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Canadian Helicopters Selects Max-Viz EVS
Montreal-based Canadian Helicopters will install a Max-Viz EVS (enhanced vision system) on its aircraft to improve operational safety.

FAA Testing Closer Horizontal Separation over Portion of Pacific
The FAA began testing a 30 x 30 nm (nautical mile) horizontal separation minimum on December 22 over a part of the Pacific Ocean, using its recently implemented ATOP (advanced technologies & oceanic procedures) system.  If successful, the new standards would replace current separation limits that range from 50 to 120 nm.

AOPA Wants WAAS and ADS-B, But with Some Qualifiers
The U.S. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) is supporting the development of the FAA's WAAS (wide area augmentation system) to enhance the capability of GPS, and ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast), but with some qualifiers, especially in regard to the latter.

ASN's 2005 Accident Report Is Generally Positive with Some Exceptions
The Netherlands-based Aviation Safety Network (ASN) reports there were 35 fatal accidents worldwide in 2005, compared to an average of 40 per year during the 1995-2004 periods.  There were 1059 people killed in airliner accidents in 2005.

Israel's CAA Authorizes Elta Systems' Missile Protection System
Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has authorized the use of an anti-missile self-protection system, developed by Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta Systems Group, on passenger aircraft.

Airbus Opens New Technical Support Facility
Airbus has inaugurated a new technical support center to help minimize AOG (aircraft on ground) situations involving Airbus aircraft around the world.

Charles Keegan Leaving FAA for Raytheon
Charles Keegan, the FAA Air Traffic Organization's vice president for operations planning, and the director of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), is leaving the agency in late January to accept a position at the Raytheon Company.

Jeppesen Offering New Internet Flight Planner
Jeppesen recently launched a new Internet-based flight planning service that automatically updates its underlying data so users can always be assured of having the most up-to-date information.

Banyan Air Service Latest of Several FBOs to Opt for PASSUR Tools in 2005
Banyan Air Service is the latest U.S. FBO (fixed base operator) to contract for Megadata Corporation's PASSUR web-based tools to get the location of specific aircraft, along with their ETAs and other information.

Southwest Upgrading More CFM56 Engines on "Classic" B-737s
Southwest Airlines is upgrading additional CFM56-3 engines on its earlier model B-737s to reduce fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions.

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Canadian Helicopters Selects Max-Viz EVS

Montreal-based Canadian Helicopters will install a Max-Viz EVS (enhanced vision system) on its aircraft to improve operational safety.

Canadian Helicopters operates numerous types of rotary aircraft throughout Canada on missions that include emergency medical and police services forestry, utility, mining, construction, and filming.

Sylvain Seguin, the company's vice president of safety, said after evaluating the EVS-1000 system for 90 days on a variety of missions, including some in reduced visibility conditions, that he believes the system "will greatly enhance the safety and reliability of our flight operations and the quality of our services to our customers."

The EVS-1000 system uses uncooled, long-wave infrared sensors to gather data of the environment ahead, and then enhances the images, which can be displayed on any video-capable system in the cockpit.  01-05-2006.  (Top)

FAA Testing Closer Horizontal Separation over Portion of Pacific

The FAA began testing a 30 x 30 nm (nautical mile) horizontal separation minimum on December 22 over a part of the Pacific Ocean, using its recently implemented ATOP (advanced technologies & oceanic procedures) system.  If successful, the new standards would replace current separation limits that range from 50 to 120 nm.

Closer aircraft separation in remote regions, such as oceans, has long been promised as a way to get more efficient flight profiles, increase payloads on fuel critical routes, and improve operator's ability to avoid weather hazards and turbulence.

Dave Ford, the FAA's director of oceanic and offshore services is quoted on the FAA's Air Traffic Organization's Website as saying, "Up to three times more aircraft will be able to use optimum flight profiles in the airspace, saving fuel, time, and money without compromising safety."

This reduced separation minimum relies on ATOP's controller-decision-support system - dubbed "Ocean21" - and advanced cockpit avionics, such as CPDLC (controller-pilot datalink communications) and ADS-C (automatic dependent surveillance-contract) that are already flying on many FANS (future air navigation systems)-equipped aircraft.

