The F-16C Fighting Falcon is a compact, multirole fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions. U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Dave Nolan
Official U.S. Air Force Photo. Photo is "Public Domain" and may be freely copied or downloaded.
56th Fighter Wing F-16C over northern Arizona
Two F-22 Raptors over mountains
The F-22 is an air-superiority fighter with improved capability over current USAF aircraft. From the inception of the battle, the F-22's primary objective will be to establish air superiority through the conduct of counter air operations. The F-22 also has an inherent air-to-surface capability. A combination of improved sensor capability , improved situational awareness, and improved weapons provides first-kill opportunity against the threat. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite that allow the pilot to track, identify, and shoot the threat before it detects the F-22. Significant effort is being placed on cockpit design and avionics fusion to improve the pilot's situational awareness. Advanced avionic technologies allow the F-22 sensors to gather, integrate, and display essential information in the most useful format to the pilot.
Official U.S. Air Force Photo. Photo is "Public Domain" and may be freely copied or downloaded.
Two F-22 Raptors in a climb
The F-22 is an air-superiority fighter with improved capability over current USAF aircraft. From the inception of the battle, the F-22's primary objective will be to establish air superiority through the conduct of counter air operations. The F-22 also has an inherent air-to-surface capability. A combination of improved sensor capability , improved situational awareness, and improved weapons provides first-kill opportunity against the threat. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite that allow the pilot to track, identify, and shoot the threat before it detects the F-22. Significant effort is being placed on cockpit design and avionics fusion to improve the pilot's situational awareness. Advanced avionic technologies allow the F-22 sensors to gather, integrate, and display essential information in the most useful format to the pilot.
Official U.S. Air Force Photo. Photo is "Public Domain" and may be freely copied or downloaded.
56th Fighter Wing F-16C flys a training mission
The F-16C Fighting Falcon is a compact, multirole fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions. U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Dave Nolan
Official U.S. Air Force Photo. Photo is "Public Domain" and may be freely copied or downloaded.
Saab 2000 AEW&C Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft
Saab Microwave Systems (formerly Ericsson) is the lead contractor for the Erieye surveillance radar. The Erieye radar is operational on a number of other aircraft including the Saab 340, Embraer R-99 and Embraer EMB-145. Erieye is an active phased array pulse Doppler radar operating in the 3.1GHz to 3.3GHz band. The radar is operational from three minutes after take-off and during climb and provides an effective surveillance area of 500,000km².
"The main cabin is fitted with five mission operator consoles on the starboard side."
The Erieye radar has an instrumental range of 450km and detection range of 350km against a fighter aircraft sized target in dense hostile electronic warfare environments and at low target altitudes. The system is capable of tracking multiple air and sea target over the horizon and provides above 20km altitude coverage, 360° coverage and has sea surveillance capability. The radar incorporates an identification friend or foe interrogator. The system comprises an active phased array pulse Doppler radar with a secondary surveillance radar.
The fixed dual sided electronically scanned antenna array is installed in a rectangular housing, dorsally mounted above the fuselage.
Electronic warfare suite
The aircraft's electronic warfare suite is based on the Saab Avitronics HES-21 electronic support measures (ESM) and self-protection suite. The HES-21 also provides a ground-based support system (EGSS), which provides mission data for the aircraft electronic warfare system and for analysis of recorded data.
Electronic support measures
The electronic support measures (ESM) system comprises digital narrow band and wide band receivers and associated antennae, providing close to 100 % probability of intercept (POI). The digital receiver is equipped with interferometer antenna arrays.
The ESM obtains the electronic order of battle (EOB) data and intercepts, characterises and identifies signals, defines their direction of arrival, generating and displaying warning information. The ESM system operates autonomously and allows real time ESM analysis and presentation to the ESM operator on board the aircraft. ESM data is recorded during missions for post mission tactical and technical analysis. Information is transferred to other onboard systems including the command and control system and the radio data link-controller.
The radar receivers cover low band (7GHz to 2GHz), mid band (2GHz to 18GHz) and high band (28GHz to 40GHz).
The digital RF receiver provides very high sensitivity and selectivity and uses fast Fourier transforms (FFT) and channelisation signal processing techniques. The ESM's wide band and narrow band receivers provide 360° coverage, and close to 100% probability of intercept. The system provides high sensitivity and selectivity in dense and hostile signal environments.
Self-protection system
The self-protection system (SPS) comprises: defensive aids control system, radar warning, laser warning, missile approach warning and chaff and flare dispenser systems. The self-protection suite provides selection and, in automatic mode, the initiation of the chaff and countermeasures sequences.
"The Erieye radar has an instrumental range of 450km and detection range of 350km."
The laser warning system is based on the Saab Avitronics LWS-310 laser warner operating in the 0.5 to 17 microns wavelength bands. Spatial and spectral coverage is provided by an array of three sensors on each side of the aircraft.
The missile launch and approach warner (MAW) is based on the Saab Avitronics MAW-300, which can simultaneously monitor and track up to eight threats. It has four sensors, two on each side, and each with 110° azimuthal coverage to provide the overlapped 360° spatial coverage.
The chaff and flare dispensing system (CFDS) comprises a dispenser control unit, (CFDC) with a cockpit mounted display and control panel, defensive aids suite computer with a threat library database, two BOL electromechanical dispensers and six BOP pyrotechnical dispensers.
The BOL dispenser is a high-capacity, 160-cartridges, electro-mechanical chaff dispenser. The BOL dispensers are installed in the fairings under the wingtip-mounted radar warning pods. The dispenser incorporates vortex generators which provide chaff blooming characteristics and a chaff cloud Doppler response.
The BOP dispenser is a pyrotechnic dispenser carrying Nato standard rectangular cartridges or magazines of 39 1in² cartridges. The dispenser has the capability to dispense different ammunition types concurrently. The BOP dispensers are housed on each side of the underside of the fuselage to the aft of the wings.
Engine
The aircraft is fitted with two Rolls-Royce AE 2100A turboprop engines developing 3,095kW.
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The Saab 2000 AEW&C airborne early warning and control aircraft.
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The Saab 2000 AEW&C aircraft is a variant of the Saab 2000 regional transport turboprop equipped with the Saab Systems Erieye reconnaissance radar.
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The Saab 2000 AEW&C airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The Saab 2000 AEW&C airborne early warning and control aircraft is a variant of the Saab 2000 regional transport turboprop aircraft equipped with the spine-mounted Saab Systems Erieye PS-890 side-looking reconnaissance radar.
The first customer for the Saab 2000 AEW&C, the Pakistan Fiza'ya (the Pakistan Air Force), placed the order on Saab, based in Stockholm, in June 2006. The first of five aircraft was rolled out in April 2008 and is scheduled to enter service in 2009. Thailand announced the selection of the Saab 2000 AEW&C in June 2007.
The aircraft, fully equipped for airborne early warning and control, can also be used for national security missions, border control, airborne command and control, disaster management coordination and for emergency air traffic control.
Saab Surveillance Systems is the lead contractor for the Saab 2000 AEW&C programme. Saab Aerotech is responsible for the development and modification of the Saab 2000 regional aircraft to the AEW&C configuration. Six other Saab business units are also contracted for major elements of the programme.
