United To Remove Cockpit Protection

United Airlines is paying to remove a gate from some of its newest planes that’s meant to protect the cockpit from intruders, according to the union for its pilots.

United is getting Boeing Co.’s newest plane, the 787, later this year. Those planes were to come with a folding metal gate that blocks the cockpit when the door is open, according to the Air Line Pilots Association. But United is paying extra to have those gates removed, according to a letter from the union to the airline obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Federal rules do not require the gates, although United has them on its 777s. Most planes flown by U.S. airlines do not have the gates.

Cockpit security became a huge issue because of the hijackings of Sept. 11, 2001, prompting airlines to strengthen all of their cockpit doors.

However, the doors still need to be opened during flights, especially on longer flights when pilots need to use the lavatory or go to bunks while other pilots fly the plane. The secondary barrier blocks access from the passenger cabin to the cockpit even when the door is open.

“It makes no logical sense for a safety and security conscious airline with the history of United to pay for the removal of this device that further protects the flight deck from those with hostile intent,” the letter dated Monday said.

United spokeswoman Christen David said secondary barriers are just one component of flight security, and the combination of security measures can vary from one type of plane to the next. She declined to discuss the barriers in detail, but said “we are thorough in carrying out our security responsibilities for every flight. The safety and security of our employees and customers are our top priorities.”

United expects to get at least five 787s this year. The airline is part of Chicago-based United Continental Holdings Inc.

Virgin Blue High Tech Inflight Entertainment

Virgin America's new in-flight entertainment system will help passengers multitask. (Photo: Virgin America)Gone are the days when a cross-country flight meant being stuck for hours without a way to contact the outside world. In-flight connectivity is going mainstream. Virgin America--one of the most tech-embracing airlines in the nation--announced substantial tech upgrades to its in-flight entertainment system at the Airline Passenger Experience Association Expo in Seattle today.

A380's of Thai and Malaysian

The first Thai Airways International (THAI) A380 rolled out of the Airbus paint shop during June 2012, marking completion of its painting and cabin installation work.  Photo by Airbus.

Yesterday, Airbus showed off photos of Thai Airways International’s (THAI) first A380 that is in full livery.

The airline’s first double-decker has also completed interior installation and will now go through its final phase of ground and flight tests in Hamburg, before the aircraft will be believered to THAI sometime during the third quarter of 2012.

THAI will become the ninth operator of the A380 and the airline has firm orders for six A380s.

TAKE A PHOTO INTERIOR TOUR OF THAI’S A380 via Australian Business Traveler

The first A380 for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was unveiled today bearing its special celebration livery, ahead of entry-into-service next week on the Kuala Lumpur-London route. Image from Airbus.

Airbus also showed off Malaysia Airlines (MAS) first A380, sporting a special “celebration livery.” The A380′s new paint scheme was added post-delivery and highlights the A380 as the flagship for the airline. The plane will start operations on the MAS Kuala Lumpur-London route next week and is configured in three classes with a total of 494 seats.

LAN and TAM to Merge.

Chile's LAN Airlines merged with TAM Airlines of Brazil on Friday, forming LATAM Airlines Group S.A., the largest airline in Latin America and one of the largest in the world, in terms of network connections.LATAM Airlines Group is based in Santiago, Chile, with secondary offices in San Paulo, Brazil.

Delta Expects Profits to Rise.

Delta Air Lines the No. 1 U.S. carrier by sales, said in a regulatory filing that revenue and profit should rise this quarter, aided by stronger business travel and expansion of its number of flights to New York.

But it said it expects to record losses from fuel hedging due to declining oil prices and charges for staff cuts.

Southwest to offer Live TV

 Southwest Airlines plans to sell live television service on five planes and expand it to more aircraft by mid-July.

The airline said Thursday that it would offer seven sports and news channels for passengers to watch on their own devices.

Southwest said it will test prices from $3 to $8 during a trial period. Passengers will need a Wi-Fi-enabled device such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop computer.

Live TV will be offered separately from wireless Internet access and customers won’t have to buy Internet access to watch TV.

The Southwest channels: NBC Sports, MLB (Major League Baseball), NFL Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and Fox Business News.

Southwest hired Row 44 to provide the service, which the airline plans to expand to 20 planes by mid-July. Southwest said that if the service is successful, it will be added to all the airline’s Wi-Fi-enabled planes by the end of the year.

The airline has about 550 Boeing 737 jets including about 250 with Wi-Fi. It plans to outfit 70 percent of its fleet by the end of 2013.

