AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*A study that was sparked by a 2008 FAA report that indicates the Atlanta area is badly in need of a new reliever Airport, has found that there is basically no place in the city to put a new Airport. According to media reports, the study, conducted by the Atlanta Airport Authority and funded largely by the FAA, found no suitable location for a 2nd large commercial airport within a 100 mile radius of downtown Atlanta. The study focused on 29 sites, and while 8 were identified as being compatible with such an Airport, each would be confronted by insurmountable environmental or airspace "challenges". The report also says that there is significant opposition from residents near all of the locations and that Airlines themselves are resisting the talk of a new Airport for fear of diluting existing business from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which is pictured above.

*Boeing has unveiled a new rendering to investors of a larger-variant 787, designated the 787-10X. According to reports, it appears shorter than the last rendering of the aircraft, the 787-10 unveiled in 2007, when the twinjet would have been optimized to supplant the 777-200ER with comparable range and payload. Reports also say the new the new twinjet, a simple fuselage stretch of the 787-9, would include 43 more seats than its smaller 270 seat sister.

*DAE DUTCH ANTILLES EXPRESS is facing bankrupty, perhaps as soon as today, after the carrier failed to hand over a $1.5 million dollar bank guarantee. Should the carrier cease operations, Curacao based INSEL AIR is rumoured to be in the running to take over the routes. DAE, also based in Curacao, has a fleet of 5 aircraft and operates high-frequency scheduled services in the Dutch Caribbean and to Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.

*Irish carrier AER LINGUS faces the prospect of more industrial disruption following the decision by its Pilots to vote for industrial action over new duty rosters. If the action goes ahead from the indicated date of  June 7,  it will have "a significant adverse effect on profitability, occurring as it does in the peak summer season", the carrier said in a statement. Aer Lingus said that in the notice of forthcoming industrial action served by the union, Pilots based both in Dublin and Cork had indicated they would not work on rostered free days or annual leave days and would report for duty 1 hour later than their rostered times. The carrier said the withdrawal of flexibility would "destroy our ability to operate a proper schedule as we will miss Airport slot times, parking stands, gate positions and will be unable to fulfil flight connections for customers".

*CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES has placed an order with Boeing for 6 777 freighters. In a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange, China Southern said the aircraft will be delivered between 2013 and 2015. The carrier already operates a fleet of 5 777-200 freighters. China Southern said the aircraft acquisition will enable it to expand its cargo division.

*AIR FRANCE Flight 1533, an A320, had to make an emergency return to Athens, Greece, yesterday, May 30. While climbing thru 4000 feet, the crew reported a sea gull had impacted the left hand engine while on rotation for takeoff. The crew reported no engine failure and asked if any debris was found on the runway. They then leveled off at 10000 feet, reporting engine parameter problems and engine vibrations. The crew then circled briefly to burn off fuel, before landing safely back in Athens, about 30 minutes after their initial departure. The Airbus was removed from service for inspection and repairs and a replacement aircraft was brought in to complete the flight to Paris, France. Airport officials said the only debris found on the runway was the remnants of the sea gull.

*BELAVIA Flight 894, a Boeing 737, had to make an emergency diversion to Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, May 29. While enroute at 37000 feet, from Frankfurt, Germany, to Minsk, Belarus, the crew declared an emergency, reporting the loss of cabin pressure. They then performed an emergency descent down to 10000 feet and were then diverted to Warsaw, where they safely landed about 1 hour later. A replacement aircraft was brought in to complete the flight to Minsk. About 7 hours later, the incident aircraft was ferried to Minsk at 25000 feet, where it will undergo a full inspection and repairs.

*MERIDIANA Flight 2129, an A320, had to make an emergency diversion to Ancona, Italy, on Saturday, May 29. While enroute at 38000 feet from Rhodes, Greece, to Bologna, Italy, and overhead the Adriatic Sea, the crew declared an emergency, reporting the loss of cabin pressure. They performed an emergency descent, at which time the passenger O2 masks were deployed. The Airbus landed safely in Ancona, where it was removed from service for inspection and repairs. The passengers onboard Flight 2129 were then bussed to Bologna.

*THAI AIRWAYS Flight 602, an A330, had to make an emergency return to Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, May 27, after the crew had to shut down the left hand engine while on their initial climb. The Airbus landed safely back in Bangkok and was removed from service for repairs. A replacement A330 was dispatched for the flight to Hong Kong. According to media reports, a passenger said the engine failed with 2 loud bangs.

*DELTA AIRLINES Flight 2060, an MD88, had to divert to Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday, May 20, due to unruly passenger. While enroute from Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia, the crew requested the diversion due to the conduct of a 40 year old male passenger. Upon arrival in Memphis, the man was arrested. According to reports, the aircraft was delayed in departing DFW and the male passenger had spent the time in the Airport bar. Onboard, the man said to the female passenger sitting next to him that he was an Air Marshall and that he had a canister of gas onboard that could put everyone to sleep. Later, he pulled out a butane lighter and lit it. The female passenger then went to the lavatory and left a note for the cabin crew in there about the behaviour of the man. The cabin crew found the note and notified the flight crew, who diverted the aircraft. The man faces multiple federal charges and has been ordered to trial.