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April 2016

Virgin Atlantic Cargo is to reintroduce its summer service to Chicago with daily flights to and from the city as of April 27.

VirginAtlanticAirbusA330
Customers already benefit from a year-round service to the region in the form of daily flights linking London and Detroit – but, with the addition of these Airbus A330-300 services, the capacity offering will increase by 16 tonnes a day. The extra services will also provide US customers with quick connections to the UK and Europe, as well key markets in India and South Africa.

John Lloyd, Senior Vice President, Cargo, said the Chicago service, “has enabled us to strengthen our year-round presence in the US Midwest, where are have very strong support from our customers on both sides of the Atlantic.”
According to Lloyd, even before the start of the seasonal services to Chicago, UK commitments already account for more than half the total capacity. UK cargo exports are expected to be wide ranging and to include fresh fish, flowers and perishables as well as airmail.
“For customers in the US,” he went on to say, “the early morning arrival of our Detroit and Chicago services into London means we can help them to quickly connect to markets across Europe and to other online destinations such as Johannesburg and Delhi.”

Virgin Atlantic’s Chicago flights will touch down at London’s Heathrow airport at 07.55am, enabling same day connections to India and South Africa, as well as with Virgin’s road feeder services.

April 2016

Change of direction for United?

United Airlines workers have voted to approve contracts that will effectively improve the salaries of some 30,000 baggage handlers, gate agents and other groups employed by the carrier. Although United said last year that it would not be outsourcing more jobs in baggage handling or customer services until at least 2019, clearly that strategy has been reviewed – and ultimately reversed.

In all, there are seven deals tabled that relate to a 30% increase in wages over the next five years, along with US$100m in lump sum payments. Included in the deal is protection against outsourcing; more than that, there is an undertaking to bring more airport work in-house at the carrier’s Los Angeles and San Francisco hubs.

April 2016

All change at Philadelphia?

Any Philadelphia International airport subcontractor who is paying its workers less than US$12 an hour may need to reconsider the arrangement. Unless they do, there is the distinct possibility of their being evicted from the station.

Late last year the city’s now mayor, Jim Kenney, announced plans to this effect. Eviction would, of necessity, be the last resort, for the mayor was more concerned with gaining compliance.

One local union, 32BJ SEIU, which does not actually represent the airport staff, nonetheless praised the move; in the past it has accused several subcontractors of failing to comply with the lease agreement since it went into effect in 2015.

Whilst no compliance date has been given, it is thought that the situation will be addressed sooner rather than later.

March 2016

More Global catering trucks for Southwest

Air T has said that its subsidiary, Global Ground Support, was awarded a GSE order from Southwest Airlines earlier this month. The order, which is reputed to be in excess of US$2.8m, is for the supply of Global Ground Support’s catering trucks. These trucks will be equipped with Global’s own design of scissor-lift, which functions with two, single stage hydraulic lift cylinders and which carry payload capacities of 6,000 pounds. Global has been in the enviable position of being Southwest’s sole supplier of provisioning trucks since 2003. To date, Global Ground Support has delivered over 230 trucks and deliveries of the latest order for 35 trucks are expected to be completed during this year.

Menzies boosts salaries at Sea-Tac

Menzies announced on March 25 that the base rate for its employees at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport had been increased to US$15.24, effective February 15, 2016. The increased wages have affected staff up to the level of Lead and Supervisor a, with some 900 employees in all set to benefit from the rise.

Aviation worker salary concerns and protests have made the news headlines regularly since 2013, with Sea-Tac activity very much in the vanguard. Those concerns have not been solely restricted to aviation employees, however, with fast food workers and other sectors also joining in the fray. Sea-Tac is seen as the landmark case, though, and Menzies’ decision to go ahead with the pay award, despite continued opposition to the Proposition 1 that was voted for earlier, is an indication of the value that it places on its workforce. In a statement, Menzies stressed that it invests a great deal in its handling staff, ensuring that they are correctly trained and that there is an evident focus on career growth. Commenting, Menzies’ Vice President Philip Harnden, added: “In Seattle, we felt this wage increase was consistent with that approach and Menzies’ policy of continually investing in its employees. We also determined to do so despite Proposition 1 continuing to be debated in the courts.”

Harnden went on to say: “Our investment in our employees is about more than just wages. In addition to its competitive pay packages, Menzies Aviation also invests considerable resources and time into training and helping its employees with career growth and development. We believe that is why we have been able to attract and retain a dedicated and hard-working group of core employees who have been the cornerstone of our success at this important hub location for our key airline customers.”

