Friday, October 22, 2010

Airbus corporate jets now available for charter with ten operators



Ten operators, based in America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East are now offering the A318 Elite, Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) and A320 Prestige for private charter, highlighting their appeal and success in the high-end business jet market.

They comprise Acropolis Ltd in the UK, Aerodynamics Inc (ADI) in America, Al Jaber Aviation (AJA) in the United Arab Emirates, Deerjet in China, Comlux Aviation in Switzerland and the Middle East, DC Aviation in Germany,  Globaljet Concept in Switzerland, Omni Aviacao in France and Portugal, Skytraders Pty in Australia, and Twinjet Ltd in the UK.

Some of the Airbus corporate jets are dedicated to VVIP charter flights full-time, while others are made available when they are not being used by their owners, with both options allowing customers to benefit from their greater passenger capacity, comfort and space without owning an aircraft.

“We are delighted with our Airbus ACJ, which has a particularly pleasing designer cabin that takes our passengers just where they want to go,” says Acropolis CEO David Crawshaw, which took delivery of its aircraft earlier this year and bases it at Farnborough in the UK.

“We fly an Airbus corporate jet as a corporate shuttle for a major US company, whose employees need to travel regularly between sites, and it has proved to be a great solution that the company values and staff appreciate,” says ADI Vice President Flight, Brad Bruce.

“We are finding that our A318 Elite is increasingly ordered by VIPs, resulting in generating more revenue for us, which helps our business model a lot, as well as helping us to position ourselves as a top-level service provider,” says Mohammed Al Jaber, CEO of AJA, which took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft earlier this year.

“China is probably the world’s fastest growing market for business jet charters today, and adding Airbus ACJs to our fleet helps us to keep up with demand as well as allowing us to broaden our offering into the top end of the market,” says Deerjet Executive Chairman and CEO Johnson Zhang.

“Comlux is the largest worldwide ACJ operator and VIP charter flight company. We are operating our A318 Elite and ACJ with 180 minute ETOPS and Category 3B autoland, and have aircraft available in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia,” says Comlux Aviation CEO Richard Gaona.

“As a former subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, we already flew a 48-seater Airbus ACJ as a transatlantic corporate shuttle at least four times a week. This year we added a further three VVIP Airbus aircraft to our charter fleet. They are already highly in demand and we are happy that they fully meet and exceed our customers’ requirements. With more than 30,000 flight hours experience we are very pleased with the reliability and comfort of our Airbus aircraft”, says DC Aviation CEO Michael Kuhn.

“We know that the kind of top-level passengers that we fly want the best product and quality service, and Airbus corporate jets help us to meet their high expectations for comfort, space and freedom of movement, as well as reliability,” says Globaljet Concept COO Richard Cocu.

“We can offer an Airbus ACJ with VVIP seating for 29 people, which is something you cannot do in traditional business jets. With a 48 seater, and soon a VVIP 19 seater Airbus aircraft also in our fleet, we offer an unmatched range of high-quality options to our clients,” says Omni Aviacao President & CEO Jose-Miguel da Costa.

“Our Airbus ACJ is the only business jet flying to and from an ice runway in Antarctica, to which we carry scientists, highlighting the versatility and reliability of the aircraft in what is a very challenging environment,” says Skytraders CEO Norman MacKay.

“We were the first in the world to fly an Airbus ACJ, as well as the first to offer one for VVIP charter and the first to place a repeat order,” says Twinjet Aircraft Chairman John Keeble, which currently operates an ACJ from Luton in the UK on behalf of the Al Kharafi Group in Kuwait.

“Demand for the wide open spaces of our corporate jet cabins is even better than we anticipated when we launched them a few years ago, as their success in their variety of roles in the VVIP charter market demonstrates,” concludes Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy. “Airbus corporate jets are good business for the operators, and it shows,” he adds.

Airbus offers an A318 Elite, an Airbus ACJ and an A320 Prestige as corporate jet versions of its modern and successful A320 airliner family, as well as VIP versions of its widebodies for customers that want even more capacity, comfort and range.

Total sales of Airbus corporate jets now stand at more than 170 aircraft, comprising over 110 A318 Elites, Airbus ACJs and A320 Prestiges and around 60 government and VIP widebodies.

