Airline Business articles from December 2003

Airline Business archives from December 2003

Mesa's bid for ACA turns hostile.(Mesa Air Group's hostile bid for Atlantic Coast Airlines goes to litigation)
December 1, 2003... The Mesa Air Group's hostile bid for Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) has gone to litigation, as ACA pilots back their employer's independent low-fare ambitions. Mesa chief executive Jonathan Ornstein continues to deride his target's plan to...

Avianca searches for new money.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... As its shareholders formally dismantle the Summa alliance, Colombia's Avianca and its US subsidiary are entering the last phase of reorganisation under US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with a search for new equity. It filed for court...

Paperless lockout looms.
December 1, 2003... Small airlines face being excluding from important interlining opportunities with US majors as the network carriers increasingly move to electronic ticketing. As it increases its e-ticketing agreements, American Airlines will stop issuing...

LanChile leads Latin recovery.
December 1, 2003... Recovery is a relative term in Latin America, but traffic and revenue are up in the region and several carriers are now profitable. LanChile, with help from its affiliates in Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, set the pace for the...

In brief.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Internet travel merger Media mogul Barry Diller, who owns US cable television and telecommunications companies, will move to combine his Expedia and hotels.com online travel sites. Diller's InterActive Corp, parent of both sites, has yet...

In brief.
December 1, 2003... Delta's all-business trial Delta Air Lines is testing an all-business class cabin on flights between its Atlanta Hartsfield hub and Houston Hobby and Kansas City International airports. AirTran Airways competes with Delta on both routes....

Low-fare Ted makes Denver debut.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Although it has not managed to secure labour agreement to create a separate company for its low-fare venture, United Airlines is confident that Ted "can be value creating to the mainline carrier", says Glenn Tilton, United's chairman. The...

Gradual signs of recovery after crisis in first half.
December 1, 2003... European carriers were thankful to see their financial performance stabilise in the third quarter, while Asian carriers are rapidly putting the SARS-inflicted first half behind them, report Colin Baker in London and Nick Ionides in Singapore....

Momentum gathers as losses narrow.(airlines)
December 1, 2003... US profits are almost back - but barely, and with the warnings that overcapacity is fast approaching. The difference this time is that warnings also apply to low-cost capacity, writes David Field For the third quarter, American Airlines...

AirAsia goes on offensive.
December 1, 2003... Malaysian low-fares carrier AirAsia is challenging Singapore by making the border city of Johor Bahru its second hub. The carrier has also made a move into Thailand. Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia only started serving Johor Bahru, just across...

Path clear for Tokyo-Seoul shuttle.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The first regular "shuttle flights" between the domestic airports of the Japanese and South Korean capitals are set to begin on 30 November in a move aimed at reducing travel times and boosting trade ties. The two governments reached final...

In brief.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... More 737s for China China has ordered 30 Boeing 737s for five airlines for delivery in 2005 and 2006. Air China will be allocated five 737-700s; Hainan Airlines eight 737-800s; Shandong Airlines three 737-700s and four -800s; Shenzhen...

Thai set for IPO.(Thai Airways)
December 1, 2003... After more than five years of delays, Thai Airways finally looks set for a public share offering that will take the government's stake from 93% down to 70%. Shares are to be traded on the Thai stock exchange by the beginning of December....

Hong Kong holds the bilateral key.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Much in Australia is riding on the outcome of two sets of bilateral talks with Hong Kong. Virgin Atlantic wants fifth freedom rights from Hong Kong to Australia, so it can fly from London through to Australia and compete directly against...

The low-cost question.
December 1, 2003... The annual meeting of Asia-Pacific airline chief executives picked up where the previous year's left off, with discussion on shocks, growth and a debate on the likelihood of low-cost incursion. At last year's Association of Asia-Pacific...

