A computer malfunction likely caused a Qantas jetliner's two terrifying midair plunges last week that injured more than 40 people, reports the Associated Press, citing the result from an initial investigation by Australian authorities.
The Airbus A330-300, flying from Singapore to the Australian city of Perth last Tuesday, nose-dived 650 feet in 20 seconds before returning to cruising level. Another sharp drop of about 400 feet soon followed.
The jetliner experienced a glitch in the computer unit that uses sensors to detect the angle of the plane against the airstream, says Julian Walsh, chief air investigator at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. One of the plane's three units malfunctioned and sent the wrong data to the main flight computers.
"It is probably unlikely that there will be a recurrence, but obviously we won't dismiss that," Walsh told reporters.
Qantas said in a statement that the faulty unit is "a manufacturer's issue."
Once considered one of the safest airlines, Qantas also experienced rapid loss of pressure on a Boeing 747 flight over the South China Sea in July when an oxygen cylinder exploded and blew a hole in the fuselage. No one was injured.
Australian authorities are still investigating the incident.
- Roger Yu
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’s busiest airport, has the highest percentage of travelers using self-service technology, according to the latest survey released Tuesday by aviation technology company SITA.
The survey's data is from interviews with more than 2,000 passengers at some of the world's leading airports, including Atlanta, Mumbai, Charles de Gaulle Paris, Moscow Domodedovo, Sao Paulo Guarulhos and Johannesburg.
Atlanta had the highest percentage of customers--56.2%--using kiosks and the web to check in. That compares with a weighted average of 36% for all airports.
In Atlanta, 73.4% of passengers said they had booked that day’s flight online compared to nearest rivals--Mumbai at 61.7% and Charles de Gaulle at 52.6%. The weighted average among the six airports was 57.6%.
Atlanta has consistently been ahead of other airports in the three annual surveys to date. In 2006 the self-service check-in rate at Atlanta was 38% on the day of the survey. In 2007, it was 41%.
Atlanta passengers also reported the highest preference rate, at 79%, for on-line booking when available. -- Roger Yu
Here is this week's "name that airport" photo.
Submit your answer by clicking on the comment link and typing your answer there.
Come back on Thursday afternoon to see the correct answer in Today in the Sky.
Good luck!
Frontier Airlines and its pilots union reached a tentative agreement to extend wage and benefits cuts through Dec. 1, according to the Associated Press. The airline, attempting to work its way out of bankruptcy, said in the bankruptcy court documents that the extension will give it "the time necessary to continue negotiations to reach a final restructuring agreement."
The Denver-based airline entered bankruptcy in April of this year. This deal suspends company contributions to pilots' 401(k) accounts. --Rebecca Heslin
Starting Wednesday, Clear, a registered-traveler program operated by New York City-based Verified Identity Pass, will increase its annual membership fee to $199 from $128.
The company is raising the price "to reflect the rapidly expanding value (and cost to us) of the Clear network," it says.
The price hike comes several months after the Transportation Security Administration announced that it will no longer require background checks for registered-traveler members and dropped the $28 background check fee it charged Clear and its competitors.
The registered traveler program provides speedy security clearance through separate lines at about 20 airports nationwide for subscribers who pay an annual membership fee.
Clear also announced Tuesday that it has opened its lanes at Delta's Terminal A security checkpoint at Boston Logan.
--Roger Yu
Bombardier is still dealing with the effects of the Iraq-Kuwait War in 1990. Kuwait Airways is seeking to obtain 10 regional aircraft that the Montreal-based manufacturer is making for Iraqi Airways, claiming that they are part of reparations Iraq must pay for invading Kuwait, reports the Associated Press.
Bombardier has delivered one of the 10 aircraft already to the Iraqi government, and the rest are scheduled for delivery to Iraq through 2009.
Kuwait Airways secured a Quebec Superior Court order in August that allowed it to seize the aircraft that Iraqi Airways had ordered from Bombardier, the report says, citing a lawyer representing Kuwait Airways.
But the court lifted the order on Oct. 1 after the Iraqi government argued that no Canadian court has jurisdiction in the case because it involves a foreign government. Kuwait Airways has argued that the order remains in effect for the Iraqi airline. The ruling was again suspended on appeal last week.
