Aviation News

Virgin America

A man charged with stowing away on a flight from New York to Los Angeles last Friday cleared airport security screening, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed yesterday.

“Every passenger that passes through security checkpoints is subject to many layers of security including thorough physical screening at the checkpoint,” said TSA spokesperson Greg Soule in a statement.

“TSA’s review of this matter indicates that the passenger went through screening.”

Olajide Olewaseun Noibi was taken into custody in Los Angeles after trying to board another flight with an illegitimate boarding pass on Wednesday, authorities said.

An FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles confirmed Noibi is a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria and that he was born in the United States.

On Friday he had stowed away on a Virgin America flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles, according to an FBI affidavit.

A US Customs and Border Protection officer and an FBI agent were present at Los Angeles International Airport when Noibi attempted to board a Delta Airlines Flight to Atlanta on Wednesday morning.

A Delta agent refused Noibi’s boarding pass multiple times, saying the ticket was from the day prior, according to the FBI.

Noibi allegedly told the FBI he did not pay for the Virgin America flight from New York to Los Angeles, which he said he took to recruit people for his software business.

The FBI had been notified on Saturday by a dispatcher from Los Angeles Airports Police and the captain of the flight that Noibi had boarded the Friday Virgin flight.

He was discovered mid-flight in a cabin seat after a flight attendant was told by other passengers the seat was supposed to be empty. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller added that the passengers initially complained about Noibi’s strong body odor.

When Noibi was asked for his boarding pass, he produced a pass and ticket for the day prior and not in his name. He was also not on the flight manifest.

After initially hesitating, Noibi produced true identification to the flight crew, the affidavit said.

Noibi was released on Saturday pending further investigation after federal agents who interviewed him and searched his baggage determined he was not a physical threat.

When the FBI questioned Noibi on Wednesday, they found over 10 boarding passes in his possession, none in his name, the affidavit said.

The proper holder of the Virgin boarding pass told the FBI he lost it from his back pocket on the subway to JFK and does not know Noibi.

Noibi has been formally charged with being a stowaway.

Stowing away on a flight is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Noibi told the FBI he was able to go through screening with the boarding pass, his University of Michigan identification and a police report that his passport had been stolen.

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Jetstar, JAL hook up for low-cost airline

Japan Airlines Corp (JAL) will enter the low-cost carriers market through a joint venture with Jetstar group, and launch domestic flights in Japan next year, the Nikkei reported.

The venture will reportedly be capitalised at 10-20 billion yen ($115.8-$231.6 million), with JAL and Jetstar, a Qantas Airways subsidiary, holding 30 per cent stakes each.

The new discount airline – expected to eventually fly international routes – may serve Tokyo’s Narita airport, which is expanding its landing slots.

A decision on which company will have management control will be taken later, with Mitsubishi Corp and Toyota Tsusho Corp having been invited to invest in the deal, the report said.

Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and Central Japan International Airport outside Nagoya both of which operate around the clock, are also in the fray, the report said.

JAL took a variety of restructuring steps after filing for bankruptcy in January 2010, including reducing the number of routes.

Although it logged a record consolidated operating profit of 188.4 billion yen for fiscal 2010, the company’s revenue and profit are likely to plunge this year as a result of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

JAL had kept its distance from the low-cost-carrier market, with Chairman Kazuo Inamori saying the airline would differentiate itself by offering a high level of service.

Boeing 787

EVERETT, Wash., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) yesterday started Function & Reliability (F&R) testing and extended operations (ETOPS) demonstrations on the 787 Dreamliner. This is the final phase of flight testing prior to certification of the airplane.

“We are ready for this final phase of flight testing,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “The team has created a solid plan for accomplishing the hours and test points required for F&R and ETOPS testing in support of delivery to our customer ANA in the August to September time period.”

F&R testing simulates various normal and non-normal operations for the airplane, in a realistic airline-like flight environment. ETOPS refers to extended operations – for twin jets, flights that are more than 60 minutes away from a suitable landing field. During ETOPS demonstrations the company validates the airplane’s ability to safely divert for a variety of reasons, including long diversions with one engine shut down.

In addition to F&R and ETOPS testing for the 787 with Rolls-Royce engines, Boeing continues certification testing on 787s with General Electric engines and will conduct a separate F&R/ETOPS test program for that version of the airplane. Other activities will continue on the flight test fleet to support Boeing objectives including examining potential technologies for the 787-9 and testing engine improvement packages.

source: http://www.boeing.com

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) is growing its fleet with 15 new Airbus 330 aircraft that will be delivered between 2013 and 2015.

The new twin-aisle jets will be operated on routes within Asia as well as to points in Australia and the Middle East, SIA said in an announcement on Wednesday.

The new aircraft will be leased for a minimum of six years, with an option to extend the lease term. They will join 19 other A330-300s already in service.

Singapore Airlines

SIA chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong said: ‘The A330s will enable us to add more capacity on regional and medium range routes and further strengthen SIA’s network offering.’

Together with the additional Airbus 380 superjumbos that SIA will take delivery of this year, as well as Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s on order for the years ahead, the lease of the A330s is consistent with SIA’s longstanding policy of operating a young and modern fleet, Mr Goh said.

The new A330-300s will be configured in a two-class layout with business and economy seats.

The 15 A330s will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. In a separate statement, the British global power systems company said it had won a $1 billion order from SIA to supply as well as maintain the engines for the 15 new aircraft.

source: http://www.straitstimes.com

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