The outer wing sections have been strengthened, as has the roof of the fuselage, to accommodate the weight of the Erieye antenna and its housing. The vertical tail area has been increased to provide improved stabilisation.
M39A2 / A3 20mm cannons are amongst the weapons for which AEIS offer complete spares support, upgrades and supply.
AEIS offer an extensive range of equipment associated with fire products. Instrumental trials record a wide variety of data collected by various means: for example, Skyscreen's monitor projectile velocity and rate of fire.
WEAPON DYNAMICS MONITORING
AEIS also has the capacity to monitor weapon dynamics with kinematic equipment, which utilises rotary and linear displacement transducers linked to a kinematic computer. Here, recordings are captured every 4µs. The results are analysed using DaDiSP software.
AEIS offer complete spares support, upgrades and supply of the following weapons:
* Aden 30mm cannons
* Minigun
* Aden 25mm cannons
* DEFA 30mm cannons
* M39A2 / A3 20mm cannons
AEIS design, manufacture and support a full range of products for armoured fighting vehicles.
We have a full and exclusive licensing agreement to market and manufacture the ex-Helio / TAVFS range of weapon mounts and miscellaneous electro-mechanical sub-systems. Our range of weapon system supports includes:
* Front bumper assemblies
* Lightweight towbar assemblies
* Ratclaw combat rescue devices
* Transparent armour
* Clear gun shields
* Full gunners protection kits
* Night vision light bars
* Spare wheel and tyre carriers
WEAPON AND WEAPON SYSTEMS DESIGN
AEIS' years of specialist experience in the design of weapons, weapon systems and associated ground support equipment is further enhanced by use of 2-D and 3-D CAD software packages. At AEIS, we pride ourselves not only on our ability to customise our 'off-the-shelf' products, but also to design new systems from scratch to suit customers' specific requirements.
Care is taken throughout the design phase to ensure that we address key areas, such as supportability through the life of a product. Such dedication optimises availability and reduces lifecycle costs.
ARMOURED VEHICLE WEAPONS SUPPORTS
The full range of products AEIS design, manufacture and support for armoured fighting vehicles includes:
* Sentinels
* Sentinel PWSs
* Odins
* Metsmans
* Helio FVC110s
* Thales cupolas
* Thales FVT114s
GUN AND COMPONENT REBUILDS AND SERVICING
Customers' complete gun and components are rebuilt and serviced at AEI Systems' (AEIS) modern UK plant, which uses the latest techniques and adheres to the most modern standards. During this process, each component is critically examined and, if necessary, replaced with a newer model prior to rebuild, proof and acceptance test firing.
AEIS' high inventory level of shelf repairs, in combination with our computerised information, guarantees fast order processing and minimum turnaround times. This ensures AEIS' recognised reputation on an international level for the highest standards of customer service.
AEIS provides supports for all small and medium calibre weapon systems on every platform type.
AEIS, formed in 1961, provides specialised support (notably weapon spares and platform spares) for air, land and sea platforms across the globe. Our core business is supports for all small and medium calibre weapon systems on every platform type.
With a 12,000ft² factory and offices measuring 3,000ft², in the UK, our facility has full section 5 clearance. AEIS provide full design, development and manufacture of weapon systems, as well as trials, support, technical publications, maintenance, repair and spares worldwide.
Today on Air Force Technology
The economic downturn is a time to invest for the US Air Force, which currently has a penchant for all things green. By Anthony Beachey.
It might appear a surprising statement but the US military, and in particular the US Air Force (USAF), after years of emitting large amounts of greenhouse gas, is now doing more to save the planet than most other organisations. Against the likes of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, the US Defense Department is investing huge sums in the search to develop renewable sources of energy as well as improving energy efficiency.
The reasons behind making such investments, however, are quite different. Key drivers behind this trend include: national security – the US does not want to be dependent upon energy imported from politically unstable regions; cost – even a 5% cut in the fuel bill would save the Department of Defense $635m (based on the 2007 figure); and finally because it makes sound military sense – many lives are lost transporting fuel to the frontline in vulnerable convoys.
The USAF accounts for about 70% of the US military's fuel consumption – and the military is known to be one of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. The USAF burned 3.2 billion gallons of aviation fuel in fiscal 2005, or 52.5% of all fossil fuel used by the government, federal statistics show.
While the air force, has already made great advances in terms of fuel efficiency and developing alternative fuels, the recession and the global financial crisis is likely to spur even more rapid progress in this area and provide a welcome bonanza for many companies struggling in the downturn.
President Obama's huge $787bn stimulus package includes $4.5bn to be used on greening the Federal Government, including the Department of Defense – and the USAF will get a significant portion of this.
Change of plans
Take the collapse in the price of oil (after reaching almost $150 a barrel in July 2008, it now sells for less than $40) as an example. This has not changed the USAF plans to fly its jets on fuel made from coal, natural gas, and even animal fat. This is mainly because military planners believe the fall in the price of oil is likely to prove temporary.
The service still plans to complete certification of all aircraft to fly on synthetic fuels by 2011. That will create huge demand for synthetic fuels that could provide the basis for the development of a synthetic oil industry in the US, with other countries likely following suit. The demand for fuel efficiency is also having an impact on the design of aircraft, which need to be lighter and less thirsty. Advances in the design of military aircraft are bound to have spin-offs in the civil aviation sector.
Researchers from the University of Dayton and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base have, for example, discovered a new class of electrodes that can be used in fuel cells. It could provide an economical alternative to the costly precious-metal catalysts now used in fuel cells.
Future technologies
Certainly the drive for fuel efficiency by the USAF has already had a dramatic impact on the aeroengine sector. The air force is sponsoring the ADVENT (adaptive versatile engine technology) programme, which involves step-changing technologies that will have a huge impact on future military and commercial engines. The five-year programme focuses on variable-cycle technologies to enable pilots to switch from combat manoeuvres to long-range flight and accommodate lower fuel requirements of long-range missions and high performance during supersonic missions.
The American military is not alone in attempting to improve fuel efficiency and adopt alternative fuels. Air forces around the world are following suit for sound strategic and economic reasons. Thus while green issues may take a back seat in many areas during the recession, as consumers and business alike simply concentrate on value and survival, this won't be the case in the military arena.
International Airlines
You can confirm a seat on an alternate United flight on the same day of travel as your scheduled itinerary, within three hours of the time of your request. If eligible seats are available on an alternate flight, your change will be confirmed for a $75 fee.
You can request a same-day travel change during check-in at an EasyCheck-in® kiosk at the airport or when using EasyCheck-in Online®. You may also contact a customer service representative at the airport check-in counter or call 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331).
* No change fee will be required for confirmed same-day changes to business class or full-fare economy class tickets. The same-day change fee will apply to discounted economy class tickets.
* Same-day travel changes are available for flights within the 50 United States.
* Available only for identical routing: same destination and same connection city.
* Alternate flights must be scheduled to depart within three hours of your request. For flights outside of three hours the standard change fee policy will apply.
* The confirmed same-day change fee is nonrefundable and will be collected at the time when the change request is made.