Bombardier spokesman John Arnone told the AP that the company was not in violation because it had been dealing with the Iraqi government and not the airline, and the aircraft was delivered before the appeal was filed.
Christopher Gooding, the lawyer representing Kuwait Airways, told the AP that the airline is owed the planes and was prepared to seize them if they fly to "a suitable jurisdiction."
The Quebec Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear a motion from Kuwait Airways on Oct. 20.
Kuwait Airways claims it is owed $1.2 billion in judgments from Iraqi Airways to compensate for aircraft and equipment stolen during the Iraqi invasion. The row is part of broader efforts by Kuwait to force Iraq to pay reparations. --Roger Yu
India's two largest private sector carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines agreed on a "wide-ranging" alliance as they battle slowing growth and rising fuel costs, the companies said.
The alliance "will help both carriers to significantly rationalize and reduce costs and provide improved standards of service," the companies said in a statement late Monday. It "will also enable a stabilization of the Indian aviation industry in the larger public interest."
The alliance will include: code-sharing on both domestic and international flights; joint efforts to reduce fuel expenses; common ground handling; cross-selling of flights; crew sharing; "network rationalization"; and reciprocity in their frequent flier programs. The airlines aren't buying equity shares and will remain independent companies.
The airlines didn't specify which routes will be cut as a result of the alliance. But facing competition amid a surge in fuel prices, Jet Airways said previously it would drop its Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco route starting mid-January. It has also shelved plans for its low-cost unit, JetLite, to start flying to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, according to a report by the Financial Times. Kingfisher Airlines has deferred the delivery of new planes ordered from Airbus.
While it has been one of the fastest growing commercial aviation markets in recent years, India has not been immune from a worldwide contraction in demand.
The two airlines posted a combined loss of $938 million in the fiscal year ending March 2008, says a report by Agence France-Presse Tuesday.
Analysts expect India's aviation sector to post a near $2-billion loss in the fiscal year ending March 2009, the AFP report says.
Kapil Kaul, of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, told the Financial Times that the alliance seems a "sensible" response to the difficult circumstances facing the airlines.
"Market conditions are changing so dramatically, you need to do something," he said.
In the past three years, Indian's air passenger numbers grew an average of 20% to 25% annually, the FT report says. --Roger Yu
AMR Corp. and UAL Corp., parents of the two largest U.S. airlines, may report the biggest third-quarter losses amid high fuel costs and a slowing economy, reports Bloomberg Tuesday.
Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR, which operates American Airlines, could report a loss of $414.3 million when it releases earnings Wednesday, it says.
Chicago-based UAL, which operates United Airlines, may report a loss of $302.3 million, partly because of writedowns on the value of its fuel-hedging contracts. UAL reports earnings next week.
The combined operating deficit for the 10 biggest domestic airlines will be about $1 billion, double the second-quarter loss, the report says, citing FTN Midwest Research Securities analyst Michael Derchin.
American, United and Continental each posted traffic declines of at least 9% for September, the worst results for any month this year.
Delta, which also reports earnings tomorrow, will roughly break even for the quarter because of higher fares and flight cutbacks, Delta President Ed Bastian said last month.
The 10 biggest domestic carriers had combined operating losses of $2.1 billion in the first half of this year. --Roger Yu
According to The Canton [Ohio] Repository, "US Airways has requested two slots at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., for direct flights to and from Akron-Canton Airport." Slots at the airport are coveted ones, as openings are extremely rare.
The slots opened due to a 2000 air transportation bill aiming to offer access to the airport from small communities. Akron-Canton Airport has been requesting slots at the D.C. airport for more than a decade.
"We have never been this close," said airport President and CEO Richard B. McQueen. "Washington, D.C., is our No.1 requested destination, and US Airways is the perfect partner to fly the route," he said in a statement.
The Department of Transportation plans to assign the slots at the airport by the end of 2008. --Rebecca Heslin
With passenger traffic down and airlines trimming their schedules, Las Vegas McCarran Airport is continuing its plans for a $2.4 billion terminal expansion.
