www.bluegrasswarbirds.com/ 26 - 30 June 2008 Provides an instructional hands on flying experience
in a World War II Warbird. Your flight may be serene and scenic, or thrilling and aerobatic, because it is tailored for YOU!! (888) 532-5787
PBS Nova on flight | bbc Archive | WN
Friday 10 April 2009 OTTAWA: CANADA GAINS NEW LANDING RIGHTS IN JAPAN
Canadian airlines will soon be able to land at more airports in Japan. Granting access to all Japanese airports outside Tokyo is part of a new air services deal that Canada's international trade minister, Mr. Day, announced on Thursday. Mr. Day is in Japan for wide-ranging trade talks. Canadian exports to Japan last year were $11 billion, an increase of 20 per cent over the previous year. Mr. Day also announced that he'll dispute South Korea's ban on Canadian beef imports at the World Trade Organization. Many countries imposed a similar ban after a few Canadian cows were found to have mad cow disease in 2003. All bans except South Korea's were later lifted. Mr. Day travels next to China, where over the next week he'll announce the opening of six new Canadian trade offices in various parts of the country.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009 From Silver Dart to Space Walk It is for me instructive to think about John McCurdy sitting in his cockpit - not only the first pilot in Canada, the first cockpit in Canada on the ice of Baddeck [N.S.] just over a hundred years ago. And when all is said and done, putting up the power and feeling that initial thrust, small though it was, and feeling the acceleration across the ice, it would have been bumpy as he rattled and shook. And then finally as the airplane truly started to leave the ground and he, for the very first time in the Canadian experience, started into that third dimension. He saw the shores of Bras d'Or Lake there and Baddeck, but for the first time, starting to see what the world looked like from above.
Friday 30 January 2009 The global economic downturn is hurting airlines. International air freight declined by four percent last year, with a dramatic fall of 22 percent in December. Meanwhile, last year, passenger traffic rose by less than two per cent, far below the seven-and-a-half per cent growth in the previous year. The figures come from the International Air Transport Association. IATA predicts that this year will be among the toughest ever for the airline industry. In a further sign of industry trouble, the Russian airline, S-7, has cancelled an order for 15 Boeing-787 jetliners worth almost $2.5-billion.
Wednesday 10 December 2008 BRUSSELS: CANADA, EU REACH AVIATION ACCORD
Canada and the European Union have reached an agreement to open their air services up to each other. The open-skies agreement will come into force in the first half of next year. The EU Transport Commissioner, Antonio Tajani, says the agreement removes restrictions on ownership and direct flights, making the EU-Canada market one of the most open in the world. Under the accord, airlines based anywhere in the 27-member European Bloc will be able to operate flights to Canada. It also removes restrictions on routes, prices and the number of flights allowed between the two parties.
Airlines lose first and business class passengers amid financial sector crisis
ONE LUCKY MAN The National and CTV News lead, while the Globe, the Citizen, the Post, and the Star go inside with the sole survivor of a plane crash off the British Columbia coast that killed seven other people. Thirty-five-year-old construction worker Tim Wilson was sleeping when the Pacific Coastal Airlines plane went down on Sunday morning, and was able to crawl out of the wreckage and through several kilometres of forested land before he was found by rescuers on a nearby beach. The pilot and six other passengers, who were on their way to a hydro-electric project in the Toba Valley, all died. Foggy weather conditions are being blamed for the crash of the Grumman Goose seaplane, which happened twenty minutes after take-off. CTV News questions why the pilot was relying on a sixty-year-old aircraft. Safety Board investigators are now trying to piece together the plane’s final moments and are wondering why the plane was flying so low to the ground on Sunday morning. Some sources report the plane had been given clearance to fly in fog.
Vivian Belik is a Montreal-based MediaScout writer for Maisonneuve Magazine.
Tuesday 18 November 2008 With the greatest of ease Fed up with poor airline service and abusive airport security, local businessman starts Share-A-Plane.ca using a business model similar to time-share apartments View Larger Image Gary Nash, seen in his company's Mooney Ovation single-prop airplane, offers travellers the convenience and flexibility of a private aircraft.JOHN MAHONEY, THE GAZETTE
Dorval businessman Gary Nash got fed up with his "miserable experience" of poor airline service, lost luggage, cancelled...
Tuesday 18 November 2008 Business-jet deliveries seen slipping
Industry-wide business-jet deliveries are expected to peak two years earlier than initially forecast, as plane-maker backlogs... For Bombardier Inc., business-jet deliveries are expected to crest in 2008 at 264 aircraft, followed by a 30-per-cent decline through 2011, Chamoun wrote.
Saturday 18 October 2008 QUEBEC CITY: CANADA, EU TO REINFORCE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
Canada and the EU announced on Friday the launch of negotiations for a "reinforced" economic partnership. At the conclusion of the Canada-EU summit in Quebec City, Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the presence of EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and French President Nicolas Sarkozy indicated that the negotiations for the renewed partnership will start at the beginning of 2009. Mr. Harper also revealed that he and Mr. Sarkozy have asked their trade officials to conclude a final airlines accord.
Wednesday 01 October 2008 RICHMOND: CANADIANS TO PRIVATIZE CHICAGO AIRPORT
Vancouver Airport Authority has announced a 99-year contract to privatize and to operate Chicago's second-biggest airport, Midway Airport. The Canadian airport is a partner in the project with subsidiaries of U.S. banking giant Citigroup Inc. and Canadian insurance firm Manulife Financial Corp. Midway will be the first U.S. airport to be privatized. Chicago Midway and O'Hare Airport serve the third-biggest urban area in the U.S. The transaction requires the approval of Chicago's City Council
Friday 12 September 2008 WINNIPEG: PM WOULD CUT TAX ON DIESEL, AVIATION FUEL
On the third day of Canada's national election campaign, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised to cut the federal excise tax on diesel and aviation fuel by two cents a litre. Mr. Harper says it's important "keeping goods moving; it is the lifeblood of the economy." The prime minister said in Winnipeg, MA, that his party's economic plan is based on tax relief, paying off the national debt, maintaining a budget surplus, and making "responsible and targeted investments." The prime minister excise tax reduction is presumably intended to contrast with the "Green Shift" plan by the Liberals of Stéphane Dion, which proposes carbon taxes as the best way to fight climate change. Mr. Harper's announcements were somewhat overshadowed by a vulgar cartoon of Mr. Dion which the Conservatives posted on the Internet and were later forced to withdraw.
Wednesday 03 September 2008 OTTAWA: MAGELLAN INVESTING MILLIONS IN WINNIPEG PLANT
The Magellan Aerospace company is investing as much as $120 million in its Winnipeg-based Britsol Aerospace plant as part of the US-led Joint Fighter program. The Canadian government is putting up $43.4 million of the funds. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 supersonic stealth fighter plane with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The F-35 will replace at least 13 types of aircraft in 11 countries. Magellan estimates it could reap as much as $3 billion in profits from the project over 25-to-30 years.
Friday 29 August 2008 MONTREAL: SMALL AIRLINE THROWS IN THE TOWEL
Ottawa-based Zoom Airlines has suspended its operations, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in Canada and Britain. Zoom says the economic downturn and the high price of fuel had made it impossible to continue, and that it has begun bankruptcy proceedings in both countries. The airline employed 250 people in Canada and 260 in Britain. It operated five aircraft.
Tuesday 24 June 2008 OTTAWA: AIRPORT DROPS FEES
Ottawa International Airport says it will reduce its terminal fees by five per cent starting July 1. The non-profit airport's directorship says it made the decision because the airline industry is in a state of crisis because of the cost of fuel. Both Air Canada and its rival WestJet expressed gratitude for the decision.
Friday 20 June 2008 TORONTO: AIRPORT FEES TO DROP
Greater Toronto Airports Authority says that cargo landing fees at Pearson International Airport will be cut by 25 per cent starting Jan. 1, a move aimed at keeping the facility competitive as a cargo-shipping hub. GTAA says it hopes the decision will encourage additional cargo business and impel airlines to modernize their fleets by using more fuel-efficient aircraft. The airports authority says the reduction of cargo landing fees could remove as many as 40,000 trucks a year from Ontario's highways.
Articles-by-subject alert: Airline industry and defence
From Economist.com, Friday May 30th 2008
The following have been newly published on Economist.com:
Friday 09 May 2008 SWITZERLAND
New statistics show that about half of the world's airline accidents last year took place during landing. The International Air Transport Association or IATA examined 100 accidents in all. It says that many of them could have been avoided if pilots had made a second attempt to land, or if runways were properly cleared of obstacles. Other frequent causes of crashes were poor flight crew training, errors in flight control, and maintenance problems. Last year, almost 700 people were killed in air crashes, fewer than in 2006, when 855 people died. IATA says that Africa remains by far the most dangerous region for air travel.
Highlights of the past week’s postings on our business-travel blog
Tuesday April 15th 2008
When two become one
After a spate of bankruptcies, chaos at Heathrow and problems for American Airlines, it’s strange to find some happy airline bosses. But that’s what happened this week when Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced plans to merge. Already two of the world’s biggest carriers, their new operation will have 75,000 employees and fly to 390 destinations. What does that mean for passengers? read more»
OTTAWA: MODEST SUCCESS SEEN FOR AIRLINES
The Conference Board of Canada forecasts "modest profits" of $150 million for the country's airline industry this year. The private research group explain that despite good growth in revenue and lower maintenance costs, record fuel prices and labour shortages will cut into earnings over the next five years. However, the researchers predict that fuel prices and labour costs will abate somewhat starting later in the year.