What is the IATA Annual General Meeting and who attends?
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is IATA's pre-eminent event. In addition to the statutory obligations, the formalising of industry positions and the evidencing of airline unity, the AGM provides a focus for emerging industry issues and a forum for Members to meet and network. Over 600 representatives from IATA's Member Airlines, Industry Associate partners, international and regional associations, leading manufacturers and industry suppliers attend this meeting annually, accompanied by a large media contingent.
History of AGM & World Air Transport Summit
The organizational meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was held in Havana, Cuba in April of 1945 and IATA formally came into being on the 19th of that month. Later that year, in October, the First Annual General Meeting of IATA was held in Montreal. At that time, there were 57 Members from 31 countries; today, IATA represents some 230 Members from all over the world.
The 55th Annual General Meeting, in Rio de Janeiro in 1999, marked the first formal use of World Air Transport Summit, in recognition of the status of the IATA AGM as the premier, industry-wide platform for the debate of critical issues at the highest level.
IATA (International Air Transport Association) was founded in Havana, Cuba, in April 1945. It is the prime vehicle for inter-airline cooperation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical air services - for the benefit of the world's consumers. The international scheduled air transport industry is now more than 100 times larger than it was in 1945. Few industries can match the dynamism of that growth, which would have been much less spectacular without the standards, practices and procedures developed within IATA.
At its founding, IATA had 57 members from 31 nations, mostly in Europe and North America. Today it has some 230 members from 126 nations in every part of the globe.
The modern IATA is the successor to the International Air Traffic Association founded in the Hague in 1919 - the year of the world's first international scheduled services.
1. The credit card is required and credit card owner must also travel and present this credit card at the Airport Check-in prevention of deny boarding.
2. This promotion valids for Economy class ticket on one - way and round - trip only.
3. Reservation / Ticketing / Departure date from 1 April - 30 September 2009. Complete journey within 30 September 2009.
4. Valid for travel on MONDAY - THURSDAY only.
5. Booking must be confirmed before issue ticket. Not allow to open date or open ticket.
6. Must issue ticket immediately after booking confirmed.
7. Limited seat per flight.
8. Name change / Reroute / Reissue / Refund / Upgrade are not allowed after ticketed.
9. Child pay 50% of adult fare.
10. No Mileage accrual.
11. All fares are excluding taxes and surcharges.
12. THAI reserves the right to change terms and conditions without prior notice.
Timetable News The USA Route Network of SWISS
SWISS provides non-stop service from major airports in the U.S. to Switzerland offering easy and convenient service from the following gateways:
Boston Logan International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, New York's JFK International Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.
US Airways (US) Flights
Enjoy great discounts on US Airways (US) Flight Deals at CheapOair. A member of the Star Alliance, US Airways operates flight services to more than 240 domestic and international destinations, including Tel Aviv, Paris, Munich, Rome, Amsterdam, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Honolulu, Orlando and Las Vegas to name a few.
US Airways Discount Airfare: US Airways 3-Day Sale from $39
US Airways is silly with sales. Flights from major international airports including New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles are on sale or as little as $39 each-way around the U.S. and throughout Mexico and the Caribbean.
Domestic flights do not require a round-trip purchase and travel is valid Monday through Thursday and Saturday only. Flights to Latin America and the Caribbean require a round-trip purchase and a 2-night minimum stay. The cheap flights to Latin America and the Caribbean do not include international taxes/fees of up to $115.
Luck of the Irish: Cheap Dublin Flights from $272 RT
US Airways is offering cheap Dublin flights from several U.S. destinations starting at just $272 for round-trip travel.
Sample discount airfare include Boston flights for $272; flights from Philadelphia for $273; Chicago flights from $287 and flights from Charlotte for $295.
Dublin travel must take place on Mondays and Thursdays through May 20, and travelers need to spend a minimum of one Saturday night at their destination. Book these flights directly with US Airways.
Discount Airfare: US Airways Cheap Flights to Brussels
US Airways is offering cheap flights to Brussels, starting as low as $298 for round-trip travel.
Sample fares include flights from New York and Philadelphia for $298; San Francisco flights to Brussels for $540; Orlando flights to Brussels for $582; Charlotte for $613 and Boston flights for $637.
Customers must buy round-trip tickets to take advantage of the cheap fares and must complete their travel by April 2. However, New York and Philadelphia flights must be completed by May 20.
US Airways Hawaii Flight Sale; Airfares Start at $174
In search of a place to retreat, refresh, and renew? Hawaii remains one of the most magical places in the world, and one of the easiest places to get to from the U.S. The islands are pieces of paradise unmatched and US Airways will help get you there.
US Airways is offering Hawaii flights starting as low as $174, exclusive of taxes and fees. These cheap Hawaii flights are quoted each-way but you must make a round-trip purchase to get them. Book online with US Airways and make sure to read the restrictions before you buy. Overnight stays, travel dates and city-specific particulars are part of this deal.
US Airways Tests In-flight Next-Gen Entertainment System
US Airways is testing a new, next-generation in-flight entertainment (IFE) system that offers hundreds of on-demand options for flyers including movies, music, games, and shopping.
The new system is called the Lumexis Fiber-To-The-Screen™, or FTTS™, system. Here’s why it's different: less hardware, and less weight.
In a prepared release, Lumexis says, “The…technology replaces traditional copper wire-based systems that were heavy, offered limited bandwidth, and required under-seat boxes that reduced passenger leg room.”
US Airways Offering $600 Credit Antigua Vacation Packages
US Airways is offering travelers a $600 flight coupon for customers who book vacations to Antigua through its US Airways Vacations.
The credit is available for travelers who book Antigua vacations by March 9 and complete their vacations by June 30. The Antigua vacations packages include seven nights at the Verandah Resort and Spa, all meals, water sports and entertainment.
The resort is spread over 30 acres of land on Antigua's north-eastern coast. It has 200 luxury villas and is located right next to a national park.
Free Drinks Service to Resume on US Airways
US Airways will bring back its complimentary beverage service for Economy Class passengers on all its flights beginning March 1.
In a much talked-about move, US Airways introduced fees for drinks on its flights as part of its a la carte menu program. Customers were asked to pay food and beverages, including those snacks that were once free.
Starting next month, US Airways will offer non-alcoholic beverages including soda, juices, tea, water, and coffee for free to all passengers. However, travelers will still have to pay $7 or beer, wine, spirits and cocktails.
Discount Airfare: US Airways Cheap Flights to Europe
If you’re in search of cheap flights to Europe, US Airways offers this for your consideration: for as little as $298, plus applicable taxes and fees, US Airways will fly you round-trip from either New York LaGuardia (LGA) or Philadelphia to any one of 18 European destinations.
You have little time to jump on this offer. Book and buy no later than Feb. 26 and fly through May 20. To score this deal, fly outbound Sunday through Thursday; return Monday through Thursday.
US Airways Offering Cheap Vacation Packages to Mazatlan
Mexico is hot right now, and we're not just talking about the sun! Cheap flights and hotels are popping up all over the place for Mexico travelers. Next up: US Airways is offering vacation packages to Mazatlan starting at just $360.
