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Air transportation - airlines/airline operations and management

A Synthesis of ATM Public Perception Surveys

This document (no. EEC/SEE/2004/001) was written by Bernard Kinchin and published in 2002 by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre. The survey investigated existing surveys carried out in the period 1998-2003 for soliciting external opinion on ATM related matters. 80 organisations were approached, ranging from institutions (national & European) to aviation bodies (ANSP, Airlines, Airports) and from Research establishments to pressure groups. Only three relevant surveys were found from Transport Canada, Eurocontrol/HUM, and DFS. The synthesis shows that public awareness of ATM has rarely been addressed specifically other than for safety perception or recruitment purposes. It is available in PDF format.

AEA Yearbook

This site provides access to recent issues of the Yearbook produced by the Association of European Airlines (AEA). The Yearbook analyses the performance of AEA member airlines under a number of topics including: technical developments, fleet, traffic and capacity, fares and yields, productivity and operating results. Airline profiles and basic airline statistics are also included. The statistical appendices cover: traffic, capacity and production data on the major geographical route areas, for member airlines of the AEA. The Yearbook and statistical appendices are available online in PDF format.

Aerofiles : A Century of American Aviation

Aerofiles is the Internet's most comprehensive, non-commercial, free-access web site dedicated solely to the aviation history of North America and the airplanes that have graced its skies for more than a century. This is the starting place for anywhere in the wonderful and sometimes weird world of aviation — military, civil, and commercial — in North America from 1903 to now. From comprehensive lists and information on airplanes, airlines, airports, museums, organisations to biographies and chronology this website is packed full of information.

AeroSite

This is a personal interest web site concerned with civil aviation. The site contains sections covering airline logos, models, discussion forums, and links to other sites. There is a section on airline information which includes listings of airline codes, airports codes, and civil registration prefix codes. The aircraft section contains three view images and brief specification details.

Air and Rail Competition and Complementarity : Final Report

This provides access to a European Commission Report dated August 2006. The opening of high speed lines has enabled rail transport to obtain significant market share on routes where time sensitive passengers would previously have travelled by air, such as Paris-Lyon and Madrid-Seville. However, the expansion of low cost airlines means that on some routes, particularly in Germany and the UK, prices for air transport are now similar to or below prices for rail transport. This could have the potential to reverse the switch in market share. In addition, the construction and maintenance of high speed rail lines requires significant public funding, at a time when there are a number of competing claims on resources. An associated case study can also be viewed. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adocbe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Air Rail Links : A Guide to Best Practice

This is a document produced jointly by the International Air Rail Organisation (IARO), the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), and Airports Council International (ACI). The guide is intended to provide a review of what works best when planning and implementing rail links to airports. It draws on the experience of airport and rail operators, and is designed to be of practical value to operators as well as regional planners, airlines, and other service providers or users. It is available in PDF format.

Air Service to Small Communities

This report was produced by the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment in February 1982. It was published as part of a long term study of the economic, environmental, energy, societal, and safety impacts of advances in the technology of high-speed aircraft, commuter aircraft, and air cargo. Part 3 deals with air services to small and and medium-size communities. The report is made available as part of the OTA Online Archive. The full text is accessible online in PDF format (1143K). Alternatively, the front matter, table of contents and individual chapters are available as separate PDF files.

Air Transport : Quarterly Report No. 10

This document is part of a series of deliverables from a three year service contract between the European Commission and Cranfield University (SERV/TREN/05/MD/S07/52077/2005). Quarterly Report 10 provides an overview of the European air transport industry from January to March 2006. The reports in this series follow a set structure, covering highlights and key developments, scheduled capacity, air traffic, airline financial performance, airports, air traffic control, environmental developments, and this quarterly report provides a special section on air safety. The report is available in pdf format.

Air Transport : Quarterly Report NO. 9

This document is part of a series of deliverables from a three year service contract between the European Commission and Cranfield University (SERV/TREN/05/MD/S07/52077/2005). Quarterly Report 9 provides an overview of the European air transport industry from October to December 2005. The reports in this series follow a set structure, covering highlights and key developments, scheduled capacity, air traffic, airline financial performance, airports, and air traffic control. The report is available in pdf format.

Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Home Page

The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) exists to lobby for improvements to aviation infrastructure in an environmentally responsible manner. The site provides access to several full text reports including 'Aviation and the environment' 'The economic benefits of air transport', air traffic forecasts for Europe, the United States and Asia and the Pacific in HTML format. The site also gives information about the activities of the Group.

Air Transport and the Environment : Towards meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Development

This web site provides access to a Commission of the European Communities document: Communication from the Commission to the Council, The European Parliament, The Economic and Social Committee and The Committee of the Regions: Air Transport and the Environment - Towards meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Development, COM (1999) 640 final. The document analyses and indentifies ways for coherent and integrated policy action for the European Union in the air transport field. It suggests the introduction of economic and regulatory incentives reinforcing the competitive edge of operators and users which choose to use state-of-the art technologies and environmentally friendly operations.

Air Transport Association (ATA)

The ATA is the trade organisation that represents 14 principal US airlines. Its role is to support its member carriers by promoting the air transport industry. The site contains links to member airlines, press releases, industry statistics, events calendar, publications lists, and information reports on the activities of the Association's various committees and working groups. Also featured on the site is the Airline Handbook. The contents of this HTML electronic text include a brief history of aviation, deregulation, structure of the industry, airline economics, how aircraft fly, safety, airports, air traffic control, airlines and the environment and the future of aviation.

Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Economic Report 2005

The ATA Annual Report highlights significant facts and figures drawn from all areas of the U.S. scheduled airline industry, including domestic and international traffic and financial results for cargo and passenger operations, safety data, individual airline and aircraft operating statistics and more. The text of the report is available in PDF format.

Air Transport Intelligence

Air Transport Intelligence (ATI) is an online subscription service for the global air transport industry. It provides 24 hour news coverage, extensive databases on airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers, aircraft and flight schedules. It also contains searchable archives of its sister publications Flight International, Airline Business and Flight Daily News. A premium service is also available allowing access to further specialist data and information. A free trial can be requested.

Air Transport Users Council

The AUC is a UK organisation which represents the interests of air passengers and assists and supports the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to further the interests of such passengers. Its role includes advising passengers, investigating complaints and formulating policy. The web site provides a range of resources useful to private air travellers, including 'Flight Plan' a service which provides advice about flight safety, the airport, passenger rights and complaints procedures. The annual reports from 2001/2002 onwards are available in full and there are links to related publications and web sites.

Air Transport White Paper Progress Report 2006

This document reports on progress on the policies and proposals set out in the Government’s long term strategy for the development of air travel to 2030 (The Future of Air Transport), drawn up in 2003. The original White Paper committed the Government to ensuring that aviation reflects the full costs of its climate change emissions, placed restrictions on expansion at Heathrow unless limits on noise and air quality could be met, and rejected proposals for increased capacity at a number of airports in favour of making better us of existing ones while recognising that aviation is beneficial to both individuals and the economy. This update takes into account the findings of the Stern Review, and discusses emissions trading, the Government’s commitment to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050, and strategies to reduce the impact of expansion in the aviation industry. The document is available in pdf format (409 Kb).

Air Transportation and Socioeconomic Connectivity in the United States Since Deregulation

This is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) International Center for Air Transportation Report, prepared by Ryan Tam and R. John Hansman, ICAT-2003-07-22. In light of ongoing threats to the viability of traditional airline business models and the provision of air service in the United States, this paper studies the fundamental interdependence of the national economy and the air transportation system. A conceptual framework has been developed to identify the mechanisms that enable air transportation to shape regional economic productivity and social connectivity. Regional economic census data is combined with airline traffic and financial data to illustrate the changes in supply and demand for air travel after the deregulation of the airline industry in 1978. The paper focuses on how the utilization of air transportation system supports economic and social activities across greater distances than would otherwise be possible, changing the economic geography of market access. An analysis of industry restructuring after the economic bubble and the attacks of September 11, 2001 are also used to look at the potential impacts on economic activity at the regional and national levels. This report is available in PDF format (1,020 Kb).

Airclaims

Airclaims provides the aviation industry with services including accident insurance, risk assessment, liability claims handling and surveying. The site provides details on these activities as well as publications such as Blue Print and the International Aircraft Price Guide with the option of subscribing or downloading sample pages in PDF format. The site offers a downloadable demo of the CASE (Client Aviation System Enquiry) database of the world's air transport fleet. Also described are other information products in four main areas - aircraft, airlines, accidents and availability/values. News is provided with extracts from the Blue Print weekly industry newsletter.

Aircraft Disinsection: A Guide for Military & Civilian Air Carriers

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARDograph, RTO-AG-340, dated April, 1996. It is authored by R.A. Ellis and sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development. It explains; Aircraft disinsection is an important tool in preventing the introduction of unwanted pests into a country when an aircraft is returning to its home base. To prevent risks to air crew health, aircraft safety, and industry, Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) has reviewed the importance of aircraft disinsection and the potential problems associated with execution. Over the past two decades, various directives for air crew maintenance personnel, and preventive medicine technicians have been developed and updated periodically. This aircraft disinsection review is part of the latest effort to revise DND's administrative orders on aircraft disinsection. Existing Canadian and foreign legislation, regulations, and recommendations dealing with aircraft disinsection were reviewed. This review also summarises the information that was gathered from various officials involved in the regulation of introduced pests, pesticide registration, and safe pesticide use. Aircraft disinsection technology has evolved over the years since its inception. Practical, up-to-date information on current technologies was gathered, through numerous meetings and correspondence, from researchers, private companies involved in aircraft disinsection, air force personnel, and representatives of civilian air carriers who are active worldwide. The end-result was the development of a current, standard operating procedure for disinsection of Canadian Air Force aircraft in the form of an Air Command Administrative Order. It may serve as a model for the Air Forces and air carriers of other NATO countries. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format. The full text can be accessed online in PDF format (5.3 Mb) from the RTO's web site.

Airline Job Finder

Airline Job Finder is a division of M & L Research, an employment research organisation. You need to join to make full use of the site (fee payable). This allows members to post their CV and profile in the job seekers database that employers can search to fill open positions with airlines, airport, government agencies like the FAA and TSA, ground services operations, airline and aiport contractors, and other air travel industry employers. Information is provided on working in every sector of the air travel industry, including air traffic controller jobs and airport security jobs. There are detailed profiles of airports, airlines, industry contractors, ground services, and other air travel industry related employers.