Monday 17 March 2008 The Italian airline, Alitalia, has accepted a bid by Air France-KLM to buy the company. The offer was US$1.1 billion. The offer involves an exchange of shares. The offer still needs approval by Air France's labour unions and by Italy's government, which holds 50 per cent of Alitalia. The Italina airline has faced serious financial difficulty for the past few years.
Saturday 09 February 2008 MONTREAL: PRATT & WHITNEY WINS BIGGEST CONTRACT
Pratt & Whitney Canada says it has won the biggest contract in the company's history. The company will build a new generation of lower-emission, more powerful jet engines for use in Cessna's new Citation Columbus business aircraft. Financial terms weren't revealed but the Canadian firm described the agreement as "a multibillion-dollar opportunity" over the quarter-century of the program's existence. Pratt & Whitney says the engine greatly exceeds international standards for nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions. The company says hundreds of jobs will be created at its facilities at Longueuil, QC, and Mississauga, ON, during the project's developmental phase. Manufacturing of the engines will take place at Longueuil and Halifax, NS
Thursday Feb 7, 2008 Liftoff for new family of engines
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. is counting on the booming business-jet market to lift sales of its new 10,000-pound-thrust... Yesterday, Bellemare announced Cessna Aircraft Co.'s new Citation Columbus business jet as the launch customer for the first engine in Pratt's PW800 family.
Wednesday 30 January 2008 TORONTO: PILOT BREAKDOWN DIVERTS AIRPLANE
An Air Canada flight from Toronto to London with 146 passengers on board was diverted to Shannon Airport in Dublin on Monday after the co-pilot suffered a breakdown. The Irish Independent newspaper reported that he was forcibly removed from the flight and taken to hospital for acute psychiatric care. In Toronto, a spokesman for Air Canada said that the co-pilot fell ill during the flight. The captain elected to divert the Boeing 767 to Shannon, where it landed without incident. The passengers were taken to hotels to wait while another crew was brought in to resume the flight.
Wednesday 23 January 2008 The owner of Nova Scotia's largest aviation firm (IMP Aerospace Ltd. of Halifax) warned Tuesday that Canadian aerospace firms will be stuck with "menial" jobs unless Ottawa persuades two U.S. aircraft companies to sell the technical know-how on maintaining a fleet of 21 new cargo aircraft. Canada's aerospace industry has been raising concerns about the government's fast-track purchase of 17 Super Hercules aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and four Boeing C-17 Globemaster III planes. Mr. Rowe said he fears that U.S. State Department rules that restrict the sale of military secrets - known as International Traffic in Arms Regulations - could be used to prevent the licensing of Canadian-owned companies.
Saturday 12 January 2008 GATINEAU: AGENCY ORDERS NO MORE DOUBLE-SEAT AIR FARES
Canadian airline passengers with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs and the severely obese will no longer have to pay double fares for an extra seat on domestic flights. The Canadian Transportation Agency has ordered Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz and WestJet to adopt a one-person, one-fare policy. The airlines have one year to implement the new policy for face fines. The agency says the airlines failed to demonstrate that a one-person, one-fare policy would impose undue hardship on them. The decision results from a complaint launched five years ago by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.
Tuesday 08 January 2008 HONG KONG : The shape of China's aviation industry could be remade in the coming months, with the possible emergence of one dominant Chinese airline, after Singapore Airlines was rebuffed Tuesday in an attempt to gain a foothold in the booming market.
2007
Thursday 13 December 2007 TORONTO: CANADIAN AIRPORTS NEED LONGER RUNWAYS
The Canadian Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on the near disaster involving an Air France airliner at Pearson International Airport on Aug. 2, 2005. The aircraft with 309 passengers and crew on board landed in a severe storm, skidded off the runway and burst into fire in a ravine. All on board survived, although several people were severely injured. The Safety Board's report says that the pilots brought the plane in too high and too fast, with the result that it touched down halfway down the runway and couldn't stop in time. The report suggests that Canada conform to international standards by expanding the safety zone at the end of runway from 90 metres to 300 metres. It also recommends that crews be obliged to establish a margin of error between available landing distance and landing distance required in bad weather.
Saturday 27 October 2007 TORONTO: LITIGATION BETWEEN REGIONAL CARRIERS WORSENS
Toronto-based one-year-old Porter Airlines Inc. is seeking a court order to force Air Canada and regional carrier Jazz Air to separate their business relationship. Porter contends in Ontario Superior Court that although the country's biggest airline and the local carrier were spun off as independent entities and ultimately became publicly traded firms, they connive to lessen competition by co-ordinating fares, avoiding competition with each other and impeding new competitors like Porter in violation of the Competition Act. Both Jazz and Air Canada respond by calling the accusations "without merit," Air Canada maintaining that its relationship with Jazz is similar to that between many mainline and regional carriers in North America. Porter is already embroiled in a lawsuit brought by Jazz over the former's monopoly over the use of the Toronto Island airport. Porter flies Bombardier Q400 flights between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
Wednesday 17 October 2007 TORONTO: PEARSON CUTS AIRLINE FEES
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority has announced it will reduce landing fees and terminal charges for airlines using Pearson International Airport starting Jan. 1. Pearson is Canada's busiest airport, as well as one of the world's most expensive. The GTAA says it will cut landing fees by 3.1 per cent and terminal charges by 4.7. The president and CEO of the GTAA says the reductions will make Pearson more competitive and therefore a good thing for both airlines and passengers. Travel and airport groups have long campaigned for lower fees at Canadian airports to make them more competitive.
Wednesday 03 October 2007 MONTREAL: EUROPEAN EMISSION PLAN REJECTED
Non-European airlines have voted down a proposal by the European Commission to require pollution permits for airlines flying into Europe at the 36th assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The Association of European Airlines called the decision "disappointing but not unexpected." Its secretary general, Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, says the vote puts European airlines in a bind because while wishing to take a leading role in the control of emissions, they cannot allow themselves alone to assume burdens that would make them less competitive. On Friday, the ICAO, a UN body, voted not to impose emissions targets but rather to reduce pollution through technology and better fuel efficiency and traffic management.
LUXEMBOURG: CANADA, EU TO NEGOTIATE 'OPEN SKIES' ACCORD
The EU has announced it will start negotiations with Canada to reach an "open skies" agreement to end restrictions on air travel. The announcement came at the end of a meeting of EU transport ministers. The EU's transport commissioner, Jacques Barrot, describes Canada as an "excellent partner" with which the community can make important advances, including in security. At present, air traffic between the two sides is limited to 17 of the 27 EU members that have bilateral landing agreements. About 8.5 million passengers travel back and forth annually, 42 per cent between Canada and Britain, and 18 per cent between the former country and Germany and France. The European Commission estimates that there could be another five million passengers if European and Canadian airlines acquire the freedom to take off and land at any airport on either continent.
Wednesday 19 September 2007 MONTREAL: HIGH DOLLAR HELPS CANADIAN AIRLINES
Aerospace analyst Cam Doerksen has told the Canadian Press that the high Canadian dollar is a boost to Canadian airlines by lower their costs manly of which are based on the U.S. dollar, particularly fuel. Mr. Doerksen also says the high Canadian dollar encourages Canadians to venture abroad, a good thing for airlines. The analyst spoke in Montreal, where the 180 member nations of the International Civil Aviation Organization are meeting. The head of the International Air Transport Association also is in attendance. Giovanni Bisignani, its director-general, predicts the airlines worldwide will earn a net profit of US$5.6 billion in 2007, an increase of only one percent, and put the figure for next year at $7.8 billion. Mr. Bisignani says the biggest problems airlines face at present are oil prices and the credit crisis, but says on the positive side that North America's airlines have restructured themselves and are starting to turn profits.
Friday 07 September 2007 Airlines gird for Central Canadian battle Airfare wars are heating up in Central Canada, producing ticket prices that are at least 38 per cent cheaper for consumers but creating headaches for upstart Porter Airlines Inc.
Robert Deluce, president of Toronto-based Porter, lashed out Thursday at WestJet Airlines Ltd. [WJA-T] and Air Canada [AC.A-T], accusing them of unfairly slashing ticket prices in the busy Eastern Triangle of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Wednesday 05 September 2007 'Montreal's U.S. airport' lures travellers
Eager to lure Montreal passengers south of the border,
Plattsburgh International Airport officials are announcing today ...
Lessons from India
Air Canada recently announced that its flights to India would
be cancelled and aircraft redeployed to China. Today, an Indian
private-sector airline, ...
Monday 03 September 2007 Most Flights Are Late, and It May Only Get Worse NEWARK, Aug. 29 — Passengers are understandably angry when they are stuck on a delayed flight. But they should not necessarily be surprised — especially those traveling on flights like American Airlines 1659, departing every afternoon from Newark Liberty International Airport to Chicago.
Saturday 25 August 2007
Airbus Superjumbo Jet's First Flight Set Initial Singapore-to-Sydney Passenger Run for Delayed A-380 The first passenger flight of the long-delayed superjumbo A-380 will take place Oct. 25, Singapore Airlines and Airbus announced today.
Production problems, particularly with the wiring, have delayed the double-decker's debut for two years. The plane's troubles burdened the Airbus balance sheet as the company was forced to pay compensation to customers for the late delivery. That contributed to a massive management shakeup and restructuring at Airbus and parent European Air Defense Systems.