The Mexico vacation packages include round-trip Mexico flights, six nights' stay at a hotel and airport transfers. Prices vary based on the hotel booked.
Sample prices include packages with accommodation at El Cid Castilla Beach Resort for $360, Costa de Oro Beach Hotel for $412, Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan for $540 and Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay for $698.
US Airways Cuts Las Vegas Flights at McCarran
Las Vegas flights just got a bit lighter. US Airways, the second-busiest air carrier at McCarran International Airport, announced it will cut six daily Las Vegas flights beginning in May.
US Airways said it will discontinue daily flights from Las Vegas to New York, Baltimore, Portland, Ore., Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.
The reduction in routes is comes as no surprise to industry officials. Earlier this year, US Airways made the announcement that the airline will reduce its overall seat capacity and cut jobs at 10 airports nationwide.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.
Airlines vary from those with a single airplane carrying mail or cargo, through full-service international airlines operating hundreds of airplanes. Airline services can be categorized as being intercontinental, intra continental, domestic, or international and may be operated as scheduled services or charters.
History
Ryanair Boeing 737-800 shortly after take-off. Ryanair is the world's largest airline in terms of number of international passengers carried.[2]
The first airlines
Failed attempt at an airline before DELAG
DELAG, Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft was the world's first airline.[citation needed] It was founded on November 16, 1909 with government assistance, and operated airships manufactured by The Zeppelin Corporation. Its headquarters were in Frankfurt. (Note: Americans, such as Rufus Porter and Frederick Marriott, attempted to start airlines in the mid-19th century, focusing on the New York-California route. Those attempts foundered due to such mishaps as the aircraft catching fire and the aircraft being ripped apart by spectators.) The five oldest non-dirigible airlines that still exist are Australia's Qantas, Netherland's KLM, Colombia's Avianca, Czech Republic's Czech Airlines and Mexico's Mexicana. KLM first flew in May 1920 while Qantas (for the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited) was founded in Queensland, Australia in late 1920.
Early Development
TWA Douglas DC-3 in 1940. The DC-3, often regarded as one of the most influential aircraft in the history of commercial aviation, revolutionized the aviation industry.[3]
Tony Jannus conducted the United States' scheduled commercial airline flight on 1 January 1914 for the Saint Petersburg-routes, Braniff Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines (originally a division of Boeing), Trans World Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines, to name a few.
Passenger service during the early 1920s was sporadic: most airlines at the time were focused on carrying bags of mail. In 1925, however, the Ford Motor Company bought out the Stout Aircraft Company and began construction of the all-metal Ford Trimotor, which became the first successful American airliner. With a 12-passenger capacity, the Trimotor made passenger service potentially profitable. Air service was seen as a supplement to rail service in the American transportation network.
At the same time, Juan Trippe began a crusade to create an air network that would link America to the world, and he achieved this goal through his airline, Pan American World Airways, with a fleet of flying boats that linked Los Angeles to Shanghai and Boston to London. Pan Am and Northwest Airways (which began flights to Canada in the 1920s) were the only U.S. airlines to go international before the 1940s.
With the introduction of the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-3 in the 1930s, the U.S. airline industry was generally profitable, even during the Great Depression. This trend continued until the beginning of World War II.
Development since 1945
Pan Am Boeing 747 Clipper Ocean Pearl in 1988. The deregulation of the American airline industry increased the financial troubles of the iconic airline which ultimately filed for bankruptcy in December 1991.[5]
As governments met to set the standards and scope for an emergent civil air industry toward the end of the war, it was no surprise that the U.S. took a position of maximum operating freedom. After all, U.S. airline companies were not as hard-hit as European and the few Asian ones had been. This preference for "open skies" operating regimes continues, within limitations, to this day.
World War II, like World War I, brought new life to the airline industry. Many airlines in the Allied countries were flush from lease contracts to the military, and foresaw a future explosive demand for civil air transport, for both passengers and cargo. They were eager to invest in the newly emerging flagships of air travel such as the Boeing Stratocruiser, Lockheed Constellation, and Douglas DC-6. Most of these new aircraft were based on American bombers such as the B-29, which had spearheaded research into new technologies such as pressurization. Most offered increased efficiency from both added speed and greater payload.
In the 1950s, the De Havilland Comet, Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, and Sud Aviation Caravelle became the first flagships of the Jet Age in the West, while the Soviet Union bloc had Tupolev Tu-104 and Tupolev Tu-124 in the fleets of state-owned carriers such as Czechoslovak ČSA, Soviet Aeroflot and East-German Interflug. The Vickers Viscount and Lockheed L-188 Electra inaugurated turboprop transport.
The next big boost for the airlines would come in the 1970s, when the Boeing 747, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and Lockheed L-1011 inaugurated widebody ("jumbo jet") service, which is still the standard in international travel. The Tupolev Tu-144 and its Western counterpart, Concorde, made supersonic travel a reality. Concorde first flew in 1969 and operated through 2003. In 1972, Airbus began producing Europe's most commercially successful line of airliners to date. The added efficiencies for these aircraft were often not in speed, but in passenger capacity, payload, and range. Airbus also features modern electronic cockpits that were common across their aircraft to enable pilots to fly multiple models with minimal cross-training.
Pan Am Boeing 747 Clipper Ocean Pearl in 1988. The deregulation of the American airline industry increased the financial troubles of the iconic airline which ultimately filed for bankruptcy in December 1991.[5]
1978's U.S. airline industry deregulation lowered barriers for new airlines. In this period, new start-ups entered during downturns in the normal 8-10 year business cycle. At that time, they find aircraft and funding, contract hangar and maintenance services, train new employees, and recruit laid off staff from other airlines.
As the business cycle returned to normalcy, major airlines dominated their routes through aggressive pricing and additional capacity offerings, often swamping new startups. Only America West Airlines (which has since merged with US Airways) remained a significant survivor from this new entrant era, as dozens, even hundreds, have gone under.
In many ways, the biggest winner in the deregulated environment was the air passenger. Indeed, the U.S. witnessed an explosive growth in demand for air travel, as many millions who had never or rarely flown before became regular fliers, even joining frequent flyer loyalty programs and receiving free flights and other benefits from their flying. New services and higher frequencies meant that business fliers could fly to another city, do business, and return the same day, for almost any point in the country. Air travel's advantages put intercity bus lines under pressure, and most have withered away.
By the 1980s, almost half of the total flying in the world took place in the U.S., and today the domestic industry operates over 10,000 daily departures nationwide.
Toward the end of the century, a new style of low cost airline emerged, offering a no-frills product at a lower price. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, AirTran Airways, Skybus Airlines and other low-cost carriers began to represent a serious challenge to the so-called "legacy airlines", as did their low-cost counterparts in many other countries. Their commercial viability represented a serious competitive threat to the legacy carriers. However, of these, ATA and Skybus have since ceased operations.
Thus the last 50 years of the airline industry have varied from reasonably profitable, to devastatingly depressed. As the first major market to deregulate the industry in 1978, U.S. airlines have experienced more turbulence than almost any other country or region. Today, American Airlines is the only U.S. legacy carrier to survive bankruptcy-free
European Airline Industry
The Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, Victoria, London. Trains ran from here to flying boats in Southampton, and to Croydon Airport.