Airline Monitor

This print and electronic journal is produced by Airline Capital Associates, a US consulting firm which specialises in commercial airline and aerospace industries. The journal is only available on subscription, and contains 20 year forecasts for a wide range of aircraft types and models, engines and cash flow and capital spending.

Airline Quality Rating

These full text airline quality ratings are provided by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute (UNOAI) and are available back to 1991. The ratings compare the performance of the top ten major US airlines from the point of view of the consumer, looking at aspects such as baggage handling, delays and twelve customer complaint categories. The full reports are available as PDF files and the synopses in HTML format.

Airline Restructuring

This set of web pages are provided by Transport Canada. They bring together a range of information resources relating to airline restructuring in Canada. This includes various full text documents including the Airline Restructuring in Canada, Final Report, Prepared by Debra Ward, Independent Transition Observer on Airline Restructuring, dated September 2002. The site also contains other relating statements, responses, and news releases.

Airline Safety Records and Comparisons

This site is devoted to recording the safety records of US airlines. It allows users to compare each airline's history of accidents, incidents and near mid-air collisions. This can be done by viewing the five year and one year average tables. The statistics are calculated from data provided by the FAA, NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and the US Department of Transportation, and the site explains how the calculations are carried out.

Airliners.net

This source is primarily dedicated to aviation photographs, with an archive of 65,000 images of individual aircraft and aerial photographs of airports. A search engine enables the location of specified photographs by aircraft type, airline, category, country/airport and keywords. The site also includes a small number of aviation-related discussion forums, covering general aviation, aviation interests as a hobby, aviation photography and photograph requests. It also features up-to-the-minute industry news, provided by PRNewswire, and an online shop, supplying a wide range of aviation-related books, videos and general goods. There is also a section dedicated to aircraft data and history that covers about 400 aircraft types and includes data like powerplants, production, performance etc. There is also a facility available for booking online air tickets and reserving hotel rooms.

Airport Air Traffic Services : Consultation on Proposed Charging Methods

This consultation paper was produced by the Civil Aviation Authority, at the request of the Department of Transport, to review the way in which airport air traffic services are charged, and to advise whether direct charging of airlines should be an option at all airports or should be discontinued. This is a PDF file.

Airport Business Practices and Their Impact on Airline Competition

The web site provides access to a full text report titled: Airport business practices and their impact on airline competition; FAA/OST Task Force Study, Department Of Transportation, October 1999. The report describes the Task Force's study, which addressed two main issues: whether certain airport business practices discourage or prevent the entry of new carriers or restrict competition among existing carriers; and the impact of Passenger Facility Charges on airport capacity and airline competition. The report is available online in PDF format.

Airport Cost Allocation : Report for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by Europe Economics

This report is intended to help assess the cost allocation issues which would be involved in a possible move to a "dual till" system of regulation. It describes current regulation, and sets out the principles of the "dual till" system, in which airport activities are divided into aeronautical and non-aeronautical activities, and only the costs and revenues from the aeronautical activities are taken into account when setting charges for the airport. The document is in PDF format.

Airport Operations Programme - Business Case Assessment

Produced by Eurocontrol (the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) in 2004, this document describes an assessment framework that provides a structured method for assessing the costs and benefits for airport stakeholders of implementing one or more elements of the Airport Operations Programme (APR) at an airport level and at the ECAC level. The APR has been devised to integrate ATM and airport airside operations in accordance with the gate-to-gate concept of operations, which forms the basis of the ATM 2000+ Strategy. It is available in PDF format.

AirSafe Journal

This full text electronic journal is produced by an airline safety analyst named Todd Curtis. It is aimed primarily at airline passengers in order to highlight relevant safety issues. The views expressed are very much those of the author. The site offers an index to all the issues available which are in HTML format. Publication appears to have ceased in 2003. The site also provides advice pages, links to accidents and incidents of selected US airliners taken from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) incident database and the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) accident and serious incident database and fatal events by airline since 1970.

AIT : Aviation IT Online News

This site provides news updates on all aspects of aviation information technology, with the facility to create RSS feeds. News archives are available, with the news organised into topics such as airline operations, air cargo and air traffic management. The site also includes an aviation software directory.

An Airspace Planning and Collaborative Decision Making Model Under Safety, Workload, and Equity Considerations

This is a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering PhD dissertation, by Raymond William Staats, dated 4 April, 2003. It describes the development of a detailed, large-scale, airspace planning and collaborative decision-making model (APCDM), that is part of an $11.5B, 10-year, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)- sponsored effort to increase U.S. National Airspace (NAS) capacity by 30 percent. Novel contributions of this research include three-dimensional probabilistic conflict analyses, the derivation of valid inequalities to tighten the conflict safety representation constraints, the development of workload metrics based on average (and its variance from) peak load measures, and the consideration of equity among airline carriers in absorbing the costs related to re-routing, delays, and cancellations. An improved set of flight plan cost factors for representing system costs and investigating fairness issues by addressing flight dependencies occurring in hubbed operations, as well as market factors such as schedule convenience, reliability, and the timeliness of connections is also proposed. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in a series of PDF format files. This title is part of Virginia Tech’s Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection (VT ETD)

An Analysis of Profit Cycles in the Airline Industry

This paper was presented at the 6th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration and Operations Conference, 25th-27th September 2006 (AIAA 2006-7732, prepared by Helen Hong Jiang and R. John Hansman. Its objective is to understand the financial dynamics of the airline industry by identifying periods of profit cyles and their driving factors. Assuming that the industry profit cycles could be modeled as an undamped second-order system, the fundamental cycle period was identified to be 11.3 years for the U.S. airlines and 10.5 years for the world airlines. Analyses of industry profits reveal that such cycle period is endogenous, neither deregulation nor September 11 have significantly changed it. Parametric models were developed under the hypothesis that phase lag in the system caused profit oscillations; and two hypotheses, lag in capacity response and lag in cost adjustment were studied. A parametric model was developed by hypothesizing the delay in capacity response caused profit oscillations. For this model, the system stability depends on the delay between aircraft orders and deliveries and the aggressiveness in airplane ordering. Assuming industry profits correlated to capacity shortfall, the delay and gain were calculated and the results were consistent with the observed delay between world aircraft deliveries and net profits. Since the gain in the model has lumped impacts of exogenous factors, exaggerated capacity response was observed in simulation. This indicates capacity shortfall alone cannot fully explain the industry dynamics. The model also indicates reduced delay may help to mitigate system oscillations. Similarly, a parametric model was developed by hypothesizing the delay in cost adjustment caused profit oscillations, and simulation results were consistent with industry profits. A coupled model was developed to study the joint effects of capacity and cost. Simulations indicated that the coupled model explained industry dynamics better than the individual capacity or cost models, indicating that the system behavior is driven by the joint effects of capacity response and cost adjustment. A more sophisticated model including load factor and short-term capacity effects is proposed for future work in an effort to better understand the industry dynamics. The report is available in PDF fomat (1Mb).

An Analysis of the Dynamics of the US Commercial Air Transportation System

This is a Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) International Center for Air Transportation Report, prepared by R. Tam and R. John Hansman, ICAT-2003-2. Major trends in the airline industry are analyzed to highlight key dynamics that govern the US domestic air transportation system. The hypothesis is that air travel supply and demand equilibriums, a reliance on outside capital, and intra-industry competition are among the most critical forces that are driving the current restructuring of the airline industry. Data on airline operational and financial performance is used to trace these dynamics as the industry evolved through periods of industry deregulation, an economic growth bubble, and the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The thesis identifies the post-deregulation development of hub-and-spoke networks and yield management systems as the key forces that would set the stage for a bifurcation of the air travel market during a cycle of economic growth in the late 1990?s. During this bubble economy, the dynamics of supply and demand fundamentally shifted as the major carriers focused on high-revenue, high-cost operations and travelers began to flock to newer low-fare, low-cost carriers. With the end of the economic growth cycle in 2000, the bifurcation of the airline industry began to affect revenues and profits at the major carriers. Massive and unprecedented industry losses would ensue, and would be compounded by the attacks of 9/11. Airline operational strategies in response to 9/11 and longer-term restructuring efforts are discussed in order to further identify the key dynamics affecting the air transportation system. These dynamics are synthesized and then discussed within the broader context of the air transportation system, the impact of air travel on the economy and mobility, and the role of government. This report is available in PDF format (3.9Mb).

Association of European Airlines (AEA) : Summary of Traffic and Airlines results (STAR)

This is a companion volume to the AEA Yearbook. It contains a wealth of passenger and cargo data, by airline and by region. At the aggregate AEA level there is yield and revenue information.

Association of European Airlines (AEA)

The web site features an introduction to the Association of European Airlines (AEA), which includes an overview of its objectives, activities, membership and structure. The site provides access to a range of publications including the AEA Yearbook and technical specifications. The homepage contains a Market Research Portal which contains five areas including three main data categories: traffic data, economic data and service quality data. There is a specific area for publications and for AEA’s newest publication, the market research quarterly known as 'Source'. There is also a Questions and Answers area. The site also contains an AEA member's area, and links are provided to the web sites of member airlines.

AviaNation

This site provides details of aviation jobs and aviation employment opportunities around the world. Jobs for pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and many other professions are included. Job seekers can browse vacancies, make their CV available and apply for jobs online. Employers can use the service to find suitable candidates and schedule their ads. The service is free to employers, job seekers need to register and pay a fee.

Aviation Employee Placement Service

Aviation Employee Placement Service is an on-line employment placement service aimed at aviation professionals, flight attendants, mechanics, dispatchers, pilots, etc, and those companies and other organisations, seeking to recruit staff in to these jobs. For member job seekers the web site provides access to a number of resources including: online updating of qualifications, pre-employment screening,and company databank profile. Companies seeking to recruit can search the AEPS employee database free of charge.

