Australian air Express (AaE) International has begun operations at its new freight handling facility in Melbourne. The state-of-the-art facility comprises a 4,250 sqm warehouse, offi ce and operational accommodation and improved facilities for client airlines and visitors. The facility also includes an enhanced truck parking and manoeuvrability area, bypass lanes, cool rooms and ULD storage. … [Read more...] about AUSTRALIA: New Melbourne freight facility

Chile and India have signed a new open skies agreement allowing “unlimited cargo services between the two countries using any type of aircraft with full traffi c rights to, from or via any intermediary”. The agreement supersedes a previous agreement which although creating a liberalised environment, imposed certain restrictions. Chilean Civil Aeronautic Council (JAC) secretary general, Jorge Frei, highlighted the signifi cance of the newly refined tie-up: “We’re … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: ‘Open Skies’ for Chile and India cargo

Continental Airlines will begin new non-stop Boeing 777-200 service from its New York area hub at Newark Liberty International Airport to Mumbai, India on October 1. This new service will compliment Continental’s existing non-stop service from Newark toDelhi. “Mumbai is the largest trans-Atlantic market not currently served by Continental and offers signifi cant opportunities for growth in the future,” said Jim Compton, Continental’s executive … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Continental to Mumbai

A report by the inspector general of the US Homeland Security Department savaged the US Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) programme for keeping bombs out of aircraft cargoholds. The report by Inspector General Richard Skinner said the TSA’s system“increases the opportunities (to put)explosives, incendiaries and other dangerousdevices on passenger aircraft.” The TSA “does not provide suffi cient resources” to monitor airlines and … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Scathing assessment of TSA security

The airline industry is looking to hire 65,000 pilots by 2012 — including 12,000 this year — but is fi ghting a slew of retirements, a dearth of new recruits and competition from overseas carriers and the US military, according to areport by the Washington Times. Commercial air travel has grown 8 per cent in the past fi ve years, from 683 million passengers per year in 2001 to 740 million in 2006, and the Federal Aviation Administration expects that number to jump to 1.2 billion … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Critical US pilot shortage impending

IATA recently boosted its forecast for full-year 2007 global airline industry earnings by 9.8 per cent to US$5.6 billion but lowered its projection for 2008by 18.8 per cent to $7.8 billion. The organization’s projection for airlines’ worldwide collective 2007 net profi t is up from the $5.1 billion forecastin June despite rising oil prices. “Higher oil prices were more than offset by stronger-than-expected demand for passenger traffi c and a general improvement in … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: IATA~ 2007 profit up, 2008 down