Panama-based Copa Airlines announced plans to launch service to Chicago O'Hare; Cucuta, Colombia; and Asuncion, Paraguay in December, bringing total destinations added in 2011 to seven. It commences service to four destinations on Wednesday: Toronto Pearson, Nassau, Brasilia and Porto Alegre. On the same day it will add two connecting banks at its Panama City Hub of the Americas, raising the total to six.
US Transportation Security Administration proposed "the removal of more than 30 Honolulu International Airport TSA employees following an extensive investigation into allegations of improper screening of checked baggage," the agency said in a statement. Included is HNL Federal Security Director Glen Richard Kajiyama, who has been replaced on an acting basis by Stanford Miyamoto, currently HNL's deputy area director.
TAAG Angola Airlines secured a $256 million long-term loan guarantee from the US Export-Import Bank for the purchase of a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with GE90-115B engines, the Ex-Im Bank said.
China Southern Airlines subsidiary Xiamen Airlines confirmed Monday it has been approved by the SkyTeam board for membership as early as year-end 2012.
This brief video provides an overview of International Aero Engines and what has made its V2500 turbofan engine a leader in the single-aisle A320 market.
MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg signed an agreement with Uruguay-based carrier Pluna covering maintenance of its CF34-8C5 engines. Pluna operates a CF34-powered fleet of 10 CRJ900 jets. The contract runs until December 2017 and is valued at €20 million ($29.2 million).
US Dept. of Transportation said Friday it fined Frontier Airlines $40,000 for failing to display on-time performance for its flights on the carrier’s website in early 2011. “Air travelers have a right to know whether the flight they are buying is chronically delayed or canceled,” said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Delta Air Lines and Virgin Australia Airlines said Friday they welcomed the US Dept. of Transportation's final approval of antitrust immunity for the airlines' transpacific alliance, which will allow the carriers to implement a joint venture on service between the US and Australia. DOT tentatively approved ATI for the carriers last month, reversing its prior opposition ( ATW Daily News, May 11).
Virgin America reported a first-quarter net loss of $44.6 million, widened from a year-ago deficit of $35.5 million, owing to “investment in growth and increased fuel prices,” the carrier said.
Chinese airlines reported an aggregate net profit of CNY1.88 billion ($290 million) in May, up 78.1% over net income of CNY1.05 billion in the year-ago month.
The ASTM International Committee on Petroleum Products and Lubricants, which develops standards related to oil products, provisionally approved a new specification for hydroprocessed renewable jet fuel that could clear the way for biofuel blends to power commercial flights, according to US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.
Chinese airlines reported an aggregate net profit of CNY1.88 billion ($290 million) in May, up 78.1% over net income of CNY1.05 billion in the year-ago month.
Lufthansa Systems reached an agreement with TAP Portugal to supply its myIDTravel solution to manage the carrier's interline staff travel. ARINC announced it has renewed “multiple” contracts with Virgin Atlantic Airways, a customer since 1993. The carrier has renewed its contracts for comprehensive data link, voice and satellite services, as well as for the ARINC OpCenter message management service.
Airbus said the first A380 for Malaysia Airlines entered the final assembly line in Toulouse for the final production phase. MAS has six A380s on order and originally was supposed to receive its first in May 2008 ( ATW Daily News, June 22, 2010). Deliveries are now scheduled to begin in 2012.
US Dept. of Transportation said there were only 20 tarmac delays of more than 3 hr. reported from May 2010 through April 2011 by the airlines that file on-time performance data with DOT, “dramatically diminished” from 693 in May 2009 through April 2010, according to its Air Travel Consumer Report. April was the 12th full month of data since the new, 3 hr.-rule went into effect ( ATW Daily News, April 29, 2010).
