Air tanker deal provokes US row

Boeing's loss of a $40bn contract to build a new in-flight refuelling aircraft for the US military has drawn angry protests in Congress.

Lawmakers from Washington state and Kansas, which have big Boeing plants, voiced "outrage" that it had gone to a consortium including Europe's Airbus.

The planes will be assembled in Alabama but constructed largely in Europe.

Boeing has said it is awaiting an explanation from the military before deciding whether or not to appeal.

The new aircraft, named the KC-45A by the US Air Force, is based on the Airbus A330 and will be manufactured in partnership with US defence firm Northrop Grumman.

Its job will be to refuel the vast array of US warplanes and the contract is worth in the region of $40bn over 15 years.

It is a huge blow for Boeing, the BBC's Vincent Dowd reports from Washington.

America has around two-thirds of all such aircraft in use anywhere, and a senior figure in the company said recently if it lost this contract it could be out of the refuelling market totally for years.

'Outsourcing'

Gen Arthur J Lichte, commander of the US Air Force's Air Mobility Command, said the winning design had many advantages over Boeing's tanker.

"More passengers, more cargo, more fuel to offload, more patients that we can carry, more availability, more flexibility and more dependability," he said.

In Everett, Washington state, a few dozen Boeing workers protested outside a Machinists Union hall holding up signs saying "American workers equal best tankers" and "Our military deserves the best".

Congressional lawmakers from the state's Seattle area issued a joint statement condemning the "outsourcing" of the contract.

"We are outraged that this decision taps European Airbus and its foreign workers to provide a tanker to our American military," they said.

Todd Tiahrt, a Republican congressman from Wichita, Kansas, called for "an American tanker built by an American company with American workers".

"I hope the Air Force reverses its decision," he added.

But the news was a boon for Alabama Republican congressman Jo Bonner.

"We are so very excited about having the opportunity to help the Air Force acquire the most modern and capable refuelling tanker - a tanker assembled in America by Americans," he said.

The deal will also safeguard thousands of British aviation jobs, the BBC's Andy Moore says. Wings will be made at factories in Bristol and in North Wales.

Breaking through

For Airbus's parent company, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), it is a long-desired and potentially crucial breakthrough into the US market, our correspondent says.

Replacing America's ageing KC-135 refuelling planes - which date back to the 1950s - has proved controversial, he notes.

In 2002, the Air Force negotiated a $23bn deal with Boeing for 100 tankers to be based on the Boeing 767.

But that deal was declared invalid after allegations of fraud.

Two Boeing executives went to jail and eventually Boeing's chief executive resigned.

Political pressure on the Air Force over the deal was led by Sen John McCain, the front-runner to win the Republican nomination for the presidential elections this year.

Our correspondent adds that two further contracts are expected later as the US Air Force replaces the rest of its ageing fleet of refuelling craft.

Will biofuels power tomorrow's planes? / Propulsarán los biocombustibles los aviones del mañana?

By Stephen Dowling
BBC News

On Sunday, a Virgin Airlines Boeing 747 took off from London's Heathrow Airport en route to Amsterdam. This short flight may prove to be a giant leap forward for the aviation industry.

The aircraft did not carry passengers - but it was the first commercial aircraft to fly partly under the power of biofuels.

One of the aircraft's four engines ran on fuel comprising a 20% biofuel mix of coconut and babassu oil and 80% of the normal Jet A aviation fuel.

Biofuels - principally ethanol and diesel made from plants - are one of the few viable options for replacing the liquid fuels derived from petroleum used in transport, the source of about one quarter of the human race's greenhouse gas emissions.

Existing engines

The airline industry is being increasingly criticised for its perceived part in global warming, as more and more people take advantage of cheap tickets on aircraft powered by kerosene. Environmentalists claim it is a major carbon producer, fuelling rising world temperatures.

Airlines and aircraft designers have been feeling the heat. Plane-makers Boeing and aircraft engine manufacturers General Electric have been working with Virgin to cut down their flights' carbon footprints.

What is exciting the aviation industry is the fact the aircraft is completely unchanged, using the same engines as any scheduled, passenger-carrying flight. Only the fuel is different.

The flight follows a journey made by an Airbus A380 earlier this month using another alternative fuel - a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid - in one of its four engines.

