FAA calls the shots.
WASHINGTON: THE USA WANTS TO IMPOSE ITS AVIATION STANDARDS ON THE REST OF THE WORLD. IS IT FOR SAFETY, OR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE? The 31st session of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) convened as we went to press, with both regional and national self-interests threatening its future. Leading...

Air Transport News.
Apr 7, 2008 The nation's aging air traffic control system experiences constant failures, consultant Michael Boyd writes. He also notes air traffic control "wastes fuel massively" and the FAA's NextGen program will not address the problem. Apr 2, 2008 Tom Brantley, national president of the...

Airline Finance News - Europe.
May 5, 2008 European Union and Australia signed a horizontal aviation agreement that removes nationality restrictions in bilateral ASAs between EU member states and Australia. The new agreement does not replace the bilateral agreements but brings them in line with EU law by removing nationality restrictions. More...

Airline Finance News - North America.
May 5, 2008 US Senate, which earlier this week appeared on the verge of finally passing a long-stalled FAA reauthorization bill, failed to agree on both procedural rules for the proposed legislation's floor debate and whether amendments regarding airline pension plans should be included. Aviation Subcommittee Chairman...

Company Watch - American Airlines.
May 5, 2008 American Airlines is poised to say in a report to be delivered on Friday that it wouldn't have had to cancel over 3,000 flights last month if a tentative agreement it had with local aviation officials hadn't been overruled, according to a newspaper. The...

Collision Course: The Truth About Airline Safety.
AIRLINE CRASHES ARE HORRIFYING events. As a frequent flyer, I am personally concerned about air safety, to the point of reading the detailed crash post-mortem reports by the National Transportation Safety Board and occasionally avoiding an airline on safety grounds. In addition, as a longtime transportation researcher, I have followed...

Capacity returns: with cargo insurance capacity now plentiful, buyers are beginning to look at the fine print in their contracts, from concealed-losses clauses to so-called delay coverage.
It's been four years since the aviation markets plunged, along with the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and insurance capacity for air freight is available once again, for a reasonable price, of course. The mad scramble to find fair coverage is over. And that means actuaries and...

Company Watch - American Airlines.
Apr 28, 2008 American Airlines parent AMR investor cuts stake over several months. A large investor in AMR Corp. has cut its stake by about 20% over the past few months. Hall Phoenix/Inwood Ltd. and related investment firms now own about 9.9 million shares in the airline,...

Company Watch - Ryanair.
Apr 28, 2008 Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruled that a Ryanair advert showing what appeared to be a skimpily clad schoolgirl and promising "hottest back to school fares" was irresponsible and offensive. Previous Ryanair adverts have lampooned rivals as well as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Chief...

Airport Business News - North America.
Jun 23, 2008 Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has introduced a bill to block a DOT plan to auction slots at New York airports. He said the slot auction will not reduce congestion and delays, and he urged the FAA to instead focus on NextGen air traffic control...