Aircraft News - North America

AirGuide Business, April 14, 2008

Apr 14, 2008

Unions representing air traffic controllers and air safety specialists say a new, $2.4 billion telecom system built to feed radar data to the nation's air traffic control towers is unreliable and makes flying less safe. The new system, called the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) network, relays radar data and other information to air traffic control centers and other vital operational centers around the country. It was formally launched this week by the Federal Aviation Administration and is now in use at more than 3,800 FAA facilities. But union officials say the system was built on the cheap, lacks sufficient backup systems and is unreliable. Apr 10, 2008

Fuel costs spur big changes in jet engine development. The increasing cost of jet fuel is prompting a revolution in the jet engine industry. Manufacturers are developing engines designed to cut emissions, noise and fuel consumption. Meanwhile, new planes are made of composite materials, which makes them lighter and more efficient to fly. Apr 9, 2008

Persistent maintenance oversight problems remain inside the FAA, despite the reassignment of a top regional flight regulator, the Dallas Morning News editorial board writes. The board notes that lawmakers should consider giving oversight to another organization. "A revamped National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all civil aviation accidents in the United States, is one possibility," the board writes. Apr 9, 2008

Some lawmakers say FAA presented misleading testimony. Three House lawmakers said the FAA presented "inaccurate and misleading" information about airline maintenance. They also questioned inconsistencies in testimony during hearings held last week about a customer service initiative established in 2004. Apr 9, 2008

Airline passengers are less willing to fly, have skipped recent flights and plan to avoid air travel in the future, a new survey of travel professionals by the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) reveals. The BTC survey on aircraft maintenance, outsourcing and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight, underlines a deepening concern over the safety of U.S. airlines. The BTC says the survey shows concern regarding passenger safety and homeland security is driving a strong desire for additional maintenance-related consumer information to assist passengers in choosing an airline on which to travel. BTC said there is also strong support for an independent top-to-bottom review of FAA policy as well as worry that the environment is a victim of certain outsourcing practices. The BTC survey was conducted online from April 1-3 with 223 completing the survey. Respondents were asked to consider the survey from an individual passenger perspective. Ninety-four (94) percent of participants are very concerned or somewhat concerned about the overall aircraft maintenance and FAA oversight situation. Forty (40) percent are less willing to fly due to current aircraft maintenance issues. Thirteen (13) percent have skipped recent flights due to maintenance concerns. Twenty-five (25) percent indicate they are very likely or fairly likely to skip future flights, according to the BTC survey. Complete survey findings can be found at http://businesstravelcoalition.com/campaigns/outsourcing/maintenance_survey.doc Apr 8, 2008

FAA proposes rules to cut risk of ice in engines. The FAA on Monday is expected to announce new flight procedures to prevent ice from forming in jet engines, a problem that can cause engines to shut down. Investigators say internal ice has caused 14 dual-engine shutdowns since 2002. Apr 7, 2008

Grounding planes, even for a few hours, is costly because they don't generate any passenger revenue when airlines need paying customers more than ever. Allegations of lax safety inspections led to congressional hearings last week and calls for stricter compliance. Analysts said U.S. airlines had already squeezed as much cost out of their operations as possible since the 2001 terrorist attacks led to an air travel slump. More than 20 U.S. airlines filed for Bankruptcy Court protection from 2001 to 2006, including four of the six largest network carriers. United, during its bankruptcy reorganization, slashed $7 billion in annual expenses and grounded 100 planes. The Chicago-based airline emerged from bankruptcy in 2006. Apr 7, 2008

Whistleblower first warned about maintenance problems in 2003. Last week, Bobby Boutris testified before Congress about a breakdown in the FAA's regulatory oversight of Southwest Airlines. Boutris works out of an FAA office in Irving, Texas, and first warned the FAA about problems with Southwest Airline's system for tracking compliance with FAA directives in 2003. Apr 7, 2008

Alaska Airlines, Boeing

Alaska Airlines has determined that eight of its nine Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) MD-80s are in compliance with a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directive related to wire bundling in the aircrafts' wheel wells. Inspections conducted by Alaska Airlines and the FAA during the past two days have focused on detailed, technical specifications and not safety-of-flight issues. Seven of the aircraft have returned to service after the airline adjusted the spacing of wire bundle ties and taping, and repositioned wire bundle clamps to precisely comply with the FAA's directive. Work continues on the eighth aircraft. The airline's remaining MD-80 is undergoing maintenance unrelated to the wire bundling issue. Other airlines, including Midwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, canceled some flights for re-inspections. For more information, visit www.alaskaair.com Apr 11, 2008