AIRLINE: How nice. Newer aircraft improve safety and fuel efficiency. It would also give some much needed business to the aircraft makers, who, so the article implies, might give sort of a 10% rebate to the airlines if they buy their aircraft. I'm not surprised at the airlines baulking because this cuts into the salaries of CEO's and other top dogs. That is, of the top five commericial carriers, and the top three cargo carriers. Tough choice. What's good for the environment and aviation safety versus profit. The jury is still out on this one. Mike Burris Cambridge, Mass --- Roger LaFrance <lafrance@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > U.S. airlines seek to stop aging aircraft rule > > AMR (AMR Corp > > > > > > > > > > > [-] Text [+] By John Crawley > WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. passenger and > cargo airlines on Tuesday sought to stop, or at > least change, a Federal Aviation Administration > proposal to overhaul management of structural > fatigue in older aircraft. > The biggest passenger carriers and their cargo > counterparts said the agency's proposal last April > was premature and incomplete. > They also said the FAA significantly underestimated > what it would cost the airlines in maintenance and > aircraft retirement costs to comply with the > regulation. > "Unfortunately, the proposed rule is quite simply > unjustified. It should not be made final," the > industry's primary trade group, the Air Transport > Association, said in documents filed with the > Transportation Department. > For the first time, the FAA proposed strict criteria > for determining life limits for commercial aircraft, > potentially affecting thousands of aircraft already > in service. > The plan would also push new costs -- at least $360 > million over 20 years -- onto an industry with > several carriers that fly many older planes, the FAA > said. > Manufacturers, such as Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote, > Profile, Research) and Europe's Airbus (EAD.PA: > Quote, Profile, Research), would pick up about 10 > percent of the cost while airlines would pay the > rest. But industry estimates costs in excess of $3 > billion, if certain scenarios involving aircraft > retirements were considered. > FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said > the proposal was overly complex and would "drain > resources ." Continued... > > > View our videos at: > http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ewrw4co > > Roger & Amanda La France > Michael A. Burris Freelance Writer, Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com