(Friday) Aviation News.

At the moment, I'm considering changing the name to weekend aviation news. Sorry haha.

• United Airlines #1 ontime legacy airline in the United States in 2009. They had an 81% ontime arrival percentage. Not bad. 
• Dead body found at NRT (Tokyo) in belly of DL 59 (JFK-NRT). 
• Hawaiian best on time in US (alltogether, not just among legacy carriers like you know who) for 6th straight year! 92.1% of flights were on time, and the least amount of flights were canceled. However, this could be seen as an unfair contest, as Hawaiian doesn't fly to delay prone Mid-West, or East Coast cities. 
• OpenSkies, the airline a subsidiary airline of BA (British Airways), announced a new route. ORY-IAD (Paris Orly to Washington Dulles). OpenSkies also flies 17 flights a week from ORY-EWR (Paris Orly to Newark International). 
• AS (Alaska Airlines) states that as of June 6th, LAX-CUN and LGB-PDX (Los Angeles to Cancun and Long Beach to Portland) will be terminated. Both CUN and LGB sustain service to SEA (Seattle). 
• Icelandair chooses between A320s and B737s. Classic B vs A warfare. (Boeing vs Airbus)
• CX (Cathay Pacific Airlines) plans HGK-DME (Hong Kong to Moscow Domedodovo) launch at 3 times a week. They already added MXP (Milan) so perhaps a US destination next? The HGK-DME route lies on the new reciprocal visa waiver agreement between Hong Kong and Russia. 
• AC (Air Canada) sues for access to YTZ (Toronto City Airport). Toronto also has YYZ (Toronto International), a hub for AC. PD (Porter Airlines) wants to remain exclusive at YTZ. 

'Graceful Giant' Flies

The Boeing 747-8 flew on February 8, 2010, within 2 months of the 787-8 first test flight. The plane flew at a lower speed around 230 knots and a lower altitude with a max of 17000. Mark Feuerstein, chief pilot on the 747 stressed that the plane handled like a regular 747. Afterall, the 747-8 is just slightly bigger than smaller 747 variants.

The 747-8 comes in two versions. The freighter and the intercontinental (passenger). The freighter costs around 300 million, while the passenger costs a minimum of around 290 million.

Friday Aviation News

Yes it is a Saturday. Apologies.

• Airline blunders in the past: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4691230/
• Today is the last day of the Northwest Airline call sign (label pilots use for calling their own aircraft through radio contact with air traffic control (atc) . Also last day for their website. A great era of aviation ends...today. 
• 14 great sights from an airplane: http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=14+Sights+From+an+Airplane:+Golden+Gate+Bridge&cid=msn1127287&gt1=41000
• CO increases EWR-LHR (Newak-London Heathrow) from 3 daily flights to 4 daily flights.
• Jetstar picks Singapore (SIN) as Asian Hub; applies for SIN-NRT (Tokyo) route.
• US Airlines drops from Philadelphia (PHL): Shannon, Ireland (SNN) Milan, Italy (MXP) Birmingham, England (BHX) and Stockholm, Sweden (ARL). All were to be operated with a 752. 
• Ethiopian Airliner crashes near Beirut. A Boeing 737-800, 7th hull lost for the 738, still none for other 737 NGs. Speculation indicates it could have been struck by lightning among poor weather. Chance of survivors very minimal. 

Friday Aviation News

• Powerhouse Southwest Airlines announces 37th consecutive annual profit. (impressive)
• Malaysia Airlines announces future announcements..."restructuring of U.S. routes, 2nd New Zealand destination besides Auckland, new destinations in Japan, three new Middle East destinations, A380 to LHR and SYD (no friggin duh), increase on frequencies on SE Asia routes." Typically vague.
• But wait there's more MAS. A380s will seat 510 pax, introduce "Super Economy".
• United switching to airbus widebodies in replacing 744s. A359s anyone?
• Emirates empire continues to expand A380 service. DXB-LHR, MAN, PEK, JFK, PVG, YYZ, ICN, SYD, AKL, BKK, CDG, JED

Friday Aviation News

• More United Airlines and Continental Airlines merger rumors. They are now both part of the same alliance, and merger seems inevitable. But not yet, in my opinion. Both have work to do. United has to continue to improve, as Continental shifts its network from alliance to alliance. 
• Numerous flight tests for the Boeing 787. All is well, so we hear, for now! 2nd test flight had issues with main landing gear, but Boeing claims it was nothing major. 
• Chuck Yeager, the first guy to break the sound barrier, sued Virgin America on using his name in his ad. "Not unlike Buzz Aldrin or Chuck Yeager, you have the opportunity to be a part of a monumental moment in air travel
  
  
  
  . The communication highway now has wings with in-flight WiFi at every seat ..." Chuck Yeager is a public figure and obtained his fame from public funds, so Virgin America has every right to use his name, as he is referred to for his accomplishments, not his awe in Virgin America's WiFi. Please Chuck, you're a great guy, and this ad helps you if anything. This kindof dampens his coolness factor for me. Be modest. 
  
• Debate continues over air security. My take should be up sometime this week. Some are suggesting Israeli like intense security with questioning. Others say different. It's a mess.
• A key part of the security issue is 3d body scanners. Maybe we should buy stock in them. 
• Japan Airlines weighs bankrupt filing. Rumors state, and rumors mind you, that JAL could potentially get rid of international flights. ANA would be thrilled. 
• Another rumor to add to the pile. Emirates to Miami. 
• Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is already using full body scanners on flights to the U.S.
• KLM for sure to start HGH (Hangzhou, China) service from its hub in AMS (Amsterdam). It will be the first to operate a European nonstop flight from Hangzhou. HGH is one hour away from PVG (Shanghai).  

Happy New Year! A list of airlines that folded this year: http://crankyflier.com/2009/12/31/airlines-we-lost-in-2009/

Special: Air Security

On Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab brought PETN, or pentaerythritol tetranitrate, the same plastic explosive used eight years ago by would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid, onboard Northwest Flight 253 from AMS-DTW (Amsterdam to Detroit).

This sparks a debate involving the questions:

• To what extremes should countries and airports alike go to preserve air security?
• If upgauging security, should airports use new technologies such as full body scanners that can see IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) hidden under clothes, but also blurred private parts?
• To what extent is security justified and moral? Intrusion of private body parts? "Virtual strip searches"?
• How affective is increasing security after all? Didn't we do that after 9/11? After which this event and the shoe-bombing incident happened?
• Isn't air security also an issue outside of the airport too? Most recently, Umar's father alerted U.S. officials of the potential danger of Umar? Shouldn't he have been on a no-fly list? Then wouldn't increased security at airports be unnecessary, if we could stop terrorists prior to the airport?
• Should racial profiling be considered? Will that accomplish security better? As in more screenings for people with certain skin color, coming from certain places, and from certain ethnic groups? Is that justified? 

I'll post my take pretty soon, after a bit more research and thought. 

Special: Overshooting planes.

• American Airlines 331, a 737-800, overran the runway at Kingston, Jamaica. Around 50 injuries, but none serious, luckily. Supposed bad weather, but investigations continue. After skidding off the runway, the aircraft stopped on the beach. Aircraft fuselage cracked in three places, engines detached from wings, aircraft unusable obviously. Picture on the left shows beach where aircraft finally stopped.

• Hours later, a Ryanair 737-800 overran the runway at Prestwick Airport in Scotland. This time there were no injuries reported, as the airplane stopped in a field of grass. There was no damage to the aircraft. Ryanair's records of no major injuries to a crew member or passenger still stands.