Airlines have been expanding in-flight entertainment options such as Internet access to distinguish themselves from other airlines that often sell tickets for about the same price.

JetBlue Airways and Virgin America have offered live TV programming on seat-back screens for several years at no extra fee. They provide 36 and 18 channels, respectively. Frontier Airlines sells 25 channels of live satellite TV on its larger planes for $6, with elite-level frequent fliers getting it free. United charges $6 for flights under two hours and $8 for longer ones but hasn’t outfitted its entire fleet.

Separately, Delta Air Lines said Thursday that it will offer Internet access on international flights beginning early next year. Delta’s entire domestic fleet is already outfitted for Wi-Fi, but airlines have been slower to add the service on overseas routes partly because they need satellites to get a signal over the middle of the ocean, not the land-based transmission signals often used within the U.S.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

EasyJet Founder Starts New Airline

A new budget airline backed by EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou will soon take to the African skies, promising to bring low-cost flights to millions of people in the continent.

Dubbed Fastjet, the no-frills carrier is expected to launch in three to four months, aiming to cash in on Africa's robust economic growth and a growing appetite for travel by its burgeoning middle class.

American Airlines asks for more time

The parent company of American Airlines may get more time to present a turnaround plan in federal bankruptcy court. AMR Corp. said Friday that a committee of unsecured creditors agreed to support a three-month extension for AMR’s exclusive right to offer a restructuring plan. 

Singapore Clings to the Luxury Mantle

Tony Fernandes, the flamboyant chief executive of budget airline AirAsia, joked last month that he could buy Singapore Airlines and even displayed an artist's impression of his competitor's plane painted in AirAsia colours.

It was a tongue-in-cheek jab, but one that struck at a painful truth for Singapore Airlines The company has stuck to its luxury image even as low-cost carriers picked off passengers in a weak global economy, and profits have suffered.

The airline reported an unexpected loss in the January-March quarter, its first since the tail end of the global financial crisis in 2009 which crushed global air travel. Its shares are down 29 percent in the past 12 months, while AirAsia's  are up 10 percent.

UK Airlines Join Forces To Force Govt Action

 Britain's aviation industry said the government needs to come up with a clear, long-term policy to address capacity issues at its main airports, or face the prospect of falling further behind European rivals.

Britain will launch a consultation document on aviation next month, with Ferrovial-owned BAA  expected to lobby again for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, which it operates.

A group made up of BAA, British Airways-owner IAG  Virgin Atlantic, Manchester Airports Group, the Trades Union Congress and the Chamber of Commerce said on Monday the government should implement a new policy immediately, and not rule out options favoured by the industry, such as a third runway.

Put Oxygen Back In The Can Says FAA

The government is giving airlines more than three years to restore emergency oxygen to aircraft lavatories, although safety advocates say that's too long to be without the potentially life-saving supplies.

WiFi on Japan's Main Airlines.

JAL will start offering Wi-Fi from July 15 on flights between Tokyo and New York, it said. A one-hour plan will cost US$11.95, while 24 hours of access will cost US$21.95. The Wi-Fi will be offered for free through September for first class and other elite passengers.

The service will be offered on the New York route every other day until Aug. 5, then on every flight. In late August, Wi-Fi will be expanded to flights from Tokyo to Los Angeles and Chicago, and in October flights to Jakarta will also get access.

American Airlines Staff Seek New Talks

Flight attendants and mechanics at American Airlines want to resume contract talks as a deadline nears for a federal judge to rule on whether the airline can impose its own terms on workers.

Separately, the pilots' union board was meeting Tuesday to reconsider whether to let members vote on American's final contract offer.

Tuesday's developments raised the prospect that American could negotiate voluntary cost-cutting deals with all three of its labor unions, which seemed unlikely just a week ago.

MD83 of American Airlines Makes Emergency Landing

Leaking oil forced an American Airlines plane to make an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Airport officials said the pilot noticed the leak shortly after taking off from Raleigh for Chicago around 8:15 a.m. Sunday. The first attempt at an emergency landing was scrapped, but the pilot brought the plane down safely as emergency crews stood by on the second attempt. Authorities say none of the 138 passengers on the MD-83 jet were injured.

Ryanair warn of low profits

Ryanair Holdings Plc  Europe’s biggest discount airline, predicted earnings will fall this year as a slowing European economy prevents it from increasing fares sufficiently to make up for surging jet-fuel costs.

Net income rose 25 percent to 502.6 million euros ($643 million) in the 12 months to March 31, Ryanair said today in a statement. That figure may slip to between 400 million euros and 440 million euros this year, the Dublin-based company said.