It flew from Filton in the UK to Toulouse in France, a journey of some 900km (560 miles), and was in partnership with Rolls-Royce and Shell.

Air New Zealand is also working with Boeing and Rolls-Royce to mount a test flight powered partly by biofuels later this year.

These are the first tentative steps in breaking the aviation industry's reliance on kerosene. But it is likely to be decades before aircraft are able to take to the skies powered entirely by something other than fossil fuels.

One industry analyst told the BBC News website there were several problems to overcome.

Jet A fuel, one of the standard aviation fuels, has a stable energy content and a low freeze point - meaning it is suited to the very low temperatures encountered by high-flying aircraft.

Biofuels cannot be relied upon to operate as reliably in the same temperatures.

Jet A fuel also burns consistently, which means it provides a reliable and safe fuel source for long flights.

Environmental drawbacks

Airlines also want a biofuel which can be burnt in existing engines - rather than having to replace every engine in their fleets.

There are other issues surrounding biofuels. There are concerns widespread planting and use of biofuel crops could threaten natural ecosystems and raise food prices. It could also mean the deforestation of rainforests, which absorb massive amounts of carbon.

Virgin remained tight-lipped about where its biofuel comes from until the day of the flight but said it would be a "truly sustainable type of biofuel that doesn't compete with food and fresh water resources".

Some environmentalists are sceptical. They believe the secret to cutting down aviation's share of the carbon is cutting the amount of flights we take.

Kenneth Richter, Friends of the Earth aviation campaigner, said: "Biofuels are a major distraction in the fight against climate change. There is mounting evidence that the carbon savings from biofuels are negligible.

"If Virgin was really serious about reducing the aviation industry's impact on the environment it would support calls for aircraft emissions to be included in the Climate Change Bill."

Green Party councillor and former chemist Andrew Boswell said: "Richard Branson is making a huge mistake backing biofuels.

"It means a huge amount of fuel we've got to produce."

Mr Boswell, who campaigns for the lobby group Biofuel Watch, said it was unsustainable to try and replace transport's share of fossil fuel consumption with biofuels - there is simply not enough arable land to grow fuel crops and food.

Sunday's flight may herald a new direction in aviation. But any massive change in the way we power our planes is unlikely, analysts say, to be just around the corner.

Airline in first biofuel flight / Aerolínea realiza primer vuelo con biocombustibles

The first flight by a commercial airline to be powered partly by biofuel has taken place.

A Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet has flown between London's Heathrow and Amsterdam using fuel derived from a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts.

Environmentalists have branded the flight a publicity stunt and claim biofuel cultivation is not sustainable.

Earlier this month, Airbus tested another alternative fuel - a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid.

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson said the flight marked a "vital breakthrough" for the entire airline industry.

"This pioneering flight will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future," he said.

But he said fully commercial biofuel flights were likely to use feedstocks such as algae rather than the mix used on the passenger-less flight.

Virgin's Boeing 747 had one of its four engines connected to an independent biofuel tank that it said could provide 20% of the engine's power.

The three other engines were capable of powering the plane on conventional fuel had there been a problem.

The company said the babassu tree, native to Brazil, and the coconuts did not compete with staple food sources and came from existing mature plantations.

Both products are commonly used in cosmetics and household paper products.

'Gimmick'

One problem with flying planes using biofuel is that it is more likely to freeze at high altitude.

The technology is still being manufactured by companies GE and Boeing, but Virgin believes airlines could routinely be flying on plant power within 10 years.

Kenneth Richter, of Friends of the Earth, said the flight was a "gimmick", distracting from real solutions to climate change.

"If you look at the latest scientific research it clearly shows biofuels do very little to reduce emissions," he said.

"At the same time we are very concerned about the impact of the large-scale increase in biofuel production on the environment and food prices worldwide.

"What we need to do is stop this mad expansion of aviation. At the moment it is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases in the UK, and we need to stop subsidising the industry."

Greenpeace's chief scientist, Dr Doug Parr, labelled the flight a "high-altitude greenwash" and said less air travel was the only answer.

"Instead of looking for a magic green bullet, Virgin should focus on the real solution to this problem and call for a halt to relentless airport expansion."

Airbus ran its test using the world's largest passenger jet, the A380.

The three-hour flight from Filton near Bristol to Toulouse on 1 February was part of an ongoing research programme.