Now according to the Associated Press, "Southwest and others are questioning the pace of expansion as the Las Vegas economy slows and airlines struggle."
The new international terminal, slated to open in 2012, would allow the airport to service up to 53 million passengers a year. But the airport has seen a 4.8% drop in service this year compared to last, and will see as much a 15% decline in flights in 2009.
In light of those gloomy numbers, "There is clearly not a current need for increased capacity," Southwest's Linda Macey tells the AP. The carrier, which serves up to 35% of Las Vegas passengers, recently scrapped a plan to add 90 daily flights at the airport.
As for why the airlines serving McCarran would care about the project: "Airport expansions would largely be paid for by airline fees," says the report. --Ben Abramson
Hi folks. I'm on vacation through Oct. 15. In my absence, Ben Abramson, Rebecca Heslin and Roger Yu of the USA TODAY travel staff will be stepping in to help keep Today in the Sky going. Blog posts may be fewer in number and not appear as early as usual today and tomorrow, but Today in the Sky will return to its normal schedule on Wednesday.
In the face of a Machinists strike, the global economic crisis and tightening credit markets, Wall Street analysts are sounding the alarm about Boeing. A report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer examines the triple threat facing the aircraft manufacturer.
Goldman Sachs analyst Richard Safran is quoted by the paper predicting "that the inability to obtain financing will cause customers to defer or cancel orders ... As a result, we believe (Boeing) will lower production rates."
And after several already announced production delays for its flagship 787 Dreamliner, another analyst predicts "the first 787s won't be delivered to airlines until early 2010, rather than in the third quarter of next year."
After some delivery delays this year due to the Machinists strike, Boeing has said it will deliver up to 505 aircraft in 2009, and management presents a less alarming longterm view. The Post-Intelligencer quotes a memo from Boeing Chairman and Chief Executive Jim McNerney: "Thus far, we've seen minimal impact and nothing to change our fundamental assumptions for delivering our record backlog," he wrote. "But it's a fluid situation and we will continue to monitor it closely."
As for the Dreamliner, Boeing "will reassess its 787 delivery schedule once the strike has ended," the paper says. --Ben Abramson
From USA TODAY's Airport Check-in column: "The Chicago City Council has approved a historic deal to sell a long-term lease of Midway Airport for $2.5 billion. The winning bidder, Midway Investment and Development, will operate the airport and control its revenue for the next 99 years, making Midway the first major U.S. airport to be privatized. City officials hope to complete the deal by the end of the year. But it still needs approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration, a process that will take at least two months."
" 'For the airlines, the lease will mean lower and more predictable airport rates and charges, which will improve their financial situation,' said Mayor Richard Daley in a statement, adding that passengers will see improvements in amenities and services. Midway Investment is a consortium of New York-based Citi Infrastructure Investors, Vancouver-based YVR Airport Services and Boston-based John Hancock Life Insurance. YVR owns and operates 18 airports worldwide, including Arturo Merino Benitez International in Santiago, Chile. YVR's parent, Vancouver Airport Authority, operates Vancouver International."
"Chicago Midway was one of the earliest applicants for the federal experiment to allow privatizing up to five U.S. airports, only one of which can be a hub airport the size of Midway. To privatize, an airport must receive approval from 65% of its airline tenants, which Midway has gotten."
Now that it has landed a trans-Atlantic flight (to Paris), Salt Lake City has it sights set on a trans-Pacific flight to Tokyo. The Salt Lake Tribune writes the board of the Governor's Office of Economic Development on Thursday "agreed to give Delta $250,000 after the airline broached the idea of starting a route from its Salt Lake City hub to Japan's capital, GOED Executive Director Jason Perry said. The money would be added to a $2 million incentive package being assembled by an alliance of public and private groups, including Salt Lake City International Airport and Salt Lake County, Perry said."
