Ryanair (FR) will introduce a €0.25 ($0.32) levy per passenger per segment for all bookings made from Jan.17 to cover costs incurred from the inclusion of aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).
AirAsia X (D7) will suspend services to the UK and France from March 31, citing the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and escalating air passenger duty taxes.
Air Austral will cease 2X-weekly Saint Denis (RUN)-Sydney-Noumea service as well as its 2X-weekly RUN-Bangkok service at the beginning of summer. It will also add 2X-weekly Seychelles-Paris CDG and will increase its Lyon service from 2X-weekly to 3X-weekly. The carrier has recently returned one Boeing 777-200ER. Flydubai will launch 3X-weekly Dubai-Taif service Feb 1.
Hawaiian Airlines (HA) has set a new company record for total passengers carried in a single year—with 8,666,319 in 2011. Its passenger statistics for December and the 2011 fourth quarter were also company records, it noted. Traffic for the full-year 2011 increased 17% year-over-year to 10.15 billion RPMs on an 18.6% increase in capacity to 12.04 billion ASMs. Load factor dipped 1.2 points to 84.3%. Fourth-quarter traffic rose 14.5% over the prior-year period to 2.61 billion RPMs on a 16.7% jump in capacity to 3.10 billion ASMs. Load factor dropped 1.6 points to 84%.
Etihad Airways (EY) and airberlin technik signed a reciprocal agreement, under which airberlin technik will undertake maintenance of EY aircraft in Dusseldorf and EY will be responsible for all transit checks on Air Berlin aircraft in Abu Dhabi (AUH).
Boeing on Tuesday rolled out its first 737NG at the new production rate of 35 aircraft a month from its Renton, Wash., facility ( ATW Daily News, July 15, 2011). The manufacturer delivered the aircraft to AWAS Aviation Services for lease by Norwegian Air Shuttle.
China Eastern Airlines (MU) parent China Eastern Air Holding (CEAH) reported 2011 net income of more than CNY5 billion ($793 million), a slight increase over a net profit just under CNY5 billion in 2010.
Momentum appears to be building toward removing barriers to foreign airlines investing in Indian airlines, potentially opening up a new source of capital for the country's struggling air transport industry.
Flybe (BE) said the UK domestic market suffered an underlying sales decline of 8% in its third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011, following a 6% drop in its fiscal first-half.
China Eastern Airlines (MU) parent China Eastern Air Holding (CEAH) reported 2011 net income of more than CNY5 billion ($793 million), a slight increase over a net profit just under CNY5 billion in 2010.
NORDAM named Albert Givray to succeed Russell Wienecke as general counsel. The retiring Wienecke will continue to serve as an external consultant to the company. AeroMechanical Services announced its president Richard Hayden has resigned, though will remain as a director, and will transition to a role within the company focused on strategic business development. It named CEO Bill Tempany as president and CEO, and Douglas Marlin as board of directors chairman.
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has placed an order with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) for blended winglets for its Boeing 767-300ERs—a fleet it has already begun to retire. The order includes three firm and seven options. Installation will take place at the ET Addis Ababa maintenance facility and begin with three aircraft in February.
United Continental Holdings (UCH) has reached a tentative agreement with the Assn. of Flight Attendants (AFA) for “numerous improvements,” including increased wages and a signing bonus for United Airlines (UA) flight attendants.
A320neo in Spirit Airlines’ livery. Courtesy, Airbus Spirit Airlines has finalized an agreement for 75 A320 aircraft, comprising 45 A320neos and 30 A320s, previously announced at the Dubai Airshow ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 16), according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing Jan. 5.
News from Travel Technology Update: MacroSolve Inc., a Tulsa, Okla.-based company that describes itself as a “pioneer in delivering mobile apps, technologies and solutions to businesses and government,” sued 10 major travel companies for patent infringement.
Air France KLM Group has finalized an order for 25 Boeing 787-9s, with options. The order, which was signed in late December, was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s orders and deliveries website.
Ryanair (FR), Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, will open a base at Paphos International, Cyprus, in April with two Boeing 737-800s operating more than 80 weekly flights on 14 routes.
Loss-making Austrian Airlines (OS) has announced a €220 million ($280 million) restructuring program, which includes cutting routes, reducing staff costs and replacing its fleet of 11 Boeing 737s with up to seven Airbus A320s.
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MacroSolve Inc., a Tulsa, Okla.-based company that describes itself as a “pioneer in delivering mobile apps, technologies and solutions to businesses and government,” sued 10 major travel companies for patent infringement. The company was awarded a patent in October 2010 that “addresses mobile information collection systems across all wireless networks, smartphones, tablets and rugged mobile devices, regardless of carrier and manufacturer.”
United Continental Holdings (UCH) has reached a tentative agreement with the Assn. of Flight Attendants (AFA) for “numerous improvements,” including increased wages and a signing bonus for United Airlines (UA) flight attendants.
