Latest News

GAO Speaks to Condition of FAA Facilities
May 13, 2013, 1:50 PM
May 13, 2013

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is pushing for clearer information on the state of FAA facilities. To set the stage for a new study of FAA facilities, the GAO said, “Our preliminary analyses indicate that as of February [this year] FAA-staffed facilities are generally in fair to good condition based on their facility condition indices.

Capital Market Cash Flows into Airliner Financing
May 13, 2013, 11:20 AM
May 13, 2013

Airlines are benefitting from growing capital market support for new aircraft financing, with this source of funding expected to account for as much as 15 percent of all transactions this year, according to Boeing Capital. A few years ago, capital markets accounted for barely 2 to 3 percent of aircraft financing.

SITA Expands Datalink Service in Indonesian Airspace
May 13, 2013, 11:15 AM
May 13, 2013

Sita is supporting the launch of datalink ATC service in Indonesian airspace. The Geneva-based company has an agreement with Indonesia’s air navigation service provider to provide an air-to-ground datalink infrastructure that will enable pilots and controllers to communicate in the Jakarta flight information region.

SAS Agrees To Sale of Norwegian Regional Subsidiary
May 13, 2013, 11:05 AM
May 13, 2013

Struggling Scandinavian flag carrier SAS has signed an agreement to sell its regional subsidiary Widerøe as part of an ongoing restructuring program to achieve financial stability. SAS will sell 80 percent of Widerøe to Norwegian companies Torghatten ASA, Fjord1 AS and Nordland Fylkeskommune. The sales will include seven Bombardier Q400 turboprops that SAS currently leases to the regional carrier. The transaction must be approved by Norwegian authorities, and is expected to close in September.

US Airways Certifies NextGen SafeRoute
May 13, 2013, 11:00 AM
May 13, 2013

Last month US Airways became the first airline to receive FAA certification approval of the SafeRoute suite of NextGen avionics applications in the Airbus A330. The airline claims SafeRoute will “enhance operational safety and efficiency during various phases of flight.”

NextGen Debate Takes Center Stage at RAA Convention
May 13, 2013, 10:55 AM
May 13, 2013

As the Regional Airline Association gathered its membership in Montreal from May 6 to 9 for its first-ever annual convention held outside the U.S., few among the RAA braintrust could set aside thoughts of events back home in Washington, D.C. In fact, what many consider the FAA’s bungled effort to advance the Next Generation Air Traffic Control system, or NextGen, took top billing among the various panel discussions held at the Palais des Congres de Montreal, where the RAA saw some 1,400 visitors pass through the turnstiles.

FAA Won’t Close 149 Contract Towers After All
May 10, 2013, 4:21 PM
AINonline

The FAA–and its parent agency, the Department of Transportation–today announced that it will keep open the 149 contract towers that the agency slated for closure on June 15. These cuts were to be made to comply with sequestration, but on April 26 Congress gave the FAA the authority to shift funds to stop controller furloughs and, possibly, contract tower closures.

Navy Issues RFP for Presidential Helo; V-22 Joins Fleet
May 10, 2013, 10:45 AM
May 10, 2013

The U.S. Navy restarted the VXX Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program by issuing a final request for proposals on May 3. The next day, Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) officially welcomed a new type into the presidential fleet–the MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor–which will be used in a support role to carry White House staff and reporters following the President.

Russia Debates Restart of MiG-31 Production
May 10, 2013, 10:40 AM
May 10, 2013

A debate has unfolded in Russia over whether to invest further in the MiG-31 series or to concentrate funding on the Sukhoi Su-35. United Aircraft’s Sokol factory in Nizhny Novgorod continues to deliver MiG-31BM multirole aircraft modified from MiG-31 interceptors built earlier. The plant’s general director, Alexander Karezin, reported that the company handed over 15 last year, and the plant “holds a firm order for about sixty MiG-31BMs due for delivery in 2011-2018.” He added, “This is a considerable contribution to the national defense of the country.”

UAV Makes Test Flight in Non-Segregated European Airspace
May 10, 2013, 10:35 AM
May 10, 2013

Integration of remotely piloted air systems (RPAS, or unmanned air systems) into non-segregated airspace in Europe has moved a step closer with the latest test flight in the Desire project (Demonstration of Satellites enabling the Insertion of RPAS in Europe). The project is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) and led by Indra of Spain.

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