Year: 2010

Cessna CEO Pelton Says Pilot Shortage Looming

Cessna CEO Jack Pelton has been necessarily concerned about a
shortage of customers in the past 18 months but he’s shifted his gaze to a new
threat on the horizon and that’s a shortage of pilots. Pelton told the Aero
Club of Washington this week that the FAA estimates the number of student pilots will
hit a 10-year low this year. “This is a problem for all of us in aviation,
and all of us should be part of the solution,” Pelton said. “Fewer
pilots equate to less business for all of us, and it threatens the strong,
sustainable aviation system our nation counts on.”

United and Continental Close Merger Deal; Combine Into World’s Largest Airline

United and Continental closed the deal on Friday that will create the world’s biggest airline, although it will be months before it looks that way to travelers.

Southwest Airlines to Buy AirTran and Expand into New Markets

Southwest Airlines, the nation’s biggest low-cost carrier, said in a surprise announcement on Monday that it had agreed to buy its smaller rival AirTran Airways for $1.4 billion. The planned merger would be the third in the last two years in the battered airline industry, after Delta Air Lines bought Northwest in 2008, and the tie-up between United Airlines and Continental, due to be completed on Friday.

America’s Newest Heroes: Capt. Jack Conroyd and First Officer Larkin Newby

With all of the negative press at times about Airlines and pilot’s training it is great to see a Crew respond to their training and save the day. The Flight Crew who safely guided their stricken airliner to a safe landing at New York’s JFK Airport were Captain Jack Conroyd and ATP Graduate and ATP Regional Jet Program Instructor First Officer Larkin Newby.

American Eagle to Hire 200 Pilots in 2010 – 300 Pilots in 2011

American Eagle has informed ATP that it will continue to hire
pilots at a robust rate for the remainder of 2010. In addition, Eagle has
reported to ATP that they will hire even more, up to 300 new pilots, throughout
the year in 2011.

American Airlines Parent AMR Says 3Q Revenue Will Rise

American
Airlines parent AMR Corp. says a key third-quarter revenue figure will rise
between 9.8 percent and 10.8 percent compared with a year ago.

SkyWest August Traffic Rises 4.6 Percent

Regional
airline operator SkyWest Inc. said Thursday that August traffic increased 4.6
percent compared with a year ago but there were a few more empty seats due to
an ambitious expansion plan.

Airlines Could Find Experienced Pilots in Short Supply

Airlines seem to be starting to order aircraft in
respectable numbers again after a period in which cancellations or
postponements dominated. Airlines are ordering new airliners in increasing
numbers in what has become a steady stream of new contracts.

US Passenger Traffic and Profit Up in June From a Year Earlier

U.S. airlines carried 65 million passengers in June, the government said Thursday, 2.3 percent higher than the same month a year ago but still down from pre-recession levels.

New Airline Pilot Rest Rules Could Require More Pilots Be Hired

In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that reflects the universal nature of
pilot fatigue, the FAA on Friday announced a plan to fight crew fatigue at Part 121 carriers by setting new flight time, duty and rest requirements. The proposed rules would
be the same for all types of Part 121 flights (passenger and cargo airlines):
domestic, flag (international) or supplemental (unscheduled).