The first countries in Europe to embrace air transport were Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
KLM, the oldest carrier still operating under its original name, was founded in 1919. The first flight (operated on behalf of KLM by Aircraft Transport and Travel) transported two English passengers to Schiphol, Amsterdam from London in 1920. Like other major European airlines of the time (see France and the UK below), KLM's early growth depended heavily on the needs to service links with far-flung colonial possessions (Dutch Indies). It is only after the loss of the Dutch Empire that KLM found itself based at a small country with few potential passengers, depending heavily on transfer traffic, and was one of the first to introduce the hub-system to facilitate easy connections.
France began an air mail service to Morocco in 1919 that was bought out in 1927, renamed Aéropostale, and injected with capital to become a major international carrier. In 1933, Aéropostale went bankrupt, was nationalized and merged with several other airlines into what became Air France.
In Finland, the charter establishing Aero O/Y (now Finnair, one of the oldest still-operating airlines in the world) was signed in the city of Helsinki on September 12, 1923. Junkers F 13 D-335 became the first aircraft of the company, when Aero took delivery of it on March 14, 1924. The first flight was between Helsinki and Tallinn, capital of Estonia, and it took place on March 20, 1924, one week later.
Germany's Lufthansa began in 1926. Lufthansa, unlike most other airlines at the time, became a major investor in airlines outside of Europe, providing capital to Varig and Avianca. German airliners built by Junkers, Dornier, and Fokker were the most advanced in the world at the time. The peak of German air travel came in the mid-1930s, when Nazi propaganda ministers approved the start of commercial zeppelin service: the big airships were a symbol of industrial might, but the fact that they used flammable hydrogen gas raised safety concerns that culminated with the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. The reason they used hydrogen instead of the not-flammable helium gas was a United States military embargo on helium.
The British company Aircraft Transport and Travel commenced a London to Paris service on August 25, 1919, this was the world's first regular international flight. The United Kingdom's flag carrier during this period was Imperial Airways, which became BOAC (British Overseas Airways Co.) in 1939. Imperial Airways used huge Handley-Page biplanes for routes between London, the Middle East, and India: images of Imperial aircraft in the middle of the Rub'al Khali, being maintained by Bedouins, are among the most famous pictures from the heyday of the British Empire.
Deregulation
Deregulation of the European Union airspace in the early 1990s has had substantial effect on structure of the industry there. The shift towards 'budget' airlines on shorter routes has been significant. Airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair have grown at the expense of the traditional national airlines.
There has also been a trend for these national airlines themselves to be privatised such as has occurred for Aer Lingus (Ireland) and British Airways. Other national airlines, including Italy's Alitalia, have suffered - particularly with the rapid increase of oil prices in early 2008.
Deregulation
Deregulation of the European Union airspace in the early 1990s has had substantial effect on structure of the industry there. The shift towards 'budget' airlines on shorter routes has been significant. Airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair have grown at the expense of the traditional national airlines.
There has also been a trend for these national airlines themselves to be privatised such as has occurred for Aer Lingus (Ireland) and British Airways. Other national airlines, including Italy's Alitalia, have suffered - particularly with the rapid increase of oil prices in early 2008.
Latin American Airline Industry
Presentation of first Airbus A330 in Bogotá.
Along the first countries to have regular airlines in Latin America were Colombia with Avianca, Chile with LAN Chile (today LAN Airlines), Mexico with Mexicana de Aviación, Brazil with Varig, and TACA as a brand of several airlines of Central American countries (Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua). All the previous airlines started regular operations before World War II.
The air travel market has evolved rapidly over recent years in Latin America. Some industry estimations over 2000 new aircraft will begin service over the next five years in this region.
These airlines serve domestic flights within their countries, as well as connections within Latin America and also overseas flights to North America, Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia.
Just one airline, LAN (Latin American Networks) has international subsidiaries: Chile as the central operation along with Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and some operations in the Dominican Republic.
The main hubs in Latin America are Sao Paulo in Brazil, Bogota in Colombia, Caracas in Venezuela, Guayaquil in Ecuador, Lima in Peru, Mexico City in Mexico, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Santiago in Chile.
Asian Airline Industry
Air India Boeing 747-400. Founded by J. R. D. Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932, it was one of the first airlines in Asia.
Some of the first countries in Asia to embrace air transport were India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia , Pakistan and the Philippines.
One of the first countries in Asia to embrace air transport was the Philippines. Philippine Airlines was founded on February 26, 1941, making it one of Asia's oldest carriers and also the oldest operating under its current name. The airline was started by a group of businessmen led by Andres Soriano, hailed as one of the Philippines' leading industrialists at the time. The airline’s first flight was made on March 15, 1941 with a single Beech Model 18 NPC-54 aircraft, which started its daily services between Manila (from Nielson Field) and Baguio, later to expand with larger aircraft such as the DC-3 and Vickers Viscount.
Air India Boeing 747-400. Founded by J. R. D. Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932, it was one of the first airlines in Asia.
Another airline company to begin early operations was Air India, which had its beginning as Tata Airlines in 1932, a division of Tata Sons Ltd. (now Tata Group) by India's leading industrialist JRD Tata. On October 15, 1932, J. R. D. Tata himself flew a single engined De Havilland Puss Moth carrying air mail (postal mail of Imperial Airways) from Karachi to Bombay via Ahmedabad. The aircraft continued to Madras via Bellary piloted by Royal Air Force pilot Nevill Vincent.
With the outbreak of World War II, the airline presence in Asia came to a relative halt, with many new flag carriers donating their aircraft for military aid and other uses. Following the end of the war in 1945, regular commercial service was restored in India and Tata Airlines became a public limited company on July 29, 1946 under the name Air India. After the independence of India, 49% of the airline was acquired by the Government of India. In return, the airline was granted status to operate international services from India as the designated flag carrier under the name Air India International.
On July 31, 1946, a chartered Philippine Airlines (PAL) DC-4 ferried 40 American servicemen to Oakland, California from Nielson Airport in Makati City with stops in Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll and Honolulu, Hawaii, making PAL the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean. A regular service between Manila and San Francisco was started in December. It was during this year that the airline was designated as the flag carrier of Philippines.
During the era of decolonization, newly-born Asian countries started to embrace air transport. Among the first Asian carriers during the era were Cathay Pacific (founded in September 1946), Orient Airways (later Pakistan International Airlines; founded in October 1946), Malayan Airlines (later Singapore and Malaysian Airlines; founded in 1947), Garuda Indonesia in 1949, Japan Airlines in 1951, and Korean Air in 1962.
International
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 lands at Changi Airport. The Singapore Airlines was the first international airline to operate the A380, the world's largest passenger airliner.[6]
Groups such as the International Civil Aviation Organization establish worldwide standards for safety and other vital concerns. Most international air traffic is regulated by bilateral agreements between countries, which designate specific carriers to operate on specific routes. The model of such an agreement was the Bermuda Agreement between the US and UK following World War II, which designated airports to be used for transatlantic flights and gave each government the authority to nominate carriers to operate routes.
