Aviation Industry (incl Maintenance) 01 (Dec 08 - May 20)

[winston]

Dark skies loom for Asian carriers amid slowdown

Airlines are bracing for a double whammy as falling demand for passenger and freight business cut into profits and confidence is undermined by the global downturn.

Source: SCMP

[winston]

China Eastern Cancels Order for 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliner Jets

The shift, disclosed in a regulatory filing in Hong Kong on Monday, marks one of the biggest order cancellations for the Dreamliner, Boeing's first all-new airliner in 16 years.

Source: Wall Street Journal

[winston]

U.S. Government Glossed Over Cancer Concerns As It Rolled Out Airport X-Ray Scanners

by Michael Grabell

On Sept. 23, 1998, a panel of radiation safety experts gathered at a Hilton hotel in Maryland to evaluate a new device that could detect hidden weapons and contraband.

The machine, known as the Secure 1000, beamed X-rays at people to see underneath their clothing.

One after another, the experts convened by the Food and Drug Administration raised questions about the machine because it violated a longstanding principle in radiation safety — that humans shouldn’t be X-rayed unless there is a medical benefit.

http://www.propublica.org/article/u.s.- ... port-x-ray

[winston]

Mainland Airlines

not vested

DJ MARKET TALK: Buy Mainland Airlines Stocks On Weakness - Citi

1048 [Dow Jones] Citigroup says although all three mainland airlines' October traffic data were lackluster, "we believe it is too early to conclude that domestic travel is turning weak."

It says that in November 2010, the traffic growth declined to a single-digit growth rate after the Shanghai Expo boom, which should provide a low base, and it thus forecast higher traffic growth in November.

The house adds, its preliminary channel check also indicates a better traffic trend in November.

"We see share weakness after the October data as a buying opportunity to accumulating airline stocks."

Air China (0753.HK) is down 2.2% at HK$6.20, China Eastern Airlines (0670.HK) falls 2.3% to HK$2.96, while China Southern Airlines (1055.HK) is off 1.7% at HK$4.16.

Source: Dow Jones Newswire

[winston]

Investigators look into unauthorised take-off

Japanese aviation authorities are investigating an unauthorised take-off of a China Eastern Airlines jetliner heading from Osaka to Shanghai on Monday.

Source: SCMP

[winston]

They're back: Filipino stewardesses dance againA

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Who says plane travel can't be fun?

Flight attendants for a low-cost Philippine airline who gained fame by dancing through safety demonstrations are back swaying through the aisles.

They've swapped the Lady Gaga tunes that made them popular last year for Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

Manila-based Cebu Pacific airline says the choreographed dance helps passengers pay more attention to the safety demonstration.

Said spokeswoman Candice Iyog on Thursday, "Now that it's Christmas, we wanted to bring a little more fun into the flight."

Iyog told The Associated Press that reaction has been good.

Video of the routine shows four attendants in orange shirts and khaki shorts dancing away on select flights.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/theyre-back-fi ... 16025.html

[winston]

Airlines prepare to burn money in 2012

Global airlines will be ringing in more than the new year on January 1.

They will also start ringing up hefty new carbon charges on every flight to and from Europe.

Source: SCMP

[iam802]

Airlines prepare to burn money in 2012

Global airlines will be ringing in more than the new year on January 1.

They will also start ringing up hefty new carbon charges on every flight to and from Europe.

Source: SCMP

Can't they pass on the charges as 'fuel surcharges' to consumers?

[winston]

*DJ China 'Will Not Cooperate' With EU On Carbon Tax - China Aviation Body

Source: Dow Jones Newswires

[winston]

UPDATE 1-Singapore Air, Qantas say cracks found in Airbus A380 wings

* Cracks have been fixed, not affecting safety - airlines
* Cracks found on two SIA A380s, one Qantas A380

SINGAPORE/SYDNEY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Qantas Airways said on Friday they discovered cracks on the wing ribs of their Airbus A380s, but said the cracks pose no threat to safety and repairs have been carried out.

The remarks came after Airbus said on Thursday that engineers discovered minor cracks in the wings of a "limited number" of A380s, but said the cracks were not affecting the safety of the aircraft.

"Cracks were found on a small number of wing rib feet on an Airbus A380 during inspections in the second half of last year.

These pose no safety issue and repairs were carried out on the aircraft," SIA's spokesman Nicholas Ionides said in an email to Reuters.

"Repairs were subsequently carried out on a second aircraft.

We have kept the relevant regulatory authorities fully informed and will be carrying out inspections and any necessary repairs on other A380s as they go in for routine checks," he added.

Qantas separately said that "minuscule cracking" was found in the wing ribs of the Qantas A380 being repaired in Singapore, after one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines suffered a mid-air blowout in 2010.

"Investigations have found that the cracking is unrelated to the engine failure incident experienced by this aircraft in November 2010 and is not unique to Qantas. It has now been repaired," the carrier said in a statement.

"No immediate action is required by A380 operators because the cracking presents no risk whatsoever to flight safety," Qantas said.

Airbus said it has traced the origin of the problem and developed an inspection and repair procedure that will be done during routine, scheduled four-year maintenance checks.

SIA, the world's second-biggest carrier by market value and the first operator of such aircraft, operates 14 A380s and has five on order, while Qantas has taken delivery of 10 of its 20 A380 aircraft on order, according to the airline's website.

Both Singapore Airlines and Qantas are using Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines on their A380 fleets.

Source: Reuters