The US Transportation Security Administration implemented a new security directive on Jan. 4 mandating that every passenger flying into the country who is a citizen of or whose trip included a stop in 14 "nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest" will be subject to "enhanced screening." The move came 10 days after a Nigerian national attempted to detonate an explosive onboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. His trip started in Lagos.
Grupo Mexicana Chief Executive Manuel Borja uses a captivating comparison to describe the turnaround of the Mexican carrier. "What we have been doing is educating Rita," he says philosophically. Rita was a tomboy, slightly "messed up" and suffering from a major lack of direction and guidance. "The government had Mexicana up for sale for almost 12 years," he explains to ATW in his office in Mexico City.
Promising a "commitment in favor of a decisive improvement in service quality," Aeroports de Paris last month proposed a fee freeze for the year beginning April 1 and outlined its initial proposals for the 2011-15 economic regulation agreement.
Airports Council International released its Airport Economics Survey 2009, reported that global airport revenue reached an estimated $96 billion and predicted that 2010 traffic "is expected to rebound and may well exceed moderate predictions of +2% per annum next year" in the absence of a "major setback." It said 709 airports serving some 3.4 billion passengers participated in the 2009 survey.
When you think about groundbreaking technology in the travel industry, your thoughts probably don't turn to a 125-year-old company. But NCR Corp., founded to market the first mechanical cash register, has over the last century been a leader in areas as diverse as automated credit systems (1914) and digital computers for aviation (1952). It invented liquid crystal displays (1968) and marketed the first bar-code scanners (1974).
Amadeus announced long-term, full content distribution agreements with Lufthansa and its Swiss International Air Lines subsidiary. Deal takes effect March 1 and runs through 2014.
As expected, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and ANA filed an application with the US Dept. of Transportation for antitrust immunity across their combined transpacific network, which the carriers argued would generate "substantial service and pricing benefits for consumers." The application was made possible by the US-Japan open skies agreement reached two weeks ago, implementation of which is contingent upon ATI approval ( ATWOnline, Dec. 15).
Two of the world's largest carriers, American Airlines and Ryanair, suffered 737-800 runway mishaps, with AA's Tuesday night overrun in Jamaica resulting in destruction of the aircraft and dozens of injuries.
NCR Corp. announced the purchase of 40 TouchPort kiosks by China Southern Airlines for deployment in Beijing, Shenzhen, Urumqi and Dalian. CZ already had installed a combined 30 of the CUSS kiosks in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changchun and Zhengzhou.
Naverus announced that China Eastern Airlines completed a performance based navigation 737 flight at Lhasa last week, marking the first RNP implementation of the aircraft at an airport located higher than 10,000 ft. It also announced the granting of an Instrument Flight Procedure Service Certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand authorizing it to design, certify and maintain RNP procedures.
Shenzhen Airlines earned net income of CNY500 million ($73.1 million) through the first 11 months of 2009, President Li Kun said, as it signed a financing agreement with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China covering purchase of 15 737-800s worth CNY5 billion. The airline currently operates 33 -800s in its fleet of more than 130 aircraft and expects to introduce 10 aircraft annually over the next few years. Li Kun has been in charge since controlling stakeholder Li Zeyuan was arrested last month and yesterday vowed to maