Airline News - North America.
Oct 2, 2006FAA committee will study airline pilot retirement age. The Federal Aviation Administration has created a committee to study raising the mandatory age 60 retirement age for commercial pilots. Some groups support raising the retirement age to 65. The committee is comprised of labor, airline and medical experts and will consider whether to recommend allowing one of two pilots on the flight deck to be over 60. Sep 29, 2006
Airlines say VLJ traffic could clog airspace, worsen flight delays. Airlines are concerned about very light jets, or VLJs, operating in the same airspace as larger commercial jetliners. Flying as high as jetliners, though at slower speeds, they "have the potential for really gumming up the system," John Meenan, executive vice president of U.S. airlines' Air Transport Association says. The FAA wants to prevent a worsening of flight delays that are at the highest percentage since the 2000 record year. "We feel we are equipped to handle this new infusion of very light jets," says Diane Spitaliere, an FAA spokeswoman. Sep 28, 2006
Airlines attract international fliers with expanded service. U.S. airlines are expanding aggressively in international markets and adding flights to smaller European cities. Restructuring has allowed the carriers to keep their operating costs low while they expand. Delta Air Lines, for example, has added 12 new routes across the Atlantic since March.
Sep 26, 2006
Charter operators need more oversight, experts say. Some charter operators fail to meet basic safety requirements and do not have federal licenses, experts say. The Federal Aviation Administration notes that large airlines receive the most oversight because they carry the most passengers. Still, the FAA says it is cracking down on questionable companies and issuing citations to firms with improper maintenance and operational problems. Sep 25, 2006
American Airlines
American will test new food program in coach. American Airlines says it will test a new a la carte food program in its coach cabins. Travelers on certain flights will have the option of buying ice cream, potato chips or candy for $3 or bottled water for $2. Sep 26, 2006
Compass Airlines, Northwest Airlines
Compass Airlines to begin flying soon: The Department of Transportation has approved a request by Compass Airlines to begin flying. Compass, a Northwest Airlines subsidiary, still needs FAA approval to become the third regional carrier flying for Northwest. Sep 29, 2006
Delta Air Lines
Delta adds more flights from Los Angeles. Delta Air Lines now considers Los Angeles International Airport its West Coast gateway and says it will add nonstop service to New Orleans, Jacksonville, Fla., and Reno, Nev. Delta's winter expansion, which it already announced, will include nonstop service from LAX to 10 Mexican cities and three Central American destinations. Sep 28, 2006
Go, Mesa, Hawaiian
Hawaiian Airlines is charging that startup carrier Go!, a Mesa Air Group subsidiary, is trying to drive competitors out of business in the Hawaii market. Mesa counters that go!'s smaller share of the overall market in Hawaii means that its impact cannot be as consequential as Hawaiian claims. "If it wasn't clear to everyone before, it should be now that Mesa is trying to eliminate competition in Hawaii," wrote Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley in a statement issued Sept. 22. "Evidence of Mesa's true motives was revealed in court last week, and while Mesa has done much in the news media to obscure that evidence, they didn't refute it in court." Sep 26, 2006
Northwest Airlines
Board orders Northwest, union to resume talks. The National Mediation Board has ordered Northwest Airlines and its flight attendants' union to return to contract negotiations. Northwest has already imposed a new contract on the workers, but it says it wants to continue with talks. The board rejected the union's request for a release from talks.
Sep 27, 2006
Northwest Airlines
Northwest: New China service would create hub gateway. Northwest Airlines says its proposed service to China would "establish the largest and most effective hub gateway to China." The airline is competing against United Airlines, Continental Airlines and American Airlines for a new flight route to China. Sep 26, 2006 Porter Airlines
Canadian Transportation Agency yesterday issued licenses to startup Porter Airlines to operate domestic and nonscheduled international services using medium aircraft. The carrier plans initially to operate 10 daily flights between Toronto City Centre Airport and Ottawa using 70-seat Q400s and later will expand to destinations in Canada and the US within about 300 mi. of Toronto. A precise startup date has not been announced but operations are expected to commence within weeks. Sep 27, 2006
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| Publication: | Airguide Online |
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| Date: | Oct 2, 2006 |
| Words: | 767 |
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