AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*PORTER AIRLINES is adding the Ontario cities of Sault Ste. Marie and Windsor to its route map this Spring. On April 27, Porter will begin 3x daily service from Windsor to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, while Sault Ste. Marie 2x daily service to Billy Bishop will commence on May 4. The carrier is also doubling its daily service to 2x daily service between Sudbury and Billy Bishop. That service change will also begin on April 27.

*An unidentified customer has canceled an order for 8 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The order has been struck from the Boeing order book, however the airframer has not yet disclosed the cancelling customer.

*A UK theme park has been criticized by Pilots over the park’s plan to build a ride with scenes from an airliner crash not far from Heathrow and Gatwick Airport's. Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, says the 125ft tall rollercoaster will depict a post-apocalyptic crash scene, with the wreckage of a helicopter, rescue vehicles and a crashed jet airliner. The British Airline and Pilot Association (BALPA) called the proposal "tasteless" and said it will be a grim ­reminder of the 1972 BEA Trident crash which claimed 118 lives in nearby Staines. The Trident, pictured above, came down minutes after takeoff from Heathrow due to a deep stall. However, the mayor who organizes the annual memorial for the 1972 crash, felt enough time had passed that Thorpe Park was not "stepping over the line" in terms of taste. The park has submitted the planning application but there is no word on when construction would begin.

*The runway excursion by a TRAVEL SERVICE Boeing 737 at Terceira's Lajes Airport in the Azores on Thursday, may not have been the Pilot's fault. The 737, arriving from Warsaw, Poland, touched down on runway 33 at 8:27am and veered to the runway edge. The aircraft impacted and destroyed a number of runway lights before coming to a stop. No one onboard Flight 940 was injured and the 737 suffered no damage. According to media reports from Portugal, at the time of the incident the runway was being resurfaced with the western half of the runway closed. The entire length of the runway was available, however just half of the width. The approach lights and approach aids were not aligned with new resulting, yet temporary, center line. Portugese officials are investigating the incident.

*Russia's flagship Airline AEROFLOT opened its own flight school in Moscow on Friday. The school will allow the carrier to cut its Pilot training costs and reduce Russia's Pilot deficit. According to the carrier, the demand for Pilots is "constantly growing". They said they alone need to hire 250 new Pilots each year, while the industry in Russia alone, needs at least 800. The school will use advanced methodology and equipment to train Pilots initially for the Airbus A320, and later for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 and other passenger planes. Aeroflot plans to train 160 Pilots a year. A 2 year training course will include an 18 month foundation course at the Ulyanovsk Higher Civil Aviation School and 6 months of contract based training at the Aeroflot flight school. After 2013, Aeroflot will start training Pilots for other Russian carriers Founded by the Russian Government in 1923, Aeroflot is among the world's oldest Airlines and one of Russia's most recognized brands. Aeroflot's fleet, which is among Europe's most modern and fastest growing, consists of over 100 aircraft, with its backbone formed by the Airbus A320-family, and A330 and Boeing B767 planes.

*Middle Eastern carrier ETIHAD AIRWAYS is ordering another 3 Boeing 777 twinjets. Etihad's order is disclosed in an update to Boeing's order books and follows the Abu Dhabi-based Airline's reduction of its own 787 backlog by 4 aircraft. Boeing has not detailed the 777 variant being acquired by Etihad. But the Airline had 15 777-300ERs on order from 2004 as well as a single 777 freighter from a later agreement. Both types are powered by General Electric GE90 engines.

*India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced yesterday that they have uncovered a 4th Pilot with fake creditionals. According to the DGCA, an AIR INDIA Pilot became a Captain by allegedly faking mark sheets of the Airline Transport Pilot licence (ATPL) exam. Per Indian law, a Co-Piot must take and pass the ATPL exam before moving into the Captain's seat. According to media reports, he has been handed over to the police. The disclosure follows 3 other recent incidents of Pilots with fake credentials. The Pilots, 2 with INDIGO and 1 with MDLR, who have all reportedly fled from authorities, face criminal prosecution when they are found.

*ALASKA AIRLINES Flight 307, a Boeing 737, had to reject takeoff from Palm Springs, California, yesterday, March 12. According to the carrier, the crew rejected takeoff due to a left hand engine compressor stall. The 737 was removed from service for repairs.

*KULULA.COM Flight 751, a Boeing 737, had to make an emergency return to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on Friday, March 11. While on their initial climb, the left hand engine failed with a loud bang. The crew shut the engine down and landed safely back at Port Elizabeth. The 737 was removed from service for repairs.