It looks like it wonít be long before American travelers have one more flying option. Virgin America, a 'new generation' low-fare airline, intends to launch scheduled domestic airline service early in 2007 from its home base at San Francisco International Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport upon final government approval. In anticipation, U.S.-owned and operated, Virgin America has already announced firm orders for 34 A319 and A320 passenger aircraft.
To date, Virgin America has completed the last formal step in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) airline certification review - that of flight proving runs. As a result, the airline now only awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) before they can begin operations.
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, and 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 now awaits its show cause order from DOT. This order is expected to outline any remaining issues that must be addressed before the DOT will issue a final order that permits the company to begin passenger operations.