EADS 'producirá fuera de Europa' / EADS 'to produce outside Europe'

The head of European aerospace company EADS has given his strongest indication yet that some Airbus manufacturing will be moved outside Europe.

"We don't have a choice," its chief executive Louis Gallois told Europe 1 Radio, describing dollar weakness as "our main problem".

In the past, Mr Gallois has said some production will be moved outside Europe under certain circumstances.

Airbus prices its planes in dollars but most of its costs are in euros.

The steady fall in the value of the dollar against the euro has hit the value of Airbus' earnings.

'Deep crisis'

Airbus manufacturing is currently all conducted in Europe, although some takes place in the UK, which has not adopted the euro.

"There is a deep crisis afflicting a certain number of industries that is due solely to the fact that the Americans are following a policy that will mean a never-ending decline in the dollar," Mr Gallois claimed.

There is some suspicion in European industrial circles that Washington authorities are not particularly concerned about the falling dollar because it makes US exporters more competitive.

But US officials insist that a strong dollar is in the best interests of their economy.

Tanker contract

While no Airbus manufacturing currently takes place outside Europe, there is a final assembly plant planned in the Chinese city of Tianjin.

And Airbus' parent company EADS has a helicopter plant in the US.

EADS has also said that it would build an assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama, if the US Air Force decides to buy 180 in-flight refuelling tankers from it.

EADS has joined up with the US defence group Northrop Grumman to create the KC-30 tanker, which is based on the Airbus A330.

They are competing with Boeing for orders from the US Air Force that could be worth a total of $100bn.

As the tanker is based on the Airbus A330, it is not inconceivable that the new plant could also be used to manufacture civilian aircraft.

Quedó arreglada la huelga en Click Mexicana, aceptan un aumento de 4.74 por ciento

Se consiguió que las trabajadoras que se encuentren embarazadas cobren el ciento por ciento de su salario al tercer mes de embarazo y después del nacimiento, y ya no tengan que laborar en tierra durante este periodo.

México.- Luego de que las 155 trabajadoras de Click Mexicana aceptaran un incremento salarial de 4.74 por ciento, así como una serie de prestaciones sociales, poco después de las 6:00 horas de esta mañana quedó arreglada la huelga en dicha línea aérea.

Tras ocho horas de intensas negociaciones en las instalaciones de la STPS, la dirigencia de la Asociación Sindical de Sobrecargos encabezada por Francisco Villarreal y la representación patronal llegaron a un acuerdo, con lo cual se retiraron las banderas rojinegras de los mostradores de la línea en aeropuertos del país.

En entrevista, el dirigente sindical señaló que las sobrecargos también lograron un día más de descanso, el cual está ligado a un acuerdo de productividad.

También se consiguió, agregó, que las trabajadoras que se encuentren en estado de gravidez cobren el ciento por ciento de su salario al tercer mes de embarazo y después del nacimiento, y ya no tengan que laborar en tierra durante este periodo.

Francisco Villarreal señaló que también se ganó obtener el pago de despensas a través de un vale electrónico, así como permisos a cuenta de vacaciones.

Indicó que la empresa pagará 50 por ciento de los salarios caídos, con lo cual quedó concluida la revisión contractual.

Un punto sobresaliente, afirmó, es que se pudo retirar la pretensión de la empresa de llevar a cabo una revisión multianual que perjudicaría a los trabajadores, lo que llevó a conjurar la huelga que estalló el primer minuto de este sábado.

Es de señalar que el ofrecimiento de la línea aérea fue aprobado en la Asamblea General que se efectuó poco después de las 4:00 horas de esta madrugada.

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ASA no pagará predial y agua, ya que tribunales la exentaron

Aeropuertos anuncia que el próximo lunes 3 de diciembre se reunirá con el funcionario local, a fin de presentarle las seis sentencias firmes que así lo establecen.

México, DF.-Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA), administradora de la red de aeropuertos federales, “está exenta del pago de agua y predial por ser organismo descentralizado, cuyos bienes son del dominio público de la federación.

Así lo informó el director de Asuntos Jurídicos del organismo, Miguel Angel Flores Ramírez, quien precisó que lo anterior se estable el artículo 115 Constitucional, fracción IV y los artículos 2º y 34 de la Ley General de Bienes Nacionales.

