- JetBlue Flight Makes Emergency Landing at Long Beach Airport[Dec. 26, 2006]
A JetBlue airliner with 167 passengers and crew members aboard made a safe emergency landing at Long Beach Airport near U.S.'s Los Angeles on December 26, apparently after some birds were sucked into one of the plane's engines, officials said.
- European Airlines to Trade CO2 Emission Permits by 2011[Dec. 21, 2006]
Airlines flying within Europe will be subject to compulsory carbon-dioxide emissions trading from 2011 to help curb global warming, the European Commission announced on December 20.
- OAG: World's Scheduled Airlines Offered 9 Million Seats Daily in 2006[Dec. 19, 2006]
OAG, the global travel and transport information company, has calculated that the world's scheduled airlines - including Low Cost Carriers - offered a record 3.3 billion* seats (3,297,362,597) on 28.2 million flights (28,240,490) during 2006. That represents an average daily offer of over 9 million seats on 77,371 individual daily flights.
- Virgin America Passes FAA 'Proving Runs' with Flying Colors[Dec. 22, 2006]
Virgin America has completed the last formal step in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) airline certification review - that of flight proving runs. As a result, the airline now only awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) before they can begin operations.
- EU to Partially Exclude Bulgaria From Common Aviation Market[Dec. 20, 2006]
On December 20, the European Commission decided to partially exclude Bulgaria from the benefit of the internal aviation market, citing safety deficiencies at the country's civil aviation authority.
- Bomb Hoax Delays Thai Airways Flight to India[Dec. 21, 2006]
On December 20, a bomb threat on a Thai Airways plane at Suvarnabhumi International Airport caused a five hour delay, but after an intense search officials found no explosive on the aircraft, according to a local media report.
- VARIG to Leave Star Alliance[Dec. 21, 2006]
Viacao Aerea Rio-Grandense S.A. (VARIG Brazilian Airlines or "old" VARIG) will no longer be a member of Star Alliance as of 31 January 2007. This decision was prompted by the current restructuring of the airline in which "old" VARIG continued to be a Star Alliance member, operating a reduced flight schedule on behalf of a new company, VRG Linhas Aereas S.A. ("New" VARIG).
- Boeing Delivers 600th 777[Dec. 18, 2006]
On December 15, the Boeing Company delivered its 600th 777 airplane, to Singapore Airlines. The 777 program reached the milestone after 11 years in service, faster than any other twin-aisle airplane program in history.
- Spain Suspends Air Madrid's License[Dec. 16, 2006]
Spain's civil aviation authority suspended the flying license of Air Madrid airline on December 16, hours after the troubled airline announced it was halting its operation, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in Spain and abroad.
- Airbus A380 Receives Joint EASA & FAA Type Certification[Dec. 12, 2006]
The world's largest commercial airliner, the 555-seat Airbus A380, has received joint European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certification on December 12, 2006. The certified aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.