The Deseret News of Salt Lake City writes "the state money would paid after the first flight. Salt Lake is Delta's second-largest U.S. hub, with 373 flights daily to 114 destinations. GOED board documents indicate that Delta has estimated that the new service could have an overall economic impact of $90 million for Utah and could lead to the creation of 1,100 local jobs." The incentive package would be dedicated to items such as airport fee waivers and marketing support, according to the Tribune. As for the Tokyo route, the GOED's Perry tells the Deseret News: "I would expect that when they (Delta) announce the finalization of that merger that this is the first thing that they announce: the expansion of these hubs and these flights."
What tips do you have to make the rent-a-car process an easy one? Do you follow up with the companies before taking off? What questions are you always sure to ask upon reserving the rental? If you find yourself in a jam and need to rent a car at the last minute, how can you make it a seamless experience? Do you prefer going to the company's website, or do you just call the main phone line? And, of course, what tips do you have on getting the best rate? Share your tips.
This week's "name that airport" photo is of Vermont's Burlington International Airport.
Congratulations to reader "Kilarney" for being the first to submit a correct guess.
And thanks to reader Mike Mesolella of Reading, Mass., for submitting the photo. He tells Today in the Sky that the shot is "from the look-out tower looking at the mountains in between the airport and Stowe."
Check back next week for the newest photo.
Travel columnist Joe Brancatelli also weighs in on the state of the shuttles this week. (See below for related item.) In his Seat 2B column at Portfolio.com, Brancatelli writes Delta's recent "decision to add first-class cabins to its shuttle flights between New York, Boston, and Washington sounds like good news. It's not — it's another sign that the East Coast shuttles are a dying breed."
Brancatelli notes shuttle passenger numbers have dropped from about 5 million annually during "their late-1980s heyday" to just 3.2 million combined on Delta and US Airways for the 12-month period that ended in June. Brancatelli says things like teleconferencing, alternative airports and private jets (for the "superelite") have all combined to diminish the shuttles' stature. He notes "you'll also find a lot of former Shuttle flyers on the Acela, Amtrak's eight-year-old high-speed rail service that connects Boston, New York, and Washington, with intermediate stops in Philadelphia and Baltimore."
The U.S. banking crisis is having a noticeable impact on the New York-Boston shuttle route. That's according to The Boston Globe, which writes "Wall Street turmoil threatens to erode the critical New York-to-Boston shuttle service." The Globe says traffic on the route already has suffered a 17% drop in passengers during the first half of this year as corporate travel budgets tighten and as competition from Amtrak and discount bus lines intensify. And now that the banking crisis is worsening, "demand could slip further for the hourly shuttle flights operated by Delta Air Lines and US Airways, and force the airlines to make cuts on the route that draws many business travelers from Wall Street," the Globe says.
In addition to competition with each other, Delta and US Airways also face airline competition on the New York-Boston route from JetBlue and American, the latter which announced plans to drop its American Eagle service between the cities only to reverse the decision. The Globe, citing data from OAG, says Delta and US Airways shuttle flights flew at only between 36% and 54% of capacity each month this year through June. "That's pretty bad," David Beckerman of OAG tells the Globe, which notes Beckerman also used to be a strategy analyst in Delta's international revenue management. "I'd be very surprised if they're breaking even, even in 2007," Beckerman adds.
Still, even if demand deteriorates further on the route, the Globe says the airlines face risks if they make quick cuts to their Boston-New York shuttle offerings. If they do, "then you get a hole in your schedule and you can't say 'every hour on the hour.' And then you've got a marketing problem," Bob Harrell, president of aviation consultancy Harrell Associates, tells the Globe. Airlines could, however, switch to smaller jets, says another expert. "I expect traffic will decline and believe that one, if not both, shuttle operators will begin to use regional jets that seat between 70 and 100 passengers on at least some shuttle flights," travel analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research says to the Globe. Stay tuned ...
In another story from this morning's newspaper, USA TODAY writes "the federal government announced Thursday it intends to shake up New York's congested airports by bringing in new airlines in an effort to reduce delays and lower fares. The controversial program is designed to bring more competition and efficiency by auctioning off the right to take off at some of the nation's most desired — and most delayed — airports. Airline carriers will be allowed to bid for slots at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International. Over five years, the Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to take 10% of flight slots at those airports away from current airlines and auction them."
