Aviation
Boeing Starliner Completes First Orbital Flight Test with Successful Landing
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M., Dec. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Boeing [NYSE: BA] CST-100 Starliner’s first mission ended historically today when it became the first American orbital space capsule to land on American soil rather than in an ocean.
The spacecraft’s crew module landed at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range at 5:48 a.m. Mountain time, after spending just over two days on orbit and checking off a number of flight test objectives. The last time a spacecraft landed at the historic White Sands Space Harbor runway was in 1982, when Space Shuttle Columbia touched down, ending its STS-3 mission.
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Shortly after its December 20 launch and separation from its booster rocket, Starliner experienced a mission timing anomaly that made it use too much fuel to reach the intended destination of the International Space Station. Flight controllers were able to address the issue and put Starliner into a lower, stable orbit. The vehicle demonstrated key systems and capabilities before being signaled to return to Earth.
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“The Starliner team’s quick recovery and ability to achieve many mission objectives – including safe deorbit, re-entry and landing – is a testament to the people of Boeing who have dedicated years of their lives working toward the achievement of commercial human spaceflight,” said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program. “Their professionalism and collaboration with our NASA customer in challenging conditions allowed us to make the most of this mission.”
The Starliner landing demonstrated the robustness of its landing systems, including its innovative parachutes and airbags.
Although this Starliner carried no people, it did have a passenger. An anthropometric test device, named “Rosie,” was in the commander’s seat for the entire mission. She was outfitted with about a dozen sensors that collected data to help prove Starliner is safe for future human crews.
Next, this crew module will be returned to Florida for data retrieval, analysis and refurbishment for future missions. It is the vehicle chosen to fly NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Josh Cassada, along with two international partner astronauts, on the first operational mission. In parallel, Boeing’s Starliner team is finalizing the vehicle that will fly Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann on the Crewed Flight Test.
For more about Starliner, visit www.boeing.com/starliner. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingSpace.
Aviation
Southwest CEO Signals Major Shift: Farewell to Open Seating
Southwest Airlines is contemplating a significant shift away from its traditional open seating policy, a move that could signal a departure from its long-standing business model.
The potential change, which would introduce assigned seating and premium seat options, is being considered to appeal to a younger demographic of travelers. This adjustment would mark one of the most substantial alterations for the carrier since its inception in 1971.
Unlike its competitors who have embraced premium seating offerings, Southwest has stuck to its open seating approach, albeit providing the option for early boarding at a fee. However, with rivals like United Airlines witnessing revenue growth from premium seating, Southwest is reevaluating its strategy. According to Forbes, the airline industry has seen a shift in customer preferences over time, prompting Southwest to reconsider its seating model designed during an era of lower load factors.
While Southwest CEO, Jordan,told to CNBC that he has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of premium seating, he acknowledges that the company is exploring various options. He emphasized that while it’s still early in the decision-making process, the initial results are promising, hinting at potential changes in the future.
Southwest currently operates with a single economy class cabin across its all-Boeing 737 fleet, with no assigned seating. However, the airline does offer the option for early boarding for passengers to secure their preferred seats for an additional fee. Over the years, Southwest has maintained a focus on simplicity and user-friendliness in its offerings, striving to minimize costs and complexity.
In contrast, competitors like Delta and United have capitalized on revenue growth from premium seating options such as business class, demonstrating strong upsell rates. Analysts have repeatedly questioned Southwest about the potential for introducing premium seating or additional fees, although the airline has traditionally refrained from charging for the first two checked bags.
For now, the only way Southwest passengers can secure their preferred seats is by paying for an earlier boarding position, as the airline continues to operate without assigned seating, allowing passengers to choose their seats upon boarding in a predetermined order.
Airlines
US DOT says Airlines must now pay automatic refunds for cancelled flights
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a final regulation requiring airlines to quickly reimburse passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed, according to a statement made by the Biden-Harris Administration.
Under the new regulation, passengers will find it easier to get refunds when airlines dramatically alter or cancel flights, cause severe delays for checked baggage, or don’t supply the additional services they paid for.
According to a statement from the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has published a final rule mandating airlines to promptly compensate customers with automatic cash refunds when they are eligible. The new rule would make it simpler for customers to receive refunds from airlines in cases when they drastically change or cancel flights, cause significant delays for checked luggage, or fail to provide the extra services they charged for.
