Northern Canada’s Prince George Airport Authority recently celebrated the arrival of the first B747 aircraft for refueling. The B747 operated by Southern Air landed in mid-November from Seoul, South Korea before departing for Miami and then Caracas, Venezuela. The airport extended its runway and added refueling pads and other infrastructure in a bid to attract carriers flying on transpacific routings to and from Asia and North America for tech stops to refuel. The airport is promoting … [Read more...] about AMERICAS:Prince George celebrates arrival of 1st B747

The Department of Homeland Security has found hundreds of security breaches at facilities across the country, warning that passengers are at risk from flaws in screening air cargo and a lack of background checks on freight handlers. The report comes at a bad time for forwarders and transport service operators flying air cargo into the country. By August next year, all belly cargo entering the US must have been 100 per cent screened, a deadline the transport industry has said will be … [Read more...] about AMERICAS:US report slams air cargo security

Boeing moved the first 747-8 Freighter out of the paint hangar recently, sporting a special ‘light’ livery. Painted white with blue accents, the 747-8 Freighter unveiled a new twist on the Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery. It features an oversized “8” on the background of the tail as well as “747-8” on the belly. The light livery, which saves time and expense compared to the full Boeing livery, will remain on the airplane until the flight-test … [Read more...] about AMERICAS:First B747-8 Freighter leaves paint hangar

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) is urging the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to expedite its evaluation of new technologies to support the pending 100 per cent cargo screening mandate, scheduled to take effect in August 2010. TIACA says it is concerned that much of the equipment currently certified for use for screening is inadequate and illsuited for processing palletised air cargo. Existing technologies, the association says, are mostly only appropriate for … [Read more...] about AMERICAS:TIACA asks TSA to expedite tech evaluation

The European Union, the United States and six other countries agreed recently on an “agenda for freedom” for airlines that could open the way for mergers and consolidation across the financially troubled industry. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the carriers’ global body that has long sought liberalisation for commercial aviation, said the non-binding agreement was signed at a meeting it hosted at Montebello, Canada. “This is historic … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Key countries sign aviation freedom accord

Traces of cocaine among the remains of a cargo plane recently discovered in West Africa suggest that large aircraft are increasingly being used to smuggle drugs and even weapons to the region, possibly benefiting terrorists, the United Nation’s anti-crime chief said recently. The burned debris of a Boeing cargo plane was discovered in early November in the Gao region of Mali, said Antonio Maria Costa, head of the Vienna-based U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. It is assumed to have … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: UN warning on cargo plane use by smugglers