Blog Archives
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I first met Norman Y. Mineta …
- Thursday July 13, 2006… back in 1985. I was the media guy for the National Air Transportation Association. Then-U.S. Representative Mineta was midway into a 20-year career representing the district around San Jose, CA, which subsequently named its international airport for him. Mineta was the key draw for NATA’s annual convention that year. Upon first meeting Mineta – and in subsequent meetings – one is first struck by his demeanor. He’s calm; measured; a gentleman. Such traits perhaps account for much of his success in forming coalitions, getting legislation passed, and advancing the cause of aviation. For the latter he is much credited. While talking this week with Eric Byer, VP of government affairs for NATA, he summed... -
Airbus Revisited
- Tuesday July 4, 2006News out of Europe this week is that co-chief executive Noel Forgeard of EADS, parent of Airbus, and Gustav Humbert, CEO of the aircraft manufacturer, are being pushed out – more fallout from the recent news of delivery delays for the double-decker airliner, the A380. And, as reported in The Wall Street Journal (July 3), Foregeard and other EADS executives are under scrutiny for sales of the company’s stock in March, just prior to announcements in A380 delays.  During an interview this week with Steve Van Beek, executive vice president of policy for Airports Council International-North America (for an upcoming August feature in AIRPORT BUSINESS), the discussion turned to the A380 and the investments airports have either... -
Questions at Airbus
- Friday June 23, 2006News of late from Airbus has been nothing short of startling, centered around the manufacturer's announcement that it will be delaying deliveries of the much-anticipated A380 airliner. Singapore Airlines, the launch customer, reacted by ordering 20 787 'Dreamliners' from Boeing. Recent articles in The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times highlight the OEM's plight … - "Canceling the A380 altogether should be an option on the table." (TWSJ, June 20, Richard Aboulafia, Teal Group) - "Last week’s shock warning that A380 deliveries would be delayed by six to seven months because of production problems has plunged Airbus and EADS, its parent company, into crisis." (F.T., June 21) Also following the announcement, leasing... -
A Questionable Approach
- Wednesday June 7, 2006Reading the mission of the Business Travel Coalition (BTC), via its website (www.btcweb.biz), finds the following: “Our organization seeks to bring transparency to travel industry policies and practices so that customers can influence industry and public policy issues of strategic importance to them.†Founded in 1994 and based in Radnor, PA, the BTC does a good job of getting its PR into the general media. Its most recent position, however, is one that seems a bit farfetched. On June 1, BTC came out in support of a call by the U.S. House to have the General Accountability Office (GAO) study the “best use of a Dallas Love Field closed to commercial airline traffic.†This falls in line with BTC’s other position... -
TSA: Now Hear This
- Monday May 22, 2006Two years ago while attending an air cargo conference in New Orleans I was struck by the attitude of attendees toward the Transportation Security Administration. Instead of the growing animosity toward TSA that seemed to be pervasive at many industry gatherings, the attitude among the cargo group seemed to be more collaborative. A very active industry working group was integrally involved in making recommendations for TSA’s final air cargo security rule, which was released last week. This comes to mind primarily due to a phone interview on Friday with Pam Hamilton, who heads up the air cargo division for TSA. The final rule is expected to be published (probably this week) in the Federal Register. According to Hamilton, the rule is... -
Lessons Learned - 'United 93'
- Thursday May 11, 2006It's about a war and a system challenge The nation, it seems, is split: those who remember 9/11 and the reasons we are in a war on terrorists; and, those want to forget it ever happened, recall our troops, and put our collective head back into the sand – which, of course, is what led to 9/11 in the first place. The first message from viewing the movie "United 93" is that everyone who remembers why we're fighting should take everyone who doesn't to see this film. "United 93" brings home that fateful day. It's a wakeup call for those who have gone to sleep on the dangers we face today, and on the perspective that the terrorists bring to the battle. Our determination must match and exceed theirs. Much of the movie focuses on the... -
More from AAAE in San Diego ...
- Thursday May 4, 2006FAA Administrator Marion Blakey says the ultimate goal is a "robust AIP (Airport Improvement Program);" the proposed cuts to AIP for FY07 are themselves robust. Talking to airports here at the annual meeting of the American Association of Airport Executives, Blakey says the cuts don't reflect the importance the Administration places on the program, nor the necessary funding levels. Which of course leads to FAA's current call for a new way to fund the system - a plan which has been formulated but not yet publicized. Blakey says she expects it to be in the near future; observers say we might not find out the details until after November's elections. Blakey says that despite proposed Administration cuts, the agency should be able to "support... -
Budget Debate Heats Up as Airports Meet
- Monday April 24, 2006SAN DIEGO -- Money, money, money that's what is on the minds of airports and aviation these days. The Bush Administration is calling for more than $700 million in cuts from the authorized level for the Airport Improvement Program for FY07, which begins October 1. At the same time, after FY07, nothing is authorized by Congress regarding aviation spending; thus, a concurrent debate is ensuing on how to fund the system in the future and at what levels. This is the central focus as airports from around the country meet this week in San Diego for the annual convention of the American Association of Airport Executives. Kate Lang, deputy administrator for airports for FAA, was an opening day speaker at this year's event and she tells airports... -
NATA Takes on the IRS, to Little Avail
- Friday April 14, 2006Last year, as part of the Highway Bill, Congress decided that jet fuel should be taxed at the highway diesel fuel rate (24.4 cents/gallon) and not the historic jet-A rate (21.9 cents/gallon). There was a concern that commercial operators were siphoning off the cheaper jet-A for use in diesel-related operations. Problem is, that extra three cents/gallon or so adds up, and it is adding up in the Highway Trust Fund coffers and not that of the Aviation Trust Fund. The intent by Congress was for the Internal Revenue Service to create a reasonable system by which the people stuck in the middle of all of this the fixed base operators/fuel providers could help facilitate refunds for non-commercial users (their customers). Well, the National Air... -
New Directions at Southwest
- Friday April 7, 2006Southwest Airlines announced this week that it has requested leases on two gates at Washington Dulles International Airport. So much for the secondary airport model in a little more than a year, Southwest has added Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Denver to their route structure. Now Dulles, a major international airport and one that lies some 60 miles from Baltimore-Washington International, where Southwest dominates with some 160 flights a day. Two observations 1) This is another arrow in the quiver for Dulles, which is quickly becoming the predominant airport force in the Baltimore-Washington region, domestically and internationally. 2) The Southwest model is evolving rapidly. One has to wonder, as Delta's pilots threaten to strike and...
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