Tag Archives: ANC

Atlas Air to fly for Astral Aviation

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. today announced that its Atlas Air, Inc. (New York) unit has entered into a contract with Astral Aviation Limited (Nairobi), a Kenya-based cargo airline, to provide Boeing 747-400 Freighter service.

The contract is for one aircraft under an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) agreement, with service expected to begin in the next few weeks. This is the first 747-400F in Astral Aviation’s global network, and it will provide all-cargo operations between Europe and Africa.

Astral Aviation operates in partnership with UK-based ANA Airline Management Limited. ANA specializes in the development and operation of all-cargo aircraft across a wide range of scheduled routes as well as providing air charter capacity on a worldwide basis to the various airlines it works in partnership with. ANA was founded in 1985 and has offices throughout Europe, Africa and North America.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Atlas Air’s Boeing 747-47UF N492MC (msn 29253) climbs beautifully away from Anchorage International Airport.

Atlas Air:

FedEx Corporation reports net income of $489 million in the fiscal 1Q, up 7%

FedEx Corporation (FedEx Express) (Memphis) reported earnings of $1.53 per diluted share for the first quarter ended August 31, compared to $1.45 per share last year.

“Growth in overall demand for our broad global portfolio of solutions drove our improved first quarter results,” said Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corp. chairman, president and chief executive officer. “FedEx Express remains focused on reducing costs while facing challenging global economic conditions. Meanwhile, FedEx Ground continues to generate strong profitability on growing customer demand for its services.”

First Quarter Results

FedEx Corp. reported the following consolidated results for the first quarter:

• Revenue of $11.0 billion, up 2% from $10.8 billion the previous year

• Operating income of $795 million, up 7% from $742 million last year

• Operating margin of 7.2%, up from 6.9% the previous year

• Net income of $489 million, up 7% from last year’s $459 million

Revenue and earnings increased during the quarter, driven by solid performance at each of the company’s transportation segments. Results include significant headwinds from the net year-over-year impact from the timing lag that exists between when fuel prices change and indexed fuel surcharges automatically adjust, as well as one fewer operating day.

Outlook

FedEx reaffirmed its forecast of full-year earnings per share growth of 7% to 13% from last year’s adjusted results. This outlook assumes the market outlook for fuel prices, U.S. GDP growth of 2.1% and world GDP growth of 2.6%. The capital spending forecast for fiscal 2014 remains $4 billion.

“We remain confident in our full year earnings outlook despite tepid global economic growth,” said Alan B. Graf, Jr., FedEx Corp. executive vice president and chief financial officer. “FedEx Express continued to execute on its profit improvement initiatives during our first quarter. We remain focused and are committed to FedEx Express achieving its $1.6 billion operating profit improvement target by the end of fiscal 2016.”

2014 Rate Increases

FedEx Express will increase shipping rates by an average of 3.9% for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import services effective January 6, 2014. The FedEx Ground and FedEx SmartPost pricing changes for 2014 will be announced later this year. FedEx Freight implemented a 4.5% general rate increase on July 1, 2013.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-FS2 N852FD (msn 37723) approaches Anchorage International Airport for landing.

FedEx Express:

The GCAA of the United Arab Emirates issues its final accident report on the UPS Boeing 747-44AF N571UP on September 3, 2010 near Dubai

UPS Airlines‘ (UPS-United Parcel Service) (Atlanta and Louisville) Boeing 747-44AF N571UP (msn 35668) crashed shortly after takeoff from Dubai on September 3, 2010. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued its final accident report.

Accident Synopsis:

On September 3rd 2010, a Boeing 747-44AF departed Dubai International Airport [DXB] on a scheduled international cargo flight [SCAT-IC] to Cologne [CGN], Germany.

Twenty two minutes into the flight, at approximately 32,000 feet, the crew advised Bahrain Area East Air Traffic Control [BAE-C ] that there was an indication of an on-board fire on the Forward Main Deck and
declared an emergency.

Bahrain Air Traffic Control advised that Doha International Airport [DOH] was ‘at your ten o’clock and one hundred miles, is that close enough?’, the Captain elected to return to DXB, configured the aircraft for the return to Dubai and obtained clearance for the turn back and descent.

A cargo on the main cargo deck had ignited at some point after departure. Less than three minutes after the first warning to the crew,the fire resulted in severe damage to flight control systems and caused the upper deck and cockpit to fill with continuous smoke.