Bilateral agreements are based on the "freedoms of the air," a group of generalized traffic rights ranging from the freedom to overfly a country to the freedom to provide domestic flights within a country (a very rarely granted right known as cabotage). Most agreements permit airlines to fly from their home country to designated airports in the other country: some also extend the freedom to provide continuing service to a third country, or to another destination in the other country while carrying passengers from overseas.
In the 1990s, "open skies" agreements became more common. These agreements take many of these regulatory powers from state governments and open up international routes to further competition. Open skies agreements have met some criticism, particularly within the European Union, whose airlines would be at a comparative disadvantage with the United States' because of cabotage restrictions.
Economic considerations
Juan Trippe, the founder of Pan American World Airways, surveying his globe. The collapse of Pan Am, an airline often credited for shaping the international airline industry, in December 1991 highlighted the financial complexities faced by major airline companies.
Historically, air travel has survived largely through state support, whether in the form of equity or subsidies. The airline industry as a whole has made a cumulative loss during its 120-year history, once the costs include subsidies for aircraft development and airport construction.[7][8]
One argument is that positive externalities, such as higher growth due to global mobility, outweigh the microeconomic losses and justify continuing government intervention. A historically high level of government intervention in the airline industry can be seen as part of a wider political consensus on strategic forms of transport, such as highways and railways, both of which receive public funding in most parts of the world. Profitability is likely to improve in the future as privatization continues and more competitive low-cost carriers proliferate.
Although many countries continue to operate state-owned or parastatal airlines, many large airlines today are privately owned and are therefore governed by microeconomic principles in order to maximize shareholder profit
Ticket revenue
Lufthansa Boeing 747-400. In 2004, the European Commission forced various European airlines to end price discrimination.[9]
Airlines assign prices to their services in an attempt to maximize profitability. The pricing of airline tickets has become increasingly complicated over the years and is now largely determined by computerized yield management systems.
Because of the complications in scheduling flights and maintaining profitability, airlines have many loopholes that can be used by the knowledgeable traveler. Many of these airfare secrets are becoming more and more known to the general public, so airlines are forced to make constant adjustments.
Most airlines use differentiated pricing, a form of price discrimination, in order to sell air services at varying prices simultaneously to different segments. Factors influencing the price include the days remaining until departure, the booked load factor, the forecast of total demand by price point, competitive pricing in force, and variations by day of week of departure and by time of day. Carriers often accomplish this by dividing each cabin of the aircraft (first, business and economy) into a number of travel classes for pricing purposes.
A complicating factor is that of origin-destination control ("O&D control"). Someone purchasing a ticket from Melbourne to Sydney (as an example) for AU$200 is competing with someone else who wants to fly Melbourne to Los Angeles through Sydney on the same flight, and who is willing to pay AU$1400. Should the airline prefer the $1400 passenger, or the $200 passenger plus a possible Sydney-Los Angeles passenger willing to pay $1300? Airlines have to make hundreds of thousands of similar pricing decisions daily.
Lufthansa Boeing 747-400. In 2004, the European Commission forced various European airlines to end price discrimination.[9]
The advent of advanced computerized reservations systems in the late 1970s, most notably Sabre, allowed airlines to easily perform cost-benefit analyses on different pricing structures, leading to almost perfect price discrimination in some cases (that is, filling each seat on an aircraft at the highest price that can be charged without driving the consumer elsewhere).
The intense nature of airfare pricing has led to the term "fare war" to describe efforts by airlines to undercut other airlines on competitive routes. Through computers, new airfares can be published quickly and efficiently to the airlines' sales channels. For this purpose the airlines use the Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO), who distribute latest fares for more than 500 airlines to Computer Reservation Systems across the world.
The extent of these pricing phenomena is strongest in "legacy" carriers. In contrast, low fare carriers usually offer preannounced and simplified price structure, and sometimes quote prices for each leg of a trip separately.
Computers also allow airlines to predict, with some accuracy, how many passengers will actually fly after making a reservation to fly. This allows airlines to overbook their flights enough to fill the aircraft while accounting for "no-shows," but not enough (in most cases) to force paying passengers off the aircraft for lack of seats. Since an average of ⅓ of all seats are flown empty[citation needed], stimulative pricing for low demand flights coupled with overbooking on high demand flights can help reduce this figure.
Operating costs
An Airbus A340-600 of Virgin Atlantic Airways. In October 2008, Virgin Atlantic offered to combine its operations with BMI in an effort to reduce operating costs.[1
Full-service airlines have a high level of fixed and operating costs in order to establish and maintain air services: labor, fuel, airplanes, engines, spares and parts, IT services and networks, airport equipment, airport handling services, sales distribution, catering, training, aviation insurance and other costs. Thus all but a small percentage of the income from ticket sales is paid out to a wide variety of external providers or internal cost centers.
Moreover, the industry is structured so that airlines often act as tax collectors. Airline fuel is untaxed because of a series of treaties existing between countries. Ticket prices include a number of fees, taxes and surcharges beyond the control of airlines. Airlines are also responsible for enforcing government regulations. If airlines carry passengers without proper documentation on an international flight, they are responsible for returning them back to the original country.
Analysis of the 1992-1996 period shows that every player in the air transport chain is far more profitable than the airlines, who collect and pass through fees and revenues to them from ticket sales. While airlines as a whole earned 6% return on capital employed (2-3.5% less than the cost of capital), airports earned 10%, catering companies 10-13%, handling companies 11-14%, aircraft lessors 15%, aircraft manufacturers 16%, and global distribution companies more than 30%. (Source: Spinetta, 2000, quoted in Doganis, 2002)
In contrast, Southwest Airlines has been the most profitable of airline companies since 1973.[citation needed]
The widespread entrance of a new breed of low cost airlines beginning at the turn of the century has accelerated the demand that full service carriers control costs. Many of these low cost companies emulate Southwest Airlines in various respects, and like Southwest, they are able to eke out a consistent profit throughout all phases of the business cycle.[citation needed]
As a result, a shakeout of airlines is occurring in the U.S. and elsewhere. United Airlines, Continental Airlines (twice), US Airways (twice), Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines have all declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Some[who?] argue that it would be far better for the industry as a whole if a wave of actual closures were to reduce the number of "undead" airlines competing with healthy airlines while being artificially protected from creditors via bankruptcy law. On the other hand, some[who?] have pointed out that the reduction in capacity would be short lived given that there would be large quantities of relatively new aircraft that bankruptcies would want to get rid of and would re-enter the market either as increased fleets for the survivors or the basis of cheap planes for new startups.
Where an airline has established an engineering base at an airport then there may be considerable economic advantages in using that same airport as a preferred focus (or "hub") for its scheduled flights.
Assets and financing
The 'Golden Lounge' of Malaysia Airlines at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The airline has ownership of special slots at KLIA giving it a competitive edge over other airlines operating at the airport.
Airline financing is quite complex, since airlines are highly leveraged operations. Not only must they purchase (or lease) new airliner bodies and engines regularly, they must make major long-term fleet decisions with the goal of meeting the demands of their markets while producing a fleet that is relatively economical to operate and maintain. Compare Southwest Airlines and their reliance on a single airplane type (the Boeing 737 and derivatives), with the now defunct Eastern Air Lines which operated 17 different aircraft types, each with varying pilot, engine, maintenance, and support needs.
