Industry News

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Adam Aircraft — receives its first Type Inspection Authorization from FAA for its new A700 aircraft.

AOPA— Aircraft Owners & Pilots Assn. files formal comments to U.S. Customers and Border Protection stating that a Customs proposal to require electronic filing of international passenger manifests places a large and unnecessary burden on general aviation that will result in negligible security benefits.

Air Travelers Association — urges U.S. DOT to relieve delays at LaGuardia by curbing chartered private airliners and restricting connecting flights. The New York Aviation Rule Making Committee is expected to consider the association’s suggestions and report to federal transportation officials as part of an effort to alleviate airline congestion.

All weather, Inc. — teams with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to study the long-term effects of corrosive marine environments on Automated Weather Observing Systems. The partners have installed a test site some 50 meters from Monterey Bay in Moss Landing, CA.

Allegiant Air — announces a tripling of its activity at Plattsburgh (NY) Int’l Airport, adding four flights a week, including non-stop jet service to Orlando. Ft. Lauderdale service will increase from two to four flights per week.

American AIRLINES — announces nonstop service to Moscow from Chicago’s O’Hare Int’l Airport, beginning June 2, making it the first U.S. airline to fly nonstop to Russia from Chicago and only the second U.S. airline to fly nonstop to Moscow from anywhere in the U.S.

ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union’s top official in charge of fighting racial profiling charges he was the victim of profiling at Boston Logan, and challenges in federal court a screening technique that relies on suspicious behavior to identify potential terrorists.

APPH Group — a division of BBA Aviation PLC, parent of Signature Flight Support, reports its North American facilities will be renamed APPH Houston, Inc. and APPH Wichita, Inc. Locations were previously known as Arnoni Aviation Services Inc. and Airight Inc. respectively.

Asheville (NC) Regional Airport Authority — partners with Progress Energy to provide 650,000 cubic yards of coal ash for use as structural fill for the airport’s North General Aviation Expansion Project.

Averitt Air — in Nashville, TN, is named an authorized Aircraft on Ground/Line Maintenance Facility for Learjet aircraft, allowing Averitt Air to perform work under the Learjet aircraft’s warranty program.

Canadian — Minister of Trans-port, Infrastructure, and Communities announces regulatory amendments requiring all certified Canadian airports to follow a clear and consistent set of criteria when developing and evaluating emergency response plans. The amendments include provisions for ensuring a more formal approach to airport emergency planning and for how plans are tested. Emergency response plans must include outlines of potential emergency scenarios and how each is handled, and identify airport and community organizations that are able to provide assistance during an emergency. Aircraft crash charts for each type of aircraft that uses the airport must be available.

Cobham plc — reaches an agreement to purchase S-TEC Corporation from Meggitt PLC for $38 million.

Continental Airlines — announces that it will launch twice-daily nonstop flights to London Heathrow from George Bush Intercontinental beginning March 29.

Crownair Aviation — announces its acquisition of IFR Avionics, a Van Nuys, CA-based avionics engineering and custom aircraft outfitting firm.

Denver Int’l Airport — plans to construct a two-megawatt solar energy system with MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC, and WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. The new ground-mounted tracking solar array system will be located at the entrance to DIA’s main terminal. It will be financed by MMA Renewable Ventures, which will own and operate the system and sell predictably priced power to DIA under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport — reopens runway 3R/21L and connecting taxiways, following rehabilitation and repaving.

DFW InT’l airport — adds Cathay Pacific Cargo’s eighth weekly flight — the first roundtrip from Hong Kong to DFW.

Dickson’s Wireless Wizard™ — is available to airport managers monitoring airport temperature and/or humidity, in a 30-day no obligation trial offer; www.dicksondata.com

EAA — Experimental Aircraft Assn. is accepting pre-release orders for its EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007 highlights DVD; www.airventure.org.

Emirates airlines — begins non-stop service between Houston and Dubai, initially three times a week, and increasing to daily service starting in February.

Encore FBO — acquires Million Air Cleveland (OH), located at Burke Lakefront Airport.

EVA Air Cargo — announces it will operate two weekly freighter flights between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Taipei.

Excel-Jet, Ltd. — initiates legal action against FAA for the crash of the company’s Sport-Jet prototype aircraft. Company claims that a 15-month investigation shows that there was no fault with the aircraft or pilot.

FAA — approves Metropolitan Airports Commission (MN) spending $127 million to settle its noise-mitigation lawsuit with Eagan, Minneapolis, and Richfield. Eagan’s City Council voted unanimously to settle the years-old lawsuit against MAC, allowing hundreds of city residents to shield their homes against overhead traffic to and from Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Airport.
First Aviation Services — opens a 225,000-square-foot, $60 million FBO at Teterboro (NJ) Airport.

Flight Options, LLC — orders nearly $1 billion worth of Phenom 300 very light jets from Embraer. The firm order consists of 100 aircraft to be delivered over the next ten years with options for another 50 aircraft. The first delivery is scheduled for late 2009.