Tuesday 17 July 2007 TORONTO: SECURITY AT PEARSON REPORTED LAX
The Globe and Mail newspaper reports that security at Pearson International Airport is being compromised by its security service's private operator. Unnamed employees of Garda World Security Corp. claim that their managers press them to speed up passenger screening and have threatened screeners who refuse to do so. The employees claim that managers themselves took over screening during the busy Christmas period to hasten screening, with the result that many pieces of carry-on luggage passed through checkpoints without proper inspection. The Globe obtained an internal Garda document that records a passenger who avoided screening altogether by walking through an unmanned security gate and that the managers did not follow the usual procedure of grounding the airliner although they were aware of the situation. Garda has responded to the newspaper that security at Pearson has never been compromised and that the complaints are from disgruntled employees. Garda has contracts to ensure security at 27 Canadian airports.
Monday 09 July 2007 TORONTO: SECURITY BREACH AT AIRPORT
At least eight flights at Canada's busiest airport, Pearson International in Toronto, were grounded late on Saturday night as a result of a security breach. Police took the move after a passenger failed to declare an item. All passengers who had gone through a security search were obligated to undergo a second search. Flights were delayed for about three hours. Canada's airports have been on a higher security alert since a suspected terrorist attack at Glasgow airport last month.
In
1958, Italian luxury fashion house Brioni staged its first fashion show
aboard an airplane. Male models walked up and down the aisles on a
trans-Atlantic flight from Italy to New...
Jul. 5 - Lingerie fashion show at 16,000 feet, kissing record, and a climbing feat.
Thursday Jun 21, 2007 TORONTO: FLEDGLING AIRLINE WINS NYC ACCESS
Porter Airlines has won U.S. regulatory approval to serve New York City. Porter CEO Robert Deluce welcomed the decision, saying the service will start later this year or early in 2008, adding that the news is good for business and leisure travellers, as for Toronto's downtown economy. Porter started up last year and flies to Ottawa and Montreal out of Toronto's island airport. Air Canada had tried to block Porter's application for New York to the U.S. department of transportation, arguing that the airport's operator, the Toronto Port Authority, had agreed to a sweetheart deal with Porter by limiting the number of takeoffs and landing slots available to competitors. But the department said in its decision that the port authority had never refused a request by a U.S. carrier to use the airport.
rci 22 May 2007 OTTAWA: AIRLINES TO KEEP USING U.S. 'NO-FLY' LIST
The Air Transport Association of Canada says that airlines will continue to make security checks of passengers preparing to board flights using a U.S. "no-fly" list even after Canada's own "no-fly" list becomes mandatory on June 18. Fred Gaspar, the Association's vice-president of policy, says airlines will continue to use a variety of sources to screen out passengers deemed security threats, and that the existence of the Canadian list doesn't impair airlines' ability to make their own decisions. Neither Mr. Gaspar wouldn't say what other means are used, but Canadian airlines have used the U.S. list even for domestic flights. Dozens of Canadian passengers have complained about delays or refusals to board because their names, or one that matches or resembles theirs, appeared on the U.S. list. Under the new security system in effect on June 18, a passenger must present a government-issued piece of ID, such as a passport or driver's licence, which includes the person's photo, name, birthday and sex. In the absence of photographic ID, two other government-produced documents will be required one of which displays the birthday and sex.
Wed1311
More than five years after 9/11, global aviation security is still an "uncoordinated mess" that's costing the industry millions of dollars, the CEO of the International Air Transport Association charged. IATA
Tuesday 13 March 2007 Canada charging airport authorities too much, IATA head says .... Canadian tax revenue from aviation rose nearly 20 per cent a year between 2001 and 2005, reaching $800 million annually.
"If Canada is serious about aviation as an economic driver, this must change," he said.
Thursday 01 March 2007 Rejigging the engines
Airbus unveiled a long-awaited restructuring plan, which had been held up by last-minute negotiations between France and Germany. Some 10,000 jobs are to go over four years, split between Airbus and its contractors. New “industrial partners” and buyers are being sought for six factories. In order to win backing for the plan in France (where outraged unions called for industrial action), final assembly of the A350 XWB jet will be exclusively based in Toulouse, but Germany is to win increased production of the bestselling A320 narrow-bodied aircraft. After last year's woes, Airbus forecast that the plan would provide it with eventual annual savings of euro2.1 billion ($2.8 billion).
Toronto has acquired a new glitzy airport terminal to be paid for, as is the case for most Canadian airports, with increased landing fees for aircraft and airport fees and ticket prices for passengers. With no competition, no oversight and a reluctance on the part of travellers to fly to a less expensive airport an hour or so away by bus or car from their destination, there is virtually no limit to what can be charged.
In an effort to put the management of local airports in local hands, the Government of Canada set up Airport Authorities in the various cities served by airports. The members of these Airport Authorities are named by various bodies such as mayors and Chambers of Commerce, hence are responsible only to themselves, resulting in excessive airport fees and ticket prices at most destinations. Thus the Toronto –or any other - airport authority can do anything it wants with no oversight by the government except for safety and security issues, and it is almost impossible for citizens to intervene.
Saturday, January 27, 2007 nyt As Airlines Surge, Pilots Want Share The remarkable turnaround of the airline industry has rewarded investors with rising share prices,
2006
Fri 22/12/2006 TORONTO: ONEX IN SECOND AIRCRAFT DEAL
Canadian conglomerate Onex Corp. has entered into a second major aviation transaction this month. Onex and partner Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will buy the business-jet division of U.S. defence frim Raytheon Co. for US$3.3 billion. Raytheon Aircraft Co. builds Hawker business jets and Beechcraft turboprop and jet aircraft. Onex managing partner Nigel Wright says Onex expects the market for business jets to continue to grow, as more foreign firms follow the lead of American corporation in acquiring them. Mr. Wright says the prospects seem especially promising in Europe and Asia. Raytheon Aircraft booked 260 aircraft worth US$2.1 billion in the first nine months of the year. Earlier this month, Onex was part of a three-party consortium that took over Australia's Qantasa Airways for US$7 billion.
Friday 15 December 2006 OTTAWA: FEDERAL AEROSPACE SUBSIDY SLATED
There is criticism of the announcement on Wednesday by the federal government of a $350-million grant to help Pratt & Whitney Canada develop a new gas turbine aircraft engine. The subsidy will be part of Pratt & Whitney's $1.5-billion program to devise more fuel-efficient aircraft engines. The company says it's aiming to develop engines that reduce emissions to levels 60 per cent below industry standards. But critics complain that the company has already profited handsomely from federal grants and loans, most of which haven't been repaid. The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation claims that Pratt & Whitney has received $1.25 billion in repayable federal funds, of which only $92 million, or seven per cent, has in fact been returned. The lobby says that given that unenviable record, it's likely that the taxpayers will again be cheated. According to the National Post newspaper, the company has received $692 million from the federal Technology Partnerships Canada program, of which only $27 million has been repaid. In the firm's defence, President Alain Bellemare says that $50 million will have been returned by the end of the year, noting as well that Pratt & Whitney will contribute $10 million to the Canadian economy over the next decade.
Tuesday Dec 12, 2006 wed1293
It seems that Santa's sled will not have early competition from the Airbus A-380. The long tale of woe is a worthwhile read at iht.com/articles/airbus.php
Tuesday 28 November 2006 TORONTO: 'BLUE SKIES' REACTION ENCOURAGING
Reaction to the announcement of more competition in the airline industry has been initially favourable. Federal Transport Minister Lawrence Canon announced on Monday that the government will negotiate more "Blue Skies" agreements with other countries to allow a relaxation of existing regulations limiting foreign competition. Such accords eliminate rules that determine how many foreign carriers are allowed to operate in a country, which destinations they may serve and how many flights are permitted. Air Canada, the country's biggest carrier has reacted positively, its senior vice-president of corporate affairs, Duncan Dee, saying he's especially pleased with the minister's statement that such agreements would be based on equal treatment for Canadian airlines abroad, adding the such arrangements would mean more choice and better fares for travellers. The Alliance of Canadian Travel Associations expressed that same sentiment. The Air Transport Association of Canada also likes the idea, but stresses the importance of lower airport rents, fuel taxes and passenger security charges to enable its airline members better to compete with foreign airlines.
Wednesday 22 November 2006 OTTAWA: AIR TRAFFIC UP
Air traffic rose by 3.6 per cent in September, compared with the previous September. That's the word from Nav Canada, the private company responsible for air traffic control, flight information and weather report intended for aviation.
Thursday 26 October 2006 OTTAWA: INDUSTRY CONSULTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 'OPEN SKIES'
Canadian Transport Minister Lawrence Canon has convoked the country's civilian aviation industry to consultations on the possibility of new "open skies" accords with foreign carriers. The minister has released a position paper the basic principle of which is that market forces should decide ticket prices, flight frequency and the quality of foreign flights, rather than government regulation. Canada has at present only two "open skies" agreements with the U.S. and Britain, which allow American and British airlines to fly from Canada to third destinations. Mr. Canon says the government would consider "cabotage" as well, by which foreign airliners could fly between Canadian cities, provided Canadian airlines enjoy the same right. The position of the Air Transport Association of Canada is that while it favours "open skies" accords, the government must lower airport rent fees, excise taxes and security fees for domestic carriers if they're to cope with increased foreign competition.
Wednesday 27 September 2006 Sir Richard Branson today called on the global aviation industry to work together to tackle the growing issue of climate change and outlined plans for a "starting grid" on runways to reduce fuel use.
Wednesday 30 August 2006 Not all celebrating Porter's first plane
The delivery of Porter Airline's first plane may airline president Robert Deluce's dream come true, but it isn't for critics along the waterfront and at city hall who are vowing to keep Porter from the island airport. By Paul Moloney.
