Jan. 11 at 2:00 p.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Government
By Associated Press
U.S. government safety officials urged Tuesday that aircraft owners be required to retrofit small planes with shoulder-lap seat belts but stopped short of calling for the installation of air bags.
A three-year study of small plane accidents released by the National Transportation Safety Board found several cases in which air bags prevented serious injuries or fatalities. But investigators said that since only about 7,000 planes have air bags, there haven’t been enough accidents to judge whether they should be required on all planes. Get the full story »
Dec. 28, 2010 at 7:01 a.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Government
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
Federal aviation regulators are proposing fixes to midair-collision warning devices on nearly 9,000 U.S airliners and business aircraft, after uncovering a safety problem in a test flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed directive, made public Monday, seeks to mandate software upgrades to widely used devices manufactured by a unit of L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. Get the full story »
Dec. 27, 2010 at 11:21 a.m.
Filed under:
Airports,
Government
By Dow Jones Newswires
A reopening time for two of New York area’s three main airports is unknown as of noon, but JFK is expected to reopen at 6 p.m. EST, according to the Federal Aviation Authority’s Web site.
Early Monday the FAA said it anticipated a reopening for the three airports at 4 p.m. EST, but by mid-morning had left the openings in limbo.
La Guardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark International, in Newark, N.J. have remained closed due to ice and snow.
Dec. 22, 2010 at 3:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Airports
From Bloomberg News | Continental Airlines and AMR Corp.’s American Eagle regional carrier face a combined $605,000 in possible fines for maintenance flaws, the FAA said.
Dec. 13, 2010 at 7:45 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Associations/Clubs,
Health care
By Associated Press
William Hamman watches data on a computer as he supervises doctors during a cardiology simulation. (AP/Gregory Smith)
He seemed like Superman, able to guide jumbo jets through perilous skies and tiny tubes through blocked arteries. As a cardiologist and United Airlines captain, William Hamman taught doctors and pilots ways to keep hearts and planes from crashing.
He shared millions in grants, had university and hospital posts, and bragged of work for prestigious medical groups. An Associated Press story featured him leading a teamwork training session at an American College of Cardiology convention last spring.
But it turns out Hamman isn’t a cardiologist or even a doctor. The AP found he had no medical residency, fellowship, doctoral degree or the 15 years of clinical experience he claimed. He attended medical school for a few years but withdrew and didn’t graduate. Get the full story »
Dec. 10, 2010 at 6:25 a.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Government
By Associated Press
The Federal Aviation Administration is missing key information on who owns one-third of the 357,000 private and commercial aircraft in the U.S. — a gap the agency fears could be exploited by terrorists and drug traffickers.
The records are in such disarray that the FAA says it is worried that criminals could buy planes without the government’s knowledge, or use the registration numbers of other aircraft to evade new computer systems designed to track suspicious flights. It has ordered all aircraft owners to re-register their planes in an effort to clean up its files. Get the full story »
Dec. 10, 2010 at 5:35 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
Aviation regulators are poised to order stepped-up inspections of more than 600 Boeing Co. 757 jetliners worldwide, prompted by a recent in-flight incident that left roughly a one-foot hole in the fuselage of an American Airlines plane.
Impending safety directives by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to people familiar with the matter, are expected to cover certain older models of the widely used, twin-engine planes. The FAA is drafting enhanced inspection mandates in the wake of the sudden rupture and rapid decompression that occurred Oct. 26 while the American jet was cruising at 31,000 feet en route from Miami to Boston. Get the full story »
Nov. 18, 2010 at 1:46 p.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Government
By Dow Jones Newswires
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration plans to add Boeing Co.’s widely used 747 to the list of airplanes that must have their cockpit windows inspected or replaced because of the danger of an electrical fire, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 2:01 p.m.
Filed under:
Airports,
Government
Crain’s Chicago Business | The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it will pay for a second control tower at O’Hare International Airport as part of the second phase of updates there. The agency also paid for a tower in Phase I.
Nov. 12, 2010 at 11:59 a.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Government
By Reuters
Commercial aircraft manufacturers and airlines must take new steps to protect thousands of jets from serious structural fatigue as they age, according to a rule finalized Friday by U.S. aviation regulators.
The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring manufacturers, including industry leaders Boeing Co. and Airbus, a unit of Europe’s EADS, and airlines to intensify and streamline inspections of the metal skeleton and skin of aircraft. Get the full story »
Oct. 12, 2010 at 1:18 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airports
By Chicago Breaking News
A higher rate of airline flights departed late from Midway Airport than at any other major U.S. airport over the first eight months of the year, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Tuesday.
Three flights out of 10 departed Midway at least 15 minutes after their scheduled time to push back from the gate, according to the department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The 71 percent on-time departure record over the period was only slightly better in August, when 74 percent of flights departed Midway on time.
Oct. 8, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Government,
Technology
By Associated Press
U.S. aviation officials are warning air carriers that new research shows lithium batteries are sensitive to heat and can ignite in-flight if transported in cargo compartments that get too hot. Get the full story »
Oct. 5, 2010 at 6:18 a.m.
Filed under:
Airplanes,
Airports,
Government
By McClatchy Tribune Newspapers
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an interim requirement that planes landing after either of Boeing’s two new airplanes, the 787 Dreamliner and the 747-8 jumbo jet, stay at least 10 miles behind.
The current requirement for large airplanes, including the 747-400 in service, is just 4 miles separation from other heavy jets and up to 6 miles from light aircraft. Get the full story »
Sep. 24, 2010 at 8:44 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines,
Airplanes,
Government
Airlines appeared on a potential collision course with regulators on Friday over the cost of carrying out proposed checks on over 100,000 passenger seats in the wake of a row over questionable safety data.
U.S. and European safety agencies said on Thursday they were proposing mandatory checks on Koito-manufactured seats, estimated to affect 150,000 seats on 1,000 mainly Airbus and Boeing planes. Get the full story »
Sep. 23, 2010 at 11:59 a.m.
Filed under:
Airlines
By Julie Johnsson
A United Airlines plane prepares for takeoff at O'Hare. (Chris Sweda/ Chicago Tribune)
Federal officials penalized United Airlines $12,000 for over-reporting its May tarmac delays, even though the flights in question did not violate new rules aimed at eliminating nightmarish ground delays.
The fine is the first issued by Department of Transportation officials related to rules, which took effect April 29, mandating carriers provide passengers with food, water and the chance to exit before a tarmac delay hits the three-hour point. Airlines face fines of up to $27,500 per passenger, or $3 million for a typical Boeing or Airbus narrow-body jet, for any flight that doesn’t comply. Get the full story »
