African and Middle Eastern airlines have seen a significant financial impact of the volcanic ash cloud over Europe last month, although much less than their European peers.

According to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 30% of African airlines’ capacity was affected by the five-day closure of much of Europe’s airspace. Middle Eastern carriers were forced to ground around 20% of their fleet — the part that is dedicated to European routes. By comparison, European carriers were forced to shut down 75% of their operations on average, but many airlines such as British Airways, Air France-KLM or Lufthansa did not fly at all for several days.

Source: Aviation Week

Stability is the best the aerospace and defense industry can hope for in 2010: a year in which airlines catch their breath for a predicted upturn, commercial aircraft orders should begin to recover, and defense sales could plateau before beginning a threatened decline.

Business aviation had a horrible year, but for most industry sectors 2009 was not as bad as was feared. Commercial aircraft orders plummeted, but deliveries were maintained thanks to years-long backlogs. Military programs were terminated, but war costs kept defense spending at high levels.

Large segments of the industry dodged the brunt of the global economic downturn in 2009 and are positioned to weather whatever 2010 brings, but 2011 could prove a tougher year as the impact of defense cuts takes hold while commercial aerospace is still in the early stages of a recovery.

Source: Aviation Week 

U.S. Transportation Dept. Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt today revealed the formation of a new federal advisory committee that will study every facet of the aviation industry.

LaHood further promised that within one year, that committee will submit a blueprint for change.

The announcement was made during closing remarks to an invitation-only, five-hour meeting of airline, airport, labor and consumer group representatives yesterday, who were called together to discuss the future of U.S. aviation. It appeared to have covered the gamut, and ended with LaHood asking the participants to go home and send him an email with three things: how many people should be on the committee, what the mix of participants should be, and the five issues they think must be addressed for the DOT to create a road map for aviation.

During the second week of October 2009, the 17th International Exhibition for Airport Equipment, Technology, Design & Services took place for the first time at the exhibition grounds of the Munich Trade Fair Centre. On the website of Interairport 2009 it can be read that the "show ended with highly positive results".

Nicola Hamann, Exhibition Director on behalf of the organisers, commented; “The figures for exhibitors, visitors and exhibition space at inter airport Europe 2009 are almost identical to those of 2005. It was obvious though that in times like these, we could not match the figures of the record event in 2007. However, we see it as a big success to be able to announce identical results to 2005, which was an exceptional year for the airport industry.”

Members of WWA were also present at this exhibition and took some interesting pictures of the event. Click here to see them... 

A surveillance plane assigned to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti crashed into a mountain Friday, killing all 11 military personnel on board, the United Nations said.

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas in New York said the Uruguayan CASA212 aircraft went down in rugged terrain west of Fonds-Verrettes near the border with the Dominican Republic, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

"The aircraft was on a regular reconnaissance flight," Montas said in a statement.Rescue teams had to reach the area by foot because there were no roads nearby, and they found no survivors, she said.