Airbus designs, builds, and supports the world’s most modern airliner family, which has won more than 9,800 orders to date and has over 400 customers and operators around the world.



Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo New Chitose welcome the A380

The world’s most modern and environmentally friendly aircraft, the Airbus A380, received a warm welcome when an Airbus A380 test aircraft landed for the first time at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, making it the 120th airport visited to date. During the visit, the aircraft confirmed day-one readiness of Haneda’s new international terminal by performing various airport compatibility checks.



"I’m pleased and proud to be in Tokyo-Haneda to welcome the A380 for the first time. I look forward to seeing the Airbus flagship aircraft becoming a regular visitor here in Haneda for the decades to come,” said Rainer BrĂ¼derle, German Minister of Economics and Technology, at the welcome ceremony.



After Haneda, the A380 will fly North to Sapporo’s New Chitose airport, Hokkaido. This visit underlines the benefits for airports, airlines and passengers alike to operate and fly the largest and most eco-efficient airliner on domestic, regional or international routes.



“We are very pleased to have brought the A380 to Haneda for the inauguration of its new international terminal. It is an honor for us to be part of this historical event strengthening the role of Tokyo as a hub in Japan and as a key gateway to Asia. We believe the A380 will soon be flying in and out of Haneda and that it could also serve the world's densest route, between Haneda and Chitose, in the future as well,” said Stephane Ginoux, CEO of Airbus Japan.



“The smartest way to address airport congestion and simultaneously meet growing passenger demand is to operate a larger, greener, cleaner, quieter and more eco-efficient aircraft. Haneda International Airport as well as the A380 are set to bring these new standards to air travel, be it international or domestic operations. The A380 is part of the solution Japanese air transport needs to achieve sustainable growth, as already demonstrated by the three operators flying the aircraft to Japan today,” added Gerald Weber, Airbus Executive Vice President Operations.



The Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, is the quietest and most fuel efficient means of commercial air travel, demonstrably consuming less than three litres per passenger and 100 kilometres. Some seven million passengers have already enjoyed the new experience of flying on-board one of the 37 A380s already in service, taking them at present to a network of 20 major international destinations worldwide in unprecedented levels of comfort.



With a range of 8 300 nm / 15 400 km, and seating from 400 to more than 800 passengers, the A380 is the answer to alleviate traffic congestion at busy airports, cope with growth and minimise environmental impact. A380 firm orders stand today at 234 from 17 customers.




Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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Hong Kong Airlines confirms orders for A330 and A350 XWB

Hong Kong Airlines has finalised a contract with Airbus covering the firm order of 10 more A330-200 long range aircraft and converted an existing order for 15 A330s to the A350 XWB. Both agreements were previously announced upon signature of an initial MOU during the Farnborough Air Show in July this year.

Deliveries of the newly ordered A330-200s will begin in 2012, while the carrier's first A350 XWB will arrive in 2018. The aircraft will be operated across a long haul network currently being developed by the airline to link Hong Kong with a wide range of destinations in Europe and North America.

"Today's announcement underscores our plan to operate an extensive long haul network," said Yang Jian Hong, President, Hong Kong Airlines. "The A330-200 is the perfect platform for us to develop these services, while the all-new A350 XWB will become our new flagship towards the end of this decade."

"We are extremely pleased that Hong Kong Airlines has placed its confidence in our products to build its long range fleet," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers. "With the A330 and the A350 XWB, the carrier will be operating the cleanest, most efficient aircraft available in the mid-size widebody market, both now and in the future."

Hong Kong Airlines has now ordered a total 33 widebody aircraft from Airbus, comprising 18 A330s and 15 A350 XWBs. The carrier also has 30 single aisle A320 aircraft on firm order for future delivery.

The A330 is one of the most widely used widebody aircraft in service today. To date, Airbus has won more than 1,100 orders for the various versions of the aircraft and over 700 A330s are currently flying with more than 80 airlines worldwide.

The A350 XWB Family is an all-new product line seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. Scheduled for first entry-into-service in 2013, the family has now won 573 firm orders from 35 customers worldwide.


Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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INDIAN AVIATION NEWS

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Engine shut down in flight-Lufthansa A330's




A Lufthansa Airbus A330-300, registration D-AIKM performing flight LH-751 from Kolkata (India) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 152 passengers and 13 crew, was climbing out of Kolkata when the crew needed to shut an engine (Trent 772) down due to some technical problem. The crew decided to return to Kolkata, burned off fuel and landed safely about 2 hours after departure. Airport officials reported, the airplane experienced technical trouble.
Passengers reported, there was smoke in the cabin.






Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar

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Air Service Agreement (ASA) Modified  between India and Iraq






Civil Aviation consultations were held between India and Iraq on 18-19 October 2010 to discuss matters relating to operation of air services between their respective territories. The Indian delegation was led by Mr Prashant Sukul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Iraqi side was led by Mr Ali.K.Ibrahim Director Air Traffic Services.
Now both sides can designate multiple airlines for operations between the countries. Earlier there was provision for only one airline from each side. The designated airlines of each side shall be entitled to operate upto a total of 12 frequencies per week in each direction, with any type of aircraft not exceeding the capacity of 250 seats. Earlier entitlements were restricted to 2 services per week.
The designated airlines of India are now entitled to operate to Baghdad, Basrah, Al Najaf and one more point to be specified later. Reciprocally the designated airlines of Iraq can operate to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and one more point to be specified later. Earlier only one point of call was available for each side.
Since the existing Air Services Agreement (ASA) was signed in 1955, the two sides agreed that it needs to be updated and modernised. Therefore the two sides exchanged their respective draft texts of Air Services Agreement to be finalised at a later stage. Pending finalisation of a new ASA it was agreed that the existing agreement shall be modified to incorporate therein new Articles on Safety, Aviation Security and Cooperative Marketing Arrangements (code share).






Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar

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Air traffic grows 18% in 2010
Mumbai: The ongoing boom in the economy is finding reflection in the air-traffic passenger data — the January-September period saw 58 lakh more people took to the skies as compared to last year. Air passenger traffic grew 18.5 per cent to 373.2 lakh, from 314.9 lakh in Jan-Sept 2009. The total domestic
passengers carried by scheduled airlines in the third quarter of the year was 119.8 lakh, compared with 118.5 lakh between January and March, as per figures released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday.
The total domestic passengers carried by the scheduled airlines in the second quarter, between April and June — the peak holiday season — was 134.8 lakh.
Jet Airways continued with its domination of the domestic market cornering nearly 27 per cent of the domestic market share for the quarter ending September followed by Kingfisher (19.9 per cent) and Air India with 18.1 per cent. Low-cost carrier Indigo had a market share of 16.5 per cent while competitor Spice Jet had 12.8 per cent. In the July-September period, Jet Airways and JetLite together flew 32.2 lakh passengers, while Kingfisher carried 23.9 lakh and Air India 21.7 lakh. Among the purely no-frill airlines, IndiGo flew the highest number at 19.8 lakh, SpiceJet 15.3 lakh and GoAir 6.8 lakh. The total domestic passengers carried by the scheduled airlines in September were 39.1 lakhs.





Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar

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CANADA AVIATION NEWS

Canadian agency gives Bombardier safety order-WSJ


Canada's aviation regulatory body issued an emergency safety directive this week covering 600 of Bombardier Inc's (BBDb.TO) regional jets following two landing-gear malfunctions, the Wall Street Journal reported.


Released on Monday by Transport Canada, the directive requires swift inspection, and replacement if necessary, of seals and other parts that can jam landing-gear systems on the aircraft, the newspaper reported.


Representatives for Transport Canada and for Bombardier could not immediately be reached for comment.


Canadian safety regulators acted on Monday, after Montreal-based Bombardier issued its own safety alert asking for stepped up landing-gear inspections, according to the Wall Street Journa




Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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SCHOOLS WITHOUT BORDERS AND AEROPLAN TEAM UP TO HOST THEIR SECOND ANNUAL MILLION MILE CAMPAIGN


TORONTO - Schools Without Borders (SWB) and Aeroplan's Beyond Miles program have teamed up to launch their second "Million Mile Campaign" to empower the work of SWB.


In October of 2009 the Million Mile campaign recruited over 40 SWB ambassadors and 150 individual donors to raise over 4 million miles. These miles were used to support young leaders from around the world to share community-building strategies and bring global innovations back home.


