But Many Doubt DOT Will Sign Off On Foreign-Owned Airline
With DOT approval to begin operations very much in doubt, Virgin
America tells ANN it has nevertheless completed the last formal
step in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) airline
certification review -- flight proving runs.
The airline now only awaits approval from the US Department of
Transportation before they can begin operations -- but, as Aero-News reported Friday,
many expect the DOT to reject Virgin America's bid to launch
operations next year over foreign ownership concerns.
As part of any new airline's regulatory review process, the FAA
performs a comprehensive safety review and first examines all
aspects of a new carrier's safety programs, operations manuals,
training procedures, and personnel qualifications. They then use
tabletop operations exercises, aircraft evacuations, and actual
flights to test the safety effectiveness of airline flight crews
and management in simulated real world scenarios.
The "proving run" flights are the final step in this Systems
Safety and operational review process. Virgin America was required
to fly aircraft and FAA examiners on flights to and from San
Francisco, New York, and other airports.
Virgin America is the first new airline to be certified through
the FAA's new Air Transportation and Oversight System (ATOS)
compliant certification procedures. ATOS is the FAA's newest and
most advanced safety surveillance program.
Upon
completion of the flight proving runs, FAA officials praised Virgin
America's performance as exemplary. The airline said one FAA
official noted, "I have done 35 certifications and by far this was
the best I've ever seen."
Virgin America's Senior Vice President of Flight Operations Bob
Weatherly praised the airline's operations personnel following the
final test flight. "This is an outstanding team - the likes of
which I've never seen in my 30 plus years in the airline industry.
I want to commend them all for their outstanding teamwork,
expertise, skill and performance in successfully accomplishing this
intensive Systems Safety and operational review."
Virgin America hopes to commence service in the Spring of 2007
from its home base at San Francisco International Airport to New
York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The airline has 34
Airbus A319s and A320s on order; the airline also has a team of 169
employees, and has already taken delivery of nine aircraft.
Whether they'll be able to fly anywhere, though, remains to
be seen.