Air Transport World

Russian carriers are turning to Western-built regional aircraft as they replace Soviet-built fleets. Russian regional carrier Saravia Airlines (6W) will lease three Bombardier Q400s, the company said in a statement.

FAA has compiled a list of 30 airports that it will use to monitor the progress of its plan to increase aviation system safety and efficiency.

Cathay Pacific (CX) Group posted a net profit of HKD5.5 billion ($709 million) for 2011, down 62% over net income of HKD14.05 billion in 2010.

Russian carriers are turning to Western-built regional aircraft as they replace Soviet-built fleets.

Cathay Pacific (CX) Group posted a net profit of HKD5.5 billion ($709 million) for 2011, down 62% over net income of HKD14.05 billion in 2010.

Frontier Airlines will launch 3X-weekly Orlando-Bloomington, Ill. service May 25. It will also increase seasonal 2X-weekly Orlando-Madison, Wis. service from seasonal to year-round May 27, swapping the Embraer E-190 with an Airbus A319. REDjet will launch Barbados-St. Maarten service May 19. Silver Airways will launch Gainesville, Fla. service to Orlando (daily) and Tampa, Fla. (12X-weekly) April 15.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines plans to replace 3,520 seats in its narrowbody fleet with new lightweight, slim economy-class seats, beginning with its Boeing 737-800 fleet in May.

SunExpress (XQ), the Antalya-based joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will lease its fleet of 28 Boeing 737-800s to make better use of over-capacity during the low-demand European winter season, it said in an statement.

8 Hawaiian Airlines (HA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Assn. of Flight Attendants (AFA) on a new contract to balance increased compensation with gains in productivity for the company.

To overcome its airline industry's serious financial difficulties, India needs a more coherent aviation policy that creates conditions under which carriers can be more successful, according to IATA DG and CEO Tony Tyler.

Loss-making Austrian Airlines (OS) and its crew union have failed to reach an agreement on plans to reduce labor costs as part of its $220 million restructuring program announced in January.

JetBlue Airways (B6) has denied rumors in the Irish press that it is interested in acquiring the Irish government’s 25% stake in Aer Lingus (EI).

Lufthansa’s (LH) operating profit dropped by almost 20% to €820 million ($1.07 billion) in 2011 and the airline expects to see profit shrink to a mid-three-digit million-euro figure this year.

JetBlue Airways (B6) has denied rumors in the Irish press that it is interested in acquiring the Irish government’s 25% stake in Aer Lingus (EI).

Loss-making Austrian Airlines (OS) and its crew union have failed to reach an agreement on plans to reduce labor costs as part of its $220 million restructuring program announced in January.

Oxford Aviation Academy has acquired a new Airbus A320-200 full-flight simulator, to be based at its Stockholm Training Facility at Arlanda Airport. Germanwings (4U) will open a new cabin crew training center in Cologne. It also plans to add 150 flight attendants this year, increasing the number to 700. It will also add two Airbus A319s to its fleet.

Airbus has completed structural assembly of the first A350 XWB aft fuselage of aircraft MSN1, which will be the first to fly.

Air cargo operators need to be careful in the coming years, a leading consultant warned at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Kuala Lumpur.

Russian cargo group Volga-Dnepr (VI) is planning to buy Frankfurt Hahn-based carrier Air Cargo Germany (6U). Germany antitrust authorities said that Amsterdam-based Volga-Dnepr Logistics sought approval for the deal March 1.

Kingfisher Airlines (IT), struggling for its survival, said Wednesday that it is "curtailing" international flying.

IATA is changing its strategy to a more supply chain-based approach to boost safety within the air cargo industry, a senior IATA official said.

Etihad Airways (EY) and Air Berlin (AB) have announced plans to join their Boeing 787 programs, saving millions of dollars for both carriers.

Flybe (BE) signed a contract with Brussels Airlines (SN) to provide two Bombardier Q400 aircraft on a wet-lease basis for two years starting March 25.

Air Baltic (BT) is implementing a new restructuring plan, ReShape, to return the struggling airline to profitability and sustain future development at its North Hub Riga.