The only survivor of the Russian airplane crash that killed 44 people most of them famous hockey players has given his first interview since the Sept. 7 disaster.

Alexander Sizov, 52, was the engineer for the plane that annihilated the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team as it failed on takeoff northeast of Moscow for a game in Minsk.

Sizov, in an interview with Russian reporters that was translated by the Moscow Times, said he knew there was problem when the plane did not take off instantly.

"I quickly realized that we were on unpaved ground," Sizov said."The plane began falling soon after takeoff, and it was clear that we were going to crash."

Sizov, yet hospitalized, spoke from his bed. He has been treated for harsh shock, burns and various fractures.

"On impact, everything began flying. Something strikes me hard, that's why my left side is all broken up," Sizov said. "Once in the water, I truthfully didn't see or notice anything around not the fires, not the plane, nothing."

The human death included 37 players and coaches from Russia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Sweden, Slovakia, Belarus, Ukraine and the seven member crew. Lokomotiv winger Alexander Galimov at first survived the crash, but died of his injuries five days later.

Amongst the dead were Ex-New York Rangers defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev, a member of the 1994 Stanley Cup winning team, and Ex NHL superstar Pavol Demitra.

Much of the wreckage landed in a tributary of the Volga River. Police said Sizov badly burned one arm while trying to rescue a colleague.

Sizov helped check the plane before liftoff, had been flying in it for the past year, and said it was in "perfect" condition.

"A kind of miracle saved me," added Sizov, who is expected to be released from the hospital soon. "My family and my wife's love helped me stay alive."

The Cuban government has approved to have direct flights from New Orleans for the 1st time in more than 50 years; opening the entry for travel companies from anyplace in the country to apply for permits to make flight plans originating from New Orleans.

In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed an application from Louis Armstrong International Airport and seven other air fields to serve as a doorway to Cuba.

But after the doorway was opened on the U.S. side, endeavor to gain permission from the Cuban side for flights seemed to be moving slowly. In August, two officials from the airport and two from Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration Aimee Quirk, adviser to the mayor for economic development, and Richard Cortizas, then executive counsel to the mayor, now acting city attorney traveled to Cuba to make the case for why the Caribbean island nation should get flights from New Orleans.

Airport officials just got a letter from Cuban officials approving New Orleans as one of a handful of U.S. cities able to provide flights.

The government and airport management worked hard on creating a chance for private companies to provide flights from Armstrong International Airport to Cuba, Armstrong Airport's director of aviation, Iftikhar Ahmad, said in a news release. "We expect that private sector will benefit from this opportunity."

Quirk said the approving for flights not only creates the chance for New Orleanians to travel to Cuba, but also for people elsewhere in the country to fly to Cuba through New Orleans. Armstrong International could add to its passenger counts because of the certification for a limited number of U.S. airports, and local tourism companies could make a pitch for travelers to spend a few days enjoying music in New Orleans before departing for Havana. Tour companies from elsewhere in the country could also build route through New Orleans.

"That's one of the allurements here,” she said.

The city administration has aimed attempts to rebuild international air service from New Orleans.

Before the Cuban Revolution, New Orleans was Cuba's major trading partner in the United States. It has long been believed that if the Cuba were to open to U.S. tourism, Louisiana would stand to benefit because cruise companies would probably plan routes from New Orleans to Havana and local companies would find out new export markets in Cuba.

In January, the Obama government relaxed limitations for Americans traveling to Cuba, but it left the long standing prohibitions in place. The new regulations allow travel for cultural, academic or religious purposes; allow Americans to send money to normal citizens in Cuba; and allow for charter flights from more American cities.

In the past, only Los Angeles, Miami and New York were permitted to offer flights to Cuba. But in March, the Obama government said New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Tampa and San Juan, Puerto Rico, could also offer flights, bringing the total to 11 cities from which flights to Cuba could depart.

Airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said airport and city officials made the application to attempt to open doors for local companies. Any U.S. company seeking to run flights now must obtain permit from the Department of Permits and Flight Planning Institute Civil Aeronautics of Cuba.

It's just a issue of a service provider stepping ahead and provide that service, whether it's a charter or tour operator or airline, “Wilcut said. Major airlines often have charter operations on the side.

The New Orleans tour company Destination Management Inc. is also sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury as Cuba service provider.

"It's a fresh and rising market,” Wilcut said.

A total of 54 local and international flights of Philippine Airlines (PAL) were canceled Monday because of operational problems of the national flag carrier, according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

Also on Monday, the PAL management said it requested heavier police being there in and around Terminal 2 of Ninoy Aquino Internal Airport (Naia) because of numerous complaints of nuisance and acts of violence against PAL volunteers and service providers.

Last Sunday, 65 foreign and domestic flights of PAL were also canceled because of the same trouble.

The subsequent Philippine Airlines international flights were canceled: PR 318 and PR 312 Manila-Hong Kong and PR 319 and PR 313, Hong Kong-Manila; PR 501 Manila-Singapore and PR 512 Singapore-Manila; PR 732 Manila-Bangkok and PR 733 Bangkok-Manila; PR 352 Manila-Macau and PR 353 Macau-Manila; PR 416 Manila-Busan and PR 417 Busan-Manila; and PR 758 Manila-New Delhi.

40 domestic flights to and from the subsequent PAL destinations were also canceled: Cebu City, Davao City, Bacolod City, Laoag City, Roxas City, Cagayan de Oro City, Legazpi City, Butuan City and Dumaguete City.

In the meantime, 24 local PAL flights to Roxas City, Puerto Princesa City, Iloilo City, Cagayan del Oro, Dipolog City, Tagbilaran City, and Kalibo, Aklan, among others, were serviced at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 as an alternative of Terminal 2 because of what the airline company called “operational necessity.”

On Sunday, PAL vice president for corporate communications, Joey de Guzman, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that at least “95 percent of our international flights and 60 percent of our domestic flights are back to normal operations.”

Harassment hit

PAL on Monday said it inquire the Aviation Security Group and Southern Police District to position more policemen particularly in areas where PAL workers pass on their way to and from work.

“We deplore, in the strongest possible terms, the nuisance perpetrated by former PAL employees against our volunteers and service providers. These workers altruistically share their time and skills to keep PAL flying. They deserve protection from authorities,” the airline said in a declaration.

PAL management said it had received many complaints of verbal cruelty and damage done to vehicles of PAL volunteers and former union members who decided to join PAL’s new service providers.

“This morning, ex-PAL employees led by former Palea (employees’ union) leaders stormed the Charter House Hotel in Makati with a very open and clear purpose of harassing PAL volunteers from various outstations. This and many other forms of mistreatment are the kind of nuisance we’re talking about,” PAL said.

The company stressed that PAL volunteers from its regional stations composed of licensed ground equipment operators were not scabs but legitimate workers performing official functions.

PAL said it also asked the police to look out for former PAL employees who take buses and jeepneys en route to Naia Terminal 2 with the plan of verbally mistreat PAL workers and volunteers on their way to work.

QANTAS has signed off on the largest aircraft order in Australia's aviation history, paying $9 billion for 110 Airbus 320s in a contract that paves the way for its dual-airline Asian push.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the Airplanes would be used for the carrier's "new, premium airline based in Asia and will support Jetstar's enlargement plans as well as the establishment of Jetstar Japan".

The first 11 aircraft will be fitted out for the new premium carrier, while the remaining together with 78 of the fuel efficient A320 Neo models will be distributed amongst Jetstar's Asian and Australian operations.



Mr Joyce said the new airplane would give the Qantas group more flexibleness.

The Airbus contract came as International Air Transport Association figures bring out airline traffic fell 1.5 per cent between June and July.

Association chief Tony Tyler said the industry has change over gears downward.