Executive appointments.(Richard Stirland to retire as director general for the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... AAPA AAPA seeks new leader A search has begun to find a new director general for the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) to replace Richard Stirland, who retires next year. The AAPA, which represents 17 airlines in the...

In brief.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... After 20 years, Lord Colin Marshall will retire as British Airways' chairman at its annual general meeting in July 2004. He will be succeeded by BA director, and chairman of British American Tobacco, Martin Broughton. Air Macau has...

Who should decide?
December 1, 2003... So long as air transport markets remain tightly regulated, then surely transport officials, rather than competition agencies, are best placed to rule on airline mergers and to do so in the context of the long-term drive towards a more...

CSA plans for budget option.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... CSA Czech Airlines is to enter the low-cost sector by purchasing Prague-based charter carrier Travel Service Airlines. A deal would see the airlines kept separate, with Travel Service becoming a 100%-owned subsidiary offering charter and...

Ryanair threatens fight over Charleroi.
December 1, 2003... Ryanair has come out fighting as it confirmed a leak from the European Commission (EC) that Brussels will almost certainly rule that the carrier benefited from illegal state aid when setting up a base at Brussels Charleroi. Ryanair chief...

Berlin Tempelhof to close in 2004.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Falling traffic and mounting losses have prompted management at Berlin's airport authority to propose closing the city's Tempelhof airport by the end of October 2004. A final decision will be taken in the spring. Eventually, with the...

Alitalia turnaround plan.
December 1, 2003... The Italian government has signed off a decree in the first step towards the long-awaited privatisation of Alitalia just as the carrier unveiled a plan to reverse its ailing fortunes. It may have been a long time coming, but the Italian...

Austrian builds in Bratislava as Slovakia enters EU.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Austrian Airlines is making its first move into Bratislava Airport, just 60km (32 miles) across the border in Slovakia from its main Vienna hub. From May 2004, the airline will base a Boeing 737 at the airport to operate services from...

Lithuanian gets its house in order.
December 1, 2003... State-owned carrier Lithuanian Airlines is focusing efforts on restructuring its operations as part of a new three-year business plan after the state put privatisation on the backburner. To help fund restructuring, the carrier is selling...

In brief.(Aeroports de Paris chooses Credit Agricole,Morgan Stanley for privatization)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Privatisation for ADP Aeroports de Paris (ADP), the operator of Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget airports, has chosen Credit Agricole and Morgan Stanley to advise it on its forthcoming privatisation. The French government is...

Marketing.
December 1, 2003... mix BYLINE: The rise of the Internet and low-cost carriers has caused a revolution in the travel distribution chain, with carriers, travel agencies and GDS providers all jostling for position As Charles Darwin notably concluded, it is...

Separate.
December 1, 2003... directions BYLINE: Carriers in the Arab world fared better than expected last year, but capacity growth and new carrier developments in the wealthy Gulf countries is causing concern to their neighbours The recent meeting...

Feedback.
December 1, 2003... The power of airport branding BYLINE: To attract new customers airports need to pay more attention to marketing, particularly on developing their brand, argues Karin Butot of the UK's marketing consultancy The Airport Agency Airline...

Early EU-USA mini-deal ruled out.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Brussels is ruling out a "quick-win" mini-deal in its negotiations with the USA on an open aviation area. Speaking at November's annual European Air Law Association Conference in Brussels, the head of air transport agreements at the European...

In brief.(Qantas, Cathay Pacific launch interline electronic ticketing; Virgin Blue IPO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... oneworld interlining Qantas and Cathay Pacific Airways are the latest oneworld members to launch interline electronic ticketing with US partner American Airlines. The move keeps the grouping on track to have the practice in place between...

Mexicana is first to drop out of Star.
December 1, 2003... Mexicana Airlines and Star Alliance will part company on 31 March 2004, making the Mexican carrier the first to drop out of the alliance voluntarily. Two years ago, Ansett Australia departed the alliance as a result of its shutdown. The...

