Aircraft mechanics at bankrupt American Airlines voted to reject the company’s “final best” contract proposal because it isn’t the last and it’s a long way from being the best the company can offer the Transport Workers Union, workers say.

“Mechanics didn’t vote “no” out of anger, we voted “no” because it was a bad contract and we are content to continue to negotiate along with the pilots and flight attendants until we get offered a good one,” said Dan McCoy, a 25-year American mechanic at the Maintenance & Engineering Center and a member of TWU Local 514 in Tulsa.

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American mechanics say offer was substandard

Ready to redeem your frequent-flier miles and reward points for a plane ticket? You’ll probably get a seat on Southwest, but good luck with Delta, at least at the basic redemption level.

Southwest Airlines  has the best availability of award seats among U.S. airlines on travel dates this year between April and October, according to an annual survey by IdeaWorks Co., a travel consultancy that made 6,680 queries on 23 airline websites testing availability. The worst among U.S. airlines: Delta Air Lines  and US Airways. Those two had no seats available at the lowest mileage level on about two out of every three inquires, or worse.

Availability increased this year at British Airways and United Airlines, along with JetBlue Airways, Southwest and its AirTran Airways unit. And it is tougher this year to get standard-level award tickets at American Airlines, which is undergoing bankruptcy reorganization.

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Best Airlines for Redeeming Miles

 NEW YORK — Attorneys for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants began making their case against American Airlines Wednesday afternoon in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Testifying first for the union was its president, Laura Glading.

She rejected American’s proposed cuts as too deep, and said the airline’s offer would send flight attendants into poverty.

“I think what I was trying to say is ‘Look: If you want to kill us, shoot us yourselves. We’re not going to take the gun and do it ourselves,” Glading said.

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AA flight attendants make their case in court

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (PNCLQ), the bankrupt airline won approval to borrow as much as $74.3 million from Delta Airlines Inc. after a judge overruled objections from a group of shareholders.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber in Manhattan court today approved the company’s request for the so-called debtor- in-possession loan that will fund operations in bankruptcy. The loan requires Pinnacle to take on money-losing contracts to provide services to Delta and sets a timeline for it to renegotiate labor terms with its unions and file an exit plan.

“It’s undisputed that Delta is the only game in town and that the debtor desperately needs this money,” Gerber said, as he heard hours of testimony over whether Delta had tilted Pinnacle into bankruptcy and created onerous loan terms for its own benefit.

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Pinnacle Airlines Can Take Delta’s $74 Million Loan

The May-June 2012 California Pilots Association newsletter is now online at CALPILOTS.org. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Ben Sclair. No comments. © GAN 2012.

CALPILOTS newsletter online

It’s no surprise to anyone in the aviation industry to hear that the pilot population is shrinking. Sure, it’s sad – but it’s not a surprise. We all know it’s shrinking. If only there were something we could do to reverse that trend.
Good news — there is. In fact that trend can be reversed relatively easily, and reasonably quickly, too. I know that’s true because it’s happening right here in my neighborhood. With a little nudge from you and your aviation-minded friends, it could happen in your neighborhood, too. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Jamie Beckett. 1 comment. © GAN 2012.

Don’t ask, don’t tell

I want to share a resource with you that takes high level security concepts and brings them down to earth. Do you want to know the latest ideas on security lighting? Maybe you don’t, not because security lighting isn’t important, but perhaps you’re too busy to read and digest the meaning of an author’s words. Wouldn’t it be easier to see examples of, say, bad and good security lighting? Security by Design, a part of the Association of Chief Police Officers and headquartered in London, England, created a practical toolkit for improving security. The toolkit deals with residential areas, but with a little imagination the concepts it presents can easily be applied to airports and airport businesses. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Dave Hook. No comments. © GAN 2012.

Security toolkit from across the pond

A couple of years ago I created a website to sell aviation-related items that publicize flying on unleaded auto fuel, or mogas as we call it. One bumper sticker that I created has proven to be prescient, “What You Going To Do When the TEL Runs Out?” That date may be rapidly approaching. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Kent Misegades. No comments. © GAN 2012.

TEL: Is there a Plan B ?

DuPage Airport (DPA), a general aviation airport in the Chicago area, is preparing for the increased and diverted air traffic that will accompany the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) conference in Chicago May 19?21. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Janice Wood. No comments. © GAN 2012.

DPA prepares for boost in traffic from NATO conference

US Airways considers nonstop Asia flights from Philadelphia International

Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation Names New Chief Operating Officer, Chief People Officer and Vice President – Finance and Controller

The U.S. Department of Transportation has rejected a proposal by Sun Country Airlines to offer daily nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Minneapolis-based Sun Country, which has 13 flights a week between Minneapolis and McCarran International Airport, had applied for two of eight takeoff and landing slots at National Airport.

National Airport — popular with lawmakers and government workers because of its close proximity to the Capitol — restricts the number of flights to and from points more than 1,250 miles away as a means of pushing traffic to Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington.

The Department of Transportation offered eight additional slots ­— basically, four round-trip flights — and seven airlines applied for them. Sun Country proposed flying the route with 129-seat Boeing 737 jets.

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Sun Country Airlines’ proposal denied for flights from D.C. to Las Vegas

American Airlines ground workers split over a final contract offer from the company that would spare some jobs targeted for elimination.

The Transport Workers Union said Tuesday that five work groups voted to accept the company’s offer but two others, including the biggest, aircraft mechanics, rejected it.

Pilots, flight attendants and the TWU have already thrown their support to a bid by US Airways to take over American and create a bigger combined airline.

AMR Corp.’s American Airlines is trying to throw out other union contracts to cut costs as it goes through bankruptcy protection. A hearing on that move continued Tuesday in federal district court in New York.

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American Airlines ground workers split on contract

The first customer-built Onex single-place, folding-wing, aerobatic sport aircraft has taken flight, Sonex Aircraft officials report. Bill Fisher of Jackson, Tennessee, flew his AeroVee powered, standard gear Onex, serial number ONX0018, for the first time on Thursday, May 10. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Janice Wood. No comments. © GAN 2012.

First customer-built Onex takes flight

Hartzell Propeller has received an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a 3-bladed propeller conversion kit for the Cessna 182S, 182T Skylane, T182T Skylane TC, up through models in current production. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Janice Wood. No comments. © GAN 2012.

Hartzell introduces Top Prop for Skylane

The Florida Aviation Trades Association’s Annual Conference & Trade Show, slated for June 11-13, will feature industry leaders, including AOPA’s Craig Fuller, NBAA’s Ed Bolen, Simon Caldecott of Piper Aircraft, Adam Miller of HangarChat.com, Jeff Kohlman, Aviation Management Consulting Group, and others that want to share pertinent information about general aviation. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Janice Wood. No comments. © GAN 2012.

Florida general aviation conference coming up

The North Texas Business Aviation Association (NTBAA) has partnered with Global Aerospace to present an “Operational Human Factors – Fatigue and Professionalism” seminar on June 7 in Dallas. Continue Reading »

===> Posted on May 16th, 2012 by Janice Wood. No comments. © GAN 2012.

Human Factors seminar slated

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive… airBaltic Appoints a New Chief Operations Officer