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Weekly UpdatesMay 10, 2009
Air France
Air France is spotlighting the Cannes Film Festival in its in-flight entertainment program. During May, a selection of past winners from the Festival will be available to watch on board in the OMoviesO section, including OEntre les Murs,O by Laurent Cantet, Palme dOOr in 2008 (France); OLa Dolce Vita,O by Federico Fellini, Palme dOOr in 1960 (Italy); OThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,O with Tommy Lee Jones, who received the Best Actor award in 2005; OBabel,O which received the Best Director award in 2006; and OLe scaphandre et le papillon,O which received the Best Director award in 2007. www.airfrance.us. May 8, 2009
Airbus
Airbus is further cutting production rates for its A380 from 18 to 14 this year, in response to customer requests for deferrals during the current economic crisis. The airframer in January had already revised downwards its A380 production plan for 2009 from 21 deliveries to 18. Airbus is also committing only to delivering "more than 20" of the double-deck aircraft in 2010. "Onward production rates and deliveries are dependent on airline demand and availability of customer financing," says the manufacturer. May 6, 2009
Alitalia
Between this and the next year, Alitalia would take up again the route between Roma and Rio de Janeiro. The renewed airline is immersed in a plan of fleet extension, with which it searches to add some 70 planes to 148 that it currently has. May 6, 2009
British Airways
British Airways is opening its new lounge for premium passengers and top-tier oneworld members at London HeathrowOs Terminal 3 on May 11. The 300-seat Galleries Club Lounge is for eligible customers traveling to Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Helsinki, Vienna and Malaga. A second dedicated 250-seat lounge for customers traveling in First will open later in the year. Long-haul flights to Sydney, Bangkok and Singapore transfer from Terminal 4. The lounge features unique Swarovski chandeliers over the Silver Bar in the Galleries Club, and furnishings by Osborne & Little. Work and entertainment zones are also available with free WiFi. There is also a dedicated 'Kidzone' room for younger passengers with interactive furnishings, a magnetic wall and toys. www.ba.com May 7, 2009
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed FranceOs adoption of One-Stop Security. Passengers that have already been screened at a European airport will not need to be screened a second time when making flight connections. High security standards are maintained, but the hassle of connecting is reduced. With this decision, France is joining the majority of the EU countries that already allow One-Stop Security for passengers arriving from another EU airport. www.iata.org. May 8, 2009
Safran SA
Republican lawmakers asked FBI Director Robert Mueller to examine the national-security implications of awarding a contract for a fingerprint-search system to Safran SA, a defense and aerospace company partly owned by the French government. Members of Senate and House committees that oversee spy agencies, including Representative John Kline of Minnesota and Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, warned that the FBI contract, which may be worth more than USD 100 million, could give an overseas-based company access to law-enforcement and intelligence data. May 4, 2009
Turkish Airlines, Boeing
EASA has published a safety information bulletin alerting Boeing 737 operators of an "erroneous low range radio altimeter (LRRA) indication" that has been linked to the fatal crash of a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 at Amsterdam Schiphol on 25 February. The accident killed nine of the 134 on board, including three pilots in the cockpit. Central to the investigation is a radio-altimeter fault that caused the aircraft's autothrottle to enter retard mode at too high an altitude, reducing thrust to idle speed before the aircraft was in position for its final flare above the runway. May 4, 2009
ZZ AirGuide 090511
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