A second financial issue is that of hedging oil and fuel purchases, which are usually second only to labor in its relative cost to the company. However, with the current high fuel prices it has become the largest cost to an airline. While hedging instruments can be expensive, they can easily pay for themselves many times over in periods of increasing fuel costs, such as in the 2000-2005 period.
In view of the congestion apparent at many international airports, the ownership of slots at certain airports (the right to take-off or land an aircraft at a particular time of day or night) has become a significant tradable asset for many airlines. Clearly take-off slots at popular times of the day can be critical in attracting the more profitable business traveler to a given airline's flight and in establishing a competitive advantage against a competing airline. If a particular city has two or more airports, market forces will tend to attract the less profitable routes, or those on which competition is weakest, to the less congested airport, where slots are likely to be more available and therefore cheaper. Other factors, such as surface transport facilities and onward connections, will also affect the relative appeal of different airports and some long distance flights may need to operate from the one with the longest runway.
Airline partnerships
A Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300 with special Oneworld livery. Oneworld is the third largest airline alliance after Star Alliance and SkyTeam.
Code sharing is the most common type of airline partnership; it involves one airline selling tickets for another airline's flights under its own airline code. An early example of this was Japan Airlines' code sharing partnership with Aeroflot in the 1960s on flights from Tokyo to Moscow: Aeroflot operated the flights using Aeroflot aircraft, but JAL sold tickets for the flights as if they were JAL flights. This practice allows airlines to expand their operations, at least on paper, into parts of the world where they cannot afford to establish bases or purchase aircraft. Another example was the Austrian- Sabena partnership on the Vienna-Brussels-New York JFK route during the late '60s, using a Sabena Boeing 707 with Austrian colors.
Since airline reservation requests are often made by city-pair (such as "show me flights from Chicago to Düsseldorf"), an airline who is able to code share with another airline for a variety of routes might be able to be listed as indeed offering a Chicago-Düsseldorf flight. The passenger is advised however, that Airline 1 operates the flight from say Chicago to Amsterdam, and Airline 2 operates the continuing flight (on a different airplane, sometimes from another terminal) to Düsseldorf. Thus the primary rationale for code sharing is to expand one's service offerings in city-pair terms so as to increase sales.
A more recent development is the airline alliance, which became prevalent in the 1990s. These alliances can act as virtual mergers to get around government restrictions. Groups of airlines such as the Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam coordinate their passenger service programs (such as lounges and frequent flyer programs), offer special interline tickets, and often engage in extensive codesharing (sometimes systemwide). These are increasingly integrated business combinations-- sometimes including cross-equity arrangements-- in which products, service standards, schedules, and airport facilities are standardized and combined for higher efficiency. One of the first airlines to start an alliance with another airline was KLM, who partnered with Northwest Airlines. Both airlines later entered the SkyTeam alliance after the fusion of KLM and Air France in 2004.
Often the companies combine IT operations, buy fuel, or purchase airplanes as a bloc in order to achieve higher bargaining power. However, the alliances have been most successful at purchasing invisible supplies and services, such as fuel. Airlines usually prefer to purchase items visible to their passengers to differentiate themselves from local competitors. If an airline's main domestic competitor flies Boeing airliners, then the airline may prefer to use Airbus aircraft regardless of what the rest of the alliance chooses.
MODIS tracking of contrails generated by air traffic over the southeastern United States on January 29, 2004.
Aircraft engines emit noise pollution, gases and particulate emissions, and contribute to global warming[11][12] and global dimming.[13]
Modern turbofan and turboprop engines are considerably more fuel-efficient and less polluting than earlier models. However, despite this, the rapid growth of air travel in recent years contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation, offsetting some of the reductions achieved by automobiles. In the EU greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87% between 1990 and 2006.[14]
CO2 emissions from the jet fuel burned per passenger on an average 3200 kilometers (1992 miles) airline flight is about 353 kilograms (776 pounds). [15] Loss of natural habitat potential associated with the jet fuel burned per passenger on a 3200 kilometers (1992 miles) airline flight is estimated to be 250 square meters (2700 square feet). [16]
In the context of climate change and peak oil, there is a debate about possible taxation of air travel and the inclusion of aviation in an emissions trading scheme, with a view to ensuring that the total external costs of aviation are taken into account.[17]
The airline industry is responsible for about 11 percent of greenhouse gases emitted by the U.S. transportation sector. Boeing estimates that biofuels could reduce flight-related greenhouse-gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent. The solution would be blending algae fuels with existing jet fuel: [18]
* Boeing and Air New Zealand are collaborating with leading Brazilian biofuels maker Tecbio and Aquaflow Bionomic of New Zealand and other jet biofuel developers around the world.
* Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Green Fund are looking into the technology as part of a biofuels initiative.
Call signs
Each operator of a scheduled or charter flight uses an airline call sign when communicating with airports or air traffic control centers. Most of these call-signs are derived from the airline's trade name, but for reasons of history, marketing, or the need to reduce ambiguity in spoken English (so that pilots do not mistakenly make navigational decisions based on instructions issued to a different aircraft), some airlines and air forces use call-signs less obviously connected with their trading name. For example, British Airways uses a Speedbird call-sign, named after the logo of its predecessor, BOAC, while America West used Cactus reflecting that company's home in the state of Arizona and to differentiate itself from numerous other airlines using America and West in their call signs.
Read More »»Airline personnel
The various types of airline personnel include:
* Flight crews, responsible for the operation of the aircraft. Flight crew members include:
o Pilots (Captain and First Officer: some older aircraft also required a Flight Engineer and or a Navigator)
o Flight attendants, (led by a purser on larger aircraft)
o in-flight security personnel on some airlines (most notably El Al)
* Groundcrew, responsible for operations at airports. Ground crew members include:
o Aerospace and avionics engineers responsible for certifying the aircraft for flight and management of aircraft maintenance
+ Aerospace engineers, responsible for airframe, powerplant and electrical systems maintenance
+ Avionics engineers responsible for avionics and instruments maintenance
o Airframe and powerplant technicians
o Electric System technicians, responsible for maintenance of electrical systems
o Avionics technicians, responsible for maintenance of avionics
o Flight dispatchers
o Baggage handlers
o Rampers
o Gate agents
o Ticket agents
o Passenger service agents (such as airline lounge employees)
* Reservation agents, usually (but not always) at facilities outside the airport.
Airlines follow a corporate structure where each broad area of operations (such as maintenance, flight operations, and passenger service) is supervised by a vice president. Larger airlines often appoint vice presidents to oversee each of the airline's hubs as well. Airlines employ lawyers to deal with regulatory procedures and other administrative tasks.
Industry trends
The headquarters of Air India in Mumbai, India.The pattern of ownership has gone from government owned or supported to independent, for-profit public companies. This occurs as regulators permit greater freedom and non-government ownership, in steps that are usually decades apart. This pattern is not seen for all airlines in all regions.[original research?]