Stiffer rules urged for small aircraft
It happens about 15 to 20 times a year in Canada: Everyone aboard a small aircraft survives a crash, only to perish when a fire breaks out after the impact.
Monday 14 August 2006 Transport Canada has introduced new measures in the wake of the recent terrorist scare in Britain. Juice bottles and aerosols have joined the list of items banned in carry-on luggage onboard flights leaving Canada. Government officials say that the aerosols include hairspray and deodorant. The increased precautions follow the arrest on Thursday of 24 British suspects who were allegedly plotting to smuggle bombs disguised as drinks onto aircraft. A Transport Canada official says that the new regulations in Canada are meant to harmonize with those in the United States.
Monday May 22, 2006 Rough Summer Is on the Way for Air Travel Planes are full, fares are rising and frills are disappearing. Brace yourself for a summer of miserable air travel.
ClipSyndicate, is finding Web sites like AeroSpaceNews.com that are happy to show these reruns and share the advertising revenue that may follow.
ClipSyndicate, a service of the online video search company Critical Mention, indexes videos from Bloomberg,
Saturday May 20, 2006 rci HALIFAX: CHANGE IN FLIGHT ATTENDANT RULES DENOUNCED
Flight attendants and politicians held protests across Canada on Friday to denounce Transport Canada to change the regulations regarding the number of attendants required on airline flights. At present, one attendant is required for every 40 passengers, but the change will alter the number to 50. The federal opposition New Democratic Party opposes the changing, says that the government should increase numbers of attendants required in the post-Sept. 11 world. Halifax Member of Parliament Peter Stoffer says the change is more about helping airlines cut costs than about passenger safety. Transport Canada claims the one-to-fifty ratio brings Canada in line with what's usual on airlines elsewhere in the world and won't compromise safety.
Saturday Apr 22, 2006 rci MONTREAL: 'OPEN-SKIES' ACCORD WITH BRITAIN REACHED
Canadian and British government, as well as British and Canadian airlines signed an "open-skies" agreement in Montreal on Friday. The accord was hailed by Canada's biggest airline, Air Canada. Duncan Dee, a senior vice-president of the airline's parent firm, ACE Aviation Holdings, says the agreement will enable it to simplify fares for customers travelling between the two countries. Britain is Air Canada's biggest international market and London's Heathrow Airport is Canadian firm's biggest international destination. OPEN-SKIES on WN
Monday Apr 10, 2006 The International Air Transport Association reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to open a new route that shaves half an hour from the flying time between China and Europe. Airlines have been pushing the country to ease restrictions on its airspace, of which only 30% is available for civil aviation. (Reported by the Economist)
IATA reports that the new route also has a very positive impact on the environment: "The more direct routing will eliminate 2,860 hours of flight time, 27,000 tonnes of fuel consumption, 84,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission, and 340,000 kilogrammes of nitrogen oxides emission annually".
Wed 4/12/2006 The International Air Transport Association reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to open a new route that shaves half an hour from the flying time between China and Europe. Airlines have been pushing the country to ease restrictions on its airspace, of which only 30% is available for civil aviation.
The World Trade Organisation reported that exports in goods increased by 6% in 2005 (in real terms) and estimated they would rise by 7% in 2006. The surge in the price of oil and metals helped the share of fuels and mining products to reach 16% of global trade last year, its highest for 20 years.
Sunday Feb 26, 2006 nyt A Move to Add Still More Fine Print to Advertised Airfares Proposed changes to industry advertising regulations would give large airlines leeway to advertise fares that do not include the entire amount that the airline would receive.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 Inco and Falconbridge's Long Merger Wait; Is RIM Running Low on Options?; , Ron Meisels, contributor, NA Marketletter
Lori Rogers, VP of operations, Manpower Canada
Don Carty, chair, Virgin America & Porter Airlines
William Rice, chair and CEO, Alberta Securities Commission Duration: 57m 35s please us IE Firefox wont work for us
Thursday February 23, 2006 The Guardian Wings of desire
They have 32,000 major parts, 750,000 rivets, 23 miles of wiring and, when assembled, a pair will have a span wider than a football pitch. But if the wings of the Airbus A380, the biggest passenger plane ever built, are unprecedented in scale, it is the journey they take from north Wales to the company's HQ in southern France that is truly astonishing. Aida Edemariam follows one wing on its epic voyage, and traces an extraordinary tale of engineering imagination
Thursday Jan 5, 2006 fp THINK AGAIN: AIRLINES By Giovanni Bisignani
Bankruptcies, terrorism, and high oil prices have rocked the airline industry. Customers complain about bad service and long lines. Are airlines doomed? Not a chance. The global economy cannot function without air travel. But the industry that emerges from the coming shakeout will need a whole new set of wings.
2005
Thursday Dec 8, 2005 nyt Air Marshals Shoot and Kill Passenger in Bomb Threat By ABBY GOODNOUGH and MATTHEW L. WALD The incident in Miami was the first case of an air marshal opening fire since marshals became a common presence on flights after 9/11.
Thursday Dec 8, 2005 ts Airline passenger shot dead in false bomb scare
An agitated passenger who claimed to have a bomb in his backpack was shot and killed by a U.S. federal air marshal yesterday after he bolted from an airplane.
Wednesday Nov 16, 2005 ts Pearson to be world's costliest
The world's airlines are bracing for fee hikes that will make Toronto Pearson International the world's most expensive airport at which to land, reports Kevin McGran.
Sunday Nov 13, 2005 rci Canada and the U.S. have agreed to expand their Open Skies treaty of 1995. The two countries have agreed on that expansion after several days of negotiations. The two sides will allow each other's airlines to fly to destinations in the other nation to convey travellers to a third country. Canada's transport minister, Jean Lapierre, says he hopes the expanded accord will encourage Canadians to develop new markets and services. Canadian and American airlines still cannot fly between destinations in the other country, nor are the Canadian regulations concerning foreign ownership changed.
Thursday Nov 10, 2005 rci The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports security problems at several of the country's major airports, including Pearson International Airport in Toronto. CBC describes how an American security expert was able to approach which block access to zones off-limit to the public. The expert is reported to have taken only 20 minutes to crack the security code that gave access to the aircraft and to pipes that convey fuel to them. He also was able to bring a piece of hand-held luggage into a security zone without being search. The CBC's report also broadcast remarks by Bill Butler, an employ of the international airport in Ottawa, who says that Canadian airports are far from being safe and that the existing security measures are only an illusion to delude passengers. Mr. Butler was suspended with salary after the report was broadcast. The Canadian transport authorities deny that their airports aren't safe.
Thursday Sep 15, 2005 nyt Two Major Airlines Seen Near Filing for Bankruptcy By MICHELINE MAYNARD Northwest and Delta have been hit hard by the spike in jet fuel prices and by the relentless competition in the industry.
Tuesday Sep 13, 2005 gaz Airlines' prospects spiral lower NICOLAS VAN PRAET
IATA now predicts $7.4 billion in losses. Air Canada says it can weather fuel price hikes but 54% rise in costs looms for global industry
Saturday Sep 3, 2005 rci China's civil aviation authority has given its permission to four Taiwanese airlines to fly through the mainland's airspace on the flights to Europe and Southeast Asia. The four airlines had asked for that permission to shorten their flight paths and thus lower their soaring fuel costs. Taiwan imposed a ban on such overflights 56 years ago, relaxed its ban in February to enable flights between the mainland and the island to enable people to visit their relatives in both places. The Chinese and Taiwanese government were discussing the possibility of more flights, but Taiwan suspended the talks after the Chinese Parliament approved "anti-secession" legislation.
Friday Aug 19, 2005 rci
VANCOUVER: AIRPORT IS FIRST TO USE NEW RUNWAY SAFETY DEVICE
A Canadian airport is set to become the first in the world to operate a new radar system that can detect the smallest piece of debris on a runway. The international airport in the west coast city of Vancouver, BC, has purchased four of British-made radar units. They were developed after the July, 2000, crash of a Concorde jetliner in Paris shortly after take-off that killed all 113 people on board. The disaster was blamed on a piece of metal that fell off another aircraft. It punctured a tire on the Concorde as it was rolling down the runway for takeoff. A piece of tire flew upward and broke fuel lines in the wing causing the fire that led to the subsequent crash.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2005 ts WiFi boosts airline Internet When it comes to choosing his flights businessman Nicholas Keuper says the deal maker-or-breaker could be whether the surf`s up.
Saturday Aug 13, 2005 gaz
Airports come close to running out of fuel
Deliveries choked by supply bottlenecks
While
fliers haven't yet had to add that problem to the list of headaches
associated with air travel, it might not be far away. Airports in
Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada recently came within a few days
- and at times within hours - of running out of jet fuel.
Because
of supply bottlenecks, airlines were forced to fly in extra fuel from
other markets and scramble for deliveries by truck. But these are
expensive, short-term fixes that do not address what airline executives
consider to be the underlying problem: with passenger traffic rising
above pre-9/11 levels, the aviation business in the United States is
slowly outgrowing the infrastructure that fuels it.
What started
as routine supply tightness in these markets quickly snowballed after
disruptive events that included a hurricane, a cancelled fuel shipment
and, ironically, the airlines' own efforts to prevent shortages,
according to airline executives.
The shortages underscore the
added strain on refineries, pipelines and the airlines' own
fuel-procurement efforts as the industry recovers from its worst-ever
downturn - June passenger traffic was up four per cent from 2001
levels, according to industry data - and energy demand rises throughout
the economy.