Mr. Joyce said it was early to say that the airline market was contracting, but Airbus officials said there were signs that the market in Europe, which recovered powerfully, last year, was flat.

Qantas said profits from domestic passengers for July and August was 7.6 per cent above 2010 figures, whereas international yields, including Jetstar were up 5.6 per cent.

But Commonwealth Bank analysts said yesterday the yields could be force in coming months amid "soft economic situation".

The analysis said extra costs owing to industrial act and weaker yields would see a delay in return to gainfulness at Qantas international, which lost $200 million last year.

The CBA analysts have scaled back their forecasts for cost savings at Qantas from $85 million to $25 million this year, approximation that the roll-out of the new Qantas Asian operations will help produce extra savings in 2012-13.

Airbus is highly optimistic on the long term aviation future in the Pacific region; figure that carriers will need 736 new passenger and freighter aircraft worth $102 billion up to 2030.

Chennai’s require for a world-class airport is getting late because the secondary runway has hit a roadblock.



The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has made it clear that without the taking away of barriers like houses, water tanks and trees, it cannot open the full-portion of the secondary runway.

Also, with metro rail works also projected to begin at the airport stretch, the full use of the secondary runway is not possible.

“We are only looking at operating 2,400 metres even after all the obstructions are removed and proper security preparations made for the bridge over Adyar River,” said a senior airport official. About 2,085 metres of the runway was previous used for landing only smaller aircraft, like ATR types.

The AAI had envisaged on the bridge an extension of secondary runway to permit bigger aircrafts to land and also to meet the difficulties from the increased air-traffic.



AAI chairman V.P. Agrawal told Deccan Chronicle that the construction part of extended portion of secondary runway was over but the blockage must be removed to fulfill with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations.

Airport sources said a re-survey was done at Kolapakkam area, where the impediments are present. “We have now minimized the acquisition area and have saved around 26 houses. About four to five houses, trees and telecom towers want to be removed also re locating a public water-tank,” the sources added.

The secondary runway has been closed for the last 15 months and airline operators are under pressure to schedule their flights, especially through the four hours of compulsory closure of the main runway weekly.

“We desire to operate more flights to Chennai, but we are finding it hard to get slots especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when the main runway is also closed for two hours,” said a domestic operator.

The airport handles about 310 flights a day and 12 million passengers yearly and will be capable to handle 23 million passengers with the new terminals.

Long Beach Airport (LGB) declares the opening of three Air carrier flight slots. Allegiant airlines will stop service effective November 3, 2011, following a shift in business direction.

Several airlines instantly expressed interest in providing service from LGB. The airport presently has a total of 41 air carrier slots. LGB has been experiencing more demand from the traveling public than current capacity allows.

“With the availability of these slots, we will be capable to provide more choices and service to new cities with a concentrate on superior customer service,” noted Mario Rodriguez, Airport Director.

Allegiant has loved high passenger load factors from Long Beach, but will be serving other markets with their fleet of MD-80′s. The Airport will reallocate flight slots to increase the potential to extend flight service to better serve Long Beach travelers.

In reallocating these three slots, the Airport is allowing for the possible to have new destinations from around the country connect to Southern California.

While other airports have experienced declining seat capability, passenger seat totals from Long Beach Airport have enlarged 4% since last year.

About Long Beach Airport:

Long Beach Airport (LGB), placed in Long Beach, CA, was founded in 1923, making it the oldest municipal owned airport in California. During its 87-year history, LGB has been a source of substantial economic activity and business chances, also as a leader in maintaining a sustainable environment.

LGB, its tenants and users are dedicated to operating in an environmentally responsible manner by minimizing the crash of business on the environment and surrounding community with methods that are socially responsible, scientifically based and economically sound.

Presently, LGB serves nearly three million commercial airline passengers yearly, offering non-stop service to 14 US cities and is amongst the top five busiest general aviation airports in the world, with more than 300,000 annual operations. As a center for air cargo carriers more than 34,000 tons of cargos are transported via LGB yearly.