Virgin Galactic Opens Spaceport Runway

Last Friday the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) dedicated the nearly two-mile long "Governor Bill Richardson Spaceway" at the Virgin Galactic Spaceport America. The event included a flyover and landing by Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo, in a captive carry with the mothership SpaceShipTwo.

Source: Planet Data

By: Progress On 01:50

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FAA Funding Air Traffic Control Tower in Frederick, Maryland

Last week work began on a new air traffic control tower at Maryland's Frederick Municipal Airport. The FAA is funding the construction with $5.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Michael Huerta, FAA deputy administrator said, "These Recovery Act dollars will improve the safety and efficiency of Frederick's airport while providing a boost to Maryland's economy."

Source: Planet Data

By: Progress On 01:47

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Larnaca Airport on Strike from 15th and 24th of October

The new International Airport of Larnaca is likely to be shut down by force coming from its own staff, due to an ongoing protest that challenges the daily use of metal detectors. which are in place like in many destinations across the world for security reasons. The planned dates for the protes are as follows:

15th of October  10-hours strike from 9:00am till 5:00pm

24th of October  24-hours strike from 9:00am

Airport workers claim, that they have rights to change the metal detector security check for a manual check.

Larnaca Airport Workers seem to be convinced that exposure to everyday electro-magnetic waves can negatively affect their health. A

 Staff Union appeal indicated

 that the Government was informed and given a month to resolve the problem, yet no action action had been taken,.

What is interesting here is that the principle of using a metal detector security test is not against any European or Cypriot law. 


Is this an isolated case or will the rest of the EU follow the lead of the Larnaca Airport workers?

By: Progress On 22:19

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EU discuss plane ban

NICOSIA – Turkey’s ban on Cypriot airliners using its airspace will be on the agenda of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council to be held in Luxembourg friday.

Cyprus will be represented at the Council by Communications and Works Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoulli who will inform the Council about the violations on the part of Turkey of international conventions and on particular of the Chicago Convention for International Civil Aviation, as well as the fact that Turkey’s policy contradicts EU goals in the field of air transport, in particular to the issues of competition and avoidance of discrimination, the use of short routes and the provision of qualitative services to EU citizens.

Marcoulli will also refer to the adverse financial and environmental consequences due to Turkey’s policy and will call on the EU to make use of political, legal and other means for collectively addressing this problem.

On the sidelines of the Council, Marcoulli will meet European Commission Vice President, responsible for transport Siim Kallas, as well as with officials of the EU Council Secretariat and some of her EU counterparts.

She will return home on October 16.

Source: cyprusweekly.com.cy

By: Progress On 00:18

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UK court upholds ban on direct flights to the north

CYPRUS Turkish Airlines, known as KTHY, has lost its bid in the Court of Appeal to overturn the ban on flights from the UK to the north.

KTHY and its UK tour operator, CTA Holidays Limited, argued that the ban unfairly restricted Turkish Cypriots and their companies wishing to travel and conduct business with the EU and the rest of the world.

Currently, flights to northern Cyprus must land in Turkey first, which is the only country in the world that recognises the ‘TRNC’.

Yesterday three appeal judges ruled that granting permits would contravene the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and constitute a breach of the UK's obligation to respect the rights of the Republic of Cyprus (RoC).

The High Court held that the UK Government was right to refuse permits to KTHY and CTA Holidays as granting them would breach the RoC's rights under the Chicago Convention.

Yesterday the decision was upheld by appeal judges Lord Justice Ward, Lord Justice Richards and Sir David Keene.

Lord Justice Richards ruled: "The grant of the permits sought by the appellants would constitute a breach of the UK's obligation to respect the rights of the RoC under the Chicago Convention and would in consequence be unlawful as a matter of domestic law." No exceptions could be made, the judges ruled.

The court ordered KTHY and CTA Holidays to pay the legal costs of the Secretary of State for Transport and the RoC, who had both opposed the appeal, and to make interim payments of £37,000 each pending the assessment of the final costs bill.

KTHY and CTA, which fly about 100,000 visitors from the UK to the north each year, say the present restrictions increase flight times, fares and fuel emissions.

Permitting direct flights between UK airports and northern Cyprus would have "huge, symbolic importance" for a divided island with a painful modern history, their lawyers argued. The restrictions had "absolutely no operational justification", they said.

Source: cyprus-mail.com

By: Progress On 23:55

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President Signs NASA Blueprint into Law

President Obama on Monday signed into law the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. The legislation among other things, adds a third and final space shuttle mission next year, ends the former Bush administration's plan to return to the moon, and extends space station operations five years to 2020.

Source: Planet Data

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By: Progress On 21:48

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United Arab Emirates: Canadian Military Booted from UAE Air Base

The UAE has fired back at the Canadian government's denial of opening up of new commercial air routes between the two countries, by revoking the Canadian military's ability to operate from Camp Mirage in Dubai. Canada has less than 30 days to vacate the base that provides logistical support for Canadian troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Source: Planet Data

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By: Progress On 21:45

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