Extended Briefs:

Obama Signs Bill On EU Emissions Program

The new law was a response to an EU program that places a cap on carbon dioxide emissions from industrial polluters. Early this year, the law was expanded to include all airlines flying into and out of Europe. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) also welcomes final passage of the EU-ETS prohibition act. EU-ETS was unilaterally imposed on the aviation industry by the 27 member states of the European Union as a market-based solution to greenhouse gas emissions. Aviation operators were to have begun purchasing carbon credits for exchange on the open market by the end of April 2013. It was estimated that EU-ETS would cost the U.S. aviation industry $3.1 billion and thousands of jobs over the next decade.

Report: Private Airport Towers Just As Safe, Cheaper

As reported by CNN, contract towers cost on average $537,000 a year to operate, compared with $2 million for comparably busy towers staffed by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General. In addition, the contract towers had a "significantly lower number and rate of safety incidents," the report says. The report notes a large difference in operating costs mainly due to lower staffing and salary levels at contract towers. Contract towers had an average of six controllers, while FAA towers had 16. A typical contract controller near Tampa, Florida, received a base salary of $56,000 per year compared with a base salary ranging from $63,000 to $85,000 a year for an FAA controller in Sarasota, Florida, the study relates.

Briefs:

ALASKA AIRLINES — At airports in Anchorage, Portland, and Seattle, the airline has finished installing 200 additional electrical outlets, each of which includes a 120-volt receptacle and two USB ports.

ATLANTIC CITY AIRPORT — is now equipped to handle scheduled foreign flights with the opening of a $25 million expansion project expected to pave the way for new service.The 75,000-sq. ft. expansion adds three new gates at the airport for a total of ten, and expands the baggage-claim area.

BOMBARDIER — delivers to NetJets its first Signature Series Global 6000 jet. NetJets recently introduced the NetJets Signature Series aircraft, which are new aircraft that will be entering the NetJets fleet that are customized from design through production.

DELTA AIR LINES — Corporate travel managers again rated Delta Air Lines No. 1 in this year's Business Travel News Annual Airline Survey. The airline ranked first among all carriers in key categories including: value of relationships with account managers and sales representatives; distribution channels; complaint/problem resolution; quality of customer service; and networks, airline partnerships and frequencies.

DENVER INT’L AIRPORT — Jeppesen has completed the design and delivery of area navigation with required navigation performance-based (RNAV RNP) arrivals to improve efficiencies at the airport. Designed in collaboration with FAA and other stakeholders, the 24-month project will improve runway performance, reduce pilot and controller workload, aircraft fuel burn, greenhouse gas emissions, and cut aircraft noise.

EMBRAER — The company's midsize Legacy 500 aircraft made a successful first flight, marking the beginning of its flight test program. Deliveries of the first aircraft are expected to begin in 2014.

FAA — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), has lifted his hold on the nomination of Michael Huerta as administrator of the FAA, noting that the agency requires consistent leadership at a time of wide-ranging changes in the nation's aviation system. The South Carolina senator had blocked a final Senate vote on Huerta's nomination ever since Huerta was approved in July by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

JET EDGE INTERNATIONAL — is the newest charter operator to join the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF). Along with 96 other companies, Jet Edge now supports the ACSF's vision to enable on-demand air charter providers and fractional program managers to achieve the highest levels of safety.

NTSB — urges the implementation of fire suppression systems in all cargo planes. Federal investigators say the government should require fire suppression systems in all cargo containers or compartments of planes to prevent the kind of ferocious in-flight blazes that have killed four cargo pilots over the past six years.

TAC AIR — Salt Lake City (SLC) and Provo (PVU) are now part of the Phillips 66 Aviation-branded dealer network. TAC Air acquired the Salt Lake City and Provo FBOs this year, building the general aviation chain to 14 locations, 12 of which are in the Phillips 66 Aviation network.

WATERTOWN INT’L AIRPORT — the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency looks to 45 acres of undeveloped land east of the airport’s taxiway that it owns for the establishment of the corporate park. The park is envisioned as a hub for transportation and logistics businesses that rely on air transportation.

WESTJET — introduces self-serve baggage tagging for its guests flying to the U.S. from Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal. Having launched the same service Nov. 7, 2012, in Calgary, WestJet is the first Canadian airline to introduce self-serve baggage tagging on non-stop transborder flights.