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The Government announced its intention to float Aer Lingus on the Dublin and London stock exchanges. Ministers pushed ahead with the plans despite continued opposition to the move by the countryâ??s largest trade union, SIPTU, which represents almost 2,000 staff at the state airline. The shares, primarily targeted at institutional investors, will be available for a minimum investment of â?¬10,000, and are expected to go on sale in late September.

source: Ireland on-line

Ryanair is to allow passengers on its flights to use their mobile phones from the middle of next year.
The low-cost operator will equip its fleet with the OnAir onboard mobile communication system. Passengers wanting to use the service will be charged standard international roaming rates. Passengers will be able to make and receive calls, exchange SMS messages and connect to email via satellite broadband links and a ground network to be supplied by OnAirâ??s telecoms infrastructure partner, Monaco Telecom.
source: VNUnet

In an unforeseen twist, new security rules for carry-on bags are enabling airline passengers to get on and off planes faster, helping flights leave on time.

US Airways is boarding planes five to 10 minutes faster, depending on the size of the plane and how crowded it is, says senior vice president Anthony Mule. Following terror-related arrests in London, the Transportation Security Administration on Aug. 10 banned liquids, creams and gels from the planeâ??s cabin. Airlines say theyâ??re handling up to 25 percent more checked bags now as travelers adjust to the rules.

source: Tonawanda news

Porter Airlines, the fledgling carrier with a controversial plan to run flights between Toronto’s island airport and Ottawa, took delivery of its first aircraft on Tuesday.

The privately owned company is still waiting for clearance from Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency to commence operations at Toronto’s City Centre Airport, which it hopes to do by fall.

source: CBC News

A Comair passenger jet that mistakenly took off on a short runway crashed into a woody field on Sunday, killing all but one of the 50 people aboard. An initial examination of the flight recorders, or so-called black boxes, indicated that the pilots of the Bombardier Canadair jet used a 3,500-foot runway – much shorter than is typically required for a fully loaded aircraft of that type – instead of one twice that length that is perpendicular to the shorter runway and is used most by commercial jets at the Blue Grass Airport.

source: Herald Tribune

A Northwest Airlines Corp flight that turned back to Amsterdam on its way to India because of security worries is to reach Bombay without 12 arrested passengers.

source: Forbes

American Airlines is to run its biggest marketing campaign in the UK since the 11 September attacks to establish itself as the leading airline servicing routes between the UK and US. The carrier, which has struggled to recover from the impact of the terror attacks, is spending more than £5m on the activity.

source: Brand republic

Twelve passengers were in custody Wednesday after a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Mumbai, India, returned to Amsterdam with a fighter jet escort.They have not been formally charged, police said. But an airport policeman said authorities have enough information to hold the 12 for at least three days.

Flight 42 returned to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport “after several passengers displayed behavior of concern,” Northwest Airlines said in a written statement.

source: CNN

Michigan’s largest passenger air carrier joined others nationwide two weeks ago when it suspended an $80 charge to coach passengers wishing to check a third bag. The move was to allow passengers to adjust to new security restrictions.

The new rules were put in place after British officials thwarted an alleged plot to bomb U.S.-bound planes. Most liquids, gels and lotions now are banned in carry-on bags.

United and American Airlines also have resumed charging for a third bag.

A Russian passenger jet carrying at least 170 people â?? including 45 children â?? crashed Tuesday in eastern Ukraine after sending a distress signal, killing all aboard.

Russian authorities said they had ruled out terrorism, and Ukrainian officials said there was bad weather in the area at the time.

The Pulkovo Airlines Tu-154 was en route from the Russian Black Sea resort of Anapa to St. Petersburg and disappeared from radar screens while flying over eastern Ukraine around 2:30 p.m. local time.

source: canada.com