Aviation Information Resources (AIR)

AIR is an aviation publishing and editorial services company providing a broad range of editorial, internet research and online content services to the commercial aviation industry. The site provides a brief description of the company and the services it offers. AIR compiles and publishes Airline Industry Update, a free business-to-business newsletter that provides a twice-monthly round-up of news and information from airlines and airline suppliers around the globe. An online form is available for those wishing to register to receive the newsletter electronically. An Aviation Data Pages section is also available and this comprises of three main elements: a Country Index providing basic information on all countries of the world; an Airports index which links to contact details for the world's main airlines and a Ground and Cargo Handlers index which provides a comprehensive directory of companies throughout the world.

Aviation Reference Desk

This site is maintained by a team of aerospace professionals and consists of a large number of links to aerospace-related sites on the Internet. Links are organised into several categories namely commercial transport, business aviation, general aviation, defence and space, industry news, key organisations, aerospace suppliers, engineering and jobs, forthcoming events and enthusiasts' sites. Each category can be browsed. The site primarily links to US sites.

Aviation Safety and Security Association

The Aviation Safety and Security Association (ASSA) is a subsidiary of the Diversified Training Company (DTC), and is formed in a partnership with pilots and flight attendants. The ASSA offers multiple aviation safety and security courses including subject areas like: flight crew security training, behavioural assessment of threat, use of force, phases of awareness, terrorism, crew management skills, human interface with automation and many more. The association also provides assistance in evaluation of flight operations security and providing flight crew training. The training is provided by experienced staff who are either active or retired commercial airline pilots. Links are also available to publications and websites dealing with human factors.

Aviation Security International : the Journal of Airport and Airline Security

This bimonthly magazine covers security issues within the aviation industry. Although only subscribers can view the full text of the magazine, there is a considerable amount of content that can be viewed free of charge. This includes the editorial of each issue and 'Airwatch', a record of incidents of hijacks, attempted hijacks, air rage, sabotage and airport attacks. A buyers guide provides details of suppliers of products such as weapons detector devices, access control products and baggage reconciliation equipment.

Aviation Week : Aerospace Source Book

This provides brief company profiles of aviation and aerospace companies grouped under the following headings: Prime Contractors; Major Airlines; Regional Airlines; and Cargo Airlines. The profiles can be viewed online in PDF format. The Aerospace Sourcebook also provides access to a series of articles which examine various market sectors including fighters, bombers, commercial and military transports, air freight, UAVs, trainers, rotorcraft, spacecraft, missiles, and avionics. The information is drawn from Aviation Week & Space Technology.

BAA Aviation Photo Library

This is a specialist collection of airport and aviation photography. It offers imagery of generic airport and aviation life, including: aircraft, aerial views, runways, security, retail, Heathrow's Terminal 5 development and a section dedicated to London Landmarks. 'Behind the scenes' imagery of BAA's seven UK airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton as well as airports that BAA manages outside the UK in Italy, Australia and the USA is also available. The service provides quotes for the use of any images. It can be browsed by category or searched by keyword or image reference number.

BCAR Section L : Licensing

This provides access to A UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 468, prepared by the Safety Regulation Group, Issue 15, February 2003. British Civil Airworthiness Requirements constitute the basis for the issue of approvals and certificates required by the current Air Navigation Order. BCAR Section L covers the grant, extension and renewal of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers? Licences and the approval and recognition of training applicable thereto. The text is available in PDF format (21.5 mb) from the CAA's publications web site

Better Data and Targeted FAA Efforts Needed to Identify and Address Safety Issues of Small Air Cargo Carriers

This provides access to a United States General Accountability Office, Aviation Safety technical report GAO-09-614 dated The air cargo industry contributed over $37 billion to the U.S. economy in 2008 and provides government, businesses, and individuals with quick delivery of goods. Although part of an aviation system with an extraordinary safety record, there have been over 400 air cargo accidents and over 900 incidents since 1997, raising concerns about cargo safety. GAO's congressionally requested study addresses (1) recent trends in air cargo safety, (2) factors that have contributed to air cargo accidents, (3) federal government and industry efforts to improve air cargo safety and experts' views on the effectiveness of these efforts, and (4) experts' views on further improving air cargo safety. To perform the study, GAO analyzed agency data, surveyed a panel of experts, reviewed industry and government documents, and interviewed industry and government officials. GAO also conducted site visits to Alaska, Ohio, and Texas.From 1997 through 2008, 443 accidents involving cargo-only carriers occurred, including 93 fatal accidents. Total accidents declined 63 percent from a high of 62 in 1997 to 23 in 2008. Small cargo carriers were involved in the vast majority of the accidents--79 percent of all accidents and 96 percent of fatal accidents. Although accident rates for large cargo carriers fluctuated during this period, they were comparable to accident rates for large passenger carriers in 2007. GAO could not calculate accident rates based on operations or miles traveled for small carriers because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not collect the necessary data. Although several factors contributed to these air cargo accidents, our review of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) data found that pilot performance was identified as a probable cause for about 80 percent of fatal and about 53 percent of non-fatal cargo accidents. Furthermore, GAO's analysis of NTSB reports for the 93 fatal accidents, using an FAA flight-risk checklist, identified three or more risk factors in 63 of the accidents. Risk factors included low pilot experience, winter weather, and nighttime operations. Alaska's challenging operating conditions and remotely located populations who rely on air cargo are also a contributing factor. Many federal efforts to improve air cargo safety focus on large carriers. Air cargo experts that GAO surveyed ranked FAA's voluntary disclosure programs--in which participating carriers voluntarily disclose safety events to FAA--as the most effective effort to improve air cargo, but two of the three main voluntary disclosure programs are used typically by large carriers. Several industry initiatives, however, focus on carriers with smaller aircraft, such as the Medallion Foundation, which has improved small aircraft safety in Alaska through training and safety audits. The two actions experts cited most often to further improve air cargo safety were installing better technology on cargo aircraft to provide additional tools to pilots and collecting data to track small cargo carrier operations. Using flight risk checklists can also help pilots assess the accumulated risk factors associated with some cargo flights. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Boeing Current Market Outlook

This report is the most recent of a series of annual publications which Boeing produces in order to estimate the demand for world commercial aircraft. An executive overview is available and the report is organised into several main sections - 'Air travel demand', 'Airplane demand', and 'Regional summaries'. Appendices are also provided. The report is in HTML format.

British Air Transport Association (BATA)

BATA is the UK airlines trade association. Its role is to represent the interests of its member UK airlines to government, airports, and other industry regulators and suppliers. BATA's interests and activities cover: airports strategy and regulation, ATC capacity and performance standards, air transport and the environment, and aviation safety and security. The site provides contact information, links to member's web sites, and an aviation news feed. The site also provides information on BATA produced reports and other documents.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) : Office of Airline Information

The Office of Airline Information is part of the US Department of Transportation, and provides a wide range of data related to air transportation. This site provides downloadable data on a wide range of areas, namely: on-time statistics, the FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation, rural airports, BTS transportation indicators, fuel cost and consumption, air carrier aviation data, US passenger and freight statistics and employees in certificated carriers.

Cabincrew.com

This site provides services specifically for cabin crew personnel. The Career Zone area of the site gives career advice and recruitment information and also displays the latest cabin crew vacancies. There is also guidance about interviews including potential questions and preparation. In addition, information about forthcoming cabin crew courses is provided. There also are several chat forums, details of relevant books, a news area and links to relevant web sites.

CAP 754: UK Regional Air Services - a Study by the Civil Aviation Authority

This study shows the development of UK regional air services over the last 10–20 years. It is based on statistical data collected by the CAA from UK airlines and airports, and on interviews with representatives of regional airlines, airports and regional bodies. The report reveals UK regional air services to be in general in a good state of health, and to have enjoyed a period of substantial and sustained growth over the period examined. It is available in PDF (852kb) format.

CAP 768 : Guidance Material for Operators

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publication CAP 768 dated December 2006 (with latest revision April 2008). This document has been designed to provide information for both AOC holders and AOC applicants on the administrative procedures invovled in holding an AOC. It will also provide amplification of items that the operator may wish to include in the operations manual. Some material may be used verbatim; other material may need to be adapted to apply to the specific operation. Finally, it offers useful information that may be of interest and relevance to the operator. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

CAP 769:Ownership and Control Liberalisation

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Discussion Paper CAP 769 dated October 2006. The discussion paper exams the rules governing ownership and control of airlines. In particular, it examines the impact of these on airlines, consumers and employees and considers the situation were they to be removed, especially how safety regulation might be affected. It concludes that there are likely to be substantial benefits from ownership and control liberalisation and sets out a pathway for reform, which if followed, should lead to safer, more efficient and cheaper international aviation. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the paper is available in PDF format from the website of the CAA.

CAP 770: No-frills Carriers: Revolution or Evolution? A Study by the Civil Aviation Authority

This a report published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2006. The no-frills airlines sector has been one of the most significant developments in the UK travel sector over the last decade. No-frills carriers have had a significant impact on the aviation industry and are perceived as having revolutionised the way people travel. The CAA report, "No-Frills Carriers: Revolution or Evolution" aims to set the "no-frills" revolution in context, to understand better the impacts it has had on the sector, on infrastructure and on the public, and to reflect on those issues that seem most relevant to the current state of the UK aviation sector and likely future trends. A CAP 770 Annex to this document has also been published. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Chicago Airport System Community Noise Resource Center

Produced by the City of Chicago's Department of Aviation, this web site has been developed to inform individuals and the communities living near the O'Hare and Midway Airports of the City's ongoing efforts to ensure noise mitigation. The O'hare International and Midway Noise Mitigation Programs sections contain information on a number of initiatives including: the Fly Quiet Program; Airport Noise Monitoring System; Residential Sound Insulation Program; and the School Sound Insulation Program; as well as general noise information.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Statement of Policies on Route and Air Transport Licensing

This short policy document issued by the United Kingdom Civial Aviation Authority covers areas relevant to the licencing of air transport in the UK, including allocation of scarce capacity, abuse of a dominant position, and leasing of foreign-registered aircraft. The document came into force on 1st December 2006. This is a PDF file.

Civil Aviation Authority : Aviation Data Unit

The Aviation Data Unit from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) collects and disseminates statistics and market information about the UK aviation industry. There are four main types of data: UK Airport Statistics, UK Airline Statistics, UK Airline Financial Tables and Punctuality Statistics. Publications covering the above four subjects are now available free of charge from this web site.