"The proceeds will go to airport improvements. In the first auction set for Jan. 12, 23 LaGuardia slots would be sold and 18 slots each at Newark and Kennedy. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the move will reduce delays and lower air fares. 'Without slot auctions, a small number of airlines will profit while travelers bear the brunt of higher fares, fewer choices and deteriorating service,' she said. Airlines, airports and lawmakers reacted with anger. The Air Transport Association, which represents the large carriers that would have to give up slots, vowed to sue to block the regulation. It argues that auctions will increase fares as airlines pass on the costs to passengers." Check out the full story.
In a story from this morning's newspaper, USA TODAY writes: "Travelers who fly on private corporate jets would have to clear background checks before boarding under a new proposal made Thursday by the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA is seeking to impose the security requirements on roughly 15,000 corporate jets and 315 small airports that currently have none. A group of private-plane owners and pilots warned that the proposal could be costly and represent an unprecedented intrusion into private flying. Hundreds of thousands of people travel each year on such jets. There is no specific threat to corporate jets, but the TSA said in its 260-page proposal that many are the same size and weight as commercial planes 'and they could be used effectively to commit a terrorist act.' "
Check out the full story online.
U.S. airlines could save $10 billion a year in fuel costs by 2025 if the FAA upgrades to a satellite-based air-traffic control system, The Associated Press reports. But, AP says that proposed upgrade "has languished in the planning stages for more than a decade" while the U.S. aviation system currently relies on "a World War II-era air traffic network that often forces planes to take longer, zigzagging routes" that cost carriers "billions of dollars in wasted fuel while."
As for the upgraded "NextGen" plan, AP says it would cost $35 billion and "would replace the current radar system with the kind of GPS technology that has become commonplace in cars and cellphones. Supporters say it would triple air traffic capacity, reduce delays by at least half, improve safety and curb greenhouse gas emissions. An Associated Press analysis of federal and industry data found that if the new system were already in place, airlines could have saved more than $5 billion in fuel this year alone."
However, NextGen has been slow to be put into place, thanks to funding delays, "the complexities of the switchover," and –- of course -- politics, according to AP. The feds say they don't expect to have NextGen fully operational until the 2020s, though backers of the project say even that far-off target is unlikely without a major push. And that's despite other nations that have already begun to capitalize on satellite technology. AP notes that "GPS is already used in many parts of the aviation world. Many European countries, China and even Mongolia have established some GPS networks or plan to do so soon."
As for cost, U.S. airlines are expected to eventually contribute about $15 billion toward the $35 billion project. And, they'll have to spend about $200,000 per plane as they equip their fleets with GPS. "But most carriers — which are otherwise enthusiastic about NextGen — are reluctant to retrofit planes years, maybe decades, before the satellite network is fully operational," AP writes. "It's like you buying a new car and the dealer saying, 'How would you like to buy this nifty GPS technology — but it won't be available in your area for years,' " says David Castelveter of the Air Transportation Association that represents airlines. Comparing the current air-traffic control system to NextGen, he says it's "the equivalent of using an electric typewriter when others are using computers."
NextGen, experts say, would allow aircraft to operate more efficiently. They could land, fly and takeoff closer together with the new system, something that is expected to reduce delays. And, AP says "even though the technology would allow more planes into the sky, the FAA and pilots agree that the technology would actually reduce the risk of accidents such as midair collisions and runway incursions." Still, as for NextGen's progress, "slow" seems to be the buzzword. "I just think it's very unlikely to be done in anything like the time frame and the budget now projected," Robert Poole, an aviation expert with the free market-oriented Reason Foundation, tells AP. "And that will be a tragedy for aviation."
RELATED ITEMS: A timeline history of air traffic control | Radar vs. satellite: A look at air traffic systems
For anyone interested in the topic, check out the full AP story, which offers a thorough read on the subject.
