Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. (HAECO) has signed an MOU with Cathay Pacific Airways for the management of the group’s airframe rotable components. Aeronautical Engineers announced it has been selected by an undisclosed customer to provide one Boeing 737-300SF 10 Pallet Passenger to Freighter Conversion. The aircraft is currently undergoing freighter modification and a dual FMS UNS1FW modification at the AEI Authorized Conversion Center, Commercial Jet in Miami, Fla.
Grupo Aeromexico has posted a record increase of 20% passenger boardings in 2011, up to 14.3 million. The international market grew 42% while domestic traffic increased 14%. The consolidated results of the two group airlines, Aeromexico and Aeromexico Connect, also show a 21% increase in RPKs, of which 31% is international boardings and 9% on the domestic side.
Vladivostok Avia (XF) on Feb. 1 will transfer all Moscow flights from Vnukovo (VKO) airport to Sheremetyevo (SVO) Terminal B as a part of its integration strategy with Aeroflot (SU).
Virgin Australia (DJ) will deploy Airbus A330s on the Melbourne (MEL)-Perth (PER) route to tap the resources boom in Western Australia and attempt to capture more of the business market from Qantas (QF). According to the airline, the move will add 20,000 seats a year. In a significant ramp-up in the intensifying competition between the two airlines, DJ will take delivery from Airbus of two new 278-seat A330s in May and put them into service on the MEL-PER route from May 14. The A330s will replace 168-seat Boeing 737s.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines will lay off 300 administrative staff as part of its 4Excellence program aiming to cut annual costs by 3%-5% ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 15, 2011). According to SAS, these cost-cutting measures will reduce expenses by SEK2 billion ($288 million) for 2012. SAS maintains its forecast of a marginally positive financial result for 2011. However, implementing 4Excellence has become even more crucial in 2012 due to increased economic uncertainty, increased pressure on yields in the airline industry and continued high fuel prices.
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has refuted the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works and Transport final report into the ET flight 409 Boeing 737-800 crash, which occurred Jan. 25, 2010.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFB) and Sumitomo Corp. (SC) have reached an agreement to acquire RBS Aviation Capital, the Royal Bank of Scotland's aircraft leasing unit.
ATR booked sales for 236 aircraft in 2011, comprising 157 firm orders and 79 options, in a record-breaking year, giving it a dominant position in the 50- to 90-seat regional aircraft market.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFB) and Sumitomo Corp. (SC) have reached an agreement to acquire RBS Aviation Capital, the Royal Bank of Scotland's aircraft leasing unit.
Virgin Australia (DJ) will deploy Airbus A330s on the Melbourne (MEL)-Perth (PER) route to tap the resources boom in Western Australia and attempt to capture more of the business market from Qantas (QF).
Qatar Airways will reduce 14X-weekly Doha-Manchester service to 10X-weekly March 26. Emirates will add a second daily service on its Dubai-Glasgow Airbus A340-300 route June 1 and will introduce a first-class cabin on both flights.
Russian aviation authorities have postponed implementing new regulations requiring all Russian aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 5,700 kilos to be equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS). The new rules, which were to take effect Jan. 1, were delayed because Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin said during his December trip to the Russian Far East that carriers were not prepared for it.
Delta Air Lines (DL) and WestJet (WS) said Tuesday they will expand their cooperation agreement with increased codesharing starting with Jan. 23 flights.
Iberia (IB) is facing a new wave of strikes by its pilots represented by the SEPLA union, while ground workers and cabin crew have also voted for industrial action, although for different reasons.
Airbus delivered 534 commercial aircraft to 88 customers and booked 1,419 net orders in 2011, in a record-breaking year buoyed by its decision to re-engine the A320.
Indian civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said Tuesday that he and the country's finance minister back allowing foreign airlines to own up to a 49% stake in Indian carriers "as soon as possible."
Delta Air Lines (DL) and WestJet (WS) said Tuesday they will expand their cooperation agreement with increased codesharing starting with Jan. 23 flights.
Airbus delivered 534 commercial aircraft to 88 customers and booked 1,419 net orders in 2011, in a record-breaking year buoyed by its decision to re-engine the A320.
Skytech-AIC has named Jeff Solomon as technical director, responsible for all aircraft and technical record inspections for its owned and managed portfolios and for third-party clients. Solomon has held positions at British Airways and Airclaims (Ascend) and is founder of Aviation Support Group. KLM UK Engineering Limited has appointed Paul Chun MD. Chun will join KLM from AFI KLM E&M subsidiary EPCOR.
Lufthansa Technik AG (LHT) announced a takeover of shares in AirLiance Materials, from United Airlines and Air Canada. LHT now owns 100% of the Rochelle, Ill.-based supplier of traceable aircraft parts for heavy maintenance checks, overhauls and repairs of engines and airframes.
Russian and Spanish civil aviation authorities have agreed to add more frequencies on Barcelona (BCN)–Moscow and Alicante (ALC)–Moscow routes. According to letters published on a Russian Ministry of Transport website, the carriers of each country will be able to operate 42 flights per week between Moscow and BCN and 14 flights on Moscow–ALC route.
Peach Aviation, Japan’s newest low-cost carrier (LCC), announced Thursday that five new routes—Osaka Kansai (KIX) to Nagasaki (NGS), Kagoshima (KOJ), Okinawa Naha (OKA), Hong Kong (HKG) and Taiwan Taoyuan (TEP)—will be available during its 2012 summer schedule.
All five Lufthansa Group airlines carried a total of 106.3 million passengers in 2011, a growth of 7.5% compared to the previous year. The group’s ASKs grew by 9.8% overall in 2011, while RPKs rose 7%. Average passenger load factor fell by 2.2% to 77.2%. Passenger boardings were 65.5 million, up 11.1% compared to the previous year. Capacity rose by 11.8% in the full year, while sales were up 8.8%. Load factor was 77.2%, down 2.2% year-over-year.