Civil Aviation Authority : Safety Regulation Group

This is the home page of the UK Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) Safety Regulation Group. The Group's role is to set safety standards and ensure that they are adhered to. The site provides news updates, background information on the activities of the Group, and information on personnel licensing in particular. This provides customers with information about flight crew licences, aircraft maintenance engineer licenses and medical certificates. It is possible to view the full text of documentation relating to these licences and certificates.

Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand

The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand establishes civil aviation safety and security standards and carries out accident and incident investigations. The site makes a large amount of full text information available including advisory circulars, emergency rules, airworthiness directives, accident briefs, safety trends, air navigation register, aircraft register, aircraft class statistics, and aircraft model statistics.

Civil Aviation Department Hong Kong (CAD)

The CAD is responsible for the safe operation and regulation of the air transport system in Hong Kong. The site provides background information on the CAD's mission, values, and organisational structure, and includes a corporate video (requires RealPlayer 8 or above). Information on the site is arranged under a series of headings: topical issues, such as security, aircraft noise management, air traffic control safety, aircraft registration and licence and certificates; publications and press releases; which includes Airworthiness Requirement and Aircraft Accident Reports; Facts and Statistics, including air traffic statistics; Public Services; Recruitment; Tender Notices; FAQ; Links and Photo Gallery. The Hong Kong Aeronautical Publication is available online with amendments, and there are also descriptions of the various courses offered by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Training Center.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

CASA is responsible for establishing civil aviation safety and security standards and for monitoring compliance to those standards in the Republic of Korea. The site provides an introduction including a description of key activities, history, organisation, location and contact details. The activities section provides links to information by the various CASA divisions responsible for planning and coordination, flight standards, personnel licensing, aircraft engineering, aviation security, aviation safety oversight, air traffic services planning, airway facilities, airport planning and standards, airport development, airport environment, and the International Programs office. There is a general infomation section which describes flight services, the Korean airport system, airways technology and facilities, safety and security activities and programmes, air traffic control, and a range of statistics relating to domestic and international passengers, cargo, flights, operators and maintenance organisations, aircraft registrations, and licensed employees. A Library section provides access to guidance documents and there are also links to sites of related interest.

Commercial Aviation : Programs and Options for the Federal Approach to Providing and Improving Air Service to Small Communities

This provides access to a US Government Accountability Office Report (GAO-06-398T) dated September 2006. Over the last decade, significant changes have occurred in the airline industry. Network carriers are facing challenging financial conditions and low-cost carriers are attracting passengers away from some small community airports. These changes, and others, have challenged the ability of small communities to attract adequate commercial air service. In response to these challenges, Congress has established two key funding programs--the Essential Air Service (EAS) and the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP)--to help small communities retain or attract air service. However, the sustainability of such funding could be affected by the federal government's fiscal imbalance. In addition, GAO reports have raised questions about how these programs support commercial air service to small communities. Given this environment, this testimony discusses (1) the development and impact of EAS, (2) the status of SCASDP and (3) options for reforming EAS and evaluating SCASDP. The testimony is based on previous GAO research and interviews related to these programs, along with program updates. The EAS program guarantees that communities that were served by air carriers before deregulation continue to receive a certain level of scheduled air service, under certain conditions. A growing number of communities are receiving subsidies under this program and funding for the EAS program has risen more than four-fold over the past 10 years. The federal subsidies have resulted in continued air service to the EAS communities, but if the subsidies were removed, air service might end at many of these communities. SCASDP grantees have used their grants to pursue a variety of goals and have used a variety of strategies, including marketing and revenue guarantees, to improve air service. The program has had mixed results: 11 of the 23 projects completed as of September 30, 2005, showed self-sustaining improvements to air service; while the remaining 12 grantees either discontinued the improvement or the improvement was not self-sustaining. Finally, the number of applications for SCASDP grants has declined--from 179 in 2002 to 75 in 2006. There are options for reforming EAS such as consolidating service into regional airports, which might make it more cost-effective, but also could reduce service to some communities. In 2003, Congress established several programs as alternatives for EAS, but these programs have not progressed. The Department of Transportation has agreed to evaluate completed SCASDP projects, an effort that will be useful when Congress considers the reauthorization of this program in 2008; this could also identify "lessons learned" from successful projects. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Commission of the European Communities : Protection of Air Passengers in the European Union

This web site provides access to a Commission of the European Communities document titled: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Protection of Air Passengers in the European Union, COM(2000) 365 final, Brussels, 21.6.2000. This European Commission communication outlines a set of proposed measures and initiatives to safeguard the rights and interest of air passengers. The text of the document is available online in PDF format.

Common Agreement Document of the A380 Airport Compatibility Group : Version 2.1

The AACG is an informal group, consisting of a number of European aviation authorities, airport and industry representatives. It was formed to agree and promote a common position among the group members on the application of ICAO requirements, with respect to the A380 aircraft, for infrastructure and operations at existing major European airports that currently do not meet the requirements. This report (December 2002) lists the items of aerodrome infrastructure that may be affected by the introduction of the Airbus A380 aircraft; examines the ICAO Recommended Practices relating to these items; shows the level of compliance of an aerodrome’s infrastructure with those recommendations and for those areas of non-compliance, to shows appropriate mitigation. It is available in PDF format.

Competition Commission Report : BAA PLC : a Report on the Economic Regulation of Airports Companies (Heathrow Airport Ltd, Gatwick Airport Ltd and Stansted Airport)

This consultation paper sets out the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) proprosals for the caps on revenues derived from airport charges over 2003-2008 at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports. The paper also presents the Civil Aviation Authority's proposed conditions to remedy two public interest findings made by the Competition Commission in relation to service quality at Heathrow and Gatwick, and in relation to charges of taxis at Heathrow. This is a pdf file.

Concise Aerospace : Russian and CIS Airline Database

This database is produced by Concise Aerospace as part of its market intelligence and business to business information (b2b) coverage of the aerospace and air transport sector in Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe. The database is searchable and there is also a facility to browse through all of the airlines listed. The information provided for each entry includes (where available) address information, names of managers and other contacts, fleet composition, route details, financial and ownership information.

Concise Aerospace

This service provides market intelligence and business to business information (b2b) on the aerospace and air transport sector in Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe. Information is collated by journalists based in these areas and their findings are then further researched by editors in the UK and finally published on this site. A selection of recent articles are available for viewing in full free of charge. Details of how to subscribe and subscription costs are given on the site. The site also includes a search facility.

Consultation on Right of Appeal to Secretary of State in Route Licensing Cases

A consultation document on a proposal to remove the right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Transport in aviation route licensing cases. Closing date: 13 May 2005. Published: 1 April 2005. It is available in PDF format.

Consultation on the introduction of sanctions for misuse of airport slots

This is a United Kingdom Department for Transport (DfT) consultation document, published 14 July 2005. Article 14.5 of the European Regulation 793/2004 places an obligation on Member States to put in place, in the circumstances specified, sanctions to deal with repeated and intentional misuse of slots by airlines. This is to ensure that where airport capacity is scarce, the available capacity is used efficiently and distributed in a fair, non-discriminatory and transparent way. Enforcement measures and sanctions have been introduced with the aim of discouraging misuse of slots and thereby maximising the effectiveness of the slot allocation system. This consultation aims to gather views on the most appropriate way for such a system to be established at the UK's coordinated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester). The Consultation consists of a number of documents including: a covering letter, background and objectives, the questions beind asked, deadline for responses and next steps. Annex A is the Code of Practice, Annex B a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), Annex C How other EU Member states have implemented Article 14.5, Annex D Statutory Instrument 1993 No. 1067 The Airports Slot Allocation Regulations 1993, Annex E European Regulation 793/2004, and Annex F the List of organisations consulted by the DfT. The text of the document is available in HTML and a series of PDF files. A report which describes the results of the consultation is now available.

Costs of Air Transport Delay in Europe

Air transport delays in Europe are a major concern for the industry and a relentless source of complaints from the passengers, as often verified in the media. Not only is it a painful inconvenience for the actors, but delays also induce large costs, for the airlines, their customers and the community as a whole. Air transport delay is a very complex phenomenon and needs investigations for a better appraisal of the various costs involved, as well as the information needed to analyse and evaluate them. The aim of this study, which is sponsored by the EUROCONTROL (the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) Performance Review Unit (PRU), is to improve the understanding of the various aspects of air transport delay costs and to assess unit costs of the various types of delays that occur airborne or on ground. It is available in PDF format (0.4 MB).

Denied Boarding Compensation Regulation - Second Consultation

This is the second consultation paper on the proposed enforcement regulations aimed at ensuring compliance with Council Regulation 261/2004 in the UK. This regulation is concerned with compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellations and long delays. The closing date was 11th February 2005 and it was published on 14th January 2005. It is available in html format. The consulation letter, list of consultees and annexes are also available.

Departamento de Aviação Civil (DAC)

The Civil Aviation Department (DAC) of Brazil is part of the Aeronautical Command of the Ministry of Defense. DAC's mission is to study, guide, plan, control, stimulate and support the activities of public and private civil aviation in Brazil. Within the DAC structure there are four Sub-departments responsible for Planning, Infrastructure, Operations and Technical. DAC also includes the Civil Aviation Institute (IAC) and the seven Regional Services of Civil Aviation (SERAC), which are spread throughout the country. There are sections of the covering SERAC, the Civil Aviation Institute, and DAC Services, (including the aircraft registration database RAB-Online), travelling tips for passengers and a News Room. The information section contains background information and a history of the Department, an overview evolution of air transport policy in Brazil, and DAC rules and regulations (feely available for downloading) The information section can be browsed under a number of headings. The Aircraft sub-section describes procedures for registration, importation and exportation of aircraft and their components and provides access to various data analyses including aircraft accident statitistics. Other sub-sections cover airports, airlines, air cargo agencies, career and training (includes course manuals), economic data, air transport statistics, and flight safety. There is also an extensive publications section which provides access to statistical year books, and a number of studies (in Portuguese) on topics such as passenger flows, air cargo, and air traffic and airport demand.

Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions : Audit Final Report on the (ICAO) Safety Oversight Audit Mission to the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom was initially assessed under the voluntary ICAO Safety Oversight Assessment Programme from 14 to 24 April 1998 by an ICAO assessment team. This audit was carried out from 3 to 25 July 2000. Its objective was to ascertain the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations forwarded during the voluntary assessment conducted in 1998 and to re-ascertain the safety oversight capability of the United Kingdom. The capability of the United Kingdom to oversee its Overseas Territories was also assessed. The text of th ereport can be viewed in HTML format, and PDF (568 Kb) and Word (453 Kb) versions are available for downloading.

Department for Transport: Air Traffic Forecasts for the United Kingdom 2000

This document sets out the Department for Transport (DFT) 2000 forecasts of air passenger traffic at UK airports, up to the year 2020. The report is structured as follows: Chapter 2: guidance on the interpretation of the forecasts; Chapter 3: presents a summary of the main forecasts, with a more detailed breakdown of international traffic in Chapter 4 and domestic traffic in Chapter 5; Chapter 6: discusses the forecasts of scheduled low cost airline traffic; Chapter 7: sets out and discusses a number of sensitivity tests which were conducted; and Chapter 8: considers the accuracy of previous DFT (DOT) forecasts compared with observed demand. The annexes contain details of the methodology used to produce the forecasts and the assumptions about key variables as well as a summary of the forecasts.

Display of Nationality and Registration Marks on Aircraft : Guidance for Owners

This link provides access to UK Civil Aviation Authority publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 523, 8th edition, 5th February 2002. The document reproduces Schedule 2, Part B of the Air Navigation Order, 2000 as amended and gives advice on interpreting the requirements on registration markings. The text of the document is available in PDF format (949 kb).

Docket Management System

Docket Management System (DMS) is an electronic, image-based database in which all US Department of Transportation regulatory and adjudicatory docketed information is contained. The DMS holds information about proposed and final regulations, copies of public comments on proposed rules, and related information. Specific documents covering the same issues are stored together in a docket, therefore, a docket may contain several documents which are all related to the same subject matter. A docket is an official public record.

EasyJet

This is the web site of this "low-cost" airline. Information resources and features include online flight booking, prices, timetables, maps and information on destinations, news items, explanations of airline policies and the company financial report.

ECAC Policy Statement in the Field of Aviation Facilitation

This web site provides access to a European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) document titled: Facilitation: ECAC.CEAC Doc 30, (Part 1), 10th edition, December 2006, as amended at the One hundred and twenty-second meeting of Directors General of Civil Aviation of ECAC Member States (DGCA/122), in Paris, 24-25th November 2004. The document presents the ECAC's policy statement in the field of aviation facilitation. It covers facilitation of transport of: persons and their baggage; cargo and other articles; persons with reduced mobility; facilitation and services for traffic on airports; and annexes. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (86 pages, 878 mo).

ECAC/EU Dialogue with the European Air Transport Industry : Air Passenger Rights

This provides access to the proceedings of the fourth Dialogue meeting between the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and the European Union (EU), held in Lisbon, 10 May 2001. The meeting involved attendees from governments, airports, airlines, consumer organisations and various organisations representing persons with reduced mobility. The proceedings include information on the Airports Voluntary Commitment on Air Passenger Service, and the Airline Passenger Service Commitment. The document is available in PDF format (2.9 Mb) from the ECAC web site.

EUR-Lex Directory of Community Legislation in Force and Preparatory Acts : Air Transport

This is the part of the European Union (EU) EUR-Lex database which contains the full text (excluding tables) of legislation in force and Community preparatory acts regarding air transport. Specific areas covered are: competition rules, market operation, market access, route distribution, prices and terms, air safety, structural harmonization, international relations, consultation procedures and conventions with non-member countries.

European Air Traffic Forecasts 1985-2015 (Part 1)

This publication from the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) contains the key findings of a regional growth forecast for Europe in HTML format. This edition, dated 2000, is the second update of a report originally published in 1996 by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and covers European domestic and international air traffic. View Part 2.

European Association of Aerospace Industries : Standardisation

Described as a 'portal' for the preparation and promotion of European (EN) standards for aerospace applications. AECMA-STAN is the legal successor of AECMA-CN (the Standardization Committee) and is non-profit making. Founded by the National Aerospace Associations of France, Italy, Spain and Sweden and large aerospace companies (British Aerospace, EADS-Airbus-Germany, Rolls Royce), it comprises nominated experts from the largest European Aerospace companies, equipment manufacturers and national aerospace associations. Information about the standards process, including FAQs, is available as well as an online store and contact information. Latest news are available through a monthly newsletter.

European Commission : Air Transport : Legislation

The site provides access to the text of Commission Decisions, Council Directives and Regulations. These are listed under the following headings, traffic management, airports, international aviation, internal market, safety, security, passenger rights, competition, research and environment. There is a link to Eur-Lex, the Directory of Community legislation and in particular to the Air Transport section of the browse structure of that database.

Extended Operations (ETOPS) of Multi-engine Airplanes

This is the full text of a final rule (14 CFR Parts 1, 21, 25, 33, 121, and 135) from the U.S Federal Aviation Administration regarding ETOPS of multi-engine airplanes. This final rule applies to air carrier (part 121), commuter, and on-demand (part 135) turbine powered multi-engine airplanes used in extended-range operations. However, allcargo operations in airplanes with more than two engines of both part 121 and part 135 are exempted from the majority of this rule. It establishes regulations governing the design, operation and maintenance of certain airplanes operated on flights that fly long distances from an adequate airport. This final rule codifies current FAA policy, industry best practices and recommendations, as well as international standards designed to ensure long-range flights will continue to operate safely. To ease the transition for current operators, this rule includes delayed compliance dates for certain ETOPS requirements.

FAA Aerospace Forecasts : Fiscal Years 2006-2017

This economic forecast was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Aviation Policy and Plans in 2006. It is divided into two sections; a review of activity in 2005, and forecasts for 2006-2017. The review of 2005 covers US and world economic activity, predictions for US and world demand for travel for both passenger and cargo traffic, and financial results and aircraft fleets for US carriers in 2005. The forecast section covers economic forecasts for the US and world economies, aviation forecasts for commercial aviation, subdivided into domestic and international traffic, cargo, fleet, and general aviation. Other chapters cover FAA workload forecasts, contract towers, en route centres, space transportation, and risks to the forecast. It is available as pdf document and is 94 pages long.

Federal Aviation Administration : Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN)

The Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN) promotes and facilitates the voluntary collection and sharing of aviation safety information. This site is produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of System Safety. It provides an overview of GAIN, including an overview of the concept, details of GAIN conferences, reports, papers and articles pertaining to the GAIN Program and related activities. It also provides acees to the full text of the GAIN Operator's Flight Safety Handbook (OFSH) and a link to the official GAIN Program web site.

Federal Aviation Administration : Office of System Capacity

The mission of the Office of System Capacity is to identify, develop and implement initiatives that have the potential to increase the capacity of the (US) national aviation system. The site provides reports and studies created by the Capacity Office over the last five years. These include annual Aviation Capacity Enhancement plans back to 1992 in PDF format and Airport Capacity Enhancement plans for specific airports. Many of these full text reports are now out of print and so are only available electronically. There is also a link through to the FAA's New Large Aircraft (NLA) issues site.

Federal Aviation Administration : Regulatory and Guidance Library (RGL)

The FAA's Regulatory and Guidance Library (RGL) provides access to a set of searchable databases which contain regulatory and aviation product information. These include: Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) from 14 CFR both in their current version as well as historical versions. The RGL contains certain Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) and Final Rules (with all preamble explanatory material) which led to the actual Rule changes. It also contains make/model information for all civil aviation products including all current type certificate data sheets, Airworthiness Directives (ADs) both final and proposed; aviation safety Advisory Circulars (ACs) both final and draft; and Aircraft Certification Service Orders.

Federal Aviation Administration : Safety

This site brings together a number of key aviation safety information sources grouped under several headings. These include top Requests like: Administrator�s Fact Book; Aerospace Medicine; Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN); and National Aviation Safety Data and Analysis Center International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA)

Federal Aviation Administration's Flight Plan 2005-2009

This document outlines how the FAA is measuring up against its main goals of providing the safest most efficient air transportation system in the world. The four main goals are increased safety, greater capacity, heavy involvement in safety on a worldwide basis and organisational excellence. It is available in PDF format.

FedStats

This gateway provides a wide range of official Government statistics, but those specifically related to aviation and air transport cover air fares, international passenger and freight statistics, on-time flight statistics, safety, and transportation indicators. These can be found under the alphabetical listing of subjects.

Foreign Airline Permits

This is a United Kingdom Department for Transport document which contains a list of foreign airlines (or individual aircraft) that have had permits to operate in UK airspace declined for various periods since January 2000. The document was originally published on January 8 2004 in response to a Parliamentary Question, and was reissued on June 28 2004. The text is available from the DfT's Aviation web site in HTML and PDF (57 Kb) formats.

FutureFlight Central

This is the home page of the NASA Ames Research Center's FutureFlight Central, a fully interactive air traffic control tower simulator. The site provides an overview of the facility and its capabilities in terms of airport planning, technology evaluation, procedure development and training. The newsroom provides full text access to a newsletter, press releases and articles in the media. There is a gallery of photos, movies and VR Panoramas (requiring QuickTime). The business guide outlines the procedure for requesting a simulation. There is also section on workshop about airport planning. The powerpoint presentations are available for downloading.

General Accounting Office Reports

The General Accounting Office is the investigative arm of Congress. GAO's mission is to help the Congress oversee federal programs and operations to assure accountability to the American people. GAO accomplishes its mission through a variety of activities including financial audits, program reviews, investigations, legal support, and policy/program analyses. The GAO Reports databases contain reports on audits, surveys, investigations, and evaluations of Federal programs conducted by the GAO from fiscal year 1995 through the present. All published reports, with the exception of correspondence and reports that are restricted or classified, are included. The current year's database is updated within two business days of a report's release. Reports are available as ASCII text and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports' Price Caps, 2003-2008 : Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)'s Recommendations to the Competition Commission (February 2002)Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports' Price Caps, 2003-2008

The Civil Aviation Authority has referred these three airports, along with Manchester Airport, to the Competition Commission for price caps for the five year period beginning in April 2003. This document comprises: summary, capital expenditure annes, cost of capital annex, Heathrow demand valuation survey annex, financial modelling annex, Heathrow incremental costs annex, RRCB allocations annex, traffic forecasts annex. The document is in PDF forat.

