Small Jet Charter

The FAA will provide four projects with grants as part of the NASA reauthorization bill and a federal effort to ensure the U.S. “remains the world leader in space development and exploration,” according to FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. The projects will direct funding to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority for automated weather observation; the Alaska Aerospace Corporation for a rocket motor storage facility; the East Kern Disctict in Mojave, Calif., for an emergency response vehicle; and the Hacksonville Airport Authority in Florida, to devise a master plan for a spaceport at Cecil Field. The grants range from about $40,000 to nearly $105,000 and are part of the NASA reauthorization bill, which backs commercial crew and cargo programs with $1.6 billion. The FAA’s own reauthorization bill on September 24 was substituted with another three-month extension (the 16th, we think … if you’re still counting).

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AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli posits a new theory about the stagnating GA industry: He says blame Wonder Bread. In his blog, which you can read in full here, he states:

“As long as diverging income inequality continues, as long as the better paid wage earners find their pay to be stagnant or declining, flying is going to be out of reach except for the most resourceful and determined.”

===> Posted on September 30, 2010 by Janice Wood. No comments. © GAN 2010

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A U.S. District Judge found that plaintiffs failed to show that United Airlines’ merger with Continental would create a monopoly and ruled Tuesday that the merger shouldn’t be blocked on antitrust grounds. Attorney Joseph Alioto, who filed the suit on behalf of consumers said he will appeal the ruling. United and Continental expect their merger to close, Friday. They expect to operate separately until they receive paperwork from the FAA later in October. Alioto says the merger will create an entity that is “too big to fail.” Alioto’s opinion aside, the $3.17 billion deal that is United’s acquisition of Continental will create the world’s largest carrier. According to Alioto, “There’s very little regard for their passengers and everybody seems to know it.” The airlines argued in court that the merger would bring stability to the industry and allow cost savings to be passed to consumers. Meanwhile, analysts are considering what other airlines may do to compete with the new mega-airline.

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