The flight trials will take place for one year over three million square miles in the southern portion of Oakland Center's airspace.  Airlines taking part include United, Air New Zealand, and Qantas.

"Essentially, we're testing the frequency of pairs of aircraft in which 30 x 30 longitude and latitude separation could be applied," said Brian Colamosca, who manages separation standards analysis at the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center.  The early test period will help FAA establish an acceptable means to evaluate end-to-end system performance data to ensure no increased risk for aircraft collision due to the reduced separation.  "The FAA is using this test period to confirm some basic assumptions," Mr. Colamosca said. "We want to gain confidence that both the ATOP system and aircraft will perform as they're expected. You've got to overestimate the risks."  01-04-2006.  (Top)

AOPA Wants WAAS and ADS-B, But with Some Qualifiers

The U.S. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) is supporting the development of the FAA's WAAS (wide area augmentation system) to enhance the capability of GPS, and ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast), but with some qualifiers, especially in regard to the latter.

Both of these endorsements were reiterated in briefings to its membership this week (What's New on AOPA Online January 3, 2006).

AOPA says it has been a strong advocate of WAAS since the program's inception, and believes its benefits will far outweigh the costs of the system's development, offering cost savings for both users and the FAA in the future. However, the FAA must remain "aggressively focused" on delivering precision approaches to every airport, a benefit its members strongly desire, AOPA emphasizes.

The development of WAAS is "smart aviation policy," AOPA maintains, because it eliminates the need for installing or improving ground navigation systems such as an instrument landing system (ILS).  The cost of installing a WAAS approach is less than 10 percent of an ILS, AOPA asserts, and the annual ILS maintenance cost can be as high as $85,000, while the maintenance cost for a WAAS approach is less than $3,000 every two years.

In addition, because WAAS can be used for sole-means navigation, general aviation's reliance on VORs (very high frequency omniranges) is reduced.  AOPA believes the use of VORs will continue to decline over the next decade, and will eventually be used only as an optional en route navigation backup.

WAAS Approaches

As for approaches, AOPA continues to press for more WAAS LPV (localizer precision with vertical guidance) procedures, and wants the FAA to develop a comprehensive strategy that makes them available to every suitable runway. This may require the FAA to modify existing policy in several different areas, AOPA argues.  For example:

• Since survey data needs to be collected for thousands of runway ends, the FAA should permit survey data from other approved surveyors, besides the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Geological Survey, to expedite this process.

• Similarly, the FAA should use outside contractors to help develop WAAS approaches, which the agency should oversee.

• Currently, airport standards require extremely large runway protection zones for instrument approaches that are predicated by transport-size aircraft.  In addition, a parallel taxiway is required if the LPV provides for landings with ¾-mile or less visibility.  More flexibility is needed in these design standards to ensure that WAAS can safely provide all-weather instrument access for more aircraft types.

ADS-B

The FAA plans to replace surveillance radars with ADS-B over the next 10 to 15 years, meaning that aircraft owners will likely be required to equip with ADS-B receivers to fly wherever a transponder with Mode C (automatic altitude reporting capability) is mandated today.

AOPA generally backs the FAA's ADS-B strategy, but its makes its support contingent on the following:

• The ADS-B datalink for general aviation must be the UAT (universal access transceiver) datalink, which is capable of providing both graphical weather and traffic data.

• A nationwide GBT (ground-based transceiver) infrastructure should be in place, and free graphic weather data must be provided eight to 10 years before any equipage mandate becomes effective.

• The FAA must meet all infrastructure milestone schedules - including the depiction of ADS-B aircraft on every air traffic control radar screen - before mandating its use.

• The cost of the ADS-B datalink system must be at or below today's price of a Mode C transponder.

• Once the ADS-B mandate becomes effective, Mode C transponders should no longer be required.

AOPA says it is "extremely critical" that ADS-B is implemented "correctly" to ensure the proper benefits for general aviation.  To AOPA "correctly" means that numerous manufacturers must offer affordable ADS-B products, and sufficient time needs to be allowed for aircraft equipage.  It also means that the FAA needs to provide graphic information, including weather and TFR (temporary flight restriction) data for no cost nationwide within the next two years.