ICAO's Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services

This is a PDF version of the International Civil Aviation Organization's Doc 9082/6, sixth edition, 2001. The policy was originally adopted by the Council on 22 June 1992, at the 14th Meeting of its 136th Session, and amended by it on 8 December 2000, at the 18th Meeting of its 161st Session. There are French and Spanish as well as English language versions of the text.

Impact of New Large Aircraft on Airport Design

This final report (DOT/FAA/AR-97/26) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 1998. It identifies several key design and operational characteristics of proposed new large aircraft (NLA) that will need to be taken into consideration before the aircraft are introduced into the current airport environment. In addition, a 20-year projection of NLA development and a qualitative cost and compatibility assessment of introducing NLA's at a sample airport that currently serves the Boeing 747 are included in this report [extracted from author abstract]. This is a PDF file so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

International Aviation Developments : Transatlantic Deregulation : the Alliance Network Effect

This report, produced in October 2000 by the Department of Transportation,updates and expands on the DOT's first report on transatlantic deregulation, produced the year before, and entitled Global Deregulation Takes Off. It focuses on strategic alliances and code-sharing in the context of the evolution of international deregulation in the air transport industry. The file is in PDF format.

Issues Relating to Foreign Investment and Control of U.S. Airlines

This technical report (GAO-04-34R) was published by the United States General Accounting Office in October 2003. In May 2003, the Bush Administration proposed amending the legislation that currently restricts foreign ownership of U.S. airlines, raising the allowable percentage of total foreign ownership of voting stock in U.S. airlines from 25 to 49 percent. The Department of Transportation (DOT) suggested that implementing this amendment could provide significant benefits to U.S. consumers and airlines, particularly by providing access to additional capital, which would help the financial health of the industry. DOT and the Department of State also maintain that these new limitations would bring the United States in line with current foreign ownership laws of the European Union (EU). Concerned about the effect that changes in foreign ownership and control requirements might have on the aviation industry, national interests, and consumers--and recognizing that we examined this issue in 1992 when DOT earlier proposed increasing the level of foreign ownership--the Subcommittee on Aviation, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation asked us to discuss two related topics: (1) current proposals to revise U.S. limits on foreign ownership and control, including information on current shareholders and past examples of efforts by foreign interests to purchase significant equity in U.S. air carriers and (2) whether key analytic issues raised in our 1992 report on foreign ownership and control remain relevant. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat will be required in order to read it.

LASORS 2007

The LAS section brings together in one easily understandable book all the flight crew licensing information otherwise found in JAR-FCL, the UK ANO, AICs and the old CAPs 53/54. Regulations and procedures do change between the annual publishing of LASORS and these updates are notified by AICs and published at http://www.caa.co.uk/srg/licensing. The ORS section is also by no means in its definitive format. If it can be enhanced to make the whole book more valuable to the pilot it will be. The aim is to give pilots a one-stop reference for all aspects of safe aeroplane operation.

Manchester Airport's Price Cap, 2003-2008 : Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Recommendations to the Competition Commission (February 2002)

This document comprises: summary, cost of capital annex, RRCB allocations annex, traffic forecasts annex, benchmarking annex (appendix - NERA report). It is in PDF format and is 2.4mb long.

New Zealand Aviation Security Service

This service is involved in several activities, such as the screening of international departing passengers and their baggage for dangerous items, access controls and searching international aircraft for security purposes. The site provides information about its role and history, structure and legislation, goals and performance, external relations, airport security news (Auckland Aiport's security bulletin) and links to related sites and frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Nextor Publications

The National Center of Excellence in Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR) is a joint university, industry and FAA research organisation. It is organised by a consortium of four universities: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland, the University of California at Berkeley and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. This site provides a listing of NEXTOR publications many of which can be accessed online in .pdf format. Subjects covered include human factors in air transport and air traffic management.

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs : Airline Quarterly Financial Review - Major Group Carriers

Part of the US Department of Transport, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs is concerned with liberalising air services, encouraging a deregulated, competitive domestic airline industry and expanding trade opportunities for US companies worldwide. This site makes available quarterly financial reviews of major carriers back to the second quarter of 1995 in PDF format. The data is presented by individual carrier and by group and includes operating and net profit, passenger revenues, available seat-miles and other statistics. From the fourth quarter of 2000 the report was consolidated to include a narrative for the Total Majors, Total Passenger Majors, and Total All-Cargo Majors only.

Organising for Flight Safety

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)Research and Analysis Report B2004/0240/1 written by R, Dannatt, V. Marshall and M. Wood dated March 2006. Many factors contribute to an airline’s safety record, some external to the organisation and others internal. An important internal contribution comes from the manner in which the company’s flight operations are managed. This study addresses the organisational factors impinging on an airline’s safety outcome that are subject to influence by managers in their flight operations divisions. Particular attention is given to evidence of the concept known as ‘institutional resilience’. Twelve major airlines in Australasia and South East Asia participated in the study. The study used a mixed method approach, incorporating both qualitative data (interviews) and quantitative data (audit). The qualitative approach used in-depth interviews, conducted with 36 senior managers in the twelve airlines. The quantitative approach comprised a self-reported audit of organisational management arrangements within each airline. The audit was conducted by means of a questionnaire sent to one senior manager in each airline. Eleven questionnaires were returned. This report deals with the analysis of results from the audit. The scope of the audit was determined by both the framework adopted for the study and by information gained during the preceding 36 interviews. The framework of analysis has six-parts: human factors, culture, safety management systems, benchmarking, and theory of high reliability and institutional resilience. The results show both significant similarities and important differences between the airlines. Attention is given to differences between domestic and overseas airlines. The similar outcomes are useful as a normative guideline on the way airlines should address their management of safety. The differences provide a guide to further development by both airlines and researchers. The findings are discussed in detail at Section 5 of this report. The study identifies three areas suitable for further research. The first relates to further development of reactive and proactive measures that can indicate the state of an airlines’ ‘safety health’. When used in an appropriate combination, such measures should indicate changes in intrinsic safety levels and facilitate the prioritisation of remedial action. The next area builds on the first by investigating the development of a checklist, similar to the Checklist for Assessing Institutional Resilience (CAIR). A suitable checklist must appeal to the airlines in terms of its practical application. The third area is development of a process to improve the reporting rate of flight crew error. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format and is provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau web site.

Overview of Recent Forces and Trends in the Airline Industry

This is a Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) International Center for Air Transportation Report, prepared R. John Hansman, ICAT-2004-10-06, in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. Although there are no accompanying notes, the presentation highlights the key trends and developments in the airline industry, providing a comprehensive framework by which to understand key issues in the industry today. The presentation is available in PDF format (12.9 Mb).

Passengers' Experience of Air Travel

This is the full text of Volume 1 of a House of Commons Transport Committee report and minutes, published in July 2007. An increase in passenger complaints prompted this examination of passengers' experiences of air travel, from buying tickets to the final destination. Evidence was taken from consumer groups, travel agents, some airlines, airports and ground transportation providers. It makes several recommendations, including making 'hidden' charges on online bookings more transparent and suggesting that the needs of disabled passengers are considered as they are often unable to book online. In addition, the report suggests that public access to airports must be an integral part of airport development and questions BAA's monopoly. In terms of security, it is recommended that moving passengers more quickly to airside will reduce security threats and that the Government do more to help airports. The report suggests that more robust systems are put in place to prevent lost luggage, and to speed the return of lost items.

Passengers’ Experiences of Air Travel: Government Response to the Committee’s Eighth Report of Session 2006–07 : Twelfth Special Report of Session 2006–07

The House of Commons Transport Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Transport and its associated public bodies. The Committee published its Eighth Report of Session 2006–07 on 26 July. The response from the Department for Transport was received in the form of a memorandum dated 8 October 2007 and is published as Appendix 1 to this report. Transport for London and the Civil Aviation Authority also submitted responses which have been incorporated into this report. Transport for London’s response was received in the form of a memorandum dated 1 October 2007 and is published as Appendix 2. The Civil Aviation Authority’s response was received in the form of a memorandum dated 8 October 2007 and is published as Appendix 3. Issues covered include ticketing policies, travel to airports, airports, security, baggage, airlines, complaints and compensation, passengers requiring assistance, Transport for Londons park and ride policy, and taxis. The full report is available in PDF format.

Performance Reports of BAA London Airports and Manchester Airport (August 2001)

This paper provides a factual review of performance at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted for the period 1997/8 to 2000/01, and for Manchester Airport from 1998/99 to 2000/01. The document is in PDF format.

Practicalities of Implementing a Dual Till

This report, commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority fom Europe Economics, and published in December 2000, concludes that moving to a dual till approach should be feasible in practice, with some modification in the airports' accounting frameworks. The document is in PDF format.

Proactively Monitoring Airline Safety Performance: INDICATE (Identifying Needed Defences in the Civil Aviation Transport Environment)

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report dated June 1999. There is increasing recognition that methods which proactively monitor airline safety may be useful in preventing air safety occurrences. Proactive rather than reactive safety programs are particularly important, considering the high social and economic costs of airline accidents to the community. However, in the aviation industry, there are currently few formal proactive safety management systems in use, and none that reliably demonstrate the desirable goal of improving safety performance. This paper outlines a new proactive safety method for the airline industry, called INDICATE (Identifying Needed Defences In the Civil Aviation Transport Environment). INDICATE is an airline self-management safety tool which encourages regular passenger transport operators to critically evaluate and continually improve the strength of their safety system. INDICATE also provides a formal communication channel for airline operators to regularly identify and report current weaknesses in aviation regulations, policies and standards to the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI), before they result in an accident. A major Australian regional airline is currently trialing INDICATE, so that an evaluation of its effectiveness and application to the wider aviation industry can be established. Preliminary results from this trial are presented. {Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format and is provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau web site.

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Establishment of a Community Framework for Noise Classification of Civil Subsonic Aircraft for the Purposes of Calculating Noise Charges

The European Commission document, COM (2001) 074 final, dated 2001, is a proposed Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council for the establishment of a Community framework for noise classification of civil subsonic aircraft for the purposes of calculating noise charges.