GAO — Government Accountability Office releases a report showing that a range of severe problems — from woefully inadequate staffing and insufficient training to low morale that drives high attrition rates — is seriously impacting the ability of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to carry out its critical border security mission; www.gao.gov.

Hawker Beechcraft corp. — introduces the Beechcraft King Air B200GT, the latest evolution of the twin-turbine 200 series.

Houston Executive Air-port — reports that all T-hangars have been leased at the new GA airport, and construction is beginning on the Henriksen Jet Center.

JetBlue — is discontinuing operations in Columbus (OH) and Nashville, effective January 6. JetBlue also announces new daily nonstop service between Orlando and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to begin March 6.
Kansas City Aviation Department — signs a 60-year lease with KC Expo, LLC for a 200-acre tract near Kansas City Int’l Airport, to construct ITEC Expo, a multipurpose mixed-use project designed for manufacturers of heavy equipment and machinery for industries. The agreement is contingent on a full due diligence review by KC Expo, LLC of financial and environmental issues.

LaGuardia Airport — unveils a consumer website, www.ShopLaGuardia.com, to provide daily flight and airport travel news and an interactive map that provides information on the terminal’s eateries and retail shops. The website will highlight promotions, including coupons and sales that consumers can print out and use in the terminal.

Landmark Aviation — signs a three-year agreement with ServiceElements to provide a Customer Service Culture Enhancement program for employees. Landmark Aviation is also named a Worthington Aviation Westwind Product Support Authorized Facility by Worthington Aviation for product support of all Westwind aircraft.

LAX — commissioners agree to spend $17.2 million to clear up a series of “unforeseen” problems discovered by construction crews working on the modernization of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX.

Miami Int’l Airport — opens a 1.7-million-square-foot expansion at the new South Terminal, which will handle 25 percent of MIA’s 32 million annual passengers.

Millenium Concepts, inc — is being retained by Gore Design Completions, Ltd. of San Antonio to provide engineering, design, and fabrication services for a VIP interior in a Boeing Business Jet.

Myrtle Beach Direct Air — begins non-stop jet service between Columbus (OH) Rickenbacker Airport and Myrtle Beach, SC, beginning March 7.

NAI Realvest — expands into airport development. The firm intends to begin development at several Florida airports.

ntsb — Natonal Transportation Safety Board recommends FAA require all cargo airplanes operating under FAR Part 121 install fire suppression systems.

New York Comptroller’s office — finds the growing number of delayed flights at JFK Int’l and the region’s other major airports cost passengers nearly $200 million in lost productivity in 2007.

Quintiq — enters into a contract with NAV CANADA for the supply of an operational staff planning solution for its Air Navigation Services.

Open Skies supporters — including Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, and the Canadian Airports Council unite to call on the Canadian government to seek an Open Skies agreement with Europe when it meets with European negotiators.

Orlando Sanford Int’l Airport — starts construction of a 1,500-ft. extension of runway 9R-27L, estimated to cost $12 million and to be completed by July 2008.

Santa Cruz County (CA) Superior Court — tentatively rules Watsonville violated state aviation law, putting on hold plans for development of as many as 2,250 homes west of the municipal airport. Judge rules the city should not have eliminated runway safety zones aimed at protecting pilots and people on the ground during takeoffs and landings and should not have lifted restrictions on certain types of development, such as schools and nursing homes, near the airport.

second U.S. Circuit of appeals — issues an interim stay of FAA’s 2006 decision allowing the new Panama City (FL) to be built, granting a request by local pilots and environmental groups to temporarily stop construction, pending the legal process.
Signature Flight Support — announces the acquisition of Regent Aviation, an FBO with operations at St. Paul Downtown Airport and Rochester Int’l Airport in Minnesota. Signature Flight Support also reports the addition of FBO services at Liege Airport (LGG) in Belgium and at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) in Greece.

Skybus — launches flights at Piedmont Triad Int’l Airport with daily flights to seven new destinations and additional service to Columbus (OH).

TAC Air — purchases the assets of Southern Jet at Raleigh-Durham Int’l Airport.

Teamsters union — files a petition with the National Mediation Board seeking a vote to represent United Airlines mechanics, culminating a 2-year campaign.

Texas Transportaion Commission — approves some $5,090,000 in funding for the design of a replacement runway and control tower at Collin County Regional Airport in McKinney. Project is estimated to cost $56 million and is scheduled for completion in late 2012. Construction on a new tower is planned for 2008.

U.S. DOT — proposes implementing congestion pricing at New York’s three commercial airports, which are the most congested in the U.S. with fewer than 62 percent of flights arriving on time this year.

U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) — announces that he and Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) will introduce legislation to provide general aviation airplane parts manufacturers with protections against frivolous lawsuits. Announcement comes after Precision Airmotive, shut down production on its float carburetor line because the cost of insurance exceeded total sales revenue.