US Airways Pilots Infighting Grows Worse by the Day – BNET
It appears the US East pilots are tired of fighting the west pilots. Now they’re turning on each other. Unreal.

Airline Capacity Cuts Slow in December, Some Carriers See Growth – BNET
December traffic numbers show some interesting trends.

United Pushes International Presence with Muddled Marketing Message in Denver Fight – BNET
United is heading back to its Independence Air playbook in its fight in Denver.

Boeing’s Loss of 787-3 Orders is Good News – BNET
When is a canceled order a good thing? When it allows Boeing to walk away from the 787-3.

Sean Menke Leaves Frontier Airlines, This Can’t Be Good – BNET
Sean Menke is leaving Frontier and Republic, and that doesn’t bode well for the airline.

It’s Wednesday and I think we all need a break from the problems of this industry. Let’s forget about looming strikes, delayed deliveries, red ink, etc and simply focus on the wonders of flight. The 787 finally slipped the surly bonds of Earth yesterday, and it was a beautiful sight. Here’s a shot from Boeing.

Take a look at that wing flex. Pretty crazy, huh? The 787 doesn’t look nearly as mean as it did in its initial renderings, but it’s still a very nice-looking airplane. Those massive Rolls Royce engines do seem disproportional to the body though. (GE ones begin testing soon.) Then again, they need those bad boys to save gas and fly further.

Fortunately, it didn’t just take to the air, but it also came back down and landed safely. The flight lasted only about 3 hours; it was cut short due to weather. This is just the beginning of a long road ahead. First deliveries to launch customer ANA are still probably a year away.

If you didn’t see the live webcast from Boeing or the countless images from the media, take a look at this video of the flight from David at AirlineReporter.com.

If you really want to follow the details, you have to follow FlightBlogger. He has plenty of videos and info over there.

Congratulations to all those who have worked on this airplane around the globe. It must be an incredible feeling to see your work take flight.

Enjoy foreign service on N. American flights – USA Today
I talk to USA Today’s Ben Mutzabaugh about some of the “fifth freedom” flights operating in the US, including my personal favorite – Air New Zealand from LAX to London.

Airlines Fill Seats with Ease in November, Southwest Leaps Ahead – BNET
Southwest boosted its loads by 13.3 points in November. Yeehaw, that’s a lot.

Airlines Charging More for That Sought-After Seat – The New York Times
I voice the somewhat unpopular sentiment that charging for better seats on the plane is a good thing.

United Airlines Fights Mesa Air Group Over Airplanes (Part I) – BNET
United is suing Mesa over the introduction of 10 regional jets into service. This is the story of how they got to this point.

United Splits Its Widebody Fleet Order Between Boeing and Airbus – BNET
Why did United split its fleet order? Blame the manufacturers.

United Airlines Sues Mesa Air Group Over Airplanes (Part II) – BNET
And now, part 2 of our saga. In short, it seems to me that United wants out and Mesa made a mistake.

Radio Interview on the Noon Business Hour – WBBM 780 Chicago
I spoke with WBBM on Boeing’s prospects after the United order. My segment begins at the 25 minute mark and goes for about 3 minutes.

Japan and the US Near Aviation Open Skies Agreement, American and Delta Salivate – BNET
The Japanese market is one of the most fascinating to watch right now. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening.

I’m hijacking my usual “This Week on BNET” post with a brief plug. Minnesota Public Radio puts out a weekly podcast called In the Loop, and I was one of the guests for this week’s production. I usually do interviews on the phone, but this time I went downtown to record in a radio booth where they record NPR’s Marketplace. That means you get to hear my voice in all its crystal-clear glory.

We talked about the latest fun with Ryanair, Wizz Air’s busted promotion, and of course, United breaking guitars. Take a listen for yourself. My piece starts at 18:30 if you want to skip ahead, but it’s a fun show that’s worth listening to the whole way through.

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Why is Delta Getting More MD-90s?
Delta is acquiring more MD-90s, and I can’t quite figure out why they’re doing it.

Spirit is Not Buying Air Jamaica
It’s rumored that Spirit is buying Air Jamaica, but that’s not true. There could be some unique opportunities ahead, however.

US Airways Sees Further Unit Revenue Erosion in June
June numbers are starting to trickle in, and US Airways appears to have had a rough June.

Official: Boeing Buys Vought’s 787 Operation
Last week it was a rumor, and this week it’s official. Boeing is bringing some 787 work in-house.

United Feels the Pain When Complaints Go Viral
United broke Dave Carroll’s guitar and they wouldn’t pay for it. Now he’s written a song and it’s gone viral. United can’t be happy.

June 2009 Monthly Traffic Numbers
June was a mixed bag for the airlines with some improving loads and others falling back. One constant theme, however, was lower capacity.

Virgin America Gets New Funding
Meet Virgin America’s new investors, same as the old investors? What’s going on here?

Recession Means More People Travel Locally, Take Shorter Trips
It’s not a surprise, but people are changing their travel habits in this economy. The numbers are sobering to see.

US-EU Open Skies Phase II Talks Begin
All eyes are on round two of the talks – this, the EU hopes, will result in cabotage rights within the US.

United, Continental Antitrust Application Slammed by DOJ
The DOT was in favor of the broad antitrust immunity application, but the DOJ isn’t so happy.

Frontier Makes Money in May, What’s Next?
Frontier is making money, and that’s great, but it’s what happens next that really determines how this airline will be doing going forward. Lots of changes could be underway.

Boeing Set to Buy Vought?
Boeing seems to be having seconds thoughts about outsourcing most of the 787 part production, and it now appears to be bringing one of its suppliers back in-house.