Friday Aug 12, 2005 ts No-fly list is a bad idea for Canada Let`s pretend it`s mid-January and you and the family have turned up at Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport with skis and snowboards, headed for Whistler Mountain. But when you check in for your flight to Vancouver, the man behind the counter rattles your name into a computer, gazes at the screen and says: "Sorry, you`re on the no-fly list. You can`t board the plane."
Tuesday Aug 9, 2005 arc Will the Flight Be on Time? It's Anybody's Guess
This is not a good time for time-conscious air travelers. Data from the department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics last week showed that this was shaping up to be the worst year for departure delays since 2000. In the year through June, nearly one in five flights, or 17 percent, left airports late.
To placate exasperated passengers, airlines have scrambled to get their planes in on time - by flying faster once in the air, for example, which burns more fuel. This actually led to a minuscule improvement in on-time arrivals this year compared with last year - 78 percent versus 77.8 percent - but more than one in five flights still arrived late. At certain times of the day, like late afternoon and evening, and at some airports, like Atlanta Hartsfield, Newark Liberty International and Chicago O'Hare, delays are almost a given, and airline timetables bear little semblance to reality.
Sunday Aug 7, 2005 rci TORONTO: AIR FRANCE FACES LAWSUIT OVER CRASH IN TORONTO
A passenger aboard the Air France flight that crashed last Tuesday in Toronto has filed a lawsuit, demanding CDN$75 million in damages. The class action lawsuit named one person as the plaintiff, but the list of claimants is expected to grow. All 297 passengers and 12 members of the crew escaped the Airbus jumbo jet when it skidded off an airport runway in bad weather. The lawsuit claims that Air France, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and Nav Canada were negligent in the landing of the plane. Nav Canada is a non-profit corporation that provides navigation services like air traffic control and weather information within Canadian airspace. The lead investigator for the Transportation Safety Board, Real Levasseur, revealed that two of the airplane's emergency slides failed to work properly. Transport Canada has announced that it will implement new measures aimed at saving lives in the event of a plane crash. The agency will force airports to build so-called "safe areas" at the ends of runways. These runways would allow aircraft to have more room to maneouvre in case they overshoot the primary runway. Transport Canada has not indicated when the new regulations will come into effect or how large the safe areas need to be.
Wednesday Jun 15, 2005 bbc Paris air show opens with Airbus The Airbus A380 super-jumbo has completed its first display flight at the opening day of the Paris air show.
Away from the hype, deals have been done at one of the aviation industry's biggest annual get-togethers.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005 globe The International Air Transport Association estimated that airlines' fuel costs would rise by 31% in 2005. IATA, which represents 95% of the world's airlines, also predicted that the industry would lose $6 billion.
In Giovanni Bisignani's "State of the Industry address to the IATA Annual General Meeting, he said that "the fuel bill [for IATA member-airlines] this year will be US$83 billion. Equal to the GNP of New Zealand. This is US$39 billion more than 2003. The Fifth horseman of the Apocalypse—the extraordinary price of fuel—is destroying our profitability. Last year alone, the industry lost US$4.8 billion." ]thankx to Judith Patterson
Wednesday Jun 1, 2005 rci MONTREAL: AIR CANADA BOSS NAMED IATA CHAIRMAN
Air Canada's chairman, Robert Milton, has been elected chairman as well of the Montreal-based International Air Transport Association, which represents most of the world's commercial airlines. His election came at the 61st annual IATA meeting, attended this year by 600 delegates in Tokyo. Mr. Milton also is the CEO of ACE Aviation Holding Inc., Air Canada's parent firm.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
BLAGNAC, France -- Airbus' A380, the world's largest passenger
plane, successfully took off on its maiden test flight Wednesday, a
milestone for aviation and for the European aircraft-maker's battle
with American rival Boeing Co.
Tuesday Mar 29, 2005 TORONTO: OTTAWA SET FOR AIRPORT DEAL
The Canadian government is preparing to offer Canada's airports an agreement that would give them lower rental fees. But in exchange the federal government would require the airports to allow the airlines to have more of an input in how the facilities are run. Canada's airports have been non-profit operations since being transferred from federal to local control about a decade ago. They pass on the cost of their rent to airlines through landing and terminal fees. Then the airlines either pass on those fees to passengers or pay for them themselves.
Thursday Mar 24, 2005 ts Jetsgo proposes new flight plan
Jetsgo — or some version of the failed airline — wants to fly again and a court-appointed monitor is proposing that as an option to creditors. But selling the idea faces a very bumpy ride.
Thursday Mar 24, 2005 ec See you in court
Trade negotiators from the European Union and America argued over who was to blame for a breakdown in talks on cutting government subsidies to Airbus and Boeing. The talks, which began in January, sought to avoid formal complaints to the World Trade Organisation, which now seems likely to have to rule on the dispute.
Tuesday Mar 15, 2005 Jetsgo's crash landing, leaving in its wake higher ticket prices and confirmation of Judith Patterson's findings on the dismal prospects for the airline industry. See also t-WJA.asp
Monday Mar 14, 2005 OTTAWA: AIRLINES PREDICT HIGHER FARES FOLLOWING JETSGO FAILURE
The failure of Jetsgo to make money on super cheap fares will likely lead to higher fares overall, predicted executives at Canada's two biggest airlines on Sunday. The heads of Air Canada, Robert Milton, and WestJet, Clive Beddoe, agreed that fares were being kept artificially low because Jetsgo was charging impossibly low prices for its seats. Mr. Beddoe declared, however, that any increases would be modest. "In my view, it doesn't have to climb very much for the consumer to be able to provide an adequate fare to the airline," he said. Mr. Beddoe thought that Jetsgo's finances depended greatly on advance ticket sales, a practice that he thought might need to be better regulated. Mr. Milton suggested that a special fund might be set up to protect airline passengers who suddenly find that their tickets are worthless, as some 17,000 passengers throughout North America discovered on Friday when Jetsgo announced that it was grounding its 29 aircraft and ceasing operations. But he said that the federal government should also cut airport rents and security fees that airlines pay. On Sunday, Prime Minister Paul Martin offered sympathy to Jetsgo's stranded passengers and said that "everybody is trying to do their best" to help them. Montreal's mayor, Gerald Tremblay, said that the city would lose about 400 unionized jobs as a result of Jetsgo's demise, but he was heartened by the local expansion of Air Canada and charter airline, Air Transat. Jetsgo is now under temporary bankruptcy protection.
Monday Mar 14, 2005 MONTREAL: ICAO HEAD ABRUPTLY ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION
The head of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Assad Kotait, has announced that he will retire before the end of his term. Mr. Kotait, 80, has served in the post for almost 30 years. He had been under pressure to resign by critics in the world's most industrialized countries, including Canada, who accused him of failing to keep ICAO vibrant. ICAO is a United Nations agency in Montreal. Canada contributes more than CDN$20 million annually to ICAO, the largest amount of any of its 188 members.
Saturday Mar 12, 2005 ts Jetsgo selling tickets up to end
Discount airline Jetsgo Corp. was selling tickets and taking bookings until just before it pulled the plug on its operations yesterday — even though it knew as early as Wednesday it could be forced to shut down.
Friday, March 11, 2005 globe Jetsgo folds Discount airline Jetsgo Corp. halted flights early today, leaving passengers in the lurch and seeking court protection from creditors barely 32 months after launching operations.
MONTREAL: JETSGO'S GONE Canada's third-biggest airline, Jetsgo, has gone into bankruptcy protection. The discount airline ceased operations at midnight Thursday, stranding 17,000 ticket holders. Jetsgo says the fierce competition in the domestic airline business was a main factor in its bankruptcy. Last month, Transport Canada ordered Jetsgo's aircraft not to fly higher than 9,000 metres for security reasons, an order which increased the airline's fuel costs. Earlier this week, the department also ordered Jetsgo to correct a number of security deficiencies. Several Canadian airlines have gone bankrupt in the last decade. The country's biggest airline, Air Canada, only recently emerged restructured from bankruptcy protection.
Saturday Mar 5, 2005 ts So fast, so far, so high, solo
With a slightly bouncy landing on a Kansas runway, a tenacious pilot toppled one of the world`s last great aviation milestones yesterday: a non-stop solo flight around the globe without refuelling.
Wednesday Feb 23, 2005 ts Onex buys 3 Boeing plants in U.S.
Toronto-based conglomerate Onex Corp. is heading for the potentially turbulent skies of the aviation industry with a $1.2 billion (U.S.) purchase of three Boeing Co. commercial aircraft plants in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Thursday Jan 6, 2005 cbc OTTAWA ATTACKED OVER AIRPORT RENTS
Ottawa should stop treating air travellers like cash-cows, said the Air
Transport Association of Canada, as it joined Wednesday with other lobby
groups to assail increases in rent charged by the federal government to
airports.
Wednesday Dec 22, 2004 OTTAWA: CANADIAN AIRPORT FEES UNDER CRITICISM>
Fees charged to transporters at Canada's airports should be reduced in the way that occurred earlier this week in Germany, a lobby group said on Tuesday. The Air Transport Association pointed out that Germany's Transport Ministry announced that airport landing fees would drop by 28 per cent next month while air navigation fees would fall by 20 per cent. "Meanwhile in Canada, the federal government continues to drive up airport fees by imposing ever-rising rental charges," said Cliff Mackay, president of the Association. Next month, Montreal's airport will raise rent by 30 per cent. At Toronto's Pearson International Airport, landing fees will rise 17 per cent. Canada's transport minister, Jean Lapierre, has indicated that he'll propose several options to the increases to colleagues in parliament.