Brighter.
December 1, 2003... horizons BYLINE: Following a quiet couple of years, there are some new opportunities starting to emerge for the major airport investment groups After a frenzy of privatisations and acquisitions in the late 1990s, the airport sector has...

Terms of.
December 1, 2003... engagement BYLINE: The battle between airlines and airports over charges shows little sign of calming down, but there are calls for a new approach Relations between airlines and airports over charges seem destined to get worst before...

A new.
December 1, 2003... direction BYLINE: Tokyo's Narita has long been under attack for its high user charges but as privatisation nears there are promises of reform Another year is coming to an end, and with it another 12 months without resolution to the...

The big.
December 1, 2003... freeze BYLINE: As USairports pay for long-term projects, but airlines push for short-term savings, their relationship has become decidedly frigid Tension between airports and airlines over charges has been simmering for a while in the...

New model challenge.
December 1, 2003... Low-cost carriers may have created a structural change in the market, but travel patterns are far from settled cautions Chris Tarry of CTAIRA The term "low-cost" has become one of the most overworked terms in the airline industry and,...

Riding the Dubai wave.(Emirates Airlines)
December 1, 2003... Not yet 20 years old, Dubai's flag carrier Emirates is still growing at a fierce pace. The carrier's leadership team believes that the growth of both Dubai and its flag carrier is far from over While almost everywhere else in the industry...

Executive appointments.(Association of Asia Pacific Airlines)
December 1, 2003... AAPA AAPA seeks new leader A search has begun to find a new director general for the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) to replace Richard Stirland, who retires next year. The AAPA, which represents 17 airlines in the...

Building.
December 1, 2003... bloc Brussels is keen to stamp its authority on the European aviation industry, but has drawn fire for controversial proposals on passenger rights and slot reform HEADLINE: Building BYLINE: Brussels is keen to stamp its authority...

turning a corner.(aerospace industry forecast)(Industry Overview)
December 23, 2003... The past 24 months have been among the most miserable ever for many parts of the aerospace industry. Will 2004 see the long-awaited upturn? We examine prospects in each sectorSPIT[degrees]oay[degrees][sup.2]J[degrees]I Overview ...

Takeover Nicholas Ionides / singapore; China Southern buy-out nears end.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... China Southern Airlines is close to completing a phased takeover of China Northern Airlines and Xinjiang Airlines, with its parent company soon due to hand over the smaller carrier's assets to it. Guangzhou-based China Southern says its...

strategy Justin Wastnage / London; BAE Regional Aircraft aims to win more lease and maintenance work.
December 23, 2003... BAE Systems Regional Aircraft is aiming to increase its lease and maintenance work on non-BAEaircraft, following the delivery of the final production BAE airliner in November to Finnish carrier Blue1. BAE says it now plans to grow by...

UNCLE; ROGER'S FESTIVE QUIZ.
December 23, 2003... Strap yourself into your favourite armchair, light the fires, kick the tyres (not the dog) and prepare for take-off with this year's yuletide brain teaser. To make it even more challenging for you non-supersonic types , you'll even find a...

research Pino Modola / Genoa; Italian co-operation agreed.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Agusta and the Italian aerospace research centre CIRA are to co-operate on advanced rotor-blade aerofoil design in a three-year study of rotary-wing concepts. Rotor-blade ice formation will be investigated in CIRA's icing windtunnel, recently...

security ; Australia to scan for drugs and explosives.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... The Australian government is to fund an A$8.4 million ($6.2 million) Australian Customs Service programme to develop and test a neutron technology-based drugs and explosives scanner developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial...

people.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... n Euan Baird, chairman of Rolls-Royce, has suffered a stroke. For the next three months his post will be taken by deputy chairman Lord Moore. Snecma has reshuffled its management in a series of cascading promotions. Dominique Paris, the former...

