Daily departures, Merry Christmas edition

Merry Christmas, folks! I’ve got some loose ends I want to tie up here before heading off to Memphis for Christmas with my family.

• US Airways’ pilots have joined American’s in leaving the FAA’s voluntary Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). The pilots union is concerned that there are not enough protections for pilots who self-report. Are union officials using ASAP participation as a bargaining chip? [Cranky Flier]
• After a year’s wait, Sean O’Neill takes a look at the files the Department of Homeland Security maintains on him. What kind of records do they have for you? [This Just In]
• Criticize the Kremlin? Then don’t expect them to be forthcoming with bailout cash. Which serves, in the end, to consolidate state control of Aeroflot. [FT]
• Compagnia Aerea Italia (CAI), the new owner of Alitalia, is filing to assume Alitalia’s U.S. foreign air carrier permit under the name CAI Alitalia. [Daily Airline Filings]
• BA and Qantas have lost the urge to merge. They couldn’t agree on which airline would be less equal than the other. [FT]
• Continental jet veers off a runway at Denver and ends up in a ditch; plane burns but all escape. [WSJ]
• Former FAA chief Marion Blakey tries to scare us into pursuing manned moon exploration again. Isn’t it interesting that the industry she now lobbies for would stand to gain much from such an exploration program? Hmmm. [Aero-News.Net]
• Attempting to mend its ways, Indonesia passes a new air safety bill. [Aviation Safety Network]
• John R. Byerly, deputy assistant secretary of state for transportation affairs, offers a perspective on how the United States negotiates international air services agreeements. [via Macilree]

Oh, and confidential to all who’ve inquired about this: I did indeed finish, 50,000 words between November 1 and 30. There are actually several scenes involving aviation. (Write what you know, huh?) Now on to the editing process!