Internet to Boost Air Travel

WikiLeaks Fallout is Bullish for Boeing, Airbus and United-Continental One thing you can take to the bank: There will be more air travel because of Julian Assange. And it won’t be the paparazzi and news media stalking for photos, but all the staff that work in the trenches of getting business done and international diplomacy effected. If you want to negotiate and close a deal, you’ll do it in person – all the more so if there’s anything sensitive to be discussed. The threat of cyber leaks or… (blogs.forbes.com) More...

Speculation: 787 Fire Caused by Errant Tool?

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The fire on a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner test flight two weeks ago resulted from a short circuit caused by a tool mistakenly left in an electrical equipment cabinet on the plane, according to French newspaper La Tribune. (finance.yahoo.com) More...

United still considering a CSeries or E2 order despite 40x 73-7s

United Airlines is still out shopping for a new 100-seat mainline aircraft, following its order for 40 new Boeing 737-700s today. “We are continuing to pursue additional aircraft to continue upgauging and meet our capacity plans,” says Gerry Laderman, acting chief financial officer of the Chicago-based carrier, during an earnings call today. (www.flightglobal.com) More...

United-Continental Wants More Antitrust Partnerships

CHICAGO -- United said it wants to create more joint ventures with anti-trust immunity, particularly in Latin America and Canada. Speaking Wednesday at the Hudson Securities airline conference, United CEO Jeff Smisek said United is "looking at a trans-border joint venture" with Air Canada. Additionally, he said, "We're keenly interested ... to form a joint venture in Latin America as well; we will pursue that." (www.thestreet.com) More...

Airframe Maintenance Moved Overseas, Problems Arising

Outsourcing safety: Airplane repairs move to unregulated foreign shops 'All the manuals are in English,' Spanish-speaking employee says through a translator. In 1991, a mechanic at a Turkish repair shop overhauled an engine on a U.S. passenger jet and missed a crack in the engine. Four years later, on a June afternoon, the 57 passengers on ValuJet Flight 597 heard a loud bang as the plane bolted down a runway in Atlanta. Shrapnel from the busted engine ripped through a fuel line. The… (www.msnbc.msn.com) More...

Heathrow closed after engine fire leads to an emergency landing

Looks like a British Airways A318 or A319. A witness says it was an A319 headed for Oslo. "Both runways are currently closed. All passengers & crew have been safely evacuated from an aircraft which is on the northern runway." "Air traffic controllers said the airport was closed to all arrivals following the incident, which happened just after 8 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET)." (worldnews.nbcnews.com) More...

4 Previous Trent 900 Problems Similar to Qantas Explosion

LONDON (AP) -- Rolls-Royce engines on the world's largest airliner malfunctioned four times before one of them disintegrated during flight last week, and aviation experts said that the earlier mishaps may hold clues to design or construction flaws. (finance.yahoo.com) More...

PGA TOUR Partners with United Continental Holdings

The PGA TOUR and United Continental Holdings, Inc. today announced a five-year marketing partnership that aligns both carriers to the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour starting in 2011. (finance.yahoo.com) More...

Third Bombardier Gear Failure in a Week

TORONTO — Canadian manufacturer Bombardier said Thursday that one of its planes was forced to make an emergency landing in Blenheim, New Zealand, because of a landing gear problem — the third time in less than a week one of its aircraft has experienced landing gear failure. At the same time, all three incidents have been suffered on different types, and there is no evidence as of yet to link the three failures. (www.msnbc.msn.com) More...

Refueling C130 Drops Hose onto Residential House

SAN DIEGO — Military officials say nobody was injured when a refueling hose fell from a Marine plane and landed on a house in a San Diego County neighborhood. (www.msnbc.msn.com) More...