Even before China's domestically made C919 single-aisle jet takes flight, the nation already has its sights set on producing a much larger aircraft within a decade. Executives of state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. unveiled plans Wednesday to make a twin-aisle jet that can fly as far as 12,000 km, roughly the distance between Beijing and New York. The company, known as Comac, is forming a joint venture with Russia's United Aircraft Corp. to research on and manufacture the aircraft. The announcement at a biennial airshow in southern Zhuhai city marks the first time China has given details of the widebody aircraft since the planned Russian partnership was flagged two years ago and comes amid delays to the maiden flight of the C919. The new plane would be able to seat 280 people, posing a direct challenge to jetliners from Boeing and Airbus Group such as their current B777, B787, A330 and A350 models. Comac is targeting the maiden flight of the new aircraft to take place about seven years from now, and the first delivery three years after that. An assembly line will be set up in Shanghai, with an eye to exporting the plane to other markets in the future, said Guo Bozhi, an assistant president at Comac who's in charge of the widebody-jet project. "Developing an aircraft is an arduous journey and we have to overcome a lot of technical difficulties," Guo said at a briefing. But the timeframe "is a definite target," he said.<br/>
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Six years ago I put forth a rather modest proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The good news is that it has been approved for implementation by the DOT. The bad news is government moves slowly — the rule will take effect two years from now. Thankfully, however, it will help consumers make better decisions when selecting domestic airlines. Back in 2010, I served as the only consumer advocate on the DOT’s 19-person Future of Aviation Advisory Committee. For six months, we discussed and debated a wide variety of suggestions for improving air travel, and we included our recommendations in a final report. While serving on the FAAC, other members and I proposed several changes that the DOT (and its subsidiary, the FAA) did NOT adopt; I was particularly disappointed the FAA did not require mandatory restraints for children under 2 on US commercial flights. But one proposition I made has worked its way into becoming a federal rule. Last month, the DOT announced a number of new “enhanced protections for air travellers,” including a critical overhaul of the service rankings offered to consumers every month, as reported by US airlines.<br/>
Major airlines including Delta, United and American could face higher fuel costs if US regulators allow Colonial Pipeline to stop shipping a dirtier blend of jet fuel by 2018. The Colonial system carries most of the jet fuel that is delivered via pipeline to the East Coast and used by busy airports serving New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, along with US military bases. The pipeline company said earlier this month it would ask the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to halt shipments of high-sulfur jet fuel and diesel. Preliminary estimates indicate that jet fuel prices could rise significantly if Colonial wins approval, said John Heimlich, chief economist for the industry trade group Airlines for America. Rising fuel prices could make certain flights unprofitable, forcing airlines to cut service and sell fewer seats - likely at higher prices. It would take jet fuel price increases of 30 to 50 cents per gallon to have a big impact on pricing or flight availability, said Robert Mann, an industry consultant and former executive at American and other airlines.<br/>
The operator of an airplane mechanic school in Hagerstown says job-fair registration numbers indicate strong demand for aviation industry workers. The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics is playing host to the job fair Wednesday at its campus near Hagerstown Regional Airport. Campus Director Butch Adams says in a statement that the event has attracted more employers than available students for hire. He says that’s a strong indicator of career trends for the region. Adams says participants in the event include Naval Air Systems Command, United Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Westinghouse Electric Company and GE Aviation.<br/>
A handful of investor groups that eyed opportunity amid troubles and tragedies at Malaysia's two major airlines are finding the country's skies too bumpy to navigate. Between them, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia experienced three fatal crashes overseas in 2014, and both also saw their financial results decline. Betting that fliers at home and abroad might be looking for alternatives, two new companies moved to enter the market last year, and others have made moves to do so this year. Malindo Air, which launched flights in 2013, began upgrading its offerings and adding international routes. Malindo is the only one of these challengers now posing a competitive threat. Regulators forced Rayani Air, which launched domestic flights last December as Malaysia's first carrier compliant with Islam's Shariah rules, to suspend operations in April. Flymojo, which had ordered aircraft and planned to launch service in October 2015, has yet to get airborne. Monspace Sky Airlines flew one flight on July 22 but was promptly rebuffed by regulators, who said it lacked approval to operate. "In my opinion, there is no room for another player," said Mohsin Aziz, an aviation analyst at Maybank Investment Bank. The market, he said, "is already too crowded. Anyone who wants to start an airline now is either stupid or crazy."<br/>