AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*Canadian airframer Bombardier has revealed plans to deliver the 1st dual-class Q400 turboprop to an existing customer this summer. The disclosure follows a decision by all the US major carriers to introduce two-class products on their 70 and 90-seat aircraft operated by their regional partners. Bombardier disclosed the plans during a briefing yesterday. The Q400 will feature 64 economy seats and 7 in first class in a three abreast layout. The 1st aircraft is being delivered to an existing Q400 customer, and all the deliveries in the specific order would feature the dual class configuration. Bombardier also plans to work with the operator to retrofit Q400s with a new first class. Bombardier declined to disclose the customer, but UNITED-CONTINENTAL Holdings has reported interest offering premium seats on its Q400s. PINNACLE AIRLINES subsidiary COLGAN AIR currently operates 29 Q400s for United-Continental, with the 30th aircraft scheduled for delivery in August. Colgan stated a two-class Q400 operation at United-Continental is "in the works", and said Colgan would likely start retrofitting its fleet next year.

*UNITED AIRLINES apologized for briefly restarting use of flight numbers of 2 planes that crashed after being hijacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. A United spokesman blamed the reuse of Flight numbers 93 and 175 on a "technical error". He said the carrier has taken steps to have the numbers removed from its computers. The numbers were loaded erroneously May 16 for CONTINENTAL AIRLINES flights. The 2 carriers are in the process of merging.

*BMI BABY has announced 7 new destinations for Summer 2012. The carrier announced that it will begin service from East Midlands Airport to Gibraltar, Corfu, Murcia and Naples, and from Birmingham Airport to Lisbon, Rome (Fiumicino) and Barcelona.  In addition, bmibaby will launch year round flights to Cologne from East Midlands Airport and to Prague from Birmingham Airport.

*The World Trade Organization's appellate body has partially upheld a June 2010 ruling against state subsidies to Airbus but has overturned certain conclusions on A380 funding, leaving both Airbus and Boeing once again claiming victory. The appellate body said it upheld the WTO panel's earlier finding that certain subsidies provided by the European Union to Airbus were incompatible with WTO rules "because they caused serious prejudice to the interests of the United States". Boeing has applauded the appellate body's report, which the US manufacturer said "confirmed that Airbus received $18 billion in illegal launch aid, adding that Europe "must comply within 6 months". But Airbus responded that the report "confirmed definitively that government loans are a legal instrument and that none of the government loans made to Airbus over the past 40 years were prohibited".

*Russia's MAK has proposed a new joint investigation with Polish investigators into the April 2010 crash of the POLISH AIR FORCE Tupolev TU154 in Smolensk, Russia, that killed the President of Poland and 95 others. As part of the joint probe, official investigative documents would be shared by both countries and Polish investigators would be allowed to study the wreckage of the Tupolev, which has been stored at the Smolensk Airport since the crash. In January 2011, Russia published its Final Report into the crash, placing much of the blame on the Captain of the Tupolev, coupled with poor weather. of the crash. Poland rejected the Report, saying Russia's probe was "unacceptable".

*Philippine President Benigno Aquino lll arrived with members of his cabinet unannounced at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila yesterday, to inspect a collapsed ceiling there that hurt 2 workers on Tuesday. Aquino also brought an architect to the site to assess the damage and to talk with Airport and Transport Department engineers. Media reports say that Terminal 1, which is over 28 years old, was "falling apart" as a result of its age and the damage caused by several earthquakes. Portions of the terminal’s ceiling fell down on the baggage area, pictured, around 5:15am on Tuesday morning, hurting a baggage loader for DELTA AIRLINES and a female security guard, who was reported still in serious condition on Wednesday. Parts of the ceiling also collapsed later on the same day, but no one was reported hurt. Except for the state-run Government Service Insurance System, no other insurance companies were willing to insure Terminal 1 for any property damage due to its overall condition.

*Indonesia's MERPATI NUSANTARA AIRLINES has reported that overseas leasing firms might withdraw their aircraft from the carrier. The president director of Merpati told lawmakers on Wednesday that the company still owed $4 million as of May 1 to 8 companies that had provided aircraft to the carrier. The president said that although the debt has decreased signficantly from 1 year ago, they still face the prospect of the lessors pulling their aircraft. Merpati has a fleet of 34 aircraft, but did not specifiy how many aircraft were in danger of being pulled. The carrier is still reeling from the May 7 crash of a Merpati Xian MA60 at Kaimana, Indonesia, that killed all 25 passengers and crew onboard.

