Ninth Pilot Charged In Minnesota

ANN would like to ask the state of Minnesota one question: What's your beef with airline pilots? While tax evasion is a serious offense, some are wondering why the state has chosen to publicy humiliate a select group of offenders: airline pilots? Why not do the same for other citizens following the same path of wrong-doing? On Tuesday, Washington County (MN) charged airline pilot Dennis Dentley Dickinson, 41, with three felony counts of tax evasion and promptly distributed a press release announcing the arrest. Dickinson is th

Fell 2.4 Percent in 2003

As one would expect, war, SARS and a sagging economy did not prove well for the international aviation market. So, it comes as no surprise the official traffic numbers slipped in 2003. On Thursday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported international air travel declined 2.4 percent in 2003 after a narrow gain a year earlier. The Geneva-based association was upbeat about 2004, however, forecasting traffic growth of 7-8 percent after strong recovery in the last quarter of 2003. As traffic fell many carriers cut capacity to lower costs but the IATA said overall capacity rose 0.1 percent. Passenger traffic rose 5.2 percent in December though the year-on-year rise was slower than a 5.9 percent rise in November. The

Enjoyed Some Success; Faced Many Challenges

Boeing, the big kahuna of aerospace, reported its 2003 year-end results on Thursday. Its report revealed the very best and worst the aerospace giant could hope for over the previous 12 month period. Boeing reported net income of $1.1 billion for the fourth quarter, or $1.37 per share, on revenues of $13.2 billion. Reported net income for 2003 totaled $0.7 billion, or $0.86 per share, on revenues of $50.5 billion. The results include a $1.01 per share non-cash charge to revalue goodwill balances in the first quarter and a $0.87 per share gain related to a federal tax refund in the fourth quarter. "This past year was notable both for the solid performance turned in by most of our businesses, as well as the challenges we

EU To Publish Blacklist Of Unsafe Airlines By Year-End 

The European Union Commission Wednesday said it intends to publish a "blacklist" of unsafe airlines before the end of the year. The push to tighten safety rules has intensified since a plane flown by Flash Airlines, which had been banned in Switzerland, crashed into the Red Sea in January, killing 148 people, mainly French tourists. E.U. governments and the European Parliament backed a bill this week tightening safety standards on foreign airlines, such as Egypt-registered Flash Airlines. However, the Commission believes European travelers should have access to information as soon as possible since the bill won't come into effect for at least two years. At the moment, only Switzerland and the

Pilots "Failed To Follow Proper Landing Procedures"   

On Tuesday, the government commission in Uzbekistan, which is investigating the airliner accident in that country last month, blames the crash on pilot error. The report contends the crew aboard the Uzbekistan Airways Yak-40 jet failed to follow proper landing procedures, even though heavy fog limited visibility at Tashkent's international airport at the time. The three-engine jet, bound from the town of Termez on the Afghan border, overshot the runway and crashed near the airport, killing all 37 people on board, including the head of the U.N. mission. The crew didn't actually see the runway at the minimum height required but continued landing anyway, "overestimating its professional skills,"

Alleged Fraud While Operating To Nigeria

On January 26, 2004, passengers on flights operated by World Airways Inc. through their lawyers, Echeruo, Counsel, Attorneys at Law, LLP and Madu, Edozie & Madu P.C., filed a Class Action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The action has been brought as a class action on behalf of a class (the "Class") of all persons who purchased tickets for travel from the United States to Nigeria between November 4, 2003 and January 31, 2004 and were not transported to their destinations on schedule by World Airways. Plaintiff attorneys claim the action arose from World Airways decision to completely cease flight operations to Nigeria, abandoning passengers with round trip tickets and