Under the latest rule from the USDOT, passengers are guaranteed refunds in several scenarios:
- Canceled or Significantly Changed Flights: Passengers are entitled to refunds if their flight is canceled or significantly altered, including changes in departure or arrival times exceeding 3 hours domestically or 6 hours internationally, departures or arrivals from different airports, increased connections, downgrades in service class, or changes less accommodating to passengers with disabilities.
- Delayed Baggage Return: Passengers filing mishandled baggage reports can claim a refund for checked bag fees if their luggage is not returned within specific timeframes after flight arrival.
- Unprovided Extra Services: If airlines fail to deliver paid extra services like Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment, passengers can request refunds for those fees.
The final rule streamlines the refund process, ensuring it is:
- Automatic: Refunds are issued automatically without requiring passengers to request them.
- Prompt: Airlines must refund credit card purchases within seven business days and other payment methods within 20 calendar days.
- In Original Form of Payment: Refunds are provided in the original payment method used for purchase.
- Full Amount: Passengers receive full refunds minus the value of any portion of transportation already used, including government and airline fees.
Suggest banning family seating junk fees and ensuring that parents can travel with their kids at no additional cost. No airline promised to ensure fee-free family seating prior to efforts from President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg last year. Family seating is now guaranteed free of charge on four airlines, and the Department is working on a plan to eliminate family seating junk fees.
Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.
Airlines
The Nine Freedoms of the Air – Jetline Marvel
Most of us travel from one city to another city via road we need to get permission to that specific city if it is in another country like a visa or Road access permission to use its property for revenue purposes to carry passengers and Cargo. Similarly, In the airline Industry, it is also important that the Company have permission to fly and access that country whether it’s for stoppage flying above them, or Operating the passengers within that country This is called Freedom of the Air.
Some countries together they agree with certain conditions to access their Aerospace for to access for the airline to travel above their nation. If the bilateral is done for Their own countries’ airlines or other countries’ airlines. In this chapter, we understand how this thing is carried out. What all the condition has to look into that.
The Freedoms of the Air are international commercial aviation agreements (traffic rights) that grant a country’s airline(s) the privilege to enter and land in another country’s airspace. They were formulated in 1944 at an international gathering held in Chicago (known as the Chicago Convention) to establish uniformity in world air commerce. There are generally considered to be nine freedoms of the air.
Most nations of the world exchange first and second freedoms through the International Air Services Transit Agreement. The other freedoms,chase freedom airline miles when available, are usually established between countries in bilateral or multilateral air services agreements. The third and fourth freedoms are always granted together. The eighth and ninth freedoms (cabotage) have been exchanged only in limited instances
First Freedom:
The basic permission granted to an airline from one country (A) to fly through the airspace of another country (B)
Second Freedom:
The permission for a commercial airplane from country (A) to land and refuel (often called a technical stop) in another country (B).
Third Freedom :
The privilege for an airline to transport paying (Revenue) passengers from its home country (A) to another country (B).
Fourth Freedom
The rights for an airline to transport paying (Revenue )passengers from another country (B) to the airline’s home country (A).
Fifth Freedom
Fifth Freedom (also known as beyond rights): The rights for an airline to transport passengers from its home country (A) to a destination (B), then pick up and carry passengers to other international destinations (C).
Sixth Freedom:
Sixth Freedom (Combination of Third & Fourth Freedoms) The right for an airline to carry passengers or cargo between two foreign countries (B and C), provided the aircraft touches down in the airline’s home country (A).
Seventh Freedom:
The authorization for an airline to operate flights that start in a foreign country (B), skip its home country (A), and transport passengers to another international destination (C).
Eighth Freedom Air
The rights for an airline to transport passengers from one location within a country’s territory (B) to another point within the same country on a flight originating in the airline’s home country (A). This right is commonly referred to as cabotage and is notably scarce outside of Europe.
Ninth Freedom Air
The entitlement for an airline from a specific country (A) to begin a flight in a foreign country (B) and transport passengers from one location to another within that foreign country. This concept, also referred to as stand-alone cabotage, distinguishes itself from the traditional aviation definition of cabotage by not directly involving the airline’s home country.