The world financial crunch won’t slow down airline growth in free-spending Dubai. That's according to The Associated Press, which writes "the heads of Dubai airport and the emirate's flagship airline say they are pushing ahead with ambitious growth plans even as much of the world's economy crumbles. The rapidly expanding sheikdom is to open the first phase of a new $5 billion terminal on Tuesday and the Dubai carrier Emirates will move all its local operations to the facility by year's end. Dubai Airport CEO Paul Griffiths shrugs off concerns that the financial crisis could scuttle further work on the project. He says that 'this is not the time to blink' and that the global crisis won't stop plans to build a larger airport on the other side of the city-state."
Emirates CEO Tim Clark also tells AP the global financial woes are not impacting that fast-growing airline's business plans. AFP notes that the new "Emirates Terminal 3" -– set to open next week in a "soft launch" –- is expected to add "a capacity of 20 million passengers a year to Dubai international airport, taking total capacity to 60 million while construction goes on at another airport intended to be one of the world's largest." Emirates will move its operations to Terminal 3 in four phases that will stretch from this month through December.
Sun Country was about $7 million away from avoiding bankruptcy. That's according to Aviation Daily, which writes: "Sun Country, which had received $25 million in short-term financing from Petters Group Worldwide since the fourth quarter of 2007, was counting on receiving another $7 million from the company to pay for its operations through the rest of this year, the airline said in a bankruptcy court filing Oct. 7." Petters Group is the parent company of the holding group that owns Sun Country, which has "said it counts on a loan (from Petters) to get it through its seasonally weak booking period, before the winter holidays," Aviation Daily writes.
Meanwhile, the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes Sun Country "won court approval to pay more than $886,000 in wages and worker-related fees. The carrier's request to pay the expenses, accrued before Monday's Chapter 11 filing, was approved Wednesday by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel in St. Paul."
The East Valley Tribune of Arizona writes "Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group is shedding as many as 250 jobs, prompted by the staggering economy and declining air passenger traffic in general and the loss of at least one contract with Delta Air Lines in particular." Bloomberg News adds "about 100 of the positions were at the corporate level, and 150 were pilots, most of whom flew jets for Delta, said Brian Gillman, general counsel for Phoenix-based Mesa. No further job reductions are planned, Gillman said."
The Tribune writes the cuts are largely in response to "Delta's cancellation of a contract to fly CRJ-900 jets as part of its Delta Connection operation, Gillman said. But the company also folded its Air Midwest subsidiary earlier this year, and US Airways has canceled flights as part of its own capacity reductions, exacerbating the situation," according to Brian Richardson, vice chairman for Mesa’s pilots’ union. Mesa is still involved in a lawsuit with Delta over a second, larger contract. Losing that second Delta contract would "have severe adverse consequences for us," Gillman tells the Tribune.
Good news for Delta fliers who are regulars on the airline’s flights to London Heathrow. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the carrier will add lie-flat seats in BusinessElite by next summer on flights to London Heathrow from both Atlanta and New York JFK. To do so, Delta will upgrade seven of its 767-400 ER jets to hold 40 flat-bed seats in BusinessElite cabins. Delta says its business travelers have told the carrier that the lie-flat seats would be a preferred perk on the U.S.-Heathrow flights –- a highly competitive market.
The Journal Constitution notes Delta first announced in February that it planned to put lie-flat seats on its 767-400s that fly international routes. The paper adds that "no Delta flights out of Atlanta have lie-flat seats yet, and the first Delta flight out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to offer the seats will be Atlanta-Mumbai flights launching Nov. 1 on 777-200LR aircraft. With the launch, Delta is shifting its Mumbai service from JFK to Atlanta."
Getting stuck in an ultra-long ground delay is likely one of the top concerns of any frequent traveler. But, now, the traveling public may be about to get a better picture of just how severe such delays are. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes "airlines will soon be giving travelers more information on lengthy tarmac delays, which could help consumers hoping to avoid being stuck in an airplane during the next unexpected storm or operational meltdown." Currently, airlines give the feds data on "taxi-out time," or the amount of time a plane spends on the ground before take off. However, critics contend that data is misleading since it does not include information from canceled or diverted flights.
But that's about to change. Dave Smallen, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics, tells the Star-Telegram that such data is expected to be included in federal reports beginning this December. "Passengers should know whether it will take as long for their flight to get to the runway as it will to land at their destination," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says in a statement quoted by the Star-Telegram. "I hope we’ll get a much more factual idea of what's going on out there," says Kate Hanni, a passenger-rights activist who has been pushing for a federal "passenger bill of rights" that would guarantee fliers' protections -- including the right to food or water during long ground delays.