The overall trend of demand has been consistently increasing. In the 1950s and 1960s, annual growth rates of 15% or more were common. Annual growth of 5-6% persisted through the 1980s and 1990s[citation needed]. Growth rates are not consistent in all regions, but countries with a de-regulated airline industry have more competition and greater pricing freedom. This results in lower fares and sometimes dramatic spurts in traffic growth. The U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Mexico,India and other markets exhibit this trend. The industry has been observed to be cyclical in its financial performance. Four or five years of poor earnings precede five or six years of improvement. But profitability even in the good years is generally low, in the range of 2-3% net profit after interest and tax. In times of profit, airlines lease new generations of airplanes and upgrade services in response to higher demand. Since 1980, the industry has not earned back the cost of capital during the best of times. Conversely, in bad times losses can be dramatically worse. Warren Buffett once said that despite all the money that has been invested in all airlines, the net profit is less than zero. He believes it is one of the hardest businesses to manage.[citation needed]
As in many mature industries, consolidation is a trend. Airline groupings may consist of limited bilateral partnerships, long-term, multi-faceted alliances between carriers, equity arrangements, mergers, or takeovers. Since governments often restrict ownership and merger between companies in different countries, most consolidation takes place within a country. In the U.S., over 200 airlines have merged, been taken over, or gone out of business since deregulation in 1978. Many international airline managers are lobbying their governments to permit greater consolidation to achieve higher economy and efficiency.
Airlines, Airplanes and Air Safety
What airplanes are the safest? Some of the statistics to give you the answer.
Read more
Airlines and Accidents
* Chances of Surviving a Water Crash
* Bird Strikes and Impact on Airlines
* Airlines with the Least Accidents
Airlines
The core of air travel is as a mode of transport - how to get there. Airlines have one thing in common in that they share the skies and get you there by plane. Outside of that, airlines vary widely. Even check-in and airport amenities are not the same. From offering pre-booked seating to meals and rebooking policies, airlines certainly do not fit into a one-size-fits-all description. Low cost and charter airlines compete with more traditional ones - making more choices available to passengers.
Read More »»Airlines
Low cost or legacy...prop or jet - airlines are in some ways the same, yet can also have rather marked differences. If you want to check out airlines that fly from different parts of the globe, or simply want an airline's phone number, click and find out.
Read More »»Airports
The "home" of airlines, namely airports, can range from a single gate area to multi-terminal mazes, and airports can sometimes make air travel seem that much more complicated. Thus, some tips and advice regarding airports can lead to easier air travels.
Read More »»Rules / Docs
From passport and visa requirements, to what you can bring on board and luggage allowances, flying can sometimes seem extremely confusing. Read up on the often-changing rules in air travel.
Read More »»Airline Travel Rules and Policies
Passports are becoming increasingly essential, even in jurisdictions where you once just needed proof of residence. Visas too, are often extra requirements to enter a country - some you can purchase online or upon arrival, others are...shall we say...a little more complicated. Regardless, it is important to have your documents in order.
Read More »»Family Travel Rules and Policies
Family air travel policies vary by airline. Can you bring a stroller to the gate? How do you prepare for travel with an infant? What provisions are there if you must travel for a family funeral, or by contrast for a wedding? How far into pregnancy can you travel? The answers to these questions are not always the same for each airline.
Read More »»Luggage Rules
Like many things in the air travel industry, regulations for luggage are constantly changing. Read up on what you can bring, what you may pay for, and what is still free.
Read More »»Airline Customer Service Issues
Your flight has been canceled. You are stranded at the airport. You are wondering if there is anything you can do about it. Or the airline has oversold your flight, you are about to be bumped and would like to know what you are entitled to, and how you will be compensated. These not so happy scenarios equal articles geared towards canceled, delayed, or oversold flights.
Read More »»Trip Planning and Booking Tips
So you have decided to take to the skies? Are you traveling last minute? Need to find a good deal on your next flight? Start your search here. Check out fares and book online. Find airfare specials and last minute specials, along with tips for getting the best airfares. Read about preparing for the airport experience, and packing advice. Trip planning is more than just finding a cheap ticket when it comes to air travel - it's also about packing lists, seat maps, and airport security.
Read More »»Airfares - That's the Ticket
So you have decided to take to the skies? Are you traveling last minute? Need to find a good deal on your next flight? Start your search here. Check out fares and book online.
Read More »»Trip Planning Advice - From Airfares to Upgrades
There is more to planning for a trip than booking the airfare. But even in terms of airfares there are strategies to hopefully snag you the best deal possible. If you are a first time flyer or are afraid of flying, there are tips and resources that can help you. From airfares to upgrades, there are a lot of tips and advice for the planning stages to secure an air travel experience that is as care free as possible.
Read More »»Jet Lag - Strategies to Feel Better and Adjust After Flights
I travel, often on longer flights, through different time zones and am absolutely useless at sleeping on flights. I've used medications, tried homeopathic options and other tricks to combat jet lag. Nothing works 100% of the time for me. I try to relax, hence the self massage routine. Ah, the not-so-wonderful experience of waking up several mornings at 3am after returning from a trip to Australia - of falling asleep and not knowing whether it was 6am or 6pm after long travels. Jet lag can manifest itself in different ways so I'm sharing as many solutions as possible. Hopefully, some of them will work for you.
Read More »»Gift of Travel
You may need a new document holder, some eyeshades, or luggage. Or you are shopping for someone and want to give the gift of travel. You can buy day passes at business class lounges or gift certificates both for airlines and airport shopping. Just some of the gifts of travel...
Read More »»The Safest Airplanes in the World - World's Safest Airplanes
What makes one airplane safer than another? Are certain airplanes better than others? For those who travel, knowing what types of aircraft are the safest to fly on may be a factor in choosing your flights.
Beyond the structure of an airplane, certainly maintenance of a plane is a huge factor regarding safety. An airline's safety record also comes into play, as an airline may have a similar fleet with other airlines, but a very different safety record from each other. And there are the uncontrollable factors - weather, bird strikes, or ground debris to name a few.
Declaring one type of aircraft the safest in the world is not a simple task. If all airlines had exactly the same maintenance standards, and flew in the same conditions, it would perhaps be easier to pinpoint. Looking at statistics of how many incidents and crashes a type of airplane has incurred is one way to assess safety.
Airsafe maintains a list of Fatal Event Rates for Selected Airliner Models. According to their statistics the 5 safest types of airplanes are: Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Boeing 777, Boeing 717, and Boeing 737 (600-900 series). No turboprops are included in the list.
The Aviation Safety Network has one of the most comprehensive databases of aircraft safety statistics available on the web. In terms of turboprops, and according to their statistics (I'm using aircraft that first came into service after 1980), the safest turboprop aircraft, with the lowest number of fatalities are: Antonov 38 (first flight 1994 - O fatalities), SAAB 2000 (first flight 1992 - O fatalities), Sukhoi Su-80 (first flight 2001 - O fatalities), Let 610 (first flight 1988 - O fatalities). This list does not take into consideration the numbers of miles flown, simply fatalities.
An aircraft is often only as good as the airline that operates them, and barring nature's own challenges. There are planes that have been in service for over 25 years without incident, and newer ones that have crashed. In some situations, such as ice build-up, a jet may be safer, whereas in others, such as needing a short landing on a runway, a turboprop may have an advantage.
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