Alliance Airlines, a Brisbane-based charter carrier, said it plans to acquire eight more F100s starting in May to support natural resource-related contracts in Queensland and Western Australia. Aircraft will be purchased from a European operator and will lift Alliance's fleet to 19. MD Scott McMillan told ATWOnline that the F100 acquisition "is a major vote of confidence in the future of the resources industry in this region" and that the aircraft has been "extremely popular among the contract customers we serve."
Japan Airlines' restructuring includes the retirement of a significant number of pilots this year, which could change the landscape of the Japanese air transport industry. Geoffrey Tudor, a leading analyst with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation who also is the principal analyst with Tokyo-based Japan Aviation Management Research, said Japanese cockpit crew always have been in short supply and the need to hire foreign pilots has been a major barrier to expansion or entry.
Safi Airways of Afghanistan is depending on increasing its international presence and is working on a number of initiatives, both inside the company and at Kabul International, in an effort to solidify its position.
The public sniping between British Airways and the Unite union continued yesterday, while TAP Portugal and its pilots struck a more conciliatory tone and reached a deal that cancelled a potentially devastating six-day strike. TAP pilots represented by the SPAC union called off the March 26-31 work stoppage after agreeing to a new contract. "The agreement includes a pay rise of 1.8%, the same as for the other TAP unions, and equal sharing of productivity gains by pilots and the airline," TAP said.
EasyJet tapped media executive Carolyn McCall, who ran the UK's Guardian Media Group, as its new CEO, succeeding the departing Andy Harrison. The LCC said McCall "has a proven track record of successful operational delivery in a fast-changing online consumer facing business combined with extensive plc board and government and lobbying experience."
Amadeus IT Holding yesterday announced plans for an IPO in the first half of this year. The travel reservations technology provider hopes to raise €910 million ($1.23 billion). It currently is 52.8% -owned by WAM Acquisition, whose shareholders are London-based private-equity firms BC Partners and Cinven. Air France holds 23.1% and Iberia and Lufthansa 11.6% each. Amadeus said 2009 revenue rose 1.8% from 2008 to €2.46 billion and EBITDA was up 2.3% to €894 million.
US Air Transport Assn. said February passenger revenue rose 4.5% year-over-year based on data provided by a sample of its member carriers. Passenger numbers fell 2.9%, largely owing to the February snowstorms, and the average price to fly 1 mi. climbed 5%. International passenger revenue rose 7.9%. January cargo revenue ton-miles were up 14% (2% domestically and 27% internationally). February data was not available.
AirTran Airways said it expects first-quarter unit revenue to rise 4.8%-5.3% year-over-year on a 6% lift in capacity. Nonfuel unit cost is expected to increase 4.5%-5%.
Ukraine International Airlines said it resold a 6% stake that it acquired from AerCap in December 2008 to an unnamed Ukrainian investment company. Other shareholders are the State Property Fund of Ukraine (61.6%), Austrian investor UIAB (22.5%) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (9.9%).
South Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs reported that February passenger numbers and cargo volume recovered to pre-crisis levels, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. International passenger numbers rose 12.6% year-over-year to 3.1 million while domestic numbers were up 26% (and by 14% compared to February 2008) to 1.5 million. Cargo gained 21.8% to 215,000 tonnes, with a 1.4% increase from February 2008.
AirBaltic will open a base at Tallinn on June 1, the airline confirmed, adding it will unveil additional details on March 31 during the opening ceremony of its new direct Tallinn-Tampere service. It also will launch five-times-weekly Stockholm Arlanda-Oulu flights on June 1.
Air France said it expects "normal" operations this weekend after the majority of the six unions representing cabin crew called off a proposed strike scheduled for March 28-31
FAA yesterday announced a proposed $1.5 million penalty against the former Northwest Airlines for operating 32 757s without required windshield wiring inspections. NWA was acquired by Delta Air Lines in late 2008 and the carriers began flying on a single AOC in December, but the flights in question took place between Dec. 1, 2005, and May 27, 2008.
British Airways yesterday said that more than 3,000 flight attendants crossed the picket line and worked during the March 20-22 strike, equivalent to 97% of the rostered crew at London Gatwick and 53% at Heathrow
The US Senate late Monday passed an FAA reauthorization bill that sets deadlines for implementation of the NextGen ATC system and increases pilot hiring and training requirements.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines last week took delivery of its 69th and final 737NG, a -700, and now is "very attractive" to aircraft manufacturers "because we have an empty order book," CCO Robin Kamark told ATWOnline. Speaking onboard the 9 hr. 33 min. delivery flight from Seattle to Stockholm Arlanda, Kamark said the troubled airline still intends to make a decision regarding the composition of its future fleet, both short- and long-haul, by the end of next year.
The US government and the European Commission yesterday confirmed receipt of the World Trade Organization's final ruling on the US's 2004 claim that Airbus received state aid for the A380 program in violation of international trade rules, and both Boeing and Airbus claimed the confidential decision validated their arguments.
Aegean Airlines remained well in the black last year, although net profit fell 22% to €23 million ($31.1 million) from the €29.5 million earned in 2008 as a result of the recession and the decline of the Greek economy during the final four months of the year. Revenue increased 2% to €622.7 million mainly due to what Aegean called a "significant" international network expansion, which included new routes from Athens to Brussels, Berlin Tegel, Barcelona, Venice, Istanbul Ataturk, Vienna and Madrid.
British Airways said the three-day flight attendants' strike, which ended last night, cost the carrier an estimated £21 million ($31.5 million) and that its contingency plans proved "very successful."
Air China will boost its profile in the Pearl River Delta region by taking control of Shenzhen Airlines with a CNY682.1 million ($99.8 million) investment that will see its stake in the country's fifth-largest carrier rise from 25% to 51%.
One month after suspending a four-day strike after the first day, Lufthansa pilots represented by Vereinigung Cockpit are planning another four-day stoppage, this one scheduled for April 13-16, after talks with the airline regarding the union's job security concerns reportedly broke down.
Delta Air Lines and US Airways have softened their stance and will give up 12% of the slots originally included in their New York LaGuardia/Washington National swap deal in order to secure approval from the US Dept. of Transportation.
Airnorth Brasilia turboprop crashed yesterday morning in Darwin during a training flight, killing both pilots, according to the manufacturer. It said it was dispatching a team to aid in the investigation. Aircraft first flew in 1988, according to Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network and went down during the initial climb. Airnorth serves 11 Australian destinations as well as Dili in East Timor aboard Brasilias, E-170s and Metro 23s.
World Trade Org. may issue its final ruling on the long-running Airbus/Boeing state aid dispute as early as today, Boeing VP-Executive, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Ted Austell said yesterday in a statement likely prompted by reports that the German government is preparing to extend a €1.1 billion ($1.49 billion) loan to Airbus to aid in A350 development. German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology Parliamentary State Secretary Peter Hintze said, "All pre-conditions have been met and the funds are available," and that the loan satisfies WTO requirements.