February 22

Southwest finalizes ground staff deal

It’s taken almost five years of negotiations, but the news that Southwest Airlines has finally signed a satisfactory pay contract with its ground crew will come as a relief to many. In the event, the voting was very close, with workers only narrowly approving the new contract on February 19. Members of the Transport Workers Union Local 555, which represents more than 12,000 ramp, operations, cargo and other ground workers, was the force behind the deal.

The accepted offer includes pay increases of 20% that will be phased in over the five year contract term. However, there are some who feel that the deal hasn’t gone far enough in terms of job security and employee working conditions.

February 17

JLC granted distributor rights

JLC Aviation Services has been approved as a UK distributor for Anderson Airmotive, a worldwide supplier of commercially and military proven sockets, plugs and connectors for fixed electrical ground power units.

Based in Massachusetts, Anderson Airmotive is renowned as an innovative leader in ground power, with over 60 years of experience in product design and manufacturing. The company produces the largest selection of rugged, yet simple to assemble, connector plugs, cable assemblies and receptacles in the industry. Covering all commercial and military requirements for 28VDC, 270VDC, 80VDC, 200VAC and 400VAC, all Anderson Airmotive connectors are made from high quality, specially formulated rubber with excellent chemical and abrasion resistance. Each connector has heavy, silver-plated tellurium copper contacts with quad beams and engineered steel springs that assure consistent contact for thousands of cycles.

February 16

Plaudit for diversionary airport

Bangor Aviation Services, which is Bangor airport’s ground handling and services division, was recently presented with the WOW award by United Airlines for its outstanding service to the airline’s multiple diver­sions to Bangor during the last few months.

Commenting on the award Andrew J Pratt Jr, Regional Performance Manager for United Express operations, said: “United Airlines is pleased to recognize our partner Bangor Aviation Services for their commitment to our customers.”

In reply, Bangor airport’s Director, Tony Caruso, said: “We appreciate this acknowledgement of our employees’ dedication, hard work and good customer service when the unexpected happens. Bangor handles many diversions in the course of a year. We strive to make every flight’s experience in Bangor a good one, whether scheduled or not. It is nice to be recognized for our efforts.”

In a typical year, Bangor International deals with more than 100 diversions. The airport’s long runway, experienced staff and its history of always being open and ready for any aircraft in operation globally, along with its strategic location, have all contributed to the station’s reputation of being a suitable diversion point, when required.

“We have a very experienced staff. They handle diversions as a matter of course. We are always ready and able to handle any flight that comes through Bangor, whether they have been on the schedule for a week or they give us 20 minutes’ notice,” remarked Assistant Airport Director, James Canders, who oversees those divisions recognized by United.

February 15

New contract ratified with Air Canada

The Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA) has announced that its members have ratified a new contract with Air Canada on collective agreement terms that will last for 12 years. Air Canada’s flight dispatchers are based at the airline’s Operations Center near Toronto Pearson International airport.

This new contract with CALDA follows on the conclusion of  ten year agreements with the IAMAW, which represents Air Canada’s 7,500 technical, maintenance, airport ramp and cargo personnel; with CUPE, representing the airline’s 6,500 flight attendants, and with ACPA, which represents around 3,000 pilots. It actually represents the seventh agreement reached by Air Canada and its unions.

February 10

New app unveiled at Miami

Miami airport has just launched its new mobile app, which is designed for passengers and all airport users. This is the first airport app in the US to use the latest technologies, including Bluetooth beacons, to get the right information to the right people, when and where they need it. Developed by IT provider SITA, the app presents an easy-to-use interface and gives travelers personalized updates, directions and tips based on their location and needs.

Described by the airport as “Your Personal Travel Assistant,” the MIA Airport Official app can be used on iOS and Android devices from anywhere in the world. When the user opens it, options are provided based on location, so a user in Miami will have a different experience from someone opening it up in London, Bogota or New York.

As travelers make their way through the airport, the app provides information and support that is relevant to their individual journey, including updates on their gate, flight times and baggage collection, as well as nearby food and retail outlets, prioritizing suggestions based on their current location.

February 5

REN upload Feb2016 - Signature BBA

BBA gets clearance for Landmark

British aircraft services company BBA Aviation has announced that it has won US antitrust approval to buy Landmark Aviation in a deal, signed last year, reputed to be worth US$2m.

BBA, which owns Signature Flight Support, agreed to divest fixed base operators assets, which supply fuel and other support to smaller aircraft, at six airports as a condition of antitrust approval. The airports in question are Washington Dulles, Scottsdale Municipal, Fresno Yosemite, Jacqueline Cochran Regional, Westchester County and Ted Stevens in Alaska.

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