Ello, luego de que el director ejecutivo de Servicios a Usuarios del gobierno del Distrito Federal, Francisco Núñez Escudero, situó a ASA como una institución que mantenía adeudos en el consumo de agua. En ese sentido, afirmó que el próximo lunes 3 de diciembre se reunirá con el funcionario local, a fin de presentarle las seis sentencias firmes que así lo establecen.

Flores Ramírez precisó en un comunicado que en junio de 1999, la Tesorería del Gobierno del Distrito Federal le requirió a ASA el pago de 56 millones de pesos por concepto de predial, consumo de agua, y 2.0 por ciento sobre nómina.

Dicho gravamen es por el predio que ocupaba en el Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez Ciudad de México y sus oficinas generales, por lo que el organismo descentralizado recurrió a un tribunal para iniciar el juicio correspondiente.

Asimismo, detalló que el 14 de agosto de 2002 se expidió la sentencia dictada por la Segunda Sala del Tribunal de lo Contencioso y Administrativo del Distrito Federal, la cual declara que ASA se encuentra exenta del pago de los impuestos y derechos referidos. ASA cuenta con seis sentencias firmes expedidas por distintos tribunales que ratifican que el organismo está exento del pago del impuesto predial y derechos por el uso, suministro y aprovechamiento de agua.

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Quedó conjurada huelga en Aerolitoral tras negociaciones en STPS

Ambas compañías de servicios aéreos de transporte mantuvieron las negociaciones a lo largo de este día y siempre estuvieron enfocadas a resolver las demandas salariales y de prestaciones.

México, DF.-La huelga de pilotos de la empresa Aerolitoral que estaba emplazada para el primer minuto de este sábado 1 de diciembre quedó conjurada esta noche, mientras siguen las negociaciones con las sobrecargos de Click de Mexicana.

Ambas compañías de servicios aéreos de transporte mantuvieron las negociaciones a lo largo de este día y siempre estuvieron enfocadas a resolver las demandas salariales y de prestaciones.

La Asociación Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores (ASPA) aceptó 3.74 por ciento de aumento directo a la nómica para los 360 pilotos de la aerolínea Aerolitoral, y así quedó conjurada la huelga. También informaron que la empresa otorgó a las sobrecargos el cuarto día de descanso obligatorio por seis de trabajo, y ahora se discute el incremento salarial de entre 4.7 y cinco por ciento.

Click de Mexicana había planteado este mediodía que tanto las prestaciones como los días de descanso y el incremento salarial representaban para la empresa una pérdida de productividad de cinco por ciento. Por su parte, el secretario de Prensa y Publicidad de ASPA, Leonardo Sánchez, calificó la negociación laboral como exitosa, ya que se conservaron todas las cláusulas contractuales.

Las negociaciones fueron acordadas entre la dirigencia nacional de ASPA, encabezados por el secretario general, Dennis Lazarus; el presidente del Comité de gremio en Aerolitorial, Miguel Fuentes, y el secretario de Conflictos, Ernesto Osuna. Sin embargo, el secretario del Trabajo y Previsión Social, Javier Lozano Alarcón, asumió por la noche, de manera directa, la conducción de las negociaciones, ya que “había puntos delicados en los que no se encontraba un punto de acuerdo”.

En el caso de los pilotos de Aerolitoral, se trata de 360 aviadores que en un proceso de revisión contractual resultaron beneficiados con un incremento de 3.74 por ciento y prestaciones diversas, que fueron aceptadas por la asamblea efectuada a las 18:00 horas. La aerolínea Aerolitorial, subsidiaria de Grupo Aeroméxico, tiene una flota de 35 aviones, ocho de los cuales son SAAB y otros 27 Embraer.

Mientras tanto, en la Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS) participan en las negociaciones el director corporativo de Operaciones de Click de Mexicana, Félix Salgado, y el gerente de Asuntos Sindicales de la misma empresa, Rafael Silva Guzmán.

También participan los apoderados legales de ambos sindicatos de trabajadores del aire, Arturo Alcalde Justiniani y Eugenio Narcia Tovar, quienes representan tanto a los sobrecargos como a los pilotos de una y otra empresas.

Los avances alcanzados con la participación del titular de la STPS en el caso de las sobrecargos de Clik de Mexicana han permitido, a tres horas de que venza el emplazamiento, superar el apartado de las prestaciones y sólo resta lograr el acuerdo sobre el incremento salarial.

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