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December 10, 2007 News for the commercial aviation industry   Company Watch    United will make special $250M payout to shareholders United Airlines on Friday said it will give shareholders a special payment totaling $250 million. "This shareholder distribution underscores our commitment to creating value for our investors," CEO Glenn Tilton said. The carrier also hopes to sell all or part of its San Francisco maintenance operation and is considering options for monetizing its cargo business and frequent flier program. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/7), The Washington Post/Reuters (12/7), Chicago Tribune (12/8) Midwest Air purchase will not close before Jan. 31 The purchase of Midwest Air Group by TPG and minority partner Northwest Airlines will not close before Jan. 31. Midwest said federal regulators need more time to complete an antitrust review. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/7), Reuters (12/8) JetBlue to open new JFK terminal in September JetBlue said it will open its new terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in September. The airline previously expected to open the terminal in 2009. USA TODAY (12/9) Maxjet suspends trading ahead of financial announcement All-business class carrier Maxjet Airways on Friday suspended trading of its stock. The company plans to make an announcement clarifying its financial position and said flights between London and its three U.S. hubs will operate normally. The Washington Post (12/8) American says pilot proposal would threaten network A proposal made by the American Airlines pilots union would require American pilots to do all flying for the airline and its affiliates. Under the proposal, the airline could not operate flights with American Eagle or with its partners. American said the proposal would threaten its network. "A weaker network would likely result in negative consequences for all our constituencies, including our shareholders, customers and employees," an American spokeswoman said. The Dallas Morning News (free registration) (12/8) Jouve Data Management announced that they have completed the acquisition of InfoTrust Corporation, creating a global organization that will provide an expansive array of product and service offerings for technical document and content management solutions within the aerospace industry and beyond. The combined company name is InfoTrust Group. Click here to read more.   Inside Aviation    Severe weather forces flight delays in Chicago Freezing rain forced airlines to cancel more than 400 flights Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Flights out of Midway Airport were not affected. Poor weather also delayed flights out of New York's LaGuardia Airport on Monday. Chicago Tribune (12/10), Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (subscription required) (12/10) Supplier problems delay Boeing's 787, cost billions in penalties The delay of Boeing's 787 program was caused by more than a shortage of bolts and screws. Problems at one small supplier are rippling through the program, causing delays and costing Boeing and other suppliers billions in penalties and cash shortages. Chicago Tribune (12/8) Airbus expects to sell 1,300 jetliners this year An EADS executive said the company expects to sell more than 700 helicopters and about 1,300 aircraft in 2007. CEO Louis Gallois says Airbus is able to sell the planes at better-than-expected prices even though it faces stiff competition from Boeing. Reuters (12/10) Other News Column: Short staffing means little enforcement of travelers' rights Chicago Tribune (12/9) Column: Interstate aviation system would solve congestion problems USA TODAY (12/10) Phoenix airport raises concerns about pipeline construction The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (12/10) Column: Less capacity will lead to higher fares, crowded flights The Philadelphia Inquirer (12/10) Do you have a passion for airline marketing and are you seeking a leadership position that is highly visible and makes a real difference? US Airways is seeking an experienced Manager, Marketing and Communications to work within the Marketing team at its corporate headquarters in Tempe, Arizona. To be considered for this rare marketing leadership position, click here to apply with US Airways.   Regulatory Update  Lawmaker urges FAA to speed adoption of anti-collision technology Airports need new technology designed to prevent airplane collisions, and the FAA should speed up efforts to put it in place, said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., especially at busy New York-area airports. The FAA indicated that Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy airports are scheduled to have the advanced ground surveillance radar technology in place by 2010. NYTimes.com/Associated Press (12/10), Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (subscription required) (12/10) Airport restrictions would affect thousands of workers A proposal that would require all airport, airline and contract workers with access to runways, tarmac areas, aircraft and baggage systems to have Social Security numbers would affect thousands of jobs at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Officials say more than 2,000 of the workers who have access to those areas are eligible to work in the U.S. but are not U.S. citizens. American City Business Journals (12/7) FAA investigates near collision at Newark airport A near collision at Newark Liberty International Airport last week has prompted an FAA investigation. A Boeing 737 arriving at the airport came within 300 feet of a commuter jet that had taxied onto the same runway. MSNBC (12/10), The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (12/9) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Would you like to learn more about the EDS Airline SOA? Click here for access to our latest viewpoint paper. Small company, Big impact on your aircraft operations Give your aircraft utilization time a big boost by tapping into our expertise. Let us develop new and innovative ways to meet your aircraft inspection requirements. Visit ATINDT.COM/services and start avoiding down-time events. Interested in learning more about advertising in ATA SmartBrief? Contact Jim Eubanks at (202) 407-7822 or jeubanks@smartbrief.com.     Industry Trends  Delta's videos help travelers handle touchy social situations Delta Air Lines has created animated videos aimed at helping travelers handle social situations in the sky. The videos feature unruly children, a middle-seat bully, and a person who raises and closes the window shade without being considerate of others. A spokeswoman said the goal of the videos is to "help raise travelers' consciousness about what it means to be good travel companions." The Associated Press/ClipSyndicate (12/10), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Associated Press (12/10) Frequent-flier spinoffs overrated, analysts say MarketWatch (12/7) JetBlue to launch in-flight Internet on Tuesday Air Transport World (12/10) Many travelers get their flu shots at the airport NYTimes.com/Associated Press (12/9) Commentary: Travelers prepare for holiday flights The Washington Times (12/10)   Ever wonder who's clicking? The ATA SmartBrief offers next-day campaign reports to every advertiser. Want to know more about who is reading your ad? Click here to find out more.     SmartQuote  Compassion is the basis of all morality." --Arnold Schopenhauer, German philosopher   Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Grab our News Widget   Advertise Sales Account Director: Jim Eubanks (202) 407-7822 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Celia Rothschild (202) 470-1159   About ATA Founded in 1936, the Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) is the nation's oldest and largest airline trade association, representing the leading U.S. airlines. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. 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