The dozens of projects supported by Aeroplan donations have helped young people build their leadership skills, share their stories and launch platforms for change that have the ability to make a profound impact on both grassroots and institutional levels. Last year's donations of miles fuelled by the Million Mile Campaign enabled female leaders from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya to visit community gardening projects in Botswana allowing them to bring skills home to launch a local agricultural project as well as a restaurant and catering company in their community. In East Asia, emerging film-maker, Tiffany Hsiung, continues to document the stories of grandmothers, who were forced into sexual slavery during the Japanese occupation of the Pacific in WWII.


Furthermore, the Million Mile Campaign rewards the top mile-raising ambassador with an opportunity to work alongside one of SWB's international programs. 2009's Winning ambassador, Anna Murray, raised over 200 000 Aeroplan Miles and was awarded the opportunity to visit SWB's, Safe Spaces program in Nairobi, Kenya.


"Being a part of the Million Mile Campaign as an Ambassador made me feel like I was actively participating with an organization that is making a tangible difference in the lives of young women. It became clear - very quickly - that SWB offers distinctly sustainable community led programming," said Anna Murray, 2009's Top Million Mile Campaign Ambassador.


This year the campaign will run from October 26th to November 9th, 2010 and culminate at SWB's fall fundraiser and community celebration called "Recess." On November 9th, 2010, Aeroplan will match all miles donated by members for a 24 hour period up to 1.5 million miles.


"We are thrilled to partner with an incredible company like Aeroplan that encourages their members to donate Aeroplan Miles to help make a positive impact," says Chris Kang, Executive Director, Schools Without Borders. "We're proud to partner with our Toronto community to support youth leaders as they positively impact communities around the world."




Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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SOUTH KOREA TO ORDER MECHTRONIX SIMULATORS


MONTREAL – Mechtronix Systems Inc., an MWC company, a world leading manufacturer of Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTD), today announced National Flag Carrier of Korea, Korean Air will train its cadets on C172 Ascent® Flight Trainers™ acquired by Korea Aerospace University (KAU); the FSTD’s are configured as Cessna C172 Skyhawk with Garmin 1000 avionics and happen to be C172 unit # 21 and 22 manufactured by Mechtronix. KAU invested in the simulators in an effort to modernize their fleet of training equipment for VFR, IR and CPL courses for the Cessna 172S. The units will be deployed at Korea Aerospace University’s flight training facilities based in Uljin, South Korea, by early 2011.


“We are looking forward to taking delivery of our brand-new Cessna 172 simulators and cannot wait to start providing our CPL courses in such modern technology”, said Mr. SungHwan Kim, Director of Flight Training Center at Korea Aerospace University. “Mechtronix proved to meet and exceed our expectations for the supply of flight training devices for ab-initio training and offer the best products currently available on the market. Their simulation technology was completely in line with our modernization efforts.”


“It is an honor to count Korea Aerospace University among our many references in Asia-Pacific, especially a training organization involved in an airline cadets program,” said Mechtronix President HervĂ©. “This new order for the Ascent® Flight Trainer™ C172 follows a recent order for the same device in Australia which expands Mechtronix presence in the region. Many countries in Asia are looking at modernizing their flight training programs and many airlines make sure their pilots benefit from the latest simulation technology. We are really proud to be perceived as partners of choice by such a demanding and dynamic world region.”


At customer’s request the first unit is equipped with a 3-channel 180° wide field of view while the second comes with a single channel visual system; both Ascent® Flight Trainers™ closely replicate the C172 S and feature an RSI Image Generator providing exceptional FFS-like fidelity to its users. The simulators will be evaluated by the Korean civil aviation safety authority and will seek for FAA FTD Level 5 and AATD qualification.




Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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CAMC HOLDS IMPORTANT WORKSHOP


The Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC), working with facilitation support from AvAd (the Aviation Advantage) Inc. would like to invite pilots from various aspects of the aviation community to attend an important workshop that is taking place in Toronto on November 2, 2010.
In reaction to requests from industry and due to the importance of Professional Pilots to the aviation transportation system, CAMC has been working to create an occupational standard for Professional Pilots. This standard is being developed and validated with the support of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and involves input from focus groups made up of representatives from aviation consisting of all sectors of air operations.






Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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JAZZ AIR INCOME FUND ANNOUNCES OCTOBER DISTRIBUTION


Jazz Air Income Fund (TSX: JAZ.UN ) announced today that its October cash distribution of $0.05 per Fund unit covering the period from October 1, 2010 to October 31, 2010 will be paid on November 15, 2010 to unitholders of record at the close of business on October 29, 2010.





Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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NAV CANADA REPORTS SEPTEMBER TRAFFIC FIGURES

OTTAWA, - NAV CANADA today announced its traffic figures for the month of September 2010 as measured in weighted charging units for en-route, terminal and oceanic air navigation services, in comparison to the last fiscal year.

The traffic in September 2010 increased by an average of 4.2 per cent compared to the same month in 2009. September represents the first month of NAV CANADA's fiscal year which runs from September 1 to August 31.

Weighted charging units represent a traffic measure that reflects the number of flights, aircraft size and distance flown in Canadian airspace.

These traffic figures are also available in graph form on NAV CANADA's web site at www.navcanada.ca. NAV CANADA, the country's civil air navigation services provider, is a private sector, non-share capital corporation financed through publicly-traded debt. With operations from coast to coast to coast, NAV CANADA provides air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information services, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.




Posted By: Capt. Sushil Kumar
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PHILIPPINES AVIATION NEWS

                                              PHILIPPINES AVIATION NEWS


International Flight Yields Strange Find



MANILA, Philippines — First, it was a baby found inside the lavatory trash bin of a Gulf Air plane.

On Wednesday, it was dead man.

The body of Marlon Cueva, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who hails from Lubang Island, Mindoro Occidental, was found inside the lavatory of a Gulf Air plane after touched down Wednesday morning at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

Investigators said Cueva is believed to have committed suicide onboard the plane with flight number GF 154.

The victim was identified by Gulf Air local station manager Khaled Ahmed Abdulrahman based on the flight manifest. He was 36 and an electrician from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

NAIA 1 General Manager Octavio Lina said initial reports show that the victim hanged himself.

“The injuries seem self-inflicted. He probably used a clothing article to hang himself. There were no ropes or wires. We will leave it to our forensics experts to establish the suicide. The lavatory was intact,” said Pasay City police chief Senior Supt. Napoleon Cuaton.

Witnesses account show the victim was restless and uneasy during the flight back home.

The body was discovered at around 11:20 a.m., shortly after the plane landed. A flight steward, conducting a routine check, found Cueva’s body inside the lavatory located at the tail-end of the plane.

A Filipino nurse sought to revive Cueva but failed to resuscitate him. Photos from the crime scene showed the body slumped along the aisle leading to the comfort room.

The victim, wearing a black jacket and a blue polo shirt, apparently died of asphyxiation or lack of oxygen.

As of press time, Cueva’s body is still inside the plane, pending investigation. The NAIA Aviation Security Group, the Homicide Section of the Pasay City Police and the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) are leading the probe and looking at the reason why he committed suicide.

The plane’s flight for the afternoon has been delayed pending investigation.

Recently, a baby boy was found dumped in a trash bin in a Gulf Air flight. The baby was left behind by a female OFW. He was christened George Francis by flight stewards who found him.

The baby’s mother had admitted she was a victim of rape and was psychologically unstable when she gave birth inside the airplane. DNA tests later confirmed the OFW is George Francis’ mother.











Long Missing WWII Pilot to be Buried in Ohio


KETTERING, Ohio (AP) -- The remains of a World War II pilot will be buried this weekend in Ohio, 65 years after his plane went down on an island in the Philippines.

Arthur Frances Parkhurst, an Army Aviation lieutenant, was declared missing in action in 1945, then ruled killed in action later. The native of Evansville, Ind., was 20 when his plane went down after delivering supplies to guerrilla forces.

His 81-year-old brother, Judson Parkhurst, of Kettering, Ohio, tells the Dayton Daily News a farmer recently found the remains along with his brother's dog tags and a leather boot. DNA testing confirmed the identity.

Funeral services will be Saturday in the Dayton suburb of Kettering, followed by military burial in Xenia (ZEEN'-yuh).

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