The crew then advised Bahrain East Area Control [BAE-C] that the cockpit was ‘full of smoke’ and that they ‘could not see the radios’, at around the same time the crew experienced pitch control anomalies during the turn back and descent to ten thousand feet.

The smoke did not abate during the emergency impairing the ability of the crew to safely operate the aircraft for the duration of the flight back to DXB.

On the descent to ten thousand feet the captains supplemental oxygen supply abruptly ceased to function without any audible or visual warning to the crew five minutes and thirty seconds after the first audible warning. This resulted in the Captain leaving his position. The Captain left his seat and did not return to his position for the duration of the flight due to incapacitation from toxic gases.

The First Officer[F.O], now the Pilot Flying [PF] could not view outside of the cockpit, the primary flight displays, or the audio control panel to retune to the UAE frequencies.

Due to the consistent and contiguous smoke in the cockpit all communication between the destination [DXB] and the crew was routed through relay aircraft in VHF range of the emergency aircraft and BAE-C. BAE-C then relayed the information to the Emirates Area Control Center (EACC) in the UAE via landline, who then contacted Dubai ATC via landline.

As the aircraft approached the aerodrome in Dubai, it stepped down in altitude, the aircraft approached DXB runway 12 left (RWY 12L), then overflew the northern perimeter of the airport at 4500 ft at around 340 kts . The PF could not view the Primary Flight Displays [PFD] or the view outside the cockpit.

The PF was advised Shajah International Airport [SHJ] was available at 10 nm. This required a left hand turn, the aircraft overflew DXB heading East, reduced speed, entering a shallow descending right-hand turn to the south of the airport before loss of control in flight and an uncontrolled descent into terrain, nine nautical miles south west of Dubai International Airport.

There were no survivors.

Read the full report including the causes: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. N571UP is pictured departing from Anchorage International Airport prior to the accident in Dubai.

Alaska Airlines launches seasonal San Diego-Lihue, Kauai flights

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) inaugurates nonstop service today (June 7) between San Diego and Lihue, Kauai. The flight operates daily through August 26, and then will operate four days a week. Alaska also flies nonstop from San Diego to Honolulu and Maui.

Alaska Airlines now offers 171 flights a week from San Diego to a dozen cities stretching from Hawaii to Mexico to the East Coast.

Summary of new service:
Start date	City pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
June 7	San Diego-Kauai	10 a.m.	1:10 p.m.	Daily until Aug. 26,
				then Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat
June 7	Kauai-San Diego	11:10 a.m.	7:30 p.m.	Daily until Aug. 26,
				then Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun

Times based on local time zones.

Alaska Airlines:

A few PenAir flights are cancelled due to volcanic activity in Alaska

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) has issued this statement concerning a few flight cancellations of PenAir (Peninsula Airways) (Anchorage) in Alaska due to volcanic activity:

Few Alaska Airlines flights have been affected by volcanic activity from Mount Cleveland, located west of Dutch Harbor, and Mount Pavlof, located near Cold Bay, Alaska. No Alaska Airlines operated flights have been canceled at this time.

PenAir, which operates an average of three flights a day for Alaska Airlines between Anchorage and Dutch Harbor, canceled six flights yesterday and two flights today after several low-level eruptions of Mount Pavlof. The Anchorage-based airline could cancel additional flights today pending reports from the Alaska Volcano Observatory and other state and federal weather agencies.

PenAir’s Alaska Route Map:

“While the impact these volcanoes have had on Alaska Airlines has been minimal, we will continue to closely monitor Mount Cleveland and Mount Pavlof for any changes that could affect service to Bethel, Adak or Dutch Harbor,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ chief operating officer.

Alaska Airlines operates an average of 125 daily flights to 20 destinations throughout the state of Alaska, in addition to 686 flights throughout the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.

In other news, the eastern division of PenAir will start twice-daily service between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Long Island MacArthur Airport (Islip) on July 25, 2013.

East Coast Route Map:

Copyright Photo: Rainer Bexten. SAAB 340B N675PA (msn 206) with harbor seals on the fuselage arrives at Anchorage in the old livery.