EUROPE: November 23, 2004 ark Studies Adding Aviation to Emissions Scheme
LONDON - The EU has started a study to see if it can curb aircraft pollution by including aviation in its new carbon dioxide emissions trading scheme, said Peter Vis, acting head of the industrial emissions unit at the European Commission on Monday.
Sunday Nov 21, 2004 cbc NEW $2B AIRPORT PITCHED FOR TORONTO AREA
Plans are underway to create a $2-billion airport east of Toronto that
may eventually handle 11 million passengers a year.
Friday Nov 19, 2004 30 YEARS LATER, OTTAWA UNVEILS PLAN FOR PICKERING AIRPORT
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority released a draft plan Tuesday to
build a $2 billion airport on land expropriated by Ottawa more than 30
years ago, for just that purpose. ... The federal government started expropriating land for a second international airport for Toronto more than three decades ago.
Friday Oct 29, 2004 OTTAWA: CANADA MIGHT OPEN AIRWAYS TO FOREIGN COMPETITION
Canada's transport minister, Jean Lapierre, says the federal government would consider allowing foreign airlines to compete in Canada. Mr. Lapierre says the government will weigh that decision after a national debate, which he'll launch with a speech in Toronto on Friday. At present, U.S. airlines cannot compete for domestic flights in Canada, and the reverse also is true. The minister claims that consumers favour such a development because it would create competition and lower ticket prices. The U.S. government has been pushing for an extension of the 1995 Open Skies agreement, which abolished the requirement to take time-consuming connecting flights between the two countries on international routes. Since then, business and tourism traffic have boomed. Detractors of the idea say they fear foreign airlines would grab the most lucrative routes and drive down prices, making it impossible for domestic carriers to compete.
Sunday Oct 24, 2004 Higher world oil prices could mean more expensive holidays for Canadians whOWN to travel this winter. Beginning on Monday, some Canadian tour operators and airlines will increase fuel surcharges. Travellers already pay a fee for elevated fuel costs. Now that cost will go up. As a result, a round-trip flight to the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and the United States will cost CDN$75 more.
Friday Oct 8, 2004 bbcAmerica flies to war
A long-running transatlantic row over subsidies to Airbus and Boeing has gone to the World Trade Organisation. Expect tempers to fray THE rumbling of a trade war over state aid to Europe’s Airbus has been in the air for months. On Wednesday October 6th, after unsuccessful talks between the European Union and America, the United States Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick, filed a formal complaint to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) alleging billions of dollars of “unfair” subsidies were paid to Airbus. Within an hour, the EU said that it would file a counter-claim about equally large sums of unfair aid going to Airbus’s rival, Boeing.
US Airways, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, announced plans to reduce managerial staff by some 10% from a total of 3,700 and for pay cuts of $45m a year. The airline hopes its unionised workers will take the hint and agree to yearly cost savings of nearly $1 billion. The airline has threatened that a bankruptcy judge will impose pay cuts unless a deal is struck.
Alitalia finally reached an agreement with unions over lay-off packages for 3,700 employees, over 15% of the workforce. The deal will unlock a government loan of euro400m ($492m) that will keep the Italian carrier in the air while it tries to restructure its struggling business. Italy's government will bear much of the cost of the generous scheme for ex-workers.
Friday, September 17, 2004 St. Hubert airport handed to city
Seventy-seven years after the St. Hubert airport was opened by the federal government, Transport Canada yesterday formally turned over the facility to the city of Longueuil. The airport, which had been run by Transport Canada, will now be operated by a municipal agency, the Corporation de developpement de l'aeroport St. Hubert-Longueuil - or DASH-L, for short.
Monday 5 Jul 2004 bbcAviation growth 'risk to planet' The rise in demand for air travel is one of the most serious environmental threats facing the world, a study says.
The University of York report says government plans for airport expansion are in direct conflict with targets to reduce greenhouse gases.
Monday Jun 21, 2004 MONTREAL: NEW CHARTER AIRLINE PLANNED
A businessman in Ontario is planning to launch a new Canadian charter airline on July 1, Canada Day. Michael Low will call the airline, Canada 3000, which is the same name as an airline that went bankrupt three years ago, leaving thousands of travellers stranded. The airline will be based in Hamilton, Ontario, and fly to vacation spots in the Caribbean and Mexico. Staff recruitment will begin next month. Service should start in December.
Friday Apr 2, 2004 cbc'LITTLE PRINCE' AUTHOR'S PLANE WRECK FOUND AFTER 6 DECADES
A diving team has found the wreckage of author Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry's military plane, almost 60 years after it plunged
into the Mediterranean near Marseille, French government researchers
announced Wednesday.
Friday Apr 2, 2004 cbcGLOBAL AIR TRAVEL BACK TO PRE-9/11 LEVELS: IATA
Global air passenger traffic has returned to the levels that existed
before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but the airline industry remains
"fragile," the head of the International Air Transport Association said.
New Compendium Third Edition
The IADC has now completed the new Third Edition of The Compendium of International Civil Aviation. The book comes complete with a new introductory Foreword from Dr. Assad Kotaite, President of the ICAO Council, as well as additional Forewords from the Directors General of IATA and ACI. The Third Edition Compendium is significantly expanded, with fully updated content sections and appendixes.
Tuesday 24 Feb 2004 cbc AIR CANADA WINS GATE FIGHT AT NEW TORONTO TERMINAL
Air Canada has won preferential access to 14 coveted gates at the new
terminal at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, a decision that
will force WestJet to use other terminals for the scheduled expansion of
its Toronto flights.
Monday Jan 26, 2004 OTTAWA: US WANTS OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT WITH CANADA
The United States wants a new Open Skies agreement with Canada, a
cross-border free trade for North American airline companies. US
Ambassador Paul Cellucci says Washington wants US carriers to be able
to transport passengers between points in Canada and Canadian
airlines to fly between American cities. Currently, airlines in
Canada and the US are free to fly any cross-border route, but they
are barred from flying domestic flights in each other's country. The
Bush administration plan would mean serious domestic competition for
Air Canada while giving Canadian carriers access to lucrative new
routes in the US. Federal Transport Minister Tony Valeri has
indicated he'd like to negotiate the possible easing of restrictions
on cargo flights into Canada. But he wants to consult with Canadians
before going any further.
Friday Jan 23, 2004 OTTAWA: NEW AIRLINE SECURITY SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED
Canada has instituted a new security system to monitor possible
dangers presented by airline passengers. A security centre has begun
checking the identities of all airline passengers to determine
whether there's a chance any of them are terrorists. The centre will
do the ID checks in Canadian and American data banks, eventually in
that of INTERPOL. The checks are carried out as soon as a passenger
buys a ticket for a flight to Canada. The U.S. began implementing a
similar system in recent days.
Thursday Jan 22, 2004 TORONTO: WESTJET IMPROVES RESULTS
WestJet Airlines, Canada's second-biggest airline, has announced
improved fourth-quarter results. The Calgary-based discount airline
says it enjoyed $12.8 million in profits, or 16 cents a share, an
improvement of 17 per cent over the previous fourth quarter. WestJet
says its last quarter would have been even more profitable had not
the new Liberal Party government of Ontario cancelled corporate tax
breaks scheduled by the previous Conservative government. The airline
also warns of problems later this year due to a demand by the Nav
Canada, the agency that responsible for air control at Canadian
airports, for a $4.5-million security deposit. NavCan has been
increasing its fees for airlines because it has been able to recover
only one-third of the money it's owed by Air Canada, which is
bankrupt. WestJet's CEO, Clive Beddoe, this is the latest instance of
the strain that the insolvency of the country's biggest carrier is
placing on the airline industry.
Thursday Jan 15, 2004 TORONTO: WESTJET EXPANDS
Canadian discount airline WestJet says it's transferring its hub in
central Canada from Hamilton, Ontario, to Toronto to increase its
number of flights in and out of Pearson International Airport
threefold. The Calgary-based airline, Canada's second-biggest, says
it's part of WestJet's continuing effort to expand nationally. The
airline's CEO, Clive Beddoe, says the extra expenses involved in
flying out of Pearson will be offset by the opportunity to have more
Toronto-area passengers on board its flights. Pearson costs $20 more
per passenger. Starting on April 18, WestJet will have 1,580 flights
weekly. The airline also says it will add 11 aircraft to its existing
fleet of Boeing 737 airliners.
Wednesday Jan 7, 2004 cbc BRITISH PILOTS SEEK CONDITIONS ON USE OF SKY MARSHALS
Pilots in the United Kingdom have accepted the use of sky marshals on
British flights, as long as they won't be held legally or financially
liable if a shoot-out happens.
Thu, 01 Jan 2004 cbc DORVAL AIRPORT RENAMED TRUDEAU INTERNATIONAL
Montreal's Dorval International Airport got a new name Thursday -
Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
The Silver Dart makes Canadian aviation history: a look back [2:49]
On Feb. 23, 1909, engineer J.A.D. McCurdy piloted the first powered airplane flight by a British subject in the British Empire – and made Canadian history. The plane was called the Silver Dart, and had been built by the Aerial Experiment Association, a group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts dedicated to creating a “practical aerodrome.” In this CBC radio clip, McCurdy – by then Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia – looks back at the event on its 40th anniversary.
Diefenbaker announces Avro Arrow cancellation [5:54]
It's a day that would soon become known as "Black Friday." At 11:00 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1959, Prime Minister Diefenbaker stands before the House of Commons and makes the unexpected announcement that the Arrow and Iroquois engine programs are terminated immediately. Members of Parliament greet the announcement with stunned silence. CBC Radio reporters Norman DePoe and Tom Earle are on hand to witness the announcement and get a first-hand explanation from Prime Minister Diefenbaker.
