Aircraft Accident Rate Drops In 2009

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the aviation safety performance for 2009 showing that the year’s accident rate for Western-built jet aircraft as the second lowest in aviation history.

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US$5.6 Bn Loss Expected for Aviation In 2010

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revised its financial outlook for 2010 to an expected US$5.6 billion global net loss, larger than the previously forecast loss of US$3.8 billion. For 2009, IATA maintained its forecast of a US$11 billion net loss.

“The world’s airlines will lose US$11.0 billion in 2009. We are ending an Annus Horribilis that brings to a close the 10 challenging years of an aviation Decennis Horribilis. Between 2000 and 2009, airlines lost US$49.1 billion, which is an average of US$5.0 billion per year,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

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Lithium Battery Proposals Adopted by International Dangerous Goods Panel

WASHINGTON, USA - The Rechargeable Battery Association said today the International Civil Aviation Organization's Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) that met in Montreal earlier this month had adopted several proposals supported by the battery trade group, including changes that impact the shipment, packaging and labeling of lithium batteries.

"We are pleased that the DGP acted on a number of issues that are critically important to the battery industry. PRBA has advocated for strong international regulation of an industry truly global in its scope," said PRBA executive director George Kerchner.

"PRBA continues to support efforts aimed at harmonizing U.S. battery regulations with the more stringent international shipping and packaging requirements while expanding and improving the enforcement of existing U.S. regulations by the U.S. Department of Transportation," Kerchner added.

The DGP approved PRBA proposals that will:

1. Facilitate the transport of "low production" and prototype lithium ion batteries, particularly large-format batteries being designed for hybrid and electric vehicles.
2. Allow a smaller handling label on some battery shipping packages.
   Eliminate outdated and unnecessary limitations on certain liquid cathode lithium metal batteries.
   Improve the general packaging requirements for lithium batteries.
   
   

In other actions at the Montreal meeting, PRBA assisted Canada in winning DGP approval for changes that will allow passengers with medical needs to carry defibrillators powered by lithium ion or lithium metal batteries onboard aircraft and endorsed a proposal by the International Air Transport Association to ban the air transport of used lithium ion and lithium metal batteries being shipped for recycling or disposal unless approved by the appropriate air transport authority and airline.

The DGP also rejected proposals from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association that would have prohibited the transport of lithium metal batteries on both passenger and cargo aircraft and eliminated the existing exceptions for the shipment of small lithium ion cells, batteries and consumer products containing these batteries.

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IATA wins in PaxIS Dispute

Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) won a major court victory in a dispute with Travelport over PaxIS. On 1 October, the Amsterdam District Court denied an application by Travelport for an injunction to block IATA’s use of airline data stored in Travelport databases for PaxIS.

“IATA has won an important legal battle to preserve competition for airline data transaction products. The Dutch court decision vindicates the rights of airlines to earn profits from commercializing their data,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO.

PaxIS is an airline business intelligence product based in part on data that it collects through its billing and settlement plans (BSP), some of which is stored in third party databases.

In late August, Travelport sought a preliminary injunction against IATA’s use of BSP data in PaxIS. Travelport argued that the EC database directive gave it the right to control the use of data that it retrieves from its database and transmits to IATA’s BSP settlement systems on behalf of its airline clients.

The 1 October decision of the Amsterdam District Court (Netherlands), denied Travelport’s application, ruling in favor of IATA on almost every significant issue.

“This decision brings clarity and common sense to the evolving and complex interplay between the EC database directive and principles of EC competition law. We are pleased that we can continue to provide the airlines with a cost-effective and competitive data product that supports critical decision-making in their businesses,” said Bisignani.

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UAE agrees open skies with the Republic of Serbia

Dubai-The United Arab Emirates represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has initialled an "open" Air Services Agreement (ASA) and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the Republic of Serbia on 15th October 2009, during Air Services Negotiations taking place in Belgrade, Serbia.

This new Understanding was signed by Omar Bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Miodrag Miljkovic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia. Representatives from Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways, attended the negotiations.

The two delegations agreed that any number of designated airlines of both parties will have the right to perform scheduled air services. The UAE delegation informed that its Aeronautical Authority designated Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, RAK Airways, Air Arabia and FlyDubai as UAE national airlines under the Agreement. The Serbian Delegation informed that its Aeronautical authority designated Jat airways as Serbian national airline under the agreement.

The agreement allows unrestricted frequencies, capacity and types of aircraft, whether owned or leased, to be operated by the designated airlines of each country in any type of service (passenger or cargo) on the routes between the Republic of Serbia and the UAE.

The agreement also includes, in addition to the third and fourth freedoms, the practice of full fifth freedom traffic rights on all points of their choice without any restriction while operating any type of services (passenger and/or cargo, separately or in combination). In addition, both parties agreed to allow unrestricted non-scheduled operations between the two countries and to recommend to their authorities to conclude an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation on revenues arising from their airlines' activities and income earned by their employees when stationed in the territory of the other party. - Emirates News Agency, WAM

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