For general aviation, the benefits of a UAT-based ADS-B system include free access to graphic weather and traffic data, plus a high potential for increased surveillance coverage compared to today's radar.  The FAA will benefit from ADS-B by shedding its need to replace aging multi-million-dollar radar systems and replacing them with ground-based transceivers that cost less than $200,000 each.  These cost savings should be used to assist aircraft owners in buying their necessary avionics, according to AOPA.

Before proceeding further, AOPA believes the FAA should take the following steps:

• Conduct an in-depth analysis and make a final decision to pursue ADS-B in lieu of radar or other surveillance technologies.

• Obtain the necessary funding from Congress for a nationwide network of ADS-B GBTs.

• Begin providing nationwide FIS-B (flight information service-broadcast) and TIS-B (traffic information service-broadcast) over the GBT network.

• Finalize the type and required performance of the ADS-B avionics that general aviation aircraft owners would need if a mandate is levied.

01-07-2006.  (Top)

ASN's 2005 Accident Report Is Generally Positive with Some Exceptions

The Netherlands-based Aviation Safety Network (ASN) reports there were 35 fatal accidents worldwide in 2005, compared to an average of 40 per year during the 1995-2004 periods.  There were 1059 people killed in airliner accidents in 2005.

Although the number of accidents in 2005 was significantly lower than the ten-year average, the number of fatalities last year was almost equal to the 1995-2004 ten-year average, because of the high number of serious accidents.

ASN says a positive downward trend in accidents can be seen for North, Central and South America, as well as Asia and Australasia.  Europe's steady decrease however was halted in 2005 at a ten-year average of 6.7 accidents. Africa remained the most unsafe continent with 13 fatal accidents (37%), even though it accounts for only about 4.5 percent of all world aircraft departures.

Twenty-one of the 35 fatal accidents in 2005 involved passenger aircraft, compared to eleven fatal passenger flight accidents in 2004, which was an all-time low.  There were eight cargo plane crashes in 2005, both fatal and non-fatal.

According to statistics gathered by the Flight Safety Foundation, CFIT (controlled flight into terrain), the approach and landing phase, loss of control, and human factors, remain areas of concern.

In 2005, CFIT accidents were probably responsible for almost one quarter of all fatal accidents, killing over 160; twelve accidents happened in the approach and landing phase, killing 228; and in August an MD-80 crashed, and 160 were killed, when the flight crew was unable to recover from an engine flameout, subsequent stall and a high-speed descent, at night, over unlit mountainous terrain.

Since most accident investigations are not completed yet, ASN says it's too early to tell in what cases human actions were a causal factor in accidents in 2005.  It opines, however, that the investigation into the August 14 crash of a Cypriot B-737 in Greece will surely focus on questions like why the pressurization mode selector was left in the "manual" position after maintenance, why the crew did not detect this, and how the crew interpreted the various warnings and indications.  01-06-2006.  (Top)

Israel's CAA Authorizes Elta Systems' Missile Protection System

Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has authorized the use of an anti-missile self-protection system, developed by Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta Systems Group, on passenger aircraft.

The approval of Elta's Flight Guard was granted after the company successfully completed a series of tests, including flight tests, onboard a B-767.

Flight Guard is a self-protection system designed to combat terrorist attacks from shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles that are often called MANPADS (man portable air defense systems).

Elta Systems' says Flight Guard has been field proven on Israel Air Force fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and more than 200 aircraft in more than 15 countries worldwide are already using it.  According to the company, the system can detect any type of approaching missile, from any direction, in any weather, during any phase of flight, including takeoff and landing.  Elta also says the system has a very low false alarm rate.

The Israeli Government decided in 2002 to adopt Flight Guard to protect Israeli passenger aircraft.  According to press reports, El Al will install the system on six of its B-767s.  01-07-2006.  (Top)

Airbus Opens New Technical Support Facility

Airbus has inaugurated a new technical support center to help minimize AOG (aircraft on ground) situations involving Airbus aircraft around the world.

The new AIRTAC (Airbus Technical Aircraft-on-ground Centre) facilities are fitted with the most innovative technology and leading-edge solutions, Airbus says, that will enable it to provide technical support and an even wider range of engineering services at any time 365 days a year.  On-site technical help is supplied from resident customer support managers based around the world, as well as dedicated support from teams based in Europe.

