U- Turn's News We Can Use

Delta, Northwest pilots ratify bargaining agreement
Pilots at Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have approved a collective bargaining agreement, a move that will help the carriers move forward with their plans to merge. The agreement will become effective when the two airlines merge by the end of this year. The New York Times/Associated Press (8/11) , American City Business Journals/Atlanta (8/11) , CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires (8/11) , Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul) (8/11)

Pilots want United CEO out; airline alleges bid to deflect illegal activity
United Airlines' pilots union is calling for the resignation of chief executive Glenn Tilton. The union has increased its criticism of Tilton amid growing concerns about compensation. Pilot pay was cut sharply between 2002 and 2006, when the company was in or recovering from bankruptcy. Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for United, said the call for Tilton's resignation "is an obvious and predictable attempt to deflect attention from ALPA's illegal activity cited in our lawsuit." The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) (8/11) , The New York Times/Associated Press (8/11) , Chicago Sun-Times (8/12) , Bloomberg (8/11)

Some say passengers are confused over airlines' fees
Airlines have been adding fees -- some old, some new, but all apparently confusing to some passengers. An ATA spokesman said that airlines are "trying to offset costs," and that "the airlines have been very clear in publicly communicating their rates and charges." USA TODAY (8/12)

Offering raises $179M for US Airways
US Airways Group raised $179 million in a recent offering of shares. Funds raised through the offering will help the company offset the soaring price of jet fuel. It expects to pay $2 billion for fuel this year. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (8/15)Don't Count on Airlines to Stay AloftTheStreet.com TV(Fri 3:44pm)Tapes: Obama plane incident more serious than indicated
Despite statements from the FAA that an incident involving Sen. Barack Obama's campaign plane last month was not an emergency, FAA control tower tapes obtained by ABC News indicate otherwise. The tapes indicate that the pilot discovered that he did not have full control of the plane's up and down movements and asked to declare an emergency and have crash equipment standing by in St. Louis. ABC News (8/14) , CBS2 (Chicago) (8/14) , International Herald Tribune/Associated Press (8/15)A quarter of Detroit terminal's gates to remain closed
Citing a decline in airline seating capacity, the Detroit News reports that six of 24 gates at Detroit Metropolitan Airport's new North Terminal will not be leased when the facility opens next month. With airline flight capacity down 8% to 13%, experts predict the gates could stay closed for some time. Chicago Tribune/Associated Press (free registration) (8/11)FAA plans to fine American $7.1M for alleged safety, maintenance violations
The FAA on Thursday said it plans to fine American Airlines $7.1 million for allegedly violating maintenance regulations and employee drug- and alcohol-testing procedures. American, in a statement, said it does not agree with the findings or the characterization of its actions. Executives plan to meet with FAA officials to discuss the fines. The alleged problems reportedly are considered to be related to maintenance oversight issues, rather than to any aviation safety risk. The Wall Street Journal (free content) (8/15) , Reuters (8/15) , USA TODAY/Associated Press (8/14) , The New York Times (8/14) , The Dallas Morning News (8/15) , Houston Chronicle/Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas) (8/14)American Airlines orders six additional Boeing 737s
American Airlines has amended an agreement with Boeing and will take delivery of six additional 737-800 jetliners by the end of 2010. The new jetliners will replace American's aging MD-80 planes. Boeing will deliver a total of 76 planes under the new agreement. Chicago Tribune/Bloomberg (free registration) (8/14) , Air Transport World (8/14) , The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (8/14)Allegiant Air takes off in tough times
While most major airlines scale back in response to the troubled economy, Allegiant Air is boosting its service by increasing its destinations. The regional carrier boasted a 95.2% load factor in July and says some keys to its success include buying instead of leasing planes, focusing on leisure instead of business travelers, and flying routes not serviced by legacy carriers. USA TODAY/The Arizona Republic (8/14)According to economist, airline fares not high enough
According to an economist, airline fares are not high enough to cover the cost of fuel and still turn a profit for the airlines. Darin Lee of LECG LLC developed an online calculator to determine fuel costs for the airlines. "Fares probably need to increase at this point another 15-20% before airlines cover their costs," Lee said. The Deseret News (Salt Lake City) (8/8)DHL to lay off 8,000 in Ohio; Congress vows hearings
With losses pegged at $5 million a day, DHL says the closure of its air hub in Wilmington, Ohio -- and the loss of some 8,000 jobs there -- will prevent "more serious cuts to the whole operation," with 43,000 jobs on the line. Both presidential candidates have called for an antitrust investigation into DHL's relationship with United Parcel Service. Congress is expected to hold hearings in September, though both companies insist they have structured a $1 billion vendor contract rather than a merger. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (8/14) , Air Transport World (8/14)