AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*The US Senate is debating making flight changes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, wants to add 5 daily, long-distance flights in and out of National and allow 16 existing short-haul flights from the Airport to become long-distance routes. Under a "perimeter rule" governing the Airport, flights of more than 1250 miles away are prohibited, except for 2 dozen flights daily. Hutchison's amendment would substantially increase the number of long-haul flights, a move Virginia and Maryland lawmakers have vigorously opposed because of noise complaints from residents living near the Airport. The Hutchison amendment is part of the debate surrounding the bill for FAA funding. The fight over adding more flights to Reagan has been one of several provision holding up the bill for the past 3 years.  

*Boeing is not yet completely satisfied with crosswind testing of the 787 because the airframer is still looking for the opportunity to operate the jet in adequately strong gusts. According to media reports, the 787 has undergone testing in Iceland, but the manufacturer wants to assess the 787's handling characteristics in a more "arduous regime". The reports said Boeing has tested the 787 up to 28kt, but is looking for gusts up to 50kt.

*Boeing confirmed late yesterday that that Dubai Aerospace Enterprise is the previously unidentified customer that cancelled 32 737s. The lessor continues to shed its backlog under the pressure of the global financial collapse. With this cancellation the UAE-based lessor shrinks its total 737 portfolio to 38, down from the original order for 70 placed in November 2007 as part of a 200 aircraft, $27.2 billion buying spree from Boeing and Airbus.

*BRITISH AIRWAYS said it will increase its fuel surcharge on long-haul flights for the 2nd time in 3 months. Starting Tuesday, passengers will pay at least an extra £12 per journey sector, taking the surcharge to between £75 and £125 depending on flight length and class of travel. BA said the increase was the result of the rising cost of oil and jet fuel since the last rise in December. Short-haul flights are unaffected by the changes.

*IRAN ASEMAN AIRLINES said it’s in negotiations to buy 6 used Airbus SAS A320 jetliners from an undisclosed seller to renew its fleet and improve safety in a country where sanctions prohibit the purchase of new aircraft. The 150-seat planes will replace aging Fokker 100s. Iran Aseman which operates 30 domestic routes and 7 international ones, has 19 Dutch-built Fokker 100s manufactured between 1990 and 1995. Carriers, including Iran Aseman and Iran Air, have struggled to keep planes flying amid international sanctions outlawing the purchase of spare parts and new jetliners from Airbus and Boeing. The cost of buying planes is high in the absence of access to foreign banks and export credit agencies, thus Iran Aseman will be forced to pay for the A320s in cash.

*A SKYWEST CRJ100 became stuck in the snow upon landing in Springfield, Illinois, on Thursday, February 3. According to media reports, the aircraft was on service for UNITED AIRLINES from Chicago to Springfield, and after rolling out without incident, the crew turned off onto an unplowed taxiway. Passengers were kept onboard during the 90 minutes it took ground staff to clear away the snow. The aircraft was not damaged.

*A JETBLUE A320 had to make an emergency diversion to Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday, February 3. The aircraft was enroute from Orlando, Florida, to Bogota, Colombia, when the crew received an indication of smoke onboard. Although there was no odor or visible signs of smoke, the Captain diverted as a precaution. After 3 hours on the ground, the aircraft was cleared to resume its flight to Bogota.