AIRTAC was first launched in 2003.  01-04-2006.  (Top)

Charles Keegan Leaving FAA for Raytheon

Charles Keegan, the FAA Air Traffic Organization's vice president for operations planning, and the director of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), is leaving the agency in late January to accept a position at the Raytheon Company.

Robert Pearce, who has been the deputy director of JPDO, will become its acting chairman and director.  A new ATO vice president for operations planning will be named shortly, according to FAA Administrator Marion Blakely and ATO President Russ Chew.

Prior to becoming involved with the JPDO, Mr. Pearce was responsible for strategic planning and analysis and requirements definition for NASA's Aerospace Technology Enterprise.  01-04-2006.  (Top)

Jeppesen Offering New Internet Flight Planner

Jeppesen recently launched a new Internet-based flight planning service that automatically updates its underlying data so users can always be assured of having the most up-to-date information.

The new Jeppesen Internet-based Flight Planner, or JIFP, loads basic program information as well as flight planning data onto the customer's computer during the first log-on.  Then during subsequent uses, it accesses the Internet to obtain its flight planning functions that include any changed information.

In addition to flight plans, JIFP, which uses a Jeppesen FliteStar foundation, provides graphic weather overlay, graphic METARs (meteorological aviation routine weather reports), graphic TFR NOTAMs (temporary flight restriction notices to airmen), detailed airport information, FBO (fixed base operator) services, airspace, terrain, obstacles, and a special-use airspace activity notification feature called "Hot Space."

A subscription for the western hemisphere is $10.95 per month, or customers may elect to purchase an entire year for $115.95.  New JIFP subscribers will qualify for a free one-year membership, and users of AOPA's Real Time Flight Planner will get a one-year extension with AOPA, Jeppesen says.  01-07-2006.  (Top)

Banyan Air Service Latest of Several FBOs to Opt for PASSUR Tools in 2005

Banyan Air Service is the latest U.S. FBO (fixed base operator) to contract for Megadata Corporation's PASSUR web-based tools to get the location of specific aircraft, along with their ETAs and other information.

PASSUR InSight combines national en route flight tracking with terminal-area tracking from its network of radars (FAA ASR-9s nearby airports), along with a next-generation graphics engine for tracking aircraft movement, and PASSUR-generated ETAs.  Megadata says Insight is unique because of its use of what it describes as PASSUR's own national radar network that provides added precision in the terminal airspace, and because it is the only flight following program that combines national en-route flight tracking with runway-level tracking.  It also provides live visual runway configuration and utilization.

PASSUR Pulse gives access to activity reports based on is own database of flight information, including detailed owner/operator information.  Megadata believes this can give some competitive advantage to FBOs that use it, by showing such things as who fueled with competitors on the same airport, or nearby airports and how to reach the owners or operators of those aircraft.

Insight and Pulse can be accessed through the PASSUR Portal, which is the main access point for all other PASSUR web service, and which provides a live snapshot of operational information on a "web dashboard" of multiple information sets derived from the PASSUR database, and tools for instant information sharing and communication among all users.

Besides Insight and Pulse, Portal provides access to other PASSUR web-based applications for landing-fee reports, activity reports, community-noise software, visual-flight tracking, and enhanced CDM (collaborative decision making).

Other FBOs that opted for PASSUR in 2005, included Swift Aviation (December) for Portal, Pulse and InSight; SheltAir Aviation Services, (August) for the same tools; and in April, Megadata announced that all the FBOs and several corporate flight departments at Westchester County Airport (HPN) contracted for its web-based tools.

In July Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport purchased airport-tailored versions of PASSUR Portal, Pulse, and InSight.  01-07-2006.  (Top)

Southwest Upgrading More CFM56 Engines on "Classic" B-737s

Southwest Airlines is upgrading additional CFM56-3 engines on its earlier model B-737s to reduce fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions.

Southwest Airlines launched the CFM56-3 Advanced Upgrade package in 2001 with an order for 300.  In late 2004, the airline ordered 55 additional kits in order to upgrade its entire fleet of 175 737 "classic" aircraft.  To date, 200 upgrades have been completed, and will continue through 2007.

The upgrade, which features three-dimensional high-pressure compressor (HPC) aerodynamics (3-D aero) and new high-pressure turbine hardware, is installed during normal overhaul.  Its benefits include up to a 1.6 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption, and up to 22 degrees additional exhaust gas temperature (EGT) margin, which allows longer on-wing life, according to GE.