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Amending Regulation No 2027/97 on Air Carrier Liability in the Event of Accidents

The web site provides access to the text of Commission Proposal - COM (2000) 340 final which is intended to ensure full and simultaneous compliance by EC air carriers with the provisions of the new Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air signed on 28 May 1999 - the "Montreal Convention". The full text of the proposal is available online in HTML format, and is contained in EUR-Lex, the database of European Union law. The document was delivered on the 4 September 2000.

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing Common Rules on Compensation and Assistance to Air Passengers in the Event of Denied Boarding and of Cancellation or Long Delay of Flights : Commission Proposal - COM (2001) 784 final

The European Commission issued document 501PC0784 in December 2001 as a proposal for a regulation to replace existing Council Regulation 295/91 on Denied Boarding. The proposed Regulation is therefore more ambitious, particular by aiming actively to deter the practice of overbooking. The scope of the proposed Regulation is also extended to cover cancellation and delay. The text is available for downloading in PDF format (173 k).

Reason Foundation

A US nonprofit research organization that aims to promote innovative approaches to public policy, Reason carries out research on a variety of issues airports, aviation security and air traffic management. The site provides a range of information sources. The Press Room contains news releases, an expertise list, and events calendar. A range of publications are available including the monthly magazine, Reason, Aviation Security Newsletter, and the Air Traffic Control Reform Newsletter. The Reason Policy Studies series of reports are arranged by subject including Air Traffic Control / Airports, and Airport Security.

Recent Trends in Growth of UK Air Passenger Demand

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published a report, Recent Trends in Growth of UK Air Passenger Demand, which sets out an analysis of how growth in different segments of passenger traffic at UK airports has changed in recent years and the likely causes of these changes. It investigates four factors: broader economic trends, competition with other transport modes, aviation cost pressures and attitudes towards the environment. It also examines the propensity to fly of different leisure passenger types, in particular the relationship with income, demographic factors and property ownership abroad. The full report is available in PDF format.

Regional Air Services : The Government's Response to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee's Report

This was published by the UK Department for Transport. This document is the formal Government response to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee of the House of Commons' report Regional Air Services, published on 27 July 1998. The text of the Government's reponse was published online on 1 February 1999. It can be viewed as an HTML document and is available in PDF (138 Kb) and Word (67 Kb) format for downloading.

Regional Airline Line Operations Safety Audit

This website provides access to a Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report No.b20040237 written by Clinton Eames-Brown and Geoffrey Collis in January 2007. Regional airline operations globally have expanded over the past decade for various reasons, including filling gaps left by legacy carriers who have reduced services on unprofitable routes, opportunities provided through other cost based market rationalisations, and the introduction of new and more capable regional type aircraft. Very little formal research has been done in Australia or overseas to assist with the development of safety models and tools for regional airline operations. Regional Express (REX) is a relatively new airline that was created by merging two separate and culturally different airline entities. After a post start-up initial settling in period, REX needed a new tool to further develop safety-based auditing for its newly combined flight operations department. The Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) offered through the University of Texas LOSA Collaborative, provided an effective tool for this purpose. Around the time REX was reviewing its need in this area, the LOSA Collaborative was confirming an interest in conducting research with regional airlines. The LOSA Collaborative wished to obtain data from regional airlines to add to its LOSA Archive database in order to move toward making the database more representative and the LOSA tools more relevant for use in the regional airline environment. The LOSA Collaborative set out to attract three regional airline participants to add their data through the LOSA process. Regional Express was successful in attracting funding under the Australian Transport Safety Bureaus Aviation Safety Research Grants Program to undertake the LOSA process. Completion of this project has added to the expansion of the LOSA database to include regional airline data. This report describes the LOSA process as it applies within the regional airline context of REX and the reported outcome types specific to the LOSA methodology, process, and tools. Regional Express is one of the first regional airlines globally to participate in a LOSA program. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Regional Airlines Safety Study Project Report

This web site provides access to an Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) document titled: Regional Airlines Safety Study Project Report, Department of Transport and Regional Services, Bureau of Air Safety Investigation, May 1999. The report presents the results of a survey of safety in the regional airline industry. The study examined all areas of regional airlines operations, including cabin safety, flight operations, maintenance, airspace management, regulations and surveillance. The objectives of the study were to identify safety deficiencies affecting regional airline operations in Australia, and to indentify measures to reduce the adverse impact of these deficiencies on safety. A synopsis of the report is presented in HTML format, and the full text is available online in PDF format (635 kb).

Regional Jets and Their Emerging Role

The web site provides access to a full text report titled: Regional Jets and Their Emerging Role; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation, June 1998. The report is divided into three sections: the US domestic market, manufacturers and operators. The report forecasts that growth in this sector of the US domestic airline industry will continue for the next ten years and regional enplanements are expected to double from current levels. The full text of the report is available online in PDF format.

Report on Air Safety and Security

This provides access to the text of a Canadian Parliament report prepared by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications' Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, dated June 2000. The report starts by highlighting the culture of air safety and the role of the Transportation Safety Board. It considers specific issues affecting airline travel as well as airport safety and security. The report reviews Canada's regulatory system and international obligations for air safety. It concludes with an examination of safety issues which are likely to become increasingly important over the next ten to fifteen years. The text is available in HTML format.

Report on Punctuality Drivers at Major European Airports : Final Report

This report was prepared by the EUROCONTROL Performance Review Unit on behalf of the Performance Review Commission (PRC), May 2005. The aim of the report is to improve the understanding of the various drivers affecting air transport punctuality, with a particular focus on air traffic management (ATM) related issues. The report measures punctuality at eleven major European airports and identifies related performance drivers. The following areas are specifically addressed: Air traffic scheduling and air traffic management processes; Measuring air transport operational performance; Drivers of variabiliy before push back (pre-departure delays); Drivers of variability after push-back; and, Possible action areas to reducing variability of flight operations. The full text of the report is available in PDF format (3 Mb) from the PRC's web site.

Representative Values of Icing-Related Variables Aloft in Freezing Rain and Freezing Drizzle

This technical note (DOT/FAA/AR-TN95/119) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 1996, and was written by Richard K. Jeck. Radiosonde and surface observations in freezing rain (ZR) and freezing drizzle (ZL), and a limited number of aircraft measurements in ZR, have been examined for information on the magnitude and altitude dependence of meteorological variables associated with aircraft icing in these conditions. The variables include temperature aloft, humidity (clouds), and windshear from the radiosondes; surface temperatures, ceiling heights, precipitation type and amount from the surface observations; and temperature, dropsize, rainwater concentration, and icing rate from the instrumented aircraft. These and other data are used here to arrive at tentative maximum and representative values of these variables [taken from author abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Statistical Loads Data for B-767-200ER Aircraft in Commercial Operations : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-00/10, by Daniel O. Tipps, John W. Rustenburg, and Donald A. Skinn, dated March 2000. The report presents data on accelerations, speeds, altitudes, flight durations and distance, gross weights, speed brake/spoiler cycles, thrust reverser usage, and gust velocities encountered during test flights. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Statistical Loads Data for BE-1900D Aircraft in Commuter Operations : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-00/11, by Daniel O. Tipps and others, dated April 2000. The report presents statistical summaries of aircraft usage data, ground loads data, flight loads data, and systems operational data. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Statistical Loads Data for MD-82/83 Aircraft in Commercial Operations : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-98/65, by Donald Skinn, Daniel O. Tipps and John Rustenburg, dated February 1999. The report presents statistical information on accelerations, speeds, altitudes, flight duration and distance, gross weights, speed brake / spoiler cycles, thrust reverser usage, and gust velocities encountered during 3987 flights. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Study on Consumer Protection against Aviation Bankruptcy : Final Report

Prepared by Booz and Company on behalf of the Directorate-General Energy and Transport European Commission in 2009. This study was commissioned to consider the impact on EU consumers in the event of airline bankruptcies. It identifies and evaluates the forms of relief that are or might be made available to assist them in distress. The work updates and builds on an earlier study, the AIRREG study, completed for the Commission in 2005 by an interdisciplinary team led by the Transport Studies Unit of Oxford University.

Study on the Impact of Directive 96/67/EC on Ground Handling Services 1996-2007 : Final Report

Since the introduction of Council Directive 96/67/EC of the 15th of October 1996 on access to the ground handling market at Community airports, ground handling markets experienced a very dynamic phase of development and growth. Additionally, with the entrance of the New Member States into the European Union, the European air transport market has changed siginificantly. In preparation for a possible revision of the Directive, the European Commission assigned the Airport Research Center, in cooperation with MVV Consult, to carry out this review on the impacts of the Directive 96/67/EC on the ground handling markets at Community airports. The review was published in 2009.

The Carriage by Air Acts (Application of Provisions) Order 2001 : Consultation

This is the full text of a draft United Kingdom statutory instrument dated 10th January 2001 for approval by each House of Parliament. The DFT (Department for Transport) is introducing this Act in order to facilitate UK ratification of the the 1999 Montreal Convention. It is available in PDF (165 Kb) format.

The Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2001

This is the full text of the sixth draft of a United Kingdom statutory instrument dated 10th January 2001 for approval by each House of Parliament. The DFT (Department for Transport) is introducing this Act in order to facilitate UK ratification of the the 1999 Montreal Convention. The Act amends the Carriage by Air Act 1961. The text is available in html format.

The Emerging Airline Industry

A joint study by A T Kearney and the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) on whether the business model for commercial aviation has changed permanently post 9/11. A 12-week study of the airline industry took place, beginning in July 2002 at the Farnborough International Airshow covering research, analyses and interviews with over 50 aviation leaders in government and sectors of the industry (operators, manufacturers, suppliers and airport authorities). Generally, the findings reveal that the primary impact of September 11 was a significant acceleration of existing trends (trends that include the ongoing global economic slowdown, a continued concern over terrorism, the parking of large numbers of aircraft in the desert, and a rise in low-cost airlines). This last trend was creating a strong buyers’ market for aircraft and thereby causing a significant drop in the price of new and used aircraft. It concludes that the supply chain is unlikely to recover before 2004 or 2005. The full-text of the report is available in PDF from the A.T. Kearney web site.

The European Commission : Air Transport Portal

This web site provides an overview and description on the key themes that shape the European Commission's policies for air transport. These themes include Traffic Management, Airports, International Aviation, Internal Market, Safety, Security, Passenger Rights, Competition, Research and Environment. The site also provides links to EC legislation, supporting studies, facts and figures, public consultation documents, videos and other publications.

