Month: July 2013

Main News July 24th 2013

 

 

Them and us?

The US aviation sector remains in a state of paradox, if reports of US Airways senior executive pay are anything to go by.

At several airports served by the carrier, staff have started to call into question the carrier’s operating model that has seen, for example, the company CEO reputedly seek a 44% pay rise. Chief concerns are the lack of security in the job, the absence of much in the way of benefits and the fact that salaries can be as low as US$5 an hour. Disgruntled staff at Newark, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Boston and Philadelphia, this latter something of blackspot in terms of unemployment, have been vocal on this subject and a number protested recently about the situation outside a US Airways shareholders’ meeting in Manhattan.

The reality that sees numbers of ramp workers obliged to hold down two jobs to make ends meet is not good news when the sector’s gaze is so firmly fixed on making the ramp a safer place.

 

 

When random is the name of the game

The Transportation Security Administration has said that it is planning to use electronic Randomizers to help funnel passengers into airport security lines. In addition to providing a simple way to direct travelers into different queues, it also would make it more difficult for any passengers with nefarious intent to slip past security with prohibited items.

In June, the TSA issued a Request for Information; in this, it asked interested vendors to share ideas and suggestions for procuring such random directing systems. These applications, it says, would subsequently be deployed at most medium and large US airports.

When asked about the reasoning behind the devices, the TSA replied that it was sticking to a multi-layered approach to security, utilizing measures that were both seen and unseen. Unpredictability would play an important part in this philosophy.

 

 

Delta Air Lines fined again for bumping

The Transportation Department has fined Delta Air Lines US$750,000 for bumping passengers from full flights without asking for volunteers and for failing to provide information about the levels of compensation that are available. Delta committed similar violations in July 2009, when the airline was fined $375,000.

“Airline passengers deserve to be treated fairly, especially if they are forced to miss a flight because an airline oversold seats,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in announcing the fine. “Consumers have rights, and we will continue to take enforcement action when airlines violate our rules, to protect the traveling public.”

Federal regulations require airlines to seek volunteers willing to give up their seats when flights are oversold. If passengers still need to be bumped, they are entitled to up to $1,300, depending on the cost of their tickets and length of delay.

The Transportation Department’s aviation enforcement office reviewed 310 bumping complaints against Delta from November 2010 to January 2012. The complaints said that Delta didn’t seek volunteers, didn’t provide written notices about cash compensation and counted some bumped passengers as volunteers.

 

Have fees, will raise?

Alaska Airlines has just announced that it is raising its fee for a checked-in bag to US$25.

It has said that for tickets purchased on or after October 30 this year, passengers will pay a fee of US$25 each for the first and second checked bags. Any additional bags will cost US$75 each. At present, the airline charges US$20 per bag for the first three suitcases. Work out the sums and you will see that for a passenger carrying three bags, this is effectively doubling the ancillary revenue. That represents a 100% hike in fees.

In its defense, the airline says that it will keep its unique baggage service guarantee. If a passenger’s bags are not at the baggage claim area within 20 minutes of the aircraft parked at the gate, Alaska says that it will issue a refund of US$20 for use on a future flight or 2,000 extra frequent flier miles. This discount is set to increase to US$25 and the allowance to 2,500 miles on the above-mentioned date.

 


VIP bag delivery service

Customers are now able to have their bags delivered directly to their home, hotel or business, thanks to Bags VIP delivery. Travelers can schedule and pay for a Bags VIP delivery up to one hour prior to their scheduled departure by visiting maketraveleasier.com/usairways Once scheduled, customers then need only to drop their bags off at the airport and pay any applicable baggage fees. Items will then be delivered within four to six hours of arrival. This convenient delivery service starts at US$29.95 and is offered in all domestic locations that the airline serves.

 

 

Main News July 5th 2013

A sustainable future mooted

The Federal Aviation Administration has contacted the world’s fuel producers and requested that they submit proposals for fuel options that would help the aviation industry make the move towards a greater usage of unleaded fuel.

The FAA has said that it is looking to develop a new unleaded fuel by 2018 that would minimize the effect of replacing 100 octane low-lead fuel for most of the general aviation fleet.

“General aviation is vital to the US economy and is an important form of transportation for many Americans,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced recently. “We need to work with industry to develop an unleaded fuel that advances aviation safety and improves the environment.”

The FAA will assess the candidate fuels in terms of their effect on the existing fleet, their production and distribution infrastructure, their effect on the environment and toxicology and economic considerations.

Fuel producers had to submit data packages by July: thereafter, the FAA will choose up to ten suppliers to participate in the first stage of laboratory testing at William J Hughes Technical Center, in Atlantic City.

It is understood that the FAA will select perhaps two fuels from the initial phase for phase two engine and aircraft testing. Over the next five years, the FAA is expected to ask fuel producers to submit 100 gallons of fuel for phase one testing and 10,000 gallons of fuel for phase two testing.

 

 

 

 

Firearm philosophy due for a re-think?

According to reports, during the first six months of this year Transportation Security Administration screeners detected almost 900 guns, either on passengers or in their carry-on bags: this equates to a 30% increase over the same period in 2012. In May, in just one week, 65 were found. That was 30% more than the previous record of 50 guns, set just two weeks earlier.

Overall, in 2012 the TSA found a total of 1,549 firearms on passengers attempting to go through screening, this figure up 17% from the year before. In all, 85% of the weapons intercepted last year were loaded, the most common type being a .38 caliber pistol. Airports in the South and the West, where the American gun culture is more dominant, recorded the greatest number of guns intercepted, according to recent TSA data.

Many passengers found to have guns by screeners are arrested, but this is not always the case: it depends on the gun laws in the state wherein the airport is located. If the state has tolerant gun laws, TSA screeners will frequently hand the gun back to the passenger, recommending that it be locked away.

 

 

 

Efficiency the name of the game in Atlanta

Hartsfield Jackson has been named as the most efficient airport in the world for 2013. This, in fact, will be the tenth year that the airport has been the recipient of the Efficiency Excellence Award, which is given by the Air Transport Research Society, an international association of air transport academics.

Aside from that Seoul, Sydney, Copenhagen and Minneapolis-St Paul all came out top in their respective categories. Further down the list, amongst airports with fewer than 15m passengers per year, Oklahoma City and Geneva were ranked highest.
Considered the most comprehensive independent evaluation of global airport performance, the Air Transport Research Society compares the efficiency of 195 airports and 26 airport groups spread around the Asia Pacific region, Europe and the US. ATRS ranks individual airport efficiency through use of a ratio that divides the output index created by a consistent aggregation of aircraft movements, passenger volumes and non-aeronautical revenue generation activities by the input index, which is the result of a consistent aggregation of full-time equivalent labor and other operational expenses.

 

 

Signature buys share in Starlink

 

Late in June, Signature Flight Support announced that it had agreed to purchase a majority share of Starlink Aviation’s FBO in Montreal. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and it is expected to be completed during the third quarter of this year. Starlink Aviation will continue to fully own and operate the real estate and aircraft management, aircraft maintenance, corporate shuttle and aircraft charter services.

Back in 2010 Starlink Aviation signed a licensing agreement with Signature Flight Support in which the FBO became co-branded as Signature Flight Support. As a Signature network location, Starlink Aviation was able to access Signature’s global sales and marketing programs, the Signature Status loyalty program, proprietary customer service and safety training, as well as tap into Signature’s global purchasing power.

 

In Brief

The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently issued citations to a handler for a total of 23 violations at Los Angeles airport. The department found numerous unsafe working conditions in Menzies Aviation’s operations at the airport, two of which it deemed to be of a “serious” classification.