Res Communis

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From ACI-NA

2009 ACI-NA
Legal Issues Conference
May 13 – 15, 2009
San Francisco,CA

New session topics added!

May 13 – 15, 2009 * Grand Hyatt* San Francisco
WEB LINKS

ACI-NA 2009 Legal Issues Conference

ACI-NA Home Page
KEEPING YOUR AIRPORT AFLOAT IN TROUBLED TIMES

New session topics and an updated agenda are now available for the 2009 ACI-NA Legal Issues Conference Keeping Your Airport Afloat in Troubled Times. This conference will be held on May 13-15, in San Francisco. Register today!

Attorneys and aviation legal professionals representing airports throughout North America will receive updates on the most pressing legal, regulatory and litigation issues facing airports today. With a significant emphasis on the economic aspects of airport operations, the Legal Affairs Conference will also offer airport finance professionals critical information and useful tools for managing during difficult economic times.

The conference will feature sessions on:
• Overview of the Airport Economic Climate
• Airport Economics-Focus on Revenue Sources and Uses
• Airport Incentive Programs
• Access to Financial Markets
• Lessons from Recent Government Audits
• What to do with Your Reliever Airport
Speakers will include:
• Francine Kerner, Transportation Security Administration
• Scott Lewis, Anderson & Kreiger
• Tom Devine, Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell
• David Bannard, Foley & Lardner
• David Bennett, Bennett Aviation Consulting, Inc.
• Philip Sunderland, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority
• Susan Kurland, Depfa First Albany Securities
• Stephen Mitchell, Squire Sanders & Dempsey
• Brian Busey, Morrison & Foerster
• Tracy Thompson, Jacobs Consultancy
For a full draft agenda, click here.

Registration and Hotel Information
Registration for this event is open. Click here to register.

All conference sessions will take place at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco at Union Square, California. Please call the hotel directly at (415) 398-1234 to make room reservations. Be sure to identify yourself as being with the ACI-NA Legal Issues Conference to receive the special group rate of $249 single/double occupancy, (plus applicable tax). The hotel cut-off date to receive the special group rate is April 21.

For More Information
For questions regarding programming and content, contact Monica Hargrove Kemp at mkemp@aci-na.org. For all other inquiries, contact the ACI-NA Meetings Department at meetings@aci-na.org.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities for this meeting, please contact Amy Peters at (202) 293-8500 or apeters@aci-na.org.

ACI-NA 2009 Legal Issues Conference

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by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From ICAO:

ICAO NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PIO 01/09
RAYMOND BENJAMIN APPOINTED NEW SECRETARY GENERAL OF ICAO
MONTREAL, 27 February 2009 – The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has appointed Raymond Benjamin of France as the new Secretary General of the Organization for a three-year term, beginning 1 August 2009. He succeeds Dr. Taïeb Chérif, of Algeria, who has held the position since 2003. Mr. Benjamin’s 33-year career in civil aviation began in 1976 with the French Civil Aviation Administration. After a year with the Human Resources Division, he was given the responsibility for negotiating bilateral air transport agreements on behalf of the Administration.

In 1982, Mr. Benjamin joined the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) as an Air Transport Officer. A year later, he was appointed Deputy Secretary, a position he held for six years. In 1989, he came to ICAO as Chief of the Aviation Security Branch, where he advised on security policy matters and was involved in the development of a worldwide airport assessment and technical assistance programme for States. He also participated in the establishment of a network of aviation security training schools and standardized training packages (STPs). In addition, he served as Secretary of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel and the ICAO Group of Experts for the Detection of Plastic Explosives.

Following his career at ICAO, Mr. Benjamin became Executive Secretary of ECAC from 1994 to 2007, where he was responsible for policy advice and strategies in the areas of safety, security, and the environment. He was also responsible for integrating newer Member States into the European regulatory system and fostering relations with other regional organizations and ICAO.

Mr. Benjamin is currently Special Adviser to the Joint Aviation Authorities Training Organization (JAA/TO) and to the European Aviation Security Training Institute (EASTI).

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The 3rd Iraq Aviation and Defense Summit will be held April 1-2, 2009 in Washington, D.C.:

On its third year, the Iraq Aviation and Defense Summit (IADS) is the world’s largest and most respected event focused on Iraq’s aviation, security, and defense challenges and opportunities. IADS is the only event where you will hear from those who are responsible for shaping the future of Iraq’s aviation and defense. For three consecutive years, IADS has featured senior ranking Iraqi military officers, policy makers & government decision makers.

Key Topics:
* Threats to Iraq’s Defense and Security.
* Foreign Military Presence.
* Strategic Challenges in Iraq.
* Iraq Security Strategy.
* Border Control Challenges.
* Iraqi Security, National Reconciliation and Reconstruction.
* Iraq Defense and Security Acquisition Policy and Procurement.
* Iraq’s Security and Regional Stability.

The conference brochure can be downloaded from the events website.

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From Caijing.com.cn:

China’s Private Airlines Losing Altitude
01-08 10:44 Caijing Magazine comments( 0 )

Financial troubles and shareholder disputes are rocking the nation’s private airline sector at a tough time for the entire industry.

By staff reporters Li Weiao and Zhang Na, and intern reporter Zhang Lihua

From Caijing Magazine

China’s fledgling private air carriers are struggling to survive. Airports have issued ultimatums to United Eagle Airlines, Juneyao Airlines and East Star Airlines for overdue bills. And cash-strapped Okay Airlines, the country’s first private carrier, recently suspended all flights.

These were among the first private airlines to take off after China opened the aviation market to competition in 2004. Now, besieged by slumping demand, shareholder squabbles, credit constraints and management problems, they may become the first Chinese carriers to go out of business.

Private airlines are not the only carriers indebted to airports and fuel suppliers. Almost all the country’s major airlines — including Hainan, Air China and Southern — have appeared since last March on a Civil Aviation Association of China (CAAC) black list of indebtedness. At the top was Hainan, which owed 100 million yuan to airports.

CAAC said 70 percent of the nation’s domestic carriers operated in the red during the first 10 months of 2008. Losses totaled 4.3 billion yuan.

A bright prospect among private carriers is Spring Airlines, which recently decided to save money by cutting management salaries by one-third. But its plan to launch an initial public offering in October had to be postponed indefinitely.

When private airlines first took off, some speculated they would not be able to raise funds as easily as state-owned carriers. Recent events have fanned that theory.

“Banks are not lending to private airlines,” said Liu Jieyin, Okay’s former general manager. “Instead they’re practicing a rather stringent policy.”

A senior CAAC official told Caijing some government policies favorable to the aviation industry have also applied to the private sector. However, he added, the government is unlikely to invest in carriers in which it is not a shareholder. . . .[Full Story]

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The 43rd Annual SMU Air Law Symposium will be held February 26-27, 2009 in at the Hotel InterContinental in Dallas, Texas. The program and registration form are available.