| November 3, 2009 | News for the commercial aviation industry |
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- Southwest pilots approve five-year contract
By a vote of nearly 88%, Southwest Airlines pilots have ratified a new, five-year contract with the carrier. About 93% of Southwest's 5,900 pilots cast their ballots following an unsuccessful ratification vote in June. "Our pilots are the hardest working and most productive in the business and deserve a contract that reflects this, yet is still in keeping with the current uncertain economic outlook," said Southwest CEO Gary Kelly. Chicago Tribune/The Associated Press
(11/2)
, Air Transport World
(11/3)
, The Denver Post
(11/2)
     
- Continental sees higher traffic in October
Consolidated traffic at Continental Airlines inched up 1.7% in October, and planes flew more full as capacity declined by 2.6%. Revenue per available seat mile continued to decline, though October's 14% to 15% drop was less severe than the 19.2% decline recorded in September. RTT News
(11/2)
, The Dallas Morning News
(11/2)
 | Fly longer, Invest less! The 737 Classic Aircraft life extension program, developed in cooperation with Aviation Technical Services (ATS), Boeing and commercial airline partners. With over forty aircraft through the program, ATS has the processes, expertise and efficiency to offer turnaround times you can be confident we will achieve. www.atsmro.aero |
- USDA drops plan to hike inspection fees on international flights
After opposition from the airline industry, the Department of Agriculture withdrew a plan to raise fees for agriculture inspections on international flights. The Air Transport Association wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking him to withdraw the fee hike. ATA President and CEO James May said he hopes that "any future consideration of such a change will be done in consultation with the airlines, who question the need for another fee increase." Aviation Daily
(11/3)
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ATA statement on USDA withdrawal of inspection fee increase: Read here.
- Column: Reservation tech yet to catch up with Secure Flight rules
Hyphens, apostrophes and long names are among the issues that need to be worked out before Secure Flight regulations go into full effect next year, The New York Times reports. Some reservations systems drop punctuation or cut off names after 16 characters, either of which could cause delays at the airport when travelers' IDs are required to precisely match the names on their travel documents. The New York Times
(11/2)
- Burbank airport loses appeal for nighttime curfew
After a decades-long battle over nighttime flights at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., the FAA has ruled that a 10 p.m. curfew would harm the national air transportation network. The 42-page ruling found that late-night restrictions would "create an undue burden on commerce" and that less drastic steps can be taken to reduce noise in surrounding neighborhoods. The airport authority had spent about $7 million on research to support its claim that the benefits of a curfew would outweigh the costs, but aviation companies and trade groups argued that the noise problem was overstated and that a victory by the airport would lead to similar restrictions around the country. Los Angeles Times
(11/2)
| Energy Bulletin |  | |
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- ATA calls proposed climate-change tax "counterproductive"
The Air Transport Association is urging U.S. negotiators to oppose the International Air Passenger Adaptation Levy, which would fund climate-change projects in developing countries through a $10 billion airline tax. "We should not be considered a piggy bank for developing countries," ATA President and CEO James May said. In a letter to Todd Stern, the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, May wrote: "This hefty new tax would be counterproductive, siphoning away to the developing countries the very funds that the U.S. airlines need to continue to invest in new aircraft, retrofits, alternative fuel and other upgrades critical to the airlines' environmental performance and the U.S. economy." Travel Agent
(11/2)
, Environmental Leader
(11/3)
- U.N., EU urge U.S. to explain planned greenhouse-gas emissions cuts
The U.S. should present its carbon-reduction targets before a global-warming deal is achieved at next month's meeting in Copenhagen, said officials with the U.N. and European Union. U.S. envoys have yet to introduce reduction goals in nearly two years of discussions, saying that they await the passage of an energy-and-climate measure in Congress before taking action. "I do not think that the international community will accept an instrument that lacks clarity on what the U.S. will do to reduce its emissions," said Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Bloomberg
(11/2)
| Regulatory Update | | |
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- NMB's proposed rule change riles airlines, Capitol Hill
The chairwoman of the National Mediation Board has notified lawmakers that she opposes proposed changes to a 75-year-old rule requiring an absolute majority in union elections. Elizabeth Dougherty, the board's lone Republican appointee, said she was frozen out of debate over the proposal. "Making this change would be an unprecedented event in the history of the NMB, which has always followed a policy of making major rule changes with consensus," she said. Meanwhile, airlines and the Air Transport Association insisted that the rule could be changed only by Congress, and that any such change must include a mechanism for decertifying current union representation. "It is completely disingenuous to propose this rule change without also proposing a parallel decertification process," ATA President and CEO James May said in a statement. The Detroit News
(11/3)
, The Wall Street Journal
(11/3)
- Senators press for laptop ban in cockpit
Several senators say they are dismayed that FAA regulations do not prohibit personal electronic devices in aircraft cockpits, and they intend to introduce legislation to correct the perceived shortcoming. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said his bill should be introduced in about a week and could be folded into a larger aviation bill currently awaiting passage. Chicago Tribune/The Associated Press
(11/3)
| Industry Trends | | |
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- Europe's flagship airlines find low-cost carriers problematic
Low-cost carriers have long been a nuisance to flagship airlines in Europe. The economic downturn turned those small nuisances into a major problem for their larger rivals. For example, the Irish airline Ryanair transported more passengers in Spain in August than the country's flagship carrier Iberia. Deteriorating demand for trans-Atlantic flights and business-class seats exposed weaknesses, but some of the major airlines are starting to wise up. The Wall Street Journal
(11/3)
| Career Development | | |
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- Risk some chutes if you want to move up the career ladder
The most common career mistake managers make is they're too afraid to take a risk, so they take a job that doesn't allow them to really "make a difference," according to Steve Tobak. Don't stop reaching for new opportunities unless you know that you've "hit your limit," and seek input from mentors about accepting greater challenges. BNET/The Corner Office blog
(10/30)
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 Air Service Development Positions, Varying Levels | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int'l Airport (Kenton County Airport Board) | Cincinnati |
| Planning Project Manager | Frontier Airlines | Denver, Colorado |
| Pricing Analyst | Alaska Airlines | Seattle, WA |
| Brokering and Rotables Manager | Wencor | Miami, FL (US) |
| Sr. Analyst Network Planning | Jetblue Airways | Forest Hills New York |
| Sales Manager - Cargo | Aloha Air Cargo | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Director, Business Development | Aloha Air Cargo | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| ATC Coordinator | Virgin America | Burlingame, CA |
| Manager of Public Relations, Houston, TX | Continental Airlines | Headquarters - Houston, TX |
| Senior Engineer (Powerplant) | Alaska Airlines | Seattle |
| Customer Service Manager (LGA) | Spirit Airlines | Flushing, NY |
| Technical Purchasing Manager | Spirit Airlines | Miramar, FL |
| Senior Analyst Industrial Engineering | JetBlue Airways | Forest Hills, New York |
| Product Manager JetBlue Getaways | JetBlue Airways | Forest Hills, New York |
| Human Resources Manager | Hawaiian Airlines | Honolulu, HI |
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| SmartQuote | | |
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 | Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren't enjoying today's sunshine."
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| About ATA |
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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. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the association's fundamental purpose is to foster a business and regulatory environment that ensures safe and secure air transportation and
permits U.S. airlines to flourish, stimulating economic growth locally, nationally and internationally. For additional industry information, visit
www.airlines.org.
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- Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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