The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit on Tuesday to challenge the proposed $11 billion merger between US Airways and American Airlines. The suit claims the merger, which would result in the creation of the world’s largest airline, would substantially lessen competition for commercial air travel in the U.S. and would result in higher airfares and less service for passengers. “Airline travel is vital to millions of American consumers who fly regularly for either business or pleasure,” said Atty. Gen. Eric Holder, in a news release. “By challenging this merger, the Department of Justice is saying that the American people deserve better." In recent years, major airlines have raised fares, imposed new and higher fees and reduced service, the Justice Department said. The airlines had announced their merger plans in February. Read More

A New Jersey man who didn't want his boss following his every move has lost his job and had the book thrown at him by the FCC because the inexpensive ($68 and up) GPS jammer he carried in his truck shut down an experimental, high-tech, multimillion-dollar navigation system at Newark Liberty Airport. Gary Bojczak was fined $31,875 by the FCC after admitting that he carried the device, which is readily available for sale on the Internet, so he could disable the GPS transmitter on the pickup truck he drove for engineering company Tilcon. Read More

AOPA and EAA responded this week to the FAA's proposed airworthiness directive that would require thousands of GA aircraft owners to inspect and replace their ECi engine cylinders, saying the FAA's plan would impose a financial burden while also compromising safety. “Requiring the replacement of so many cylinders, in addition to repetitive inspections, goes well beyond the [NTSB] recommendations," said Robert Hackman, AOPA's vice president of regulatory affairs. Hackman said he also is concerned that actual costs "could go well beyond the FAA’s estimate, and that the mass replacement of cylinders in the field would downgrade, rather than enhance safety." EAA noted that the proposed AD does not cite either specific failure rates or a total number of failures for the ECi cylinders. Read More

Up to 6,000 Continental engines with aftermarket PMA cylinders from Engine Components International could be affected by a new Airworthiness Directive proposed by the FAA on Monday. The FAA wants to require initial and repetitive inspections, with the replacement of any cracked cylinders. The entire cylinder assemblies would have to be replaced at reduced times-in-service, at a cost of about $1,700. The schedule for inspections and replacement varies depending on the serial number of the parts. The total cost of compliance for the fleet would be about $82.6 million, the FAA said. In a news release issued Monday morning, ECi responded that the FAA's proposal is "unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily punitive for the owners of the affected aircraft." Read More

The Martin Aircraft Company says it's on track to begin deliveries of a first responder version of its personal air vehicle that it calls the Martin Jetpack now that the New Zealand government has approved manned testing of the aircraft. The government will allow Martin test pilots to fly the twin-ducted fan device up to 20 feet above ground and 25 feet above water at first and then expand the flight envelope as the concept proves itself. Read More

Although the pilot job market has been going through some changes in recent years, experienced pilots remain in demand. Flexjet says it's looking for a few good pilots to accommodate the continued growth of its fractional and jet card business. Since Flexjet is a subsidiary of Bombardier and only flies its most modern aircraft, the successful candidates will find themselves in some of the most sophisticated cockpits in the air. Read More

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