*Singapore’s TIGER AIRWAYS and an Indonesian strategic investment company have stepped in to save Indonesia’s floundering MANDALA AIRLINES. Tiger said it would assume control the 33% of Mandala’s share, with the Saratoga Group becoming the main shareholder with 51%. Mandala will operate domestic flights based on Tiger’s business plan and will operate Airbus A320 aircraft. Mandala had transferred a number of their pilots to Tiger Airways when the carrier suspended operation under a mountain of debt.

*The governor of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, announced yesterday that a new carrier, KALTIM AIRLINES, is making plans to begin service in August. A holding company for the carrier was established on Tuesday, however a Transport Ministry spokesman said it normally takes 3 months to secure an Airline operator's license, thus the Ministry said the carrier may not be able to begin operations in August. Details about routes, aircraft and pricing, has not yet been released.

*Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is considering allowing a 1-to-50 ratio of cabin crew to passengers for all aircraft carrying between 20 to 216 passengers. The move would bring Australia into line with most other nations. Existing regulations stipulate a 1-to-36 crew-to-passenger ratio, but the big carriers says they're outdated and make it difficult for them to compete globally, and they want change. Unions are speaking out against the change, warning that passengers will have less chance of surviving a crash if crew ratios for domestic flights are reduced.

*SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Flight 1112, a Boeing 737, was removed from service prior to departure from Seattle, Washington, yesterday, May 18. According to media reports, the aircraft was still at that gate, with 56 passengers and crew onboard, when the crew reported a haze in the passenger cabin. The passengers and crew were then offloaded and placed on another aircraft for their flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. According to Airport officials, no emergency was declared and no smoke or flames were observed in the passenger cabin. The 737 is currently undergoing inspection.

*AMERICAN AIRLINES Flight 613, a Boeing 767, had to make an emergency medical diversion to Norfolk, Virgina, yesterday, May 18. While enroute from New York JFK to Miami, Florida, and near Norfolk, Virginia, the crew reported a male passenger had fallen ill and requested diversion to Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. Moments later, the crew requested diversion to Norfolk, due to the passenger's worsening condition. The 767 landed safely in Norfolk about 15 minutes after first requesting diversion, however the passenger had died shortly before touchdown. No other details were released regarding the passenger. The 767 remained in Norfolk overnight and was due to depart for Miami early this morning.

*MESA AIR Flight 3782, a CRJ700 on service for UNITED AIRLINES, had to make an emergency return to Providence, Rhode Island, yesterday, May 18. While on their initial climb, the crew requested return, reporting an indication that the landing gear had failed to retract. The CRJ, enroute to Chicago OHare, landed safely back in Providence about 40 minutes after its initial deparutre. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repairs.

*EUROLOT Flight 3903, an ATR72, had to make an emergency return to Warsaw, Poland, yesterday, May 18, after the crew shut down an engine for unspecified reasons while on their initial climb. The ATR, enroute to Krakow, Poland, landed safely and was then removed from service for inspection and repairs.

*ADA AEROLINEA DE ANTIOQUIA Flight 7928, a Jetstream 32, had to make an emergency diversion to Monteria, Colombia, on Tuesday, May 17, after the crew shut down the right hand engine for unspecified technical reasons. The aircraft, enroute from Corozal to Barranquilla, Colombia, landed safely and was then removed from service for inspection and repairs.

*An AIR CUENCA Boeing 737 veered off the runway after landing in Cuenca, Ecuador, on Friday, May 13. The 737, inbound from Quito, Ecuador, touched down in rain and just veered off the end of the runway as it was about to turn onto the taxiway. The aircraft came to rest with its nose and left main gear on soft ground, pictured above. None of the 121 passengers or 5 crew members onboard were injured and the aircraft suffered only minor damage in the incident. Ecuadorian aviation officials are investigating.

*DNIPROAVIA Flight 4, an ERJ145, had to reject takeoff from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, on Monday, April 25. The incident wast just made public yesterday. According to reports, the crew rejected takeoff for Kiev, Ukriane, at low speed due to a low N1 reading of the left hand engine. They were able to slow the aircraft on the runway and taxi to the apron. The Ukraine Ministry of Transport said the engine failed due to insufficient fuel supply due to the failure of the Fuel Pump Metering Unit. The FPMU was replaced and the ERJ returned to service. According to the Ministry office, the faulty FPMU has been sent to the manufacturer for analysis.