air-to-air refuelling; Only half the story.(Letter to the Editor)
December 23, 2003... Noel Falconer (Flight International, 16-22 December) shows some lack of understanding of the role of air-to-air refuelling in the military. The concept of using mini-tankers would only be half the story - and even then, the logic of "small...

marketplace.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... n KLM completed the phase-out of its General Electric CF6-powered Boeing 747-200 Stretched Upper Deck (SUD)/-300 fleet in early December. Two 747-200 SUDs (one Combi and one passenger version) have been sold to Holiday Airlines, sister company...

time; machine.(Boeing's Dash 80 prototype makes its last journey)
December 23, 2003... Boeing resurrected its Dash 80 prototype - considered one of the most important aircraft in the history of flight - for one last journey into posterity Guy Norris / seattle As it vanished for ever from Seattle and headed east to...

aircraft design ; Dashing pioneer.(Boeing's 367-80 jet placed in Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Widely considered to be one of the most significant aircraft of the first 100 years of aviation, Boeing's 367-80, or Dash 80, as it is better known, is a proof-of-concept demonstrator that proved the viability of swept wings and jet engines for...

CHARTER Justin wastnage / london; Aviators delays fractional launch.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Indian aviation services company Aviators has delayed the operation of a fractional ownership programme in favour of starting Pilatus PC-12 charter services from early 2004. Bangalore-based Aviators launched a fractional scheme in March and...

regulation David Learmount / Athens; ERA recommends licensing of de-icing provider.(European Regions Airline Association )(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... De-icing units at airports often provide such a poor service that the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) director Mike Ambrose wants to see the companies permitted to do it licensed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). ...

Fleet renewal; LanChile orders extra Airbus A319s for delivery in 2004.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... LanChile has ordered three additional International Aero Engines V2500-powered Airbus A319s for delivery in 2004, as the first of two previously ordered A319s is delivered to domestic subsidiary LanExpress. LanChile already operates 14 larger...

in-flight systems; Partners aim to entertain passengers on regional aircraft flights.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Australian digital content management and distribution company DCN and UK partner Watermark are targeting the regional aircraft market with the AeroTV in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. Developed by Perth, Western Australia-based DCNover the...

fighters; Engine fault risks India's Su-30MKI purchase.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... The Indian air force has thrown doubt on whether it will accept its latest batch of multirole Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters from Russia, as continued engine failures plague the availability of the aircraft, writes Shyam Ravindran. The air force...

weapons Radhakrishna Rao / Bangalore; Indian navy to take delivery of Brahmos supersonic missile.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... The Indo-Russian Brahmos supersonic cruise missile is close to achieving its first service milestone - induction into the Indian navy - following the successful completion of a series of six flight tests, which began in mid-2001. Indian...

suspension; Virgin Blue stops ETOPS.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Virgin Blue has suspended extended twin engine operations (ETOPS) due to a "record-keeping" issue two months after gain- ing approval for the operations. The airline took the decision voluntarily, ahead of any potential action by the Civil...

Straight & Level.
December 23, 2003... Top Kneddy or Full TAP? If you score above 170, promote yourself immediately to head of Bagshot Aeroscrape and begin work on a Concorde replacement. Pass rate for a full TAP (Total Aviation Person) rating is 100 with extra mince pies as a...

safety Nicholas Ionides / Singapore & David Learmount / London; Crew mistake led to SIA tailscrape; Report shows Boeing 747-400 incident was caused by take-off weight transcription error and pilot misconduct.
December 23, 2003... The crew of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) Boeing 747-400 that suffered a severe tailscrape on take-off from Auckland for Singapore made basic errors that could have led to a serious accident, according to New Zealand investigators. The...

low-cost carriers Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; Cathay considers move to no-frills.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways is considering launching a low-fare airline in response to developments in other parts of Asia that look set to change the operating environment in the region. Cathay's corporate development director, Tony...

