AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*US Airlines collected almost $5.7 billion from baggage fees and reservation change fees in 2010, according to the Airline financial data released this week by the US DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The Airlines received $3.4 billion from baggage fees and $2.3 billion from reservation change fees in 2010. These are the only fees paid by passengers that BTS can identify separately. All other fees paid by passengers are included in larger categories with other types of revenue. The Air Transport Association defended the fee structure. In a statement, a spokeswoman said the carriers require the revenue to "add routes, add workers, and buy new airplanes." She said the fees are structured in such a way that passengers can pick and choose to pay for the "products and services they value".

*VIRGIN AMERICA  is to be the launch customer for the CFM International Leap-X powerplant for its Airbus A320neo twinjets. It will put the engines on 30 A320neos, delivery of which is scheduled to start in 2016. Virgin America has also chosen the CFM56 to power another 30 baseline A320s on order. It values the combined agreement at $1.4 billion.

*The Canadian Government may step in today to end a strike by AIR CANADA's sales and service agents that began yesterday. The country's largest carrier had appeared to be managing its 1st major strike in 13 years with minimal disruptions, with roughly 1700 managers and other non-unionized workers filling in for the striking workers at Airports across the country. But the Federal Labour Minister said she was concerned about the impact a protracted strike would have on the broader economy and the travelling public. She served notice yesterday, just 15 hours after the strike began, that she would introduce back-to-work legislation in Parliament after the customary 48 hour waiting period had expired.

*Airbus will debut the A400M development aircraft "Grizzly 3" at the Paris Air Show later this month. The French Air Force is now due to take delivery of the 1st production example by March 2013, 3 years behind schedule.

*Airbus has pushed back the 1st flight of the A350-900 to the end of 2012 and is aiming for certification and service entry by the end of 2013 because of a delay to final assembly, disclosed in January, which will start at the end of 2011. Airbus has orders for 574 A350s including 359 for the -900.

*A Pilot for Russian flag carrier AEROFLOT has been hailed as a hero by the public in Russia for objecting to demands from air traffic controllers to hold his flight from departing due to a late arriving politician. The Pilot on the flight last week from Irkutsk to Moscow was told he couuld not take off until a regional governor, who was running late, arrived at the Airport. The exchange between the Pilot and ATC has caused a media sensation in the country, with the public applauding the Pilot's attempts to depart. At one point the Pilot told ATC: "Well, let the top official fly on his private jet and I will fly these passengers". In the end, ATC refused to grant takeoff clearance to the scheduled flight, which was delayed for over an hour, waiting for the politician to show up. The politician said he apologized to the passengers and was flying on the commercial flight to save the citzens money. His apology has not worked as media polls show the incident has caused a plunge in his popularity.

*Indian low-cost carrier INDIGO plans to launch its maiden international flight on September 1 between New Delhi and Dubai. The carrier, which has a fleet of Airbus A320s, will operate a daily service on the route.  IndiGo will also commence daily New Delhi-Bangkok and New Delhi-Singapore flights starting September 8 and 15 September, respectively. It will also begin daily Mumbai-Dubai and Mumbai-Bangkok services from October 2.

*KOREAN AIR LINES has revealed that it will start 4 new Airbus A380 services from June to October. The 1st, a daily service between Seoul's Incheon Airport and Tokyo's Narita Airport, starts on June 17. This is in addition to the 21 weekly services that the carrier has on the route. KAL will launch Incheon-Bangkok and Incheon-New York services in August, but has not decided on the frequencies. It will launch a 3x weekly Incheon-Paris service on September 26. These are in addition to the existing services to those cities.  South Korea's flag carrier will take delivery of 5 A380s by the end of 2011. The remaining 5 on its order books will be delivered from next year to 2014.

*According to a new study just out in Australia, airfares along the famous "Kangaroo route" between the UK and Australia are 60 times more affordable today than they were 64 years ago. A comparison by travel company Flight Centre shows the cost of a one-way flight to London in 1947, when Qantas took its 1st commercial flight to the UK, represented 85 weeks of the average wage. Today, the typical return fare to London costs around $1800, less than 1 1/2 weeks of pay for the average worker. The 1947 fare for a 4 day flight would cost the equivalent of more than $110,000 in today's dollars, according to Flight Centre.

*Australia's QANTAS is cancelling or deferring orders for 12 narrowbody aircraft, and cutting domestic capacity, to reduce capital expenditure over the next 2 years. This is in response to "slower overall growth rates in the domestic market", said the Airline. The carrier is now targeting 5.5% domestic capacity growth for the 2011/12 fiscal year, down from the 8% it previously planned. Australia's flag carrier expects to take delivery of 34 aircraft in the 2011/12 fiscal year, 9 fewer than the 43 previously planned. Orders for 12 narrowbodies will be cancelled or deferred.

*Cancelations and flight delays continue today in Australia and New Zealand due to the ash cloud from the Chilean volcano. While service began again to Adelaide,VIRGIN AUSTRALIA, QANTAS and JETSTAR all canceled flights to/from Perth, Australia, due to the ash cloud hovering over the city. Qantas, Jetstar and TIGER AIRWAYS are still avoiding Tasmania and New Zealand, but have resumed services to Adelaide. AIR NEW ZEALAND continues to operate as normal, with its aircraft flying around the ash cloud and at altitudes that avoid it. The eruption, which began on June 4, has caused levels of flight disruption not seen since an Icelandic volcano paralyzed Europe in 2010. Experts monitoring the Puyehue volcano believe its eruption is likely to grow more violent in the coming days. Previous eruptions in 1960 and in 1921 lasted for about 2 months.

*US AIRWAYS Flight 908, a Boeing 737, reported a stowaway onboard, yesterday, June 14. According to media reports, a US Airways employee hid in the cargo hold of the 737 in Tampa, Florida, which flew to Charlotte, North Carolina. The employee then boarded a plane to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with an actual ticket, before he was taken into custody. The US Airways worker was apprehended in Pittsburgh by deputies with the Allegheny County Sheriff's Department. He was reportedly then taken for a mental health evaluation. Reports say the employee stowed away in an unpressurized cargo area of the 737 on the Tampa to Charlotte leg. US Airways confirmed the incident but refused to comment further due to confidentiality issues.

*AIR CANADA Flight 555, an ERJ190, encountered wake turbulence while on approach to Vancouver, BC, Canada, on May 21. The incident was just disclosed yesterday by the Canadian TSB. The ERJ, inbound from Los Angeles, California, was descending thru 3000 feet towards Vancouver's runway 08L, when the aircraft encountered the wake turbulence. This caused the ERJ to roll right about 50 to 60 degrees, with an AURAL BANK warning. The crew immediately disconnected the autopilot and hand flew the aircraft to recover. The aircraft went on to make a safe landing. According to the Canadian TSB, Flight 555 was trailing an unidentified Boeing 777 that was about 6 nautical miles ahead.

*KALITTA Flight 246, a Boeing Cargo 747, had to make an emergency diversion to Frankfurt, Germany, on April 13, 2011. The incident was just disclosed today by the German BFU. The 747, on Cargo Service from Bahrain to Brussels, Belgium, when smoke appeared in the cockpit as the aircraft flew near Frankfurt. The crew donned their O2 masks, declared an emergency and requested diversion. The 747 was diverted to Frankfurt, where it safely landed. The 747 is pictured above, just prior to touchdown at Frankfurt during the emergency. According to the German BFU, the freight was offloaded and transported to Brussels the next day. The aircraft was repaired and departed Frankfurt on April 18. The BFU said the incident was caused by a defective strip seal in engine oil that ingressed into the air conditioning system.