GE says the 200 upgraded engines in service are saving Southwest about three million gallons of fuel per year, or 30,000 gallons per aircraft.  Once the entire fleet has been upgraded, the savings is estimated to be more than 5.3 million gallons per year.

CFM56-3 engines were produced from 1984 to 1997 by CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint company between Snecma and the General Electric Company.  01-04-2006.  (Top)

Raytheon Aircraft Company's Beechcraft King Air C90GT received an FAA type certification.  01-06-2006.

Caribbean Aircraft Leasing, the parent of Caribbean Star Airlines and Caribbean Sun Airlines, will acquire another Q300 turboprop in addition to the three Q300s it ordered two months ago.  01-06-2006.

Engine Alliance received FAR 33 certification from the FAA for its GP7200 engine, designed for the A380.  01-06-2006.

Eurofly ordered three A350-800s with options for three more.  The Italian airline is also leasing two additional A330-200s, bringing its total A330 fleet to five.  01-06-2006.

Air Deccan ordered 30 more A320s for delivery starting in 2008.  These are in addition to the 32 A320s it ordered in January 2005.  It will take delivery of eight this year, increasing its A320 fleet to 32.  01-06-2006.

Bangkok Airways will acquire six A350-800s with deliveries to commence in 2012.  01-06-2006.

VLM Airlines, a regional business airline based in Antwerp, Belgium, will use four Fokker 50s it sold and leased back from AeroCentury Corp.  01-06-2006.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes will equip its 60 new B-737-800s with Aviation Partners Boeing blended winglets and Boeing's Short Field Performance Package.  GOL expects the blended winglets will reduce fuel burn approximately 3% to 4% per aircraft annually.  01-06-2006.

Air Botswana took delivery of its second BAe 146-100 from BAE Systems Regional Aircraft.  01-06-2006.

Iceland's Avion Group is purchasing four more GE90-110B1-powered B-777 Freighters in addition the four it ordered from Boeing last September.  The new cargo planes will be operated by Avion Group's subsidiary, wet-lease operator Air Atlanta Icelandic. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in February 2009.  01-06-2006.

The A318 powered by the new Pratt & Whitney PW6000 engine has been granted its type certificate by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The new PW6000 produces thrust ranging from 22,000 to 24,000 lbs.  The engine meets Stage 4 aircraft noise requirements, and CAEP 4 engine emissions requirements, with margins to spare.  01-06-2006.

EasyJet will exercise 20 options for CFM56-5-powered A319s that were part of a previous deal for 120 firm orders and 120 options.  Deliveries will occur in 2008 and 2009.  The airline already operates 59 A319s, and the remaining 61 included in the original order should be delivered between now and 2008.  01-06-2006.

Spanish cargo carrier Corporacion Ygnus Air purchased a DC-8-73F from US Bank NA.  The transaction was arranged by JetWorks Leasing.  01-06-2006.

AeroDirect acquired two ex-Southern Winds B-737-200s from PLM Worldwide Leasing Corp.  The transaction was arranged by JetWorks Leasing.  01-06-2006.

Xiamen Airlines confirmed an order for 10 B-737-800s, with deliveries to start in mid-2006.  01-06-2006.

Brazil's TAM is increasing its firm orders for A350-900s to 10 from eight and decreasing the number of options to five from seven. The original order was announced at the Paris Air Show last June.  Deliveries will begin in 2012. The aircraft will be powered by GEnx engines.  01-06-2006.

Sichuan Airlines will lease two used V2533-A5-powered A321-200s from ILFC.  The aircraft should be delivered in February and August 2006.  01-06-2006.  (Top)

Ryanair had a 29% increase in its number of earned seats flown to 2.83 million in December.  01-06-2006.

Wizz Air carried 1.9 million passengers last year, more than three times the 567,885 passengers it carried in 2004.  01-06-2006.

British Airways flew 9.16 billion RPKs in December, an increase of 4.7% over December 2004.  Capacity increased 2.6% to 12.34 billion ASKs.  01-06-2006.