• A key reason for cancelling the Arrow was the mounting cost of the program. Though the Arrow was an expensive plane, critics of the cancellation later argued that development could have been completed for the cost of the cancellation fees alone. The Arrow program was cheaper than purchasing the Bomarc, SAGE and replacement interceptors from the United States. It was cancelled a month before the end of the six month review period Diefenbaker gave the program.
QuickTime VR (QTVR) Artifact Photography at the
National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
2003
Monday Dec 29, 2003 cbc PILOTS OPPOSED TO ARMED FLIGHTS
The best way to keep airlines safe from terrorist attacks is to keep the
culprits from boarding in the first place, argues the International Air
Transport Association.
Monday Dec 29, 2003 cbc SOME U.K. FLIGHTS TO GET SKY MARSHALS
Britain will deploy armed sky marshals on some passenger flights in
response to the heightened state of alert in the United States, the Home
Office and Department for Transport announced Sunday.
Thursday Dec 18, 2003 bbc Private plane breaks sound speed The sound barrier has been breached by a privately built rocket-plane, the first time it has been done without government help.
Scaled Composites of California flew their SpaceShipOne rocket-plane at Mach 1.2 to an altitude of 68,000 ft.
Thursday Dec 18, 2003 bbc Take-off
From the earliest days, man has dreamt of flying. From drawings on stone pyramids and Icarus' demise in Greek mythology to Leonardo da Vinci's prescient drawings of flying machines, we have been preoccupied by flight.
Wednesday Dec 17, 2003
Dec. 17 marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first successful airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In less than a century, we've broken the sound barrier, landed on the moon, and our jumbo jets carry millions of passengers all over the world. We've done all that since 1903. Join Mike Woloschuk on a flight into cyberspace. NASA celebrates 100 years of flight Edwards Air Force Base: moments in test flight history
Wednesday Dec 17, 2003 cbc FRUITCAKE NOW SECURITY THREAT
If you're travelling by air this holiday season, forget the fruitcake.
At least as carry-on luggage. That's the advice of the Canadian Air
Transport Security Authority.
Monday Dec 15, 2003 Reviving species - with a puppet and planes
In bid at repopulation, costumed pilots lead whooping cranes on their old migration south.
(CRYSTAL RIVER, FLA.)Bird no. 303 was the troublemaker. No. 307 was
antisocial. No. 310 was aggressive, 311 was aloof, and 307 cried at his
costumed handler. But this week, the 16 whooping cranes - gliding obediently
behind three gas-powered flying machines with human "bird mothers" - banked
to the right above the Big K department store. They touched down on an
unremarkable patch of marshland in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife
Refuge. And, finally, after two months and 1,200 miles, the gangly birds
were home. It has to be one of man's strangest odysseys since Orville and Wilbur Wright
- human beings dressed as birds flying machines with birds following who
think that those humans - in their planes - are birds. But humans go to
great lengths to snub Darwin: Like the reintroduction of red wolves and elk
in the Smoky Mountains, this was part of a wider effort to drag animals back
from the brink of extinction and repopulate regions with species that have
disappeared. Florida was the cranes' winter home before they died off in the
East; this journey was designed to show them back to their old habitat
Thursday Dec 4, 2003 bbc NEW TORONTO TERMINAL HAS AIRLINES UP IN ARMS
The addition of a new terminal to Toronto's Pearson International
Airport was announced Tuesday by the Canadian government.
Tuesday Nov 4, 2003 OTTAWA: RUSSIA SEEKS END TO OVERFLIGHT DISPUTE
The administrator of Russia's civil aviation, Alexander Neradkko, has
flown to Canada to try to settle the dispute between that country and
his regarding overflights by their airlines. Since Nov. 1, Canada has
imposed restrictions on overflights by Russian airliners that have
caused the Russian airline Aeroflot to curtail the number of its
flights to Canada and to change the flight paths of its flights to
the U.S. The dispute was touched off earlier this year when Russia
refused to let Air Canada planes fly over Russia on their way to
India.
Tuesday Oct 21, 2003 CALGARY: WESTJET PROSPERS AGAINST THE ODDS
WestJet Airlines announced an almost 40-per cent increase of its
third-quarter earnings. Its CEO, Clive Beddoe, says earnings amounted
to $32.3 million. The no-frills airline, Canada's most profitable,
saw its stock rise by $1.19 a share on Monday at the TSE, closing
with a new 52-week high of $27.24. Mr. Beddoe praised WestJet's
quarterly performance, saying it was achieved despite higher fuel
costs and stiff competition in the industry. He also accused its
rival Air Canada of taking advantage of its present insolvent status
to keep ticket prices at unsustainable low levels in a effort to
weaken its competitors. Canada's biggest airline has been under
bankruptcy protection since April 1.
Sunday Oct 19, 2003 TORONTO: LOW COST FLIGHTS TO UK TO BEGIN IN MAY
A low-fare startup airline plans to begin service next May with
inexpensive planes and cheap fares between Canada and the United
Kingdom. Zoom Airlines intends to offer trips to Scotland and England
from six Canadian cities for as little as $199 one way. Zoom has
three second-hand Boeing 767s, which it is reported to have bought
for about $15 million dollars apiece. Zoom was founded by Hugh Boyle,
a Scottish-born entrepreneur who sold his stake in travel company
Direct Holidays five years ago. The airline says it's counting on two
million people of Scottish ancestry living in Canada and other
thrifty travellers to turn a profit. Zoom will offer low-frills
flights from Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and
Halifax to Glasgow and London Gatwick. There will be about one flight
a week from each city.
Wednesday Oct 1, 2003 bbc Bank pulls plug on German airline
More than 8,000 passengers are stranded around Europe and the Mediterranean after banks pulled the plug on Aero Lloyd.
Wednesday Oct 1, 2003 cbc AIR FRANCE, KLM JOIN FORCES
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France said Tuesday they are teaming up
to form a powerhouse airline that will put it ahead of European
competitors British Airways and Lufthansa.
Tuesday Sep 2, 2003 ts Plane makers face discount demands
Air Canada, others team up to shop around
200-plane deal could be worth $9 billion U.S.
Wednesday Aug 6, 2003 ts IATA finds air travel down 11.8%
International travel in June better than May
`Clearly we have turned a corner,' group's chief says
Tuesday Jul 22, 2003 nyt Low-Cost Airlines Become Big Spenders Among the shoppers are AirTran Airways of Orlando, Fla., which ordered 50 Boeing 737's on June 30, and Britain's easyJet, which in October said it was buying 120 Airbus A320's.
By volume, such deals by this new generation of carriers involve some of the biggest aircraft sales in years. Low-cost airlines accounted for 61 percent of narrow-body jet orders so far this year and 75 percent last year, for a total of 385 planes. In 2001, the rate was just 15.5 percent, or only 39 jets, according to Back Aviation Solutions, an industry consulting firm.
Monday Jul 21, 2003 cbc NAV CANADA TO RAISE FEES
Nav Canada, the not-for-profit company that operates the air navigation
system, said Monday it's going to raise fees by 6.9 per cent on Aug. 1.
Friday Jul 18, 2003 OTTAWA: RENT AID OFFERED AIRPORTS
The Canadian transport minister, David Collenette, says the federal
government will try to help Canada's financially strapped major
airports by allowing them to defer 10 per cent of rent payments for
two years. The deferrals would date back to July 1. The money would
have to be repaid to the government over a 10-year period starting on
Jan. 1, 2006. No interest will be charged. Mr. Collenette says the
government expects the airports to pass on the savings to airlines
and their passengers. But the Air Transport Association of Canada,
which represents carriers, says it doesn't expect the airports to do
so unless forced. And a spokeswoman for the Ottawa International
Airport Authority says airports need lower not deferred rent. Under
the plan, Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada's biggest,
would save $49.3 million in deferrals; Vancouver would save $15.3
million and Calgary $5 million.
Friday Jul 18, 2003 cbc OTTAWA OFFERS $80 MILLION RELIEF TO AIR INDUSTRY
Ottawa will provide some relief for the country's air industry
struggling from the fall-out of SARS, September 11 and the Iraq war.
Tuesday May 6, 2003 bbc 3G takes to the skies
The next generation of mobile phone technology is taking to the skies.
Technology firm Siemens has been running tests on the viability of airborne fast networks, using third generation (3G) mobile technology.
April 27, 2003 Delta CEO Apologizes for Pay
The airline's top executive said he'd been insensitive to concerns about his pay package in the face of Delta layoffs and contract concessions.
Saturday Apr 26, 2003 bbc Brussels to relax rules for ailing airlines The European Commission plans to relax take-off and landing rules to ease the pressure on the European airline industry, suffering from the fall-out of the Sars outbreak and the war in Iraq.
The European Commission on Friday proposed legislation to suspend so-called "use-it-or-lose-it" airport slot rules, much to the dismay of low-cost airlines, such as Ryanair and Easyjet.
Saturday Apr 26, 2003 BEVERLY HILLS, Calif The Future Is Past
By LARRY GELBART
As with all that goes up, that magnificent bird, the Concorde, is about to come down. I was lucky enough to have crossed the Atlantic on either the French or British version a couple of dozen times, and on each trip I couldn't escape the feeling that I was appearing in a film. A very high-budget film. As an extra. I needed only look at my fellow passengers — Wall Streeters, rock icons, and stars of stage, screen and rehab, each with a ton of Vuitton — to realize that I was soon to travel faster than the speed of sound, sitting across the aisle from some very high rollers.
