explanation for why
the
>transport system in some parts of the country became paralysed so
quickly,"
>he said.
>
>The worst affected motorway was the M11, northeast of London, parts of
which
>were shut down, stranding motorists and lorry drivers in their vehicles
>overnight.
>
>It was not expected to reopen fully till early afternoon.
>
>The Freight Transport Association said that despite snow having been
>forecast, roads had not been gritted, which had cost industry tens of
>thousands of pounds.
>
>Its director of logistics, Mick Jackson, was one of thousands of
motorists
>forced to spend the night on the M11.
>
>"It was completely avoidable," he told BBC television by phone from his
car.
>"As far as I could see the stretch of the road I was on did not have
salt
>down."
>
>HEAVY TRAFFIC
>
>The Highways Agency insisted its gritting lorries had been salting
motorways
>and trunk roads from midday on Thursday.
>
>But it said snow showers, accidents and heavy traffic prevented the
gritters
>from finishing the job on the M11 and the M25 motorway which circles the
>capital.
>
>"Clearly we will be reviewing our procedures," said a Highways Agency
>spokesman.
>
>Air travel also suffered, with Stansted airport, 35 miles northeast of
>London, and Heathrow both affected.
>
>"Don't set off for flights from Stansted airport without consulting your
>airline," said a spokeswoman for the airport authority BAA. "Staff just
>can't get to the airport to run it."
>
>Heathrow airport cancelled over 150 arriving and departing flights and
many
>other flights were facing delays of up to two hours, stranding thousands
of
>passengers.
>
>Forecasters said the winds, which originated in the Arctic, would bring
more
>snow overnight north and east of London in Lincolnshire, East Anglia,
>Cambridgeshire and the east Midlands.
>