The Future of Aviation : the Government's Consultation Document on Air Transport Policy and Response

This site provides the full text of a paper published by the UK Government's Department for Transport in 2006. This consultation document addresses the need to create an integrated approach to air transport policy. The report reviews the current scene and considers issues such as safety and security regulation, consumer issues, economic and environmental effects, airports, airlines, and freight. The text of the paper can be viewed online in HTML format and can be downloaded in PDF (568 Kb) and Word (549 Kb) format. This page also provides responses to the Consultation, which closed in April 2001, and which were published in 2006.

The Hidden Value of Air Transportation and Infrastructure

This is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) International Center for Air Transportation Report, prepared by Bruno Miller and John-Paul Clarke. The objective of this paper is to develop and illustrate a methodology for evaluating the strategic value of air transportation infrastructure, in particular the benefits associated with the ability to react quickly to changes in the market. The hypothesis is that by recognizing and taking advantage of this strategic value, it may be possible to design better policies for aviation infrastructure delivery. The methodology developed here uses system dynamics to model different strategies for infrastructure delivery. These strategies are defined by three variables: the amount of capacity increase, the time to deliver the capacity and the congestion threshold that triggers the need for capacity delivery. Monte Carlo simulation is used to take into account multiple sources of uncertainty. The model shows that a strategy of capacity delivery based on small increments and short response times can yield more benefits than strategies that consider large capacity increases and long response times. Furthermore, in the specific airport example considered here, it was found that a congestion threshold of 75% should be the trigger for capacity enlargements if strategies based on small capacity increments and 1 or 5 years to increase capacity are considered. The report is available in PDF format (272 Kb).

The Low Cost Airline Service Revolution

The web site provides access to a full text report titled: The Low Cost Airline Service Revolution, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1996/97. The report presents a study on new entry by airlines with low cost operating strategies. The objective of the study was to report in detail on the growth and competitive successes of low cost carriers and the resulting consumer benefits, to identify where low cost services have not succeeded and to examine why low cost new entry is more successful in some cities than others. The evidence presented in the study provides an insight into the traffic stimulation effects and related potential economic effects for various airline constituencies, of low cost service, and the implications for continued industry restructuring.

The Management of Safety : Guidance to Aerodromes and Air Traffic Service Units on the Development of Safety Management Systems

This provides access to A UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 728, prepared by the Safety Regulation Group's (SRG) Aerodrome and Air Traffic Standards Division (AATSD), Issue 1, 28 March 2003. The document provides guidance to industry on how to develop and adopt a system for managing safety. The document also provides necessary guidance on the implementation of a complementary audit based approach to safety regulation by SRG. The text is available in PDF format (179 kb) from the CAA's publications web site

The PRC's European ATM Performance Measurement System

One task of the EUROCONTROL’s (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) Performance Review Commission (PRC) is to measure the performance of air traffic management (ATM) in Europe. This document proposes a top-level structure of key performance areas and a first set of key performance indicators to this effect. This version also incorporates comments received at a consultation meeting held on 15 January 1999 and in writing. The report was published in June 1999 and is available in PDF format (0.2 MB).

Transport by Air of Dangerous Goods, Munitions of War, Sporting Weapons and Animals : Guidance Material on the Operator?s Responsibilities

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document, Civil Aviation Paper CAP 668, prepared by the Flight Operations Department of the Safety Regulation Group, 3rd edition, 27 September 2004. This Civil Aviation Publication (CAP) has been produced to give guidance to operators in a number of areas related to the transport by air of dangerous goods, weapons and munitions of war, sporting weapons and animals. Comprehensive guidance is also given on dealing with emergencies arising during the transport of dangerous goods, whether such goods are in passengers' baggage in the cabin or in cargo or baggage in the cargo/baggage compartments of the aircraft. The text of CAP 668 is available in PDF format (411 Kb), from the CAA's web site

Transport Canada : Air Transport

Transport Canada is responsible for the development of transport policy in Canada, and for the regulation of air, marine, rail and road transport. The information on the air transport site is aimed at a number of target groups including passengers, pilots, flight instructors and maintenance technicians. The information presented describes Transport Canada's role in relation to commercial airlines, security, and, the transport of dangerous goods. There are a selection of quick links to news releases, backgrounders (programmes and initiatives), acts and regulations, policy, Civil Aviation Publications, Research and Development, and statistics and forecasts. The site provides provides access to a wide range of resources including: Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), Aviation Safety Publications and Videos, Airworthiness Notices, Airworthiness Directives, Guidance and Advisory Materials, Service Difficulty Advisories, and Service Difficulty Alerts. The commercial airlines section includes information on aircraft certification, airline restructuring, cabin safety standards, and Aviation Occupational Health and Safety. The site also provides links to the Civil Aviation Headquarters Directorate, Transport Canada's online publications storefront for civil aviation publications, Transport Canada's Research and Development organisation, the Transportation Development Centre (TDC), and the T-FACTS Information System for statistics and forecasts.

Transport Canada : Aviation Acts and Regulations

The site provides access to the text of the Canadian Aeronautics Act as well as supporting regulations. The regulations include amongst others, Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), Air Regulations (New Series), Air Services Charges Regulations, Canadian Aviation Security Regulations, Canadian Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) Regulations, and Airport Zoning Regulations. There are also links to the Canada Transportation Act and Regulations, Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and Regulations, Carriage by Air Act, Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act, the Department of Transport Act and Regulations, and others. The text can be viewed online in HTML format.

Transport Canada : Civil Aviation Directorate

The Civil Aviation headquarters directorate determines program contents, policy and standards, while the regions deliver the Civil Aviation Program. The site links to information on the Directorate's various areas of responsibility including aerodrome safety, aircraft certification, aircraft maintenance and manufacturing, air navigation services and airspace, aviation learning services, commercial and business aviation, civil aviation medicine, General Aviation, international aviation and technical programmes, quality assurance, regulatory services, strategic issues and communication, and system safey. Specific resources of note include databases of air operators, airworthiness directives applicable in Canada, approved maintenance, manufacturing and distributor organisations, the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, Master Minimum Equipment Lists, and an index of Canadian Type Certificates. Other related full text documents include: Flight 2010 which is a safety planning framework for the future.

Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air : Guidance Appropriate for Flight Crew to Aid General Familiarisation Training

This link provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 675, prepared by Flight Operations Department, 2nd edition, 15 April 2002. Please note that it was first published as CAA Document No. 736, April 1997. The document is intended as an aid to identifying those areas of general familiarisation training appropriate for flight crew; it provides guidance in the general principles governing the transport of dangerous goods by air. The text is available in PDF format (103 kb) from the CAA's publications web site.

TranStats : The Intermodal Transportation Database

TranStats aims at providing transportation researchers and analysts, with a "one stop shop" solution for access to transportation statistical data. Produced by the United States Bureau of Transport Statistics, TranStats offers a number of features including: a Searchable Index of over 100 transportation-related data bases across every mode of transportation, with many social and demographic data sets that are commonly used in transportation analysis; Selective download, the ability to choose variables of interest and download the data directly to your PC for analysis using any data base, spreadsheet, or statistical package; Online data documentation, profiles on each data base, summary information about the tables that comprise a data base, data definitions and code information for data variables; Interactive analytical tools, the ability to do simple statistical summaries, create time series or cross tabulations, generate graphics online, and cut/paste results into reports; Interactive mapping, to help visualize geographic data and a Mapping Center with the full National Transportation Atlas Data Base, as well as applications for easily mapping US Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants and several other key data sets. These is a data finder which presents a view of the the individual databases organised by transport mode, by subject and by transport agency.

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UK Air Freight Study Report

The site provides access to a Department for Transport and report, dated 12 December 2000. This is one of a number of supporting studies which accompanied the publication of The Future of Aviation consultation document. The report is first part of an exercise to examine the structure of the air freight industry and its economic, environmental and social significance. It will inform future UK Government policy aimed at capitalising on the benefits which the air freight sector can offer. The text can be viewed in HTML format, and PDF (903 Kb) and Word (673 Kb) versions are available for downloading.

UK Airports : Survey Reports

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publication dated 2007. The Survey Reports contain a wide range of tables showing characteristics and trends of passengers at surveyed UK airports. Some reports are downloadable free of charge and are available in PDF format from the CAA web site. Those that are not can be ordered at a cost of £10 + VAT.

UK-India Air Services : Case Study in Liberalisation

This gives access to a study published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in November 2006. The document examines the dramatic impact of the liberalisation of airservices between the UK and India since 2004 and finds that there has been a doubling in the number of people travellingdirectly between the UK and India from just over one million passengers for the year before liberalisation to just over two million for the twelve months up to July 206. This is due to greater choice and capacity available, combined with cheaper fares. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

United States Census Bureau (Transportation Statistics)

A wide range of aviation-related statistics from 1980 to 2000 is provided by this site as the transportation section of the electronic version of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001.

United States Department of Transportation : Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

The Office has a broad range of responsibilities covering domestic and international aviation, international trade, and a range of other international cooperation and facilitation issues. The web site provides access to a range of information resources including policy and programmes relating to domestic and international aviation. The site contains an alphabetic listing of aviation and air tranport programmes, and each entry includes a brief descriptions and embedded links to further information. The site also provides access to a number of reports, studies and other publications. These include domestic and international agreements, rules, plans, procedures, and guidelines, statistics and fares reports, as well as specialist studies, reports and statements.

United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation : Aviation Sub-Committee

This is one of the standing committees of the United States Senate. Its jurisdiction includes civil aviation as well as space policy. This site usefully brings together a range of information resources covering civil aviation policy issues. These resources include press releases, hearings and the testimony of witnesses, bills and committee reports (pdf format), relevant General Accounting Office (GAO), and links to appropriate external Internet sites. However, please note that this site has not been updated since 2001. Details of recent Aviation Sub-Committee hearings are availavble from the following links: 109th Congress; and 108th Congress

Vega Airlines

This company is based in Bulgaria and provides a cargo charter service around the world. The site provides details of the services it provides, its fleet (including photographs) and its capabilities. It also is possible to request a flight using the 'charter request form'.

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