| December 2, 2008 | News for the commercial aviation industry |
 |  |
- Air Canada to adjust capacity, bag handling efforts for holidays
Preparing for the busy holiday season, Air Canada says it will step up customer service by increasing capacity on heavily traveled routes, overhauling baggage policies and even offering tool storage for oil workers. CEO Montie Brewer said Monday the airline will boost capacity to prevent "bulk outs" and use hand scanners to identify errant luggage. For passengers whose bags still go astray, Brewer said ground delivery contracts are already in place, and parking fees at major airports will be waived for passengers who arrive to claim mishandled bags. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
(12/2)      
- American, TWU enter final talks before mediation
For the third time in 15 months, American Airlines has entered accelerated discussions with its Transport Workers Union in hopes of negotiating a quick contract for some ground workers. The union requested the latest round of negotiations, and both sides have agreed to enlist the help of the National Mediation Board if no agreement is reached by midnight on Dec. 13. The Dallas Morning News (free registration)
(12/2)
 | Aerospace Standards (AS). Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS). Aerospace Industry Reports (AIR). Aerospace Recommended Practices (ARP). These are the products of SAE International. Stay current on the technical standards of SAE, the world's largest, most respected standards development organization and global partner. |
| Inside Aviation |  | |
|
- Analysts watching for further airline industry cutbacks
Airline executives speaking at a conference in New York today are expected to detail further capacity cuts necessitated by weakening demand for air travel. Despite the deep cuts already made and the collapse in oil prices, some analysts believe the airlines will have to further reduce their service in order to achieve profitability. "There's more capacity now with Open Skies at the same time you're having a severe downturn in potential demand," says Ray Neidl, an analyst at Calyon Securities. "But once we get through this financial crisis, and hopefully it will happen by next spring, people will start traveling." Chicago Tribune/The Associated Press
(12/1)
-
Delta announces capacity cuts into 2009: Delta Air Lines this morning announced that it will cut seating capacity by 6% to 8% in 2009. The carrier said that the system-wide cuts will be made in an attempt to further reduce costs amid a "global economic recession." Bloomberg
(12/2)
- Industry thankful for uneventful holiday
Despite some bad weather resulting in delays at busy airports in New York, Chicago and Denver on Sunday, Thanksgiving holiday air travel was mostly uneventful, according to airlines and industry observers. "It looks like all in all it went pretty well," said Terry Trippler of TripplerTravel.com, noting that a 10% cut in capacity helped to shorten lines and reduce mixups. And although the DOT reported that Sunday had the third-highest flight delay total on record, carriers worked hard to avoid lengthy delays, and to return to full schedules on Monday. "Everybody got to Thanksgiving and got there on time, and everybody is getting home from Thanksgiving," an American Airlines spokesman said yesterday. "But they may be delayed a little bit by weather." The Guardian (London)/Reuters
(12/1), Aviation Daily
(12/2)
 |
|  |
| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
You can count on Aero Instruments & Avionics to help keep you flying through the holidays and into next year. We'd like to thank all our customers and supporters and wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year!
Interested in learning more about advertising in ATA SmartBrief? Contact Jim Eubanks at (202) 407-7822 or jeubanks@smartbrief.com.
| |
 |
|  |
| Regulatory Update | | |
|
- Australia to relax Qantas ownership rules; BA already in talks
The Australian government plans to ease limits on foreign ownership of flagship carrier Qantas Airways while continuing to protect lucrative routes between Australia and the U.S. Under a government proposal released Tuesday, foreign airlines could buy as much as 49% of the Australian carrier, up from 35% under current law. The proposal also stipulated that U.S. routes would continue to be limited to Qantas, United Airlines and V Australia, a planned offshoot of Virgin Blue. Almost immediately after the Australian government issued its green paper on the future of aviation, British Airways announced it was in merger talks with Qantas. NYTimes.com
(12/2), The Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia)
(12/2), CNNMoney.com
(12/2)
- Biometric data could make metal detectors obsolete
An Israeli security expert says stocking feet and metal detectors could soon be a thing of the past, because "'brain-fingerprinting,' or technology which checks for behavioral intent, is much more developed than we think." Omer Laviv says Israeli technology companies are developing sensors that read such bodily functions as heart rate and respiration for signs of emotional stress. One company is experimenting with flashing subliminal messages across a video screen, then measuring passengers' biometric response to the stimulus. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is funding some of the research. CNN
(12/2)
| Industry Trends | | |
|
 |
|  |
|
|
|
|
 |
 Avionics/Electrical Engineer | Southwest Airlines | Dallas ,Texas |
| Director Crew Services | JetBlue Airways | Forest Hills, New York |
| Director of Quality/Chief Inspector | Southwest airlines | Dallas Texas |
| Division Controller | Horizon Air | Portland or Seattle |
| Airline Control Center Specialist I | Air Transport Association | Herndon, VA |
| Permanent, Seasonal and Rover A&P Mechanics | Sun Country Airlines | MSP |
| Senior Financial Analyst (Flight) | World Airways | Peachtree City, Georgia |
| Senior Analyst, Revenue Management Technology | Alaska Airlines | Seattle |
| Account Executive - Aviation | SmartBrief | Washington, DC |
| Director, Aircraft Contracts | Company Confidential | North America |
| Paint Manager | Leading Edge Aviation Services | Texas, Mississippi, California |
| Chief Inspector | Leading Edge Aviation Services, Inc. | Texas, Mississippi, California |
|
|
|
 |
|  |
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success."
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| 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. 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.
|
| |
| |
| | Recent ATA SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, December 01, 2008
- Wednesday, November 26, 2008
- Tuesday, November 25, 2008
- Monday, November 24, 2008
- Friday, November 21, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Angela Giroux-Scheide
Contributing Editor: Robert Jones
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | |
| |
|
| © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
Expansive new terminals at two of the world's busiest airports have worked out most of the kinks, says The Wall Street Journal's airline columnist, contributing to a travel experience that is more pleasant and efficient than before. Scott McCartney reviews the new facilities at Heathrow and JFK -- both named Terminal 5, coincidentally -- and finds they offer "significant improvements for travelers." 
