April 2011

On Friday, April 1, Southwest Airlines Flight 812 from Phoenix to Sacramento was forced to make an emergency landing at the Ariz.-based Yuma Marine Corps Air Station after the cabin lost air pressure. Of the 118 passengers and five crew members on board, only two minor injuries were reported.

Cargolux and British Airways have been fined a total of $NZ7.6 million by the High Court of New Zealand for their roles in a price-fixing case brought by the country's Commerce Commission. On March 18, Cargolux, BA and Qantas agreed to plead guilty to the charges. Qantas has not yet been fined, but it has been reported that it will receive a punishment of more than $NZ6 million.

In an address to the Wings Club in New York City, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director Giovanni Bisignani encouraged the U.S. government to reconsider its approach to aviation. After all, he said, to remain a global powerhouse, the United States needs to think strategically.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently approved a measure presented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) and the Air Transport Association (ATA) to test a new crewmember screening system. The system is designed to increase efficiency and streamline processes.

DHL will soon unveil Africa Connect, a road-freight solution that will offer strong connections between the regional trade hubs of Mombasa and Dar es Salam, Spain and Morocco, and Johannesburg and Cape Town.

A Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) search team has discovered wreckage from the June 2009 Air France crash off the northeastern coast of Brazil. The Airbus A330, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killed 216 passengers and 12 crewmembers. There were no survivors.

A recent poll conducted by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) indicates that most Americans advocate increased aviation safety funding. What’s more, an overwhelming number of those polled support full Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding and investment in the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

The nearly 1,300 aircraft mechanics that work for UPS have accepted a new contract that will keep them in health benefits until Nov. 1, 2013. The contract also includes a 17 percent raise.

In the latest move toward meaningful implementation of e-freight, DHL Global Forwarding and Cathay Pacific Cargo have teamed up to promote the Electronic Security Declaration in the UK market.