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News from ALPA International

February 21, 2013


Check the Pulse of the Industry

In This Issue:

ALPA Provides Expert Perspective on Airline Industry at Media Briefing
Reporters from several top news organizations were in attendance
ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak and first vice president Capt. Sean Cassidy covered a host of leading aviation issues at a media briefing this morning in Washington, D.C.

Moak provided an overview of the progress the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l has made in the last year both at the negotiating table and in the legislative and regulatory arenas. A variety of topics were covered including the impact sequestration could have on the airline industry, achieving one level of safety for all pilots, and the truth about the supposed pilot shortage in North America.

Read more.

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AIS Pilots Ratify Agreement for New Aircraft
Island Air pilots came out in record numbers last week to vote on, and ultimately ratify, an agreement for new ATR aircraft. Every eligible member participated in this ballot—a feat that has reportedly not been seen in ALPA’s recent balloting history. The agreement, which outlines the terms and conditions for the new aircraft, passed by a 92 percent majority vote and will be implemented in the event that a change in ownership takes place.

Read more.

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North American Parent Company Emerges from Chapter 11
Last week, Global Aviation Holdings Inc., the parent company of North American Airlines (NAA) and World Airways, announced that its plan of reorganization (POR) became effective on February 13, allowing the company to complete its financial restructuring and emerge from Chapter 11. In connection with the POR, the company also secured $35 million in exit financing.

Read more.

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Dreamliner Battery Solution to Be Proposed
Boeing is proposing remedies to address the lithium-ion battery problems that grounded its fleet of 787 Dreamliners. If approved, these solutions could have the plane back in service as early as April.

The aircraft manufacturer has developed methods to reduce the chance that vibrations, swelling, or moisture could cause battery failures. Boeing is proposing the installment of insulation inside and around each of the eight cells of the battery to minimize the risk that a fire in one of the cells could spread to the others. The plan calls for a more durable metal container for the battery with tubes to vent any hazardous materials outside the aircraft, and a system to assess the activity inside each cell, as opposed to the battery as a whole.

Raymond Conner, president of Boeing’s commercial airplane division, plans to meet with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta on Friday to discuss the proposal.

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Pulse of the Industry

Alaska Airlines has appointed Betsy Bacon as managing director of Alaska Air Cargo . . . The 17th Annual Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic, benefitting the Linda Buchan Centre for Breast Cancer Screening and Assessment, recently raised more than $155,000 . . . Delta Air Lines has received its first delivery of North Dakota crude oil at the Pennsylvania refinery it purchased last year . . . First Air recently acquired two ex-KLM Royal Dutch Airlines B-737-400s.

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Transport Canada Certifies New P&W Engine
Transport Canada has certified Pratt & Whitney’s first PurePower PW1500G engine, which will be used for Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft. This new engine uses a gear system that allows the engine’s fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. The manufacturer notes that the combination of the gear system with an advanced core provides improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and noise reduction.

The Bombardier CSeries aircraft are designed for the 100- to 149-seat market.

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Extra! Extra! Read All About It in “ALPA Daily”
The aviation industry is changing faster than ever before. The new “ALPA Daily” feature at www.alpa.org will keep you informed of the latest industry developments and analysis from around the globe. Check it out each day to stay up-to-date on the news that affects pilots and the piloting profession.

ALPA members can sign up to receive ALPA Daily in their e-mail:

Visit this link.
• Log in with your ALPA member number and password.
• Select “E-mail Distribution Lists.”
• Check the box for “ALPA Daily.”
• Submit your request.

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Lounging at LaGuardia? Check These Out
The Food & Shops at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B recently announced the annual winners of their “Quest for the Best” employee recognition and incentive program. Now in its 6th year, the program honors the stores that provide the best customer service to the traveling public.

The 2013 winners of the “Quest for the Best” program are as follows:

• Annual Quest for the Best Award - ITech Xperience
• First Runner Up/Food - Auntie Anne’s
• First Runner Up /Retail - InMotion Entertainment
• Second Runner Up/Food - Famous Famiglia
• Second Runner Up/Retail- Hudson News & Taxco Sterling (tie)
• Most Improved/Food - Cibo Market
• Most Improved /Retail - Hudson News
• Service Spirit Award - Duty Free America

Read more.

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IYE Opens New, Interactive Website

The International Youth Exchange (IYE) recently launched a newly designed, interactive website located at www.intlyouth.org. The colorful site features details and testimonials about the affordable travel abroad that is designed specifically for airline families.

Since its founding in 1994, IYE has brought together more than 3,000 teens for the travel experience of a lifetime. Match countries include the U.S., France, Spain, England, Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Australia.

Visit the IYE website for more details and to see if an international exchange is right for your family.

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FastFact
Canada celebrates National Aviation Day on February 23.

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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes
Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at communications@alpa.org.

If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices, and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to www.alpa.org and logging in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

If you don’t have access to the members-only section of www.alpa.org, you can e-mail your requests by sending them to membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us what information needs to be updated.

Please note that it is not sufficient just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon.

Can’t remember your member number or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting membership@alpa.org.

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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270