About 1,000 American Airlines executives are set to receive payouts because of the rise in share price of parent AMR Corp, the company said on Friday.

Nigeria will clear a thick forest and stagnant ponds at Lagos Airport as part of urgent reforms to the aviation sector after two plane crashes that killed more than 200 people, the airports authority said on Sunday.

FLYi, parent of Independence Air, grounded its fleet Jan. 5 following its last flight, an A319 from Tampa that landed at Washington Dulles.Some 2,700 workers were left unemployed by the shutdown. The low-fare carrier, formerly known as Atlantic Coast Airlines, made the decision Jan. 2 to cease operating after failing to gain financial support from outside investors.

Northwest Airlines' markets are particularly well-adapted for new-generation large regional jets, the company argues in a special edition of its internal newsletter Passages.As previously reported, the carrier is seeking permission from its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., to create a standalone subsidiary to operate 70/100-seat jets (ATWOnline, Jan. 6).

National Air Traffic Services said it handled a record 2.3 million flights through British airspace in 2005, a rise of 5.7% over the previous year and the highest annual growth since 1999.An increase in service by low-cost carriers to Eastern Europe contributed to the record, with flights to the region jumping 36.5% over the 12 months. Traffic to the Middle East, Asia and Africa also showed significant growth, rising 12.9%. However, the strong gains in domestic traffic seen all year slowed considerably after the start of the winter schedule, from a peak increase of 9.5% in May to 0.4% in December. Transatlantic overflights remained below 2000 levels.

Boeing has had its most successful year ever in 2005 in terms of orders, but Airbus could still beat its rival later this month if it firms a series of crucial commitments.

The General Electric/Pratt & Whitney-led Engine Alliance received certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration yesterday (4 January) of its GP7200 engine for the Airbus A380 super large aircraft and aims to start flight tests in Toulouse in the second quarter.

Northwest Airlines plans to establish a separate unit that will fly new, regional jets to smaller cities that it currently serves as soon as 2007, according to a company newsletter.

The grounding of Independence Air, a regional airline turned low-cost carrier, is expected to provide a modest boost to its rivals, especially on the US East Coast, where its discounting has depressed fares.

Indonesia wants to inject funds into state-owned airline Garuda Indonesia and may also sell a stake, Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa said on Thursday.