competition craig hoyle / london; Bidders vie for Watchkeeper deal; Northrop Grumman and Thales UK deliver technical submissions for UAV programme, with selection due in mid-2004.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... The two companies in competition for the UK's [pounds sterling]800 million ($1.4billion) Watchkeeper unmanned air vehicle requirement deliveredtheir technical submissions for the project to the UK Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) on 18...

testing christina mackenzie / paris; NH90 prototype takes off with fly-by-wire controls; Debut follows replacement of mechanical back-up device installed during development.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... NHIndustries' PT3 prototype of the NH90 transport became on 12 December the first helicopter to fly equipped exclusively with fly-by-wire controls, following the replacement of mechanical back-up controls installed on the co-pilot's side of the...

development Peter La Franchi / Bangkok; China starts on thermobaric bomb.(China North Industries )
December 23, 2003... Researchers at China North Industries say work is under way on development of a 500kg (1,100lb) air-launched thermobaric bomb. The programme is at an early stage, but follows the successful development of first-generation thermobaric...

freighters Jackson Flores / Rio de Janeiro & Arie Egozi / Tel Aviv; IAI and Varig forge 767 conversion partnership; Modifications due to begin in 2004, starting with GECAS-owned -200ERs for Tampa.(Israel Aircraft Industries )(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has linked with Varig group's maintenance and overhaul subsidiary to create a joint passenger to freighter (PTF) conversion facility in Latin America. The operation is expected to convert Boeing 767s using the...

Reorganisation Jackson Flores / Rio de Janeiro; Better results create base for brighter future.(Varig reorganizes)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Varig is focusing its efforts on improving its finances, as the proposed merger with TAM and the expected cash injection by Brazil's development bank still remain to be finalised. "The merger model with TAM was based on the snapshot image...

expedition Tim Furniss / London; Russia plans October trip to ISS for tourist.(International Space Station)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos may launch another "tourist" to the International Space Station in October 2004. US company Space Adventures has a contract with Russia to carry two more tourists and is also talking to the USA's Florida...

Mars; Dust storm in northern hemisphere threatens approaches.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... The assault on Mars by ESA's Mars Express orbiter and Beagle 2 lander and NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers is being threatened by a dust storm in Mars' northern hemisphere, which may expand to global proportions. Mars Express's view of the...

licensed production; First Chinese-built ERJ-145 completed in Harbin.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Chinese joint venture Harbin Embraer rolled out and flew the first ERJ-145 to be produced in China under the manufacturing licence, on 16 December. Harbin Embraer was formed in early 2003 by Embraer and two companies controlled by China's AVIC...

INSTALLATION; Taiwan fires up M-234 helicopter with Eye in the Sky video system.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Australian company TC Communications has installed its Eye in the Sky high-speed video system on a Boeing M-234 helicopter, the civil version of the CH-47 Chinook, operated by the Taiwanese fire department. Sydney-based TC is hoping that the...

acquisition Alexander Campbell / London; Sener gets majority stake in ITP at knock-down price; Move ensures Spanish company's employment and research spending for next three years.
December 23, 2003... Spanish aeroengine manufacturer ITP has fallen into the hands of engineering group Sener, which agreed to pay a bargain price to gain a majority stake in the company last week. Sener will pay c66 million ($81 million)in cash for an indirect...

certification Justin Wastnage / Ypres; Masquito seeks French approval; Design office stumbling block forces Belgian manufacturer to abandon efforts to have helicopter certificated in UK.
December 23, 2003... Belgian light helicopter manufacturer Masquito Aircraft may pursue French approval after the collapse of certification efforts with the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Masquito is also drawing up plans to certificate its piston engine separately...

