News

The Open Skies Agreement that allows airlines to fly to the U.S. from any EU airport (not just their home country) went into effect this weekend and is predicted to stimulate slot trading and alliances between carriers … perhaps even some mergers and acquisitions. The idea behind the agreement is to broaden competition among airlines. […]

By invitation only, a Select Committee Hearing for the House will examine aviation’s impact on global warming Wednesday, April 2, by examining the contribution to greenhouse gases caused by aircraft. Presently, aviation emissions “generate 12 percent of U.S. transportation carbon dioxide emissions and three percent of the Unites States’ total carbon dioxide emissions,” according to […]

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines combined to cancel roughly 400 flights (Delta was responsible for about two-thirds of that total) as the FAA’s push to check maintenance records for compliance continues. American is rechecking 300 of its MD-80s and Delta is checking about 117 MD-88s. It seems the airlines are reacting to a specific […]

The Airline Pilot Security Alliance (APSA) Thursday released a statement saying that TSA weapons-handling rules are to blame for the accidental discharge of a pilot’s firearm while in the cockpit of a flying US Airways jet last weekend. The APSA pointed specifically to the TSA’s requirement for pilots to remove the guns from their person, […]

A Brazilian airline is standing behind its native manufacturer, Embraer (the largest manufacturer of commercial jets with fewer than 120 seats), to the tune of $1.4 billion. Embraer signed a contract with the as-yet unnamed airline, headed by JetBlue founder and former president David Neeleman, for 36 118-seat fly-by-wire Embraer 195 jets with options for […]

Diamond’s 170-knot twin turbo-diesel DA42 Thursday earned FAA known ice certification, allowing the 12-gallon-per-hour aircraft to more completely utilize its 1,100-nm range. Owners currently operating TKS-equipped DA42s must comply with Diamond Service Bulletin OSB-42-015, Revision 3 or later to get known ice approval. Diamond says it will cover parts and labor (the aircraft will get […]

Thielert shares dropped to a record low of 3.65 Euros (its traded as high as 25.22) on the German stock market Tuesday on news the company was delaying the release of its financial statements. The company, which supplies diesel aircraft engines to Diamond and Cessna, as well as for STC applications, has some major accounting […]

All pilots know that eight hours bottle-to-throttle is an absolute minimum rule, but luckily there is no rule about how soon after landing you can tip back a cold one. Taking advantage of pilots’ affection for a tasty brew, some folks in Redlands, Calif., have opened up a microbrewery right next to the airport, in […]

Kemper Aviation, based at Palm Beach County Park airport near Lantana, Fla., has voluntarily given up its Part 141 flight school certificate, the Sun-Sentinel reported on Wednesday. Three airplanes from the school have crashed in the last five months, killing eight people. The school suspended all of its flight training operations after the last crash, […]

It seems that Maine is not the only state eager to slap visiting pilots with a “use tax” on their aircraft. Florida also has such a law on the books, and has used it in the past to collect thousands of dollars from aircraft owners. With Sun ‘n Fun coming up next month, the show […]