PenAir:

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines warns its customers to expect delays at impacted airports due to FAA ATC controller layoffs starting today

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma), along with many other U.S. airlines, are now warning their passengers that there may be significant ATC delays starting today due to planned cutbacks of FAA controllers due to the sequestration budget cuts. The airline issued this statement:

In response to sequestration budget cuts, Alaska Airlines is recommending that customers check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport and allow additional time to check in when traveling to or from Chicago O’Hare, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Los Angeles, Newark, San Diego and San Francisco. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to furlough air traffic controllers starting Sunday (April 21), which the agency predicts could cause extensive ground delays ranging from 50 minutes to two hours and a reduction in flight arrivals of 30 to 40 percent at certain airports.

Alaska Airlines does not intend to pre-cancel any flights. The carrier is recommending that customers arrive at the airport two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours before departure for international flights. Connection time between flights, especially when arriving from Mexico or Canada, may be challenging as travelers will need to clear customs and immigration. Travelers booking future flights are encouraged to allow adequate connection times in case air traffic delays continue.

“While we hope the impact of these FAA furloughs does not cause massive flight delays across the country, it is with an abundance of care for our customers that we caution them—especially travelers flying to or from Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco where we have several daily flights,” Alaska Airlines Chief Operating Officer Ben Minicucci said.

Minicucci said the airline has contingency plans in place to divert flights and shuttle passengers to and from nearby airports should widespread delays occur. The airline will allow passengers who miss flights to rebook their travel when space is available, with no increase in fare or change fee.

While the FAA says ground delays are expected to impact six airports Alaska Airlines serves, rolling delays could affect the carrier’s entire 95-city operation and cause crew scheduling issues that would force the cancellation of dozens of flights.

The airline is encouraging the public to share their feedback about the FAA’s staffing cutbacks at www.dontgroundamerica.com.

Alaska Airlines operates more than 800 flights a day including an average of:

38 daily roundtrip flights to/from Los Angeles
20 daily roundtrip flights to/from San Diego
16 daily roundtrip flights to/from San Francisco
5 daily roundtrip flights to/from Chicago O’Hare
2 daily roundtrip flights to/from Newark
1 daily roundtrip flight to/from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood

Airlines are seeking court action to stop the FAA furloughs. Please see the report by Reuters: CLICK HERE

FAA Airport Delay Map: CLICK HERE

Click on this map below for the latest airport information:

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Boeing 737-990 WL N318AS (msn 30018) in the Spirit of Disneyland II departs from Anchorage International Airport.

Alaska Airlines:

New York Times looks at the winter weather challenges of Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) was favorably examined by the New York Times and the challenges it faces including flying in tough winter conditions in Alaska.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brandon Farris. Boeing 737-890 N569AS (msn 35184) in the “Starliner 75” (75th Anniversary) scheme arrives at Anchorage in the low winter light and its snowy conditions.

Alaska Airlines:

Delta to expand service to Montana for the summer season

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will offer new and expanded summer service from Montana to Atlanta and Los Angeles, effective on June 22, 2013.

The new service changes include:

Atlanta to Bozeman expanded from twice per week to three weekly
Atlanta to Kalispell expanded from once per week to twice weekly
New Saturday service from Atlanta to Missoula
New Saturday service from Los Angeles to Bozeman

Delta’s new service between Atlanta and Bozeman, Kalispell and Missoula, will be operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The fourth flight, between Bozeman and Los Angeles, will be operated by Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines (St. George) using a 76-seat two-class Bombardier CRJ900.

Returning summer seasonal service between Atlanta and Bozeman will operate Wednesdays and Saturdays on a Boeing 757-200, while Atlanta-Kalispell service will operate Saturdays on Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Delta has served Montana since 1927 and offers more flights statewide than any other airline. During the peak summer travel season, Delta serves eight Montana communities with more than 1,300 monthly departures and offers 54 percent more seats than its largest competitor. In 2012, the airline carried 1.3 million passengers to and from Montana.

Montana markets Delta provides service include: Butte, Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Missoula and West Yellowstone.

