Pilot Roster System OpensIn April this year, we opened our long-planned Pilot Roster System, designed by Ali Abou-Zeid. Also instrumental in this process was our roster testing team: Kyle Bissell, Mark Hubbert, Brandon Jones, John Kay, Mike Lewis, Timothy Lincoln, Manuel Okolisan, Gabe Pfeiffer, Josh Plave, Aaron Shakin, and Andrew Vipond.
Two New VAs, CSA Codeshare
We opened two new virtual airlines in 2006: Thai and Pan American. In addition, we began a codeshare partnership with a CSA Czech-based virtual airline, with flights offered at Alitalia, Delta, KLM, and Korean Air.
Other Developments
Also this year, we released our first route maps, which now cover nearly all routes of SimAirline.net and have been invaluable to pilots in choosing their flights. In addition, we expanded our add-on recommendations by including sound packages, further adding to the realism of our pilots' flights. Finally, Nick Anderson and I designed an expanded logo, featuring the classic SimAirline.net logo backed by a winged globe. The origin? The U.S. Civil Aeronautics Authority, predecessor to the Civil Aeronautics Board. I thought it was especially appropriate, since the CAB was for four decades responsible for overseeing a balanced expansion of the U.S. airline industry, not much unlike what we have done for the last decade.

Around the World
-Air Berlin acquires dba and announces an order for 75 737s.
-Air Canada Jazz is forced out of Toronto Island Airport after it is bought by the parent company of startup Porter Airlines.
-Alaska affiliate Era Aviation closes its hub in Bethel.
-The Italian government announces its willingness to privatize Alitalia after one profitable year in its sixty-year history.
-ANA subsidiary Air Nippon retires its last YS-11, the most popular Japanese-built airliner to date.
-British Airways Citiexpress is rebranded in February as BA Connect before being sold to Flybe at the end of the year.
-Continental passes Northwest to become the fourth largest U.S. airline.
-Copa begins service to six new cities.
-Delta folds Song back into the mainline operation, but plans to incorporate many service offerings into its regular offerings.-Emirates cancels its order for 10 A340-600s.
-Hawaiian expands its fleet by buying four 767-300s from Delta.
-Icelandair orders an additional two 787s.
-KLM orders the 777-300ER.
-Korean Air orders one 737-700, four 737-900ERs, and ten 777-300ERs with options for two 737-900ERs and four 777-300ERs.
-Northwest orders 36 CRJ-900s and 36 E-175s to be flown by its regional subsidiaries, including the to-be-formed Compass Airlines.
-South African joins Star Alliance.
-Thai moves into the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
-Varig begins immense restructuring and ends up declaring bankruptcy.
-Virgin Atlantic releases a new livery.
-Virgin Blue orders 14 E-Jets to allow it to serve smaller Australian cities.
When Pan American Virtual opened, it was with the intention of basing the virtual airline on its most successful era, the 1960s. In