U.S. airlines seek to stop aging aircraft rule

[Roger LaFrance]

U.S. airlines seek to stop aging aircraft rule

AMR (AMR Corp










[-] Text [+] By John Crawley
WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. passenger and cargo airlines on Tuesday sought to stop, or at least change, a Federal Aviation Administration proposal to overhaul management of structural fatigue in older aircraft.
The biggest passenger carriers and their cargo counterparts said the agency's proposal last April was premature and incomplete.
They also said the FAA significantly underestimated what it would cost the airlines in maintenance and aircraft retirement costs to comply with the regulation.
"Unfortunately, the proposed rule is quite simply unjustified. It should not be made final," the industry's primary trade group, the Air Transport Association, said in documents filed with the Transportation Department.
For the first time, the FAA proposed strict criteria for determining life limits for commercial aircraft, potentially affecting thousands of aircraft already in service.
The plan would also push new costs -- at least $360 million over 20 years -- onto an industry with several carriers that fly many older planes, the FAA said.
Manufacturers, such as Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Europe's Airbus (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), would pick up about 10 percent of the cost while airlines would pay the rest. But industry estimates costs in excess of $3 billion, if certain scenarios involving aircraft retirements were considered.
FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said the proposal was overly complex and would "drain resources ." Continued...


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Roger & Amanda La France

[Michael Burris]

AIRLINE:

How nice.

Newer aircraft improve safety and fuel efficiency. It
would also give some much needed business to the
aircraft makers, who, so the article implies, might
give sort of a 10% rebate to the airlines if they buy
their aircraft.

I'm not surprised at the airlines baulking because
this cuts into the salaries of CEO's and other top
dogs. That is, of the top five commericial carriers,
and the top three cargo carriers.

Tough choice. What's good for the environment and
aviation safety versus profit.

The jury is still out on this one.

Mike Burris
Cambridge, Mass

Post by Roger LaFrance
U.S. airlines seek to stop aging aircraft rule
AMR (AMR Corp
[-] Text [+] By John Crawley
WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. passenger and
cargo airlines on Tuesday sought to stop, or at
least change, a Federal Aviation Administration
proposal to overhaul management of structural
fatigue in older aircraft.
The biggest passenger carriers and their cargo
counterparts said the agency's proposal last April
was premature and incomplete.
They also said the FAA significantly underestimated
what it would cost the airlines in maintenance and
aircraft retirement costs to comply with the
regulation.
"Unfortunately, the proposed rule is quite simply
unjustified. It should not be made final," the
industry's primary trade group, the Air Transport
Association, said in documents filed with the
Transportation Department.
For the first time, the FAA proposed strict criteria
for determining life limits for commercial aircraft,
potentially affecting thousands of aircraft already
in service.
The plan would also push new costs -- at least $360
million over 20 years -- onto an industry with
several carriers that fly many older planes, the FAA
said.
Manufacturers, such as Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote,
Quote, Profile, Research), would pick up about 10
percent of the cost while airlines would pay the
rest. But industry estimates costs in excess of $3
billion, if certain scenarios involving aircraft
retirements were considered.
FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said
the proposal was overly complex and would "drain
resources ." Continued...
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ewrw4co
Roger & Amanda La France

Michael A. Burris
Freelance Writer,
Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)

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