Delta’s new and returning summer seasonal flights in Montana are scheduled as follows:

Bozeman/Atlanta Operated on a Boeing 737-800

Departs	Arrives	Service Dates	Frequency
Atlanta – 2:55 p.m.	5:05 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 24	Saturday Only
Bozeman – 8:15 a.m.	2:00 p.m.	June 23-Aug. 25	Sunday Only

Bozeman/Atlanta Operated on a Boeing 757-200

Departs	Arrives	Service Dates	Frequency
Atlanta – 11:00 a.m.	1:10 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 31	Wednesday/Saturday
Bozeman – 2:00 p.m.	7:47 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 31	Wednesday/Saturday

Bozeman/Los Angeles Operated by Delta Connection carrier Skywest on a CRJ900

Departs	Arrives	Service Dates	Frequency
Los Angeles – 9:00 a.m.	12:15 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 24	Saturday Only
Bozeman – 12:50 p.m.	2:05 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 24	Saturday Only

Kalispell/Atlanta Operated on a Boeing 737-800

Departs	Arrives	Service Dates	Frequency
Atlanta – 3:00 p.m.	5:38 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 24	Saturday Only
Kalispell – 8:00 a.m.	2:07 p.m.	June 23-Aug. 25	Sunday Only

Kalispell/Atlanta Operated on a Boeing 737-800

Departs	Arrives	Service Dates	Frequency
Atlanta – 9:50 a.m.	12:28 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 31	Saturday Only
Kalispell – 1:10 p.m.	7:17 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 31	Saturday Only

Missoula/Atlanta Operated on a Boeing 737-800

Departs	Arrives	Service Dates	Frequency
Atlanta – 10:25 a.m.	1:03 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 31	Saturday Only
Missoula – 1:45 p.m.	7:51 p.m.	June 22-Aug. 31	Saturday Only

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Boeing 757-232 N610FL (msn 22817), formerly the pink Breast Cancer Awareness 757 aircraft, climbs away from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC).

Delta Air Lines:

Delta Connection-SkyWest Airlines:

Alaska Airlines to add summer service between Fairbanks and Portland, Oregon

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) announced today it will add a nonstop, daily flight between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Portland, Oregon, starting on June 9 through September 2, 2013. The Portland-Seattle/Tacoma-Fairbanks-Anchorage route was the original historic jet route for the company.

	Summary of new flights:

Start Date	City pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency	End Date

June 9	Portland-Fairbanks	8:05 p.m.	11:05 p.m.	Daily	Sept 1, 2013

June 10	Fairbanks-Portland	12:15 a.m.	5:04 a.m.	Daily	Sept 2, 2013

	All times based on local time zones

Alaska Airlines:

UPS reports record earnings per share

UPS (United Parcel Service) (UPS Airlines) (Atlanta and Louisville) announced record 2012 fourth quarter and full year adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.32 and $4.53 respectively, with the U.S. Domestic segment leading the way. The company generated annual free cash flow of approximately $5.4 billion, a testament to operations execution and the emphasis UPS places on capital efficiency. UPS estimates that Hurricane Sandy reduced earnings per share by approximately $0.05.

UPS recorded a fourth quarter mark-to-market, non-cash, after-tax charge of $3.0 billion for its company-sponsored pension and post-retirement benefit plans. Although the plans exceeded their expected rate of return, these incremental gains were more than offset by a 120 basis point decline in year-end discount rates. As a result, on a GAAP basis, diluted earnings per share for the quarter fell to a loss of $1.83. For the full year, reported diluted earnings per share were $0.83. This adjustment does not affect cash flow, required pension funding or benefits paid to plan participants.

UPS expects full year earnings per share to be within a range of $4.80 – $5.06, an increase of 6-to-12% compared to 2012 adjusted results. The company also raised guidance for 2013 share repurchases from $1.5 billion to $4.0 billion.

Adjusted

Consolidated Results

4Q 2012

4Q 2011

Revenue

$14.57 B

$14.17 B

Operating profit (loss)

($2.78 B

)

$2.05 B

$1.20 B

$2.02 B

Operating margin

(19.1 %

)

14.1 %

8.4 %

14.3 %

Average volume per day

18.8 M

18.3 M

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

($1.83

)

$1.32

$0.74

$1.28

During the year, UPS delivered more than four billion packages. For the quarter, it delivered 18.8 million pieces per day, an increase of 2.9% over the prior-year period.

Overall consumer spending for holiday shopping fell slightly below expectations, however; UPS still delivered more than 500 million packages, including almost 28 million on its peak day, both new records.

Cash Position

For the year ending Dec. 31, UPS generated $5.4 billion in free cash flow after capital expenditures of $2.2 billion. UPS repurchased 21.8 million shares for approximately $1.6 billion and paid dividends totaling $2.1 billion, up 9.6% per share.

Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker. Boeing 747-45E (BCF) N579UP (msn 26062) climbs away from Anchorage International Airport (ANC).

UPS-United Parcel Service: