Southwest Airlines (SWA) said it will continue to operate to 22 airports now served by AirTran Airways, over time converting flights to/from those destinations to the SWA brand.
MTU Maintenance Hannover was again selected by Biman Bangladesh Airlines to support its GE CF6-50 engines. The three-year agreement covers 12 engines powering the carrier's fleet of DC-10-30s. A J Walter Aviation won a seven-year contract from Korean carrier Eastar Jet to provide power-by-the-hour support for its fleet of six Boeing 737NG aircraft.
Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia X has announced it will fly to Sydney Australia from April 1. Sydney is AirAsia X’s fourth Australian destination after Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth.
Fast-growing LCC Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras will operate 300 extra flights Feb. 20-27, the peak period of the carnival season in Brazil. From its main hubs at Campinas Viracopos (VCP) and Belo Horizonte Confins (CNF), the airline is expected to increase frequencies to its top 10 carnival-related destinations, including Rio de Janeiro, Porto Seguro, Salvador, Ilhéus, Maceió, Natal, Fortaleza, Recife, Florianópolis and Navegantes. The carrier is awaiting approval from ANAC, the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency.
US carriers’ on-time arrival performance in November improved by more than two percentage points over the same period a year ago. According to the US Dept. of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the 16 carriers reporting on-time performance data recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 85.3% in November, up from the 83.2% on-time rate of November 2010 and almost on a par with October 2011’s 85.5% rate ( ATW Daily News, Jan. 4).
Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has ordered six more AirbusA350-900s for delivery between 2016 and 2017. The order builds on the airline’s original commitment to the A350-900 for 30 aircraft placed in September 2010 ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 17, 2010). CX announced an additional order for two A350-900s in August last year. The A350s will replace the airline’s A340s and eventually its A330 fleet.
Spirit Airlines (NK), which launched an IPO last year ( ATW, Oct. 1), priced a secondary offering of 11 million shares of common stock at $14.50 per share. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based low-cost carrier said Friday the shares are being sold by existing stockholders including affiliates of Oaktree Capital Management, its largest shareholder, and Indigo Partners and "certain members of the company's executive team."
The Assn. of European Airlines (AEA) said its member airlines expect to post a collective €1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) EBIT profit in 2011, up from €0.5 billion in 2010.
Vueling Airlines (VY) will add five Airbus A320s and one A319 this year to support its organic growth as it launches 44 new routes and at least three new bases, CEO Alex Cruz said.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) Friday on 20 Airbus A380 after new cracks were found in wing brackets last week.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) Friday on 20 Airbus A380s after new cracks were found in wing brackets this week.
Spirit Airlines (NK), which launched an IPO last year (ATW, Oct. 1), priced a secondary offering of 11 million shares of common stock at $14.50 per share.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will issue an Airworthiness Directive (AD) today on the Airbus A380 after new cracks were found in wing brackets this week.
Flybe franchise carrier Loganair will launch service from Norwich to Southampton (weekly, May 19-Oct. 27), and the Isle of Man (weekly, May 26-Sept. 8). Air Baltic will increase Riga service to Vienna (7X-weekly to 12X-weekly), Zurich (6X-weekly to daily) and Munich (7X-weekly to 12X-weekly) for its summer service beginning March 25. Frontier Airlines will launch 3X-weekly Knoxville-Orlando Airbus A319 service March 15.
Air China (CA) will debut its Boeing 777-300ER Feb. 1, on the Los Angeles (LAX)-Beijing (PEK) night flight, replacing a 747-400. CA, which is the only carrier to provide nonstop service between the two cities, doubled the daily service in September. It will go one step further to enhance the route in June when it plans to upgrade the 747-400 day flight between LAX and PEK to the 777-300ER.
Japan Airlines (JAL) has outlined its plans for routes, fleet and flight frequency for the first half of fiscal year 2012 year ending March 31, 2013, as the Boeing 787 is introduced into service ( ATW Daily News, Dec. 15, 2011). According to JAL, it will launch the first 4X-weekly 787 nonstop service between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Boston April 22, increasing to daily from June 1.
The Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) reported a net profit of CNY12.2 billion ($1.94 billion) in 2011, up 18.8% over a net income of CNY10.3 billion in 2010.
Star Alliance’s Greek member Aegean Airlines (A3) reported a 4% growth in passengers carried last year to 6.5 million, owing to strong growth on its international network.
PrivatAir, a Geneva-based VIP airline that operates all-business-class flights for airlines including Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines and KLM, placed a firm order for five Bombardier CSeries 100 aircraft, with five options.
Southwest Airlines (SWA) reported 2011 net income of $178 million, down 61.2% from a net profit of $459 million in 2010. The Dallas-based low-cost carrier attributed the profit decline to "significantly higher fuel prices," but it noted that its revenue performance was strong and 2011 marked its 39th consecutive year of profitability.
The Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) reported a net profit of CNY12.2 billion ($1.94 billion) in 2011, up 18.8% over a net income of CNY10.3 billion in 2010.