AirTran Airways flew 1.02 billion RPMs in December, a 22.1% increase from December 2004.  Capacity increased 23.9% to 1.45 billion ASMs.  For the year, AirTran flew 11.3 billion RPMs, an increase of 33.3% over 2004, while capacity increased 28.3% to 15.27 billion ASMs.  01-06-2006.

Preliminary November traffic results from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines shows a passenger growth of only 1.2% to 10.6 million, making the month the weakest in 2005.  Passenger traffic increased by 2.1%, while capacity increased of 2.9%.  01-06-2006.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes booked net orders for 1,002 aircraft (1,029 gross) in 2005, which broke its previous record by a substantial margin.  

Prior to 2005, Boeing's best year was 1988 when it booked 877 net orders, including McDonnell Douglas orders added retroactively.  In 2004, the company sold 272 jets.  Boeing's 2005 net orders consisted of 569 B-737s, 43 B-747s, 15 B-767s, 154 B-777s and 235 B-787s - a total of 1,016 reduced by 14 B-717 cancellations.  01-06-2006.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) says its 20 reporting carriers recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 80.0% in November, an improvement over November 2004's 79.1% but below October 2005's 81.3%.

In November, the carriers canceled 1.0% of their scheduled domestic flights, a smaller rate of cancellations than both November 2004's 1.2% and October 2005's 1.8%.

The carriers reported that 7.48% of their November flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 6.37% in October 2005; 5.21% by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 5.01% in October; 5.41% by factors within the airline's control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 4.76% in October; 0.69% by extreme weather, compared to 0.68% in October; and 0.03% for security reasons, the same percentage as October.  (Weather is a factor in both the extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category.)

In November, 4.67% of flights were delayed by weather, down 8.97% from November 2004, when 5.13% of flights were delayed by weather and up 12.26% from October when 4.16% of flights were delayed by weather.

Detailed information on flight delays and their causes is available at http://www.bts.gov.  01-06-2006.

ATA Airlines' flew 432.2 million RPMs in December, a decrease of 52.6% from 432.2 million RPMs in 2004.  Capacity decreased 56.2% to 570.6 million ASMs. 01-06-2006.

GOL's system-wide passenger traffic increased 62% in December, while its capacity increased 61%.  01-06-2006.

American Airlines' traffic in December increased 4.6% compared to a year ago on a 1.1% decrease in capacity.  01-06-2006.

United Airlines reported its scheduled revenue passenger miles (RPMs) increased 0.5% in December on a capacity decrease of 2.3% compared to the same period in 2004.  01-06-2006.

Southwest Airlines flew 5.0 billion RPMs in December 2005, compared to the 4.3 billion RPMs flown in December 2004.  Capacity increased 7.0% to 7.4 billion ASMs compared to December 2004's 6.9 billion ASMs.  01-06-2006.

American Eagle Airlines' system wide traffic for December increased 23.8% from December 2004, while its capacity increased 13.7%.  The regional airline boarded 1.69 million passengers in December, up 11.7 percent from December 2004.  01-06-2006.

Continental Airlines flew 7 billion RPMs in December, a 13.1% increase compared to 6.19 billion RPMs in 2004.  Capacity increased 11.4% to 9.01 billion ASMs.  01-06-2006.

Continental Express flew 817.2 million RPMs in December, an increase of 23.1%.  Capacity increased 15.6% to 1.08 billion ASMs.  01-06-2006.

IATA reports that November international traffic was up 6.1% in RPKs over the year-ago month and up 2.8% in cargo.  Passenger capacity increased 4.6%.  The Middle East had a 16.4% increase in RPKs and a 10.6% rise in capacity, while RPKs for the Asia/Pacific region increased only 3.6%.  01-06-2006.

UAL Corp., the parent of United Airlines, reported a $187 million net loss for November 2005 compared to a net loss of $698 million in October 2005.  01-06-2006.

FedEx Corp. reported a net income of $471 million for its fiscal second quarter ended November 30, 2005, a 33% increase from the $354 million it earned in the same quarter of 2004.  Revenues increased 10% to $8.09 billion while expenses increased 8% to $7.3 billion.  For the first six months, FedEx Corp. reported a net income of $810 million, an 18% increase over the year-ago semester.  Revenues increased 11% to $10.49 billion while expenses increased 10% to $9.73 billion.  01-06-2006.  (Top)

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