Archive for August 2015

Dark Clouds Loom for Airlines Even as Their Profits Take Off

airplane

U.S. airlines are producing their biggest profits ever. But instead of clear skies, they are encountering problems that their recent prosperity, in some cases, is making worse. Employees at Southwest Airlines Co. and Delta Air Lines Inc. have rejected labor contracts in recent weeks, with some arguing that the compensation wasn’t sufficient given the industry’s…

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Indian Airline IndiGo Finalized huge order for 250 Airbus A320neo jets

indigo A320neo

Indian budget airline IndiGo finalized an exceptionally large order for 250 single-aisle Airbus A320neo jets on Monday to keep up with rapid growth in the country’s air travel. IndiGo, India’s largest domestic airline, had signed a preliminary order last year and firmed it up Monday, Airbus said in a statement. The manufacturer based in Toulouse,…

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Indonesian Trigana Air Crash: Debris Spotted in Mountains

Trigana Air ATR42-300 turboprop aircraft

Indonesian searchers believe they have located debris from an airliner that crashed in a mountainous area with 54 people on board. A search plane spotted the wreckage Monday, but a ground team hasn’t yet been able to reach it, said Raymond Konstantin, an official for Indonesia’s search and rescue agency. Authorities had said earlier that…

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Boeing says domestic airlines moving closer to break-even

SpiceJet 737 MAX8

Boeing Corporation on Thursday expressed hope that domestic airlines, which have been bleeding for many years now, are moving closer to break-even as operating costs have fallen faster than fare reductions following the sharp dip in oil prices. “I believe that Indian airlines are moving closer to profitability after years of losses. Spicejet has declared…

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Chinese carriers plan for international route launches

Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737

Chinese carriers are continuing their push towards international expansions, with three carriers applying to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for rights to launch services to Australia, the Middle East and the Maldives. Xiamen Airlines is seeking rights for daily services on the Fuzhou-Sydney route from 15 October, using Boeing 787s. Capital Airlines meanwhile…

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ANALYSIS: Regional pilot woes could speed fleet changes at United

United Express Embraer 175

United Airlines could speed up the shift to large regional jets and small mainline aircraft from 50-seat regional jets if the pilot shortage at regional carriers gets worse in the coming years. The Chicago-based carrier removed 30-seat Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops from its feeder fleet during the first half of 2015 and is on-track to…

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Boeing sees demand for jetliners, pressure to increase production

Boeing 787s in the Production Line at Everett

Boeing Co sees continued strong demand for civilian aircraft and pressure to increase its production rates, despite concerns about growth in China and several years of record aircraft orders. “We’re not seeing a slowdown in demand” for commercial jetliners, Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said at an investor conference on Wednesday. Boeing sees demand for…

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Study: Air controllers’ fatigue threatens aviation safety

Air Traffic Control

Grueling schedules and lack of sleep for air controllers puts safety of national air traffic system at risk, study finds Air traffic controllers’ work schedules often lead to chronic fatigue, making them less alert and endangering the safety of the national air traffic system, according to a study the government kept secret for years. Federal…

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