The European Commission has established guidelines for the use of mobile phones on aircraft giving formal approval of in flight cell phone use.

Skybus Airlines will cease all operations effective Saturday, April 5.

ATA Airlines discontinues all operations and files for bankruptcy.

ATA Airlines discontinuation of service makes codeshare partner Southwest Airlines to accommodates Southwest ticketed customers booked on ATA Airlines service.

United Airlines, the world's second-biggest carrier, had to debar from flight its fleet of 52 Boeing Co. 777 long-haul aircraft after missing maintenance checks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is on schedule in its plan to hire and train nearly 17,000 air traffic controllers over the next decade. The FAA hired over 1,800 controllers last year and expects to hire nearly 1,900 in fiscal year 2008. The details of FAA plan are laid out in the Controller Workforce Plan released yesterday.

Big sad news today. The end of an era nears as Aloha Airlines is closing passenger operations at the end of the day on March 31.

British Airways has increased its percentage ownership of Iberia, the Spanish airline, up to 13.15% from the 10% it already owned.

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Asia's third-largest air-freight carrier, will invest HK$4.8 billion ($618 million) in a cargo terminal at Hong Kong airport as China's surging exports boost air-freight traffic.

Italian state-owned flag carrier Alitalia's board has conditionally accepted a low-value takeover bid by Air France-KLM, a company formed by the merger of Air France and KLM.

Yesterday, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) CEO Gary Kelly said the airline is taking action on preliminary findings of its own internal investigation into allegations that it violated FAA regulations in March 2007. Kelly vowed to make any changes necessary to ensure that the airline is in full compliance with FAA Airworthiness Directives and all of its own maintenance programs, policies, and procedures.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) CEO Gary Kelly said today the airline is taking action on preliminary findings of its own internal investigation into allegations that it violated FAA regulations in March 2007.