Still, even though it's tweaking that data it uses to detail long ground delays, government numbers indicate such delays remain relatively rare. "According to the Transportation Department, just 270 flights sat on the tarmac for more than three hours from January to April 2008," the Star-Telegram writes. And many of those long ground delays appear to be concentrated at delay-prone airports. The Star-Telegram notes that in August, for example, "16 of the 20 flights with the longest tarmac delays were departing from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, according to the more limited data currently available." The month’s longest delay, though, was for an Aug. 10 flight on Delta subsidiary Comair that sat for 6 hours and 14 minutes before taking off from Raleigh/Durham for New York LaGuardia.
This just in from The Asssociated Press: "Federal officials are pushing ahead with an experiment to reduce rampant flight delays around the nation by auctioning off takeoff and landing times at New York City-area airports, where most delays begin. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced final rules to begin auctioning takeoff and landing 'slots' at the three major New York-area airports: John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark-Liberty. Roughly two-thirds of flight delays around the country are caused by backups at those airports. Peters said in a statement Thursday the government will gradually auction up to 10% of the landing and takeoff slots the airlines currently operate at the airports. Airlines, airports, and many lawmakers oppose the auction plan."
The Air Transport Association -- a trade group that represents airlines -- responded with a statement saying: "The DOT decision patently defies the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), as well as the will of Congress, by attempting to move forward with an illegal auction of airport slots. Rather than needlessly forcing a costly and protracted legal challenge over an ideological experiment, DOT should follow the recommendations made by the New York Aviation Rulemaking Committee and implement fair and practical solutions to address delays and add needed new capacity."
United will lay off 414 mechanics at its San Francisco maintenance base, The Associated Press reports. The news agency says the layoffs take effect Dec. 7 and "are part of 7,000 job eliminations announced previously by the Chicago-based carrier as it reduces its flying and eliminates the Boeing 737 from its fleet." United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy says all major work groups at United are being reduced. She says enough flight attendants volunteered for furloughs that the company did not need to make involuntary layoffs with that group.
But AP writes "McCarthy said efforts to reduce 950 pilot positions will continue into next year, and cuts of as many as 1,600 managers are continuing, too." Meanwhile, as for the mechanics, Paul Molenberg –- a spokesman for the union that represents the laid-off workers -- slammed United for its move. "We feel it's reprehensible they're laying off people while work is being outsourced overseas where there are less-qualified mechanics working on the planes," he tells AP.
Airline executives are becoming increasingly concerned that woes affecting the world's financial markets and economies may start to impact the aviation industry as well, The Wall Street Journal reports. "Airlines, which had appeared to dodge a bullet when oil prices declined, are losing some of their best customers -- the ones who can mean the difference between a flight being profitable and producing a loss," the paper writes. Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition advocacy group that represents corporate travel buyers, tells the Journal that "any reduction of the elite [fliers] has a magnified hit. If you start to lose one-half of 1% of those high-yield, front-of-the-plane travelers, that can change the economics of a flight in a snap."
Still, the Journal writes the "airlines aren't sitting idly by as they lose some of their best customers." Among the measures some are taking: promotional fares for premium tickets, and new or reinstated rules that are meant to force business travelers to buy higher-priced business-oriented fares. Such rules can include requirements for a Saturday-night stay or for a stay of a minimum number of nights. Those rules would force at least some business travelers flying on a same-day or overnight trip to pay higher fares –- dramatically higher, in some cases. Even if that only affects a few fliers, it could be big business for a carrier. The Journal writes that Northwest, "for instance, says its elite frequent-flier members account for 5% of its total passengers but 25% of its revenue."
Is there renewed momentum for more airline mergers? Why are the windows so low on most regional jets?With Open Skies, are foreign carriers allowed to fly U.S. passengers on domestic routes?
Find out the answers to these questions -- and more than a dozen others -- by reading the transcript from today's chat.