[The grounding of the Concorde means the end of an important
symbol, one that made what seemed an impossible feat
possible on a regularly scheduled basis. Diana T.N]
Saturday Apr 5, 2003 ...By midday Friday, Air Canada cancelled all North American arrivals and departures at Pearson until the end of the day. The airline was hoping to continue international flights.
The airport was running low on glycol, a chemical used to de-ice planes.
[They ran out of glycol! ?]
Thursday Mar 27, 2003 ec Airlines
American airlines' hopes of another government bailout, this time to cover their losses from the war in Iraq, are rising. But they should not count on it
Saturday Mar 22, 2003 cbc AIR CANADA SITUATION MAY HERALD PROFOUND CHANGES IN AIRLINE INDUSTRY
The news that Air Canada is preparing to lay off 3,600 workers is
already causing concern among the travelling public. "It's going to be
really hard to get to places," said one passenger in Vancouver.
Saturday Mar 22, 2003 OTTAWA: TRANSPORT SECURITY BEEFED UP
Canada's transport minister, David Collenette, says he has ordered
more police to guard airports, train stations and nuclear stations,
even in the absence of any "discernible" security threat to them. Mr.
Collenette says there will be greater checking of passengers at
airports and on ferries to the U.S., as well as greater checking of
baggage on airliners. The minister responsible for Canada Customs and
Revenue, Elinor Caplan, says Canada has responded to a U.S. request
for more random checks of travellers entering the U.S. from Canada.
She says she has authorized as much overtime for customs officers as
is required. Ernie Eves, the premier of Ontario, Canada's most
populous province, says police in his province may have to postpone
vacations to ensure security. Mr. Eves also says he has ordered
security heightened at nuclear plants and other potential targets.
Saturday Mar 22, 2003 MONTREAL: AIR CANADA CUTS 3,600 JOBS
Air Canada, Canada's dominant but money-losing airline, has announced
it will cut 3,600 jobs by the end of this year to reduce costs and
financial losses. The Montreal-based airline says it will reduce its
non-unionized workforce by 20 per cent. The carrier's unionized
workforce will be cut by 10 per cent. The company's present workforce
is 40,000. Air Canada's CEO, Robert Milton, says the cuts implement
the airline's stated intention to reduce its labour costs of $3
billion a year by $650 million. He says the job reductions are part
of Air Canada's plan to become a low-cost airline. Mr. Milton says
the outbreak of the war against Iraq makes the airline's need to cut
back spending even more urgent. He says Air Canada has been
progressively reducing capacity over the past several weeks because
of dropping ticket sales due to fears concerning the Iraq war. Air
Canada, like all of the world's major airlines, has been seriously
hurt by the fear of flying due to the Sept. 11 attacks. Last year,
the airline lost $428 million.
>P>Saturday Mar 22, 2003 TORONTO: AIRPORT LEGISLATION GETS HOSTILE RECEPTION
Canadian Transport Minister, David Collenette, has introduced
legislation to govern how airports are administered. It got a hostile
welcome from the organization that represents Canada's 30 airports.
The legislation is aimed at preventing airports from acting like big
businesses. The airports began certain private-sector type activities
after they were privatized in 1994 to raise money to rebuild. Many
airports began charging passengers improvement fees. Vancouver
International Airport created a profitable subsidiary that operates
14 other airports. The Council that represents the airports says the
legislation would drive up administrative costs, especially for
smaller facilities. It also complains that it will hamper the smaller
airports in making money at the worst time in the history of the
airline industry. They also complain that the new legislation would
deprive them of a real say in how airports collect and spend money.
Tue, 25 Feb 2003 cbc Ottawa proposes major shake-up of transport policy ...will make it easier for Via Rail to conduct its business without having to chug to Ottawa for permission. Air Canada will have to become more accommodating to all of its rivals if the proposals become law. Ottawa wants the dominant airline to open its popular Aeroplan frequent flyer program to any other domestic carrier, not just smaller airlines as current rules dictate.
Tue, 25 Feb 2003 gov Straight Ahead - A Vision for Transportation in Canada
Sunday Feb 23, 2003 gazette Airline industry vulnerable to war Airline veteran Angus Kinnear, the executive at the helm of Canada 3000 when it went bankrupt and stranded thousands of passengers without warning in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, yesterday said the fragile airline industry cannot weather another major blow such as a war in Iraq.
After posting an estimated $27 billion in losses over the last year alone, airlines worldwide face what could be a death blow for some, Kinnear said.
Officials from the International Air Transport Association, which represents most major carriers around the world, have warned that U.S. airlines now on the brink of financial insolvency could collapse permanently. Americans, they said, have historically been among the first to abandon international travel during war.
If war breaks out, however, he predicted Canada's dominant carrier could find itself in bankruptcy court within six months. Air Canada was losing $4 million a day in its most recent quarter. It now has about $605 million in cash.
Some airlines are reported to have war contingency plans already in place. British Airways is said to have an emergency war fund of $2 billion. Australian carrier Qantas reportedly has a plan to sack 2,500 workers if war breaks out. http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/story.asp?id={D40BB2EB-4838-4134-85AD-CEA62AA1504C}
Wednesday Feb 26, 2003 OTTAWA: PLAN WOULD REVAMP TRANSPORT
Canada's transport minister, David Collenette, has made public a
broad plan to make the country's transportation infrastructure more
efficient. The plan would force airlines to ensure that their
advertising for tickets is not misleading. It would end the custom of
airlines of not mentioning the surcharges that can account for
one-half the price of a plane ticket. The minister's plan also calls
for legislation to ensure the survival of Via Rail. It would force
railways to offer unused spur and sidings to municipalities at a fair
price. The blueprint contains a policy for railway mergers and
arbitration for railway shippers whOWN to use Canadian National
and Canadian Pacific railways' tracks. Mr. Collenette also says he
expects there will be a high-speed railway line between Windsor,
Ont., and Quebec City, Qué., within a decade. The high-speed railway
isn't part of the masterplan.
Wednesday Feb 26, 2003 TORONTO: CN DUBIOUS ABOUT TRANSPORT MASTERPLAN
Canadian National Railway, Canada's biggest railway, says the federal
government seems to be moving in the direction of re-regulating the
railway industry. CN was commenting on the transport blueprint
unveiled on Tuesday by Transport Minister David Collenette. It would
allow the possibility for a shipper to ask a government agency to
impose rates when only one railway serves an area. A CN spokesman
said such an arrangement would mean shippers would no longer have to
prove they face "substantial commercial damage" without a regulated
rate. The federal government began to deregulate the railway industry
in 1987. The spokesman says that deregulation has resulted in the
world's lowest freight rates and best service, and that's why CN will
lobby Mr. Collenette not to make such a change.
Sunday Feb 16, 2003 rci TORONTO: REPORT SAYS AIRPORT TAX WILL BE HALVED
There's a report the federal government is about to give Canadian air
travellers a break. Global TV says it has learned Finance Minister
John Manley will cut the controversial airport security tax on
domestic flights by about half. The current $24 tax on round-trip
flights has been criticized for being too large, and therefore a tax
grab. The new fare would go into effect March 1st. However the full
$24 fee would reportedly still apply to international flights. The
tax was instituted last April to help pay for increased security
following the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US. A Canadian
Senate report last month said there is no way to tell if the public
is getting its money's worth from the security tax.
Friday Feb 14, 2003 ec Preparing for war
British Airways confirmed the gloom surrounding the world's airlines. It said that it thought 2003 would be tougher than last year, with no revenue growth. The airline made a pre-tax profit of £25m ($39m) in the last quarter of 2002, but a war with Iraq is likely to set back the airline's recovery.
Monday Feb 3, 2003
United Airlines flies in massive loss The bankrupt parent company of the world's second largest airline reports a $3.2bn loss for 2002, the largest in its history.
Wed 1090 Jan 22nd, 2003 AIRPORT SECURITY
The Report of the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security and Defence (see: January 21, 2003 report ), reassuringly entitled “ The Myth of Security at Canada’s Airports”, is generating much debate. As the Canadian government imposes increasing taxes (air travellers security charges plus airport improvement charges) on air travel, it is unclear what is being accomplished with the funds generated. more
Wednesday Jan 1, 2003 INCREASED SECURITY ARRIVES AT CANADIAN AIRPORTS
Responsibility for security screening at all major airports is being
turned over to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) on
Tuesday, and one of the most noticeable changes will be increased
screening of passenger luggage.
For a Slide show of the Hubert Linssen family at home. MEMORIES [from Cats] of wonderful dinner party for the Nicholsons.
You will need the RealPlayer™ to watch this slideshow. If your browser warns you that you don't have a necessary plug-in or helper application, you need to download and install the free RealPlayer here.
Air traffic controllers at the Los Angeles airport. January 15, 2007 
Andy Nulman 
BBC
View Larger Image
Airbus Superjumbo Jet's First Flight Set
Paris air show opens with Airbus 
A hulking beast joins the dogfight Jan 13th 2005 
America flies to war
Turbulent skies Jul 8th 2004 
Aviation growth 'risk to planet'
Turbulent skies Jul 8th 2004 
QuickTime VR (QTVR) 
Private plane breaks sound speed
Take-off 
Reviving species - with a puppet and planes
Low-Cost Airlines Become Big Spenders
3G takes to the skies
Brussels to relax rules for ailing airlines
Ottawa proposes major shake-up of transport policy ![[Version en français]](images/fr.gif){kind=small}
www.airbus.com/)
Will the Flight Be on Time? It's Anybody's Guess August 8, 2005 ){kind=link}