MARCH 2009

airport-technology.com - March 31, 2009
EU Ministers Approve Open Skies Deal with Canada
The European Union is set to sign an 'open skies' agreement with Canada, under which Canadian and European Union airlines would be able to fly freely between any EU airport and any Canadian airport.

msnbc - March 31, 2009
N.Y. charges man for opening airplane door
NEW YORK - A Scottish air traveler got so fed up during a delay on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport that he tried to open a jet’s door and get out, prosecutors said.

CNN Money - March 31, 2009
FAA: Air travel will fall 7.8% in '09
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of travelers boarding U.S. airliners will plunge 7.8% in 2009, a drop matched only in the year following the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, according to a U.S. government forecast out Tuesday.

Arline Stocks Taking a Beating:

American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta
Jet Blue

Times Online - March 29, 2009
jet blue
LAW enforcement agencies are seeking scientists to develop an artificial nose that can detect the smell of fear as terrorists pass through security at airports.

USA Today - March 27, 2009
Flier sues Continental over mileage-award fees
Annoyed by new fees and rule changes to your airline's frequent-flier program? You're not alone. One man is going so far as to take Continental to court, suing the airline "for raising the number of miles needed to earn a free trip and then charging him $75 to book the flight," The Associated Press writes.

TravelDailyNews.com - March 16, 2009
What is REALLY Happening in Mexico?
What is REALLY Happening in Mexico? The Mexico Tourism Board and itravel2000 have partnered to launch a consumer-to-consumer web blog to address confusion over recent media reports of one of Canadian's most favorite tourist spots.

Reuters - March 26, 2009
Delta Air steps up makeover with branding changes
ATLANTA, March 26 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) is expanding in-flight wireless Internet access and looking to bring more benefits to frequent flyers as it completes the integration of Northwest Airlines.

msnbc - March 25, 2009
Police charge woman after secret in-flight birth
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand police charged a woman with abandonment on Wednesday after she secretly gave birth aboard an international flight and dumped the newborn in a garbage can in the plane's bathroom.

airport-technology.com - March 25, 2009
US Announces Funding to Encourage Green Transit
The US government has put forward $100m in federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to encourage environmentally friendly transit.

CNN - March 24, 2009
Airline industry to lose $4.7B in 2009
GENEVA (Reuters) -- World airlines are set to lose $4.7 billion this year as a result of the global recession that has shrunk passenger and cargo demand, industry body IATA said.

CNN - March 19, 2009
Fares Following Traffic In Downward Trend
Whether business travel volumes have yet bottomed out is unclear, as some data has shown stabilization while other data indicates a deepening decline.

AirportBusiness.com - March 17, 2009
General aviation is in a stall right now
The flat economy and populist aversion to private jets as symbols of corporate excess have put general aviation into a tailspin.

Aviation Today - March 16, 2009
Airlines Scrambling With Fees: They’re Up, Down & All Around
BOSTON, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Airfarewatchdog™ warns the traveling public of recent changes to fee structures* that indicate the economy continues to impact major airline operations.

MSNBC - March 16, 2009
Europe’s air passenger, cargo traffic falling
BRUSSELS - European airport operators say air passenger and cargo traffic is falling across the region.

MSNBC - March 16, 2009
US Airways: Air travel showing signs of stability
Executives from US Airways Group Inc. said on Monday that demand and airfares seem to be stabilizing after sharp drops in January and early February.

TravelDailyNews.com - March 16, 2009
Increasing biz travel budgets may help recovery
A recent survey of business executives found that a majority believe that companies that increase travel budgets during a slow economy will actually fare better than those that cut budgets back.

TravelDailyNews.com - March 16, 2009
Hawaii hotel occupancy plummets
Only two-thirds of hotel rooms in Hawaii were occupied in January, resulting in an estimated $88 million decline in total hotel revenues, according to a report released Friday by Hospitality Advisors LLC.

Civil Aviation Authority - March 15, 2009
CAA AIRPORT STATISTICS SHOW FIRST FALL IN PASSENGER NUMBERS FOR 17 YEARS
UK airports handled 1.9 per cent fewer passengers in 2008 compared with 2007.

Los Angeles Times - March 15, 2009
As travel declines, aircraft 'boneyard' in Victorville fills up
Industry experts say this year is likely to set a record for planes sitting on the ground rather than flying. Storing them is a growing business.

Seattle PI - March 13, 2009
Boeing at risk of losing more 787 orders
Because the number eight is considered lucky in China, The Boeing Co. waited to name its 787-8 until it could also announce at the same time a huge order for the Dreamliner from six Chinese airlines.

USA Today - March 9, 2009
Airlines hope cheap fares can save them
If you've been looking for that bargain-basement airfare, this may be your time to book. The Houston Chronicle says the nation's deepening financial crisis recession has airlines "drastically cutting some fares to fill empty seats. How long they will last is anyone's guess, but fare-watchers are marveling at the steep declines." Tom Parsons of BestFares.com tells the Chronicle: "This may be one of our last hurrahs. I have never seen airfares drop like this from one year to the next.”

Aviation Today - March 7, 2009
AirTran Airways Launches New Service to Cancun, Mexico
ORLANDO, Fla., March 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), today launched daily nonstop flights from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore, Md., to Cancun Airport International in Cancun, Mexico.

CNN - March 5, 2009
Airports to receive $1 billion in stimulus funds
WASHINGTON -- Some $1 billion in federal stimulus money will land in the nation's airports, where it will be used to improve systems to check for explosives and weapons, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.

airport-technology.com - March 5, 2009
January Airport Traffic Shows Alarming Downturn
Airport traffic in January 2009 continued on a steady decline as figures released by Airports Council International (ACI) show a 6% downturn compared with January 2008.

Reuters - March 2, 2009
U.S. travel industry grapples with weak demand
CHICAGO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More struggles lie ahead for the tattered U.S. travel industry as hotels, casinos, airlines and travel agencies fight the tide of economic recession and flagging travel demand.

USA Today - March 2, 2009
Airlines say they lost more than $8 billion in 2008
GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) (Reuters) — The world's airlines lost up to $8 billion last year, far more than the $5 billion previously estimated, a global industry body said on Monday.

USA Today - March 2, 2009
Businesses, airlines eye air-traffic control
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has formed a coalition of business, tourism and airline officials to lobby for full funding of initiatives aimed at overhauling the country's air-traffic control system and reducing delays that plague the region's airports.

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