FAA Authorization is Reauthorized
The House of Representatives voted by an overwhelming 387 to 26 margin to pass the FAA Authorization Bill, and it is expected to be signed by the president in the near future. The five-year authorization, which passed the Senate last week, gives the FAA more than $100 billion in funding, including $738 million for the NTSB, and one free pack of Biscoff cookies per FAA employee per week for the life of the deal.
Part of the bill includes five new longer-distance flights from Washington/National airport that can operate beyond the current permiteter. Airlines and airports are already positioning themselves to stake claim to the new slots before the bill is signed into law.
Parts of the bill regarding safety include a requirement for the FAA to hire more air traffic controllers, to improve runway safety, increase cockpit voice recorders to run for a 25-hour loop, a major increase from the current two-hour requirement, and new regulations around how to safely navigate airport Starbucks locations prior to 10 a.m.
American Flies South for Winter
American Airlines AAnounced eight new routes to Latin America and the Caribbean this winter including daily service to both Bridgetown and La Romana. Once-daily flying to Bridgetown (beginning November 5 from New York/JFK) and La Romana (beginning December 5 from Miami) lead the new service with Saturday-only service to six other destinations.
Saturday-only flights from JFK being added include St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and St. Vincent, while Philadelphia will connect to both Bridgetown and Liberia, and Charlotte adds St. Vincent.
The carrier is also increasing service on 16 existing routes beginning in December, most of which will operate for all of winter, but some will see a jump in service around the holidays only. These include six routes from DFW, four from Miami, two each from Phoenix and Chicago/ORD, and one from both Charlotte and Los Angeles.
United Begins Process to Exit FAA’s Doghouse
United airlines is being permitted by the FAA to restart some certification activities, including adding new aircraft and routes to its operation.
The carrier had been in a holding pattern since March when the FAA increased its oversight following a series of safety-related incidents in the months prior. United was forced to delay the launch of two new routes due to its predicament, now hopes those days are in the past. In an internal memo, the carrier cautioned that despite this good news, it will continue to see an FAA presence in its operations.
The FAA declined comment as its staff was busy counting the cash it was appropriated in the authorization bill and said counting to $100 billion takes a while.
Airlines Take Federal Government to Court
Several major U.S. carriers, along with their trade group, are suing the federal government over the proposed rule that would require airlines to disclose all fees associated with buying a ticket.
Airlines for America, along with the airlines themselves say the new rules would create more confusion for passengers by offering too much information that would only complicate the buying process. The DOT says it plans to defend the rule vigorously because “we spent all this time coming up with the new rule, so we might as well enforce it. Besides, do you have any idea how much airlines charge to check a fourth overweight bag? Yeah, me neither.”
Under the proposed rules, each potential fee must be disclosed the first time that fare and schedule information is provided and cannot be displayed through a link to another page. The DOT also wants to require a $12 rebate to all customers forced to fly through Newark or when a passenger is seated next to someone who brings hot food on the plane. Those who attempt to board before their group is called will be given a warning the first time, but if it happens again, they will be subject to 20 years in federal prison.
Lufthansa’s ITA Deal Hits a Roadblock
Lufthansa’s effort to purchase ITA and bring the carrier into its Star Alliance is hanging by a thread as reports from Brussels say the EU is expected to block the transaction unless there is a major improvement in antitrust concessions offered by the two carriers.
Lufthansa submitted a set of remedies to the European Commission that have been deemed inadequate over the concern that the merger will reduce competition and double-down on ITA’s market share in Milan. The EU’s formal decision won’t be released for another six weeks, giving the carriers a chance to revisit their proposed givebacks before the deal is officially killed.
The original offer reportedly included a pledge for LH not to include ITA in its JV with Air Canada and United, divest itself of 40 slots at Milan/Linate to easyJet and Volotea, accept interline agreements with rival carriers, to continue to compete on short-haul routes to Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria, and to never ever refer to ITA or its predecessors as the “Worst Airline Ever.”
- Aeroméxico is headed to Wall St.
- Air Serbia is wet-leasing an A320 from Fly2Sky for the summer.
- American‘s Flight AAtendants are in mediation. Yoga helps too.
- Avelo is saying goodbye to Santa Rosa – Pasco and Miami – Orlando.
- Breeze applied to blow into Ogdensburg, NY (OGS) to take over EAS service to the city. Its proposing flights to both Orlando and Washington/Dulles.
- Bulgaria Air has finally signed its codeshare with airBaltic we’ve been waiting for.
- Condor passengers chose the fish, it seems.
- Dana Air is furloughing employees.
- Delta unveiled a “major upgrade” to its app, but the flaw from the previous version that shows too high to be believed redemption rates when searching for a SkyMiles redemption was not fixed.
- easyJet is opening another UK base — its 10th — next spring at London/Southend.
- Emirates ended its fiscal year with a profit of nearly $5 billion.
- Flynas is expanding its interline partnership with Emirates.
- JetBlue has about half as much stock in Carl Ichan’s portfolio as it did previously.
- Norse Atlantic is off to a good start.
- Qantas is suspending service to Shanghai.
- Qatar is planning to invest in a southern African carrier, although it’s declining to name which one. Perhaps it hasn’t decided.
- Ryanair is requiring paper tickets at some outstations. The airline is also blaming a government for something again.
- SAS is adding five.
- Singapore ended its fiscal year with nearly $2 billion of profit.
- Spirit is adding three.
- Southwest is adding four.
- SkyWest confirmed it plans to begin flying the CRJ-550 for Delta.
- Volaris owes Uncle Sam some cash.
- WestJet is expanding its Dreamliner offerings from its Calgary base.
- Zoom! (No explanation needed)
On my job application, when the form asks who to call in an emergency? I always put 911 — what do you think my mother is going to do?
The latest Air Show podcast is live. This week, Jon and I talk about the whole Part 135/380 drama. What is that? It’s what enables JSX and Contour to fly the way they do.