STRATEGY; Symphony in tune for deliveries.(OMF Aircraft to deliver single engine piston planes)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Canadian general aviation aircraft manufacturer OMF Aircraft plans to begin deliveries of the Symphony 160 piston single in the third quarter of next year and says the collapse of its German parent, OMF GmbH, this month should not have a...

helicopters; AgustaWestland flies EH101s.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... AgustaWestland conducted first flights of the EH101 transport helicopter for export customers Denmark and Portugal on 12 December, from its Yeovil and Vergiate manufacturing plants in the UK and Italy. Both customers will take delivery of their...

in brief.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... NASA criticised Robert Cobb, NASA's inspector general, has criticised the agency for taking a decentralised approach in its plans to establish an independent safety office, contrary to the recommendation by the Columbia Accident...

development Stephen Trimble / Washington DC; New Bell centre to focus on advanced concepts; XWORX borrows from Boeing and Lockheed Martin traditions to develop research.
December 23, 2003... Bell Helicopter is creating a new organisation - called XWORX - to focus on advanced development. Planned projects include an initial portfolio of quad tiltrotor concepts, a full-scale prototype of the HV-911 Eagle Eye and a four-bladed rotor...

exploration Tim Furniss / London; UK gears up for Beagle's landing; Craft due to enter Martian atmosphere on 25 December and will transmit music to declare operational status.(Beagle 2 Mars lander)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... The UK's National Space Centre in Leicester is gearing up its Beagle 2 Mars lander operations, declaring its Lander Operation Control Centre operational in advance of Beagle 2's deployment from European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter last...

Collaboration kate sarsfield / london; Marquis aims high with move into luxury market ; Arrangement for Exclusive Resorts members to be followed by link with yacht builder.(Marquis Jet Partners )
December 23, 2003... Fractional leasing company Marquis Jet Partners has formed a strategic partnership with US luxury-residence club Exclusive Resorts to make NetJets fractional aircraft available to its members. The move comes ahead of a partnership with...

Low-cost carriers Max Kingsley-Jones / Dubai; MenaJet set for launch but Qatar doubts no-frills viability in region.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Middle East low-fare start-up MenaJet is confident it will be ready to start operations in April, after having delayed its launch from this year. Meanwhile, one of the region's established full-service carriers has cast doubts over the likely...

restructuring; Olympic gets new name but debts remain.(Olympic Airways renamed Olympic Airlines)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Olympic Airways has been renamed Olympic Airlines, but the Greek flag carrier is still hampered by debts and staff strikes. The airline was relaunched on 12 December, with most of its g500 million ($613 million)in debts remaining with the...

in brief.(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Level d APPROVAL FlightSafety International has won Level D approval for its Dassault Falcon Jet series and Cessna Citation X full-flight simulators in Teterboro, New York; and Orlando, Florida. The 900EX simulator is the first to be...

contract ARIE EGOZI / tel aviv; IAI to develop satellite to bolster Israeli intelligence gathering.(Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is to develop and manufacture a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for the Israeli defence forces under an initial $50 million ministry of defence contract. A senior Israeli air force source says the...

certification Justin Wastnage / Brussels; Wanted: aeronautical specialists; Patrick Goudou signed the European Aviation Safety Agency's first approval this month. But much work still remains.
December 23, 2003... Patrick Goudou will have signed around 2,000 certification documents by the end of 2003, but is particularly proud of one. Goudou, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency, signed the agency's first type certificate,...

ADVERTISING; Online shares set to take off.(Aircraft Shopper Online to launch Aircraft Partnership, to sell co-owned aircraft shares)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Internet aircraft broker Aircraft Shopper Online (ASO) is to launch an online marketplace for fractional programme shares, which it claims is the first geographic medium for selling shares of co-owned aircraft. Called Aircraft Partnership,...

Flight operations quality assurance Kieran Daly / London; Breakdown of trust blights Luxair.(Luxair S.A. pilots blame management, flight operations quality assurance)(Brief Article)
December 23, 2003... Pilots at Luxair are blaming management for a breakdown of trust that has blocked the implementation of a flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) programme at the airline after its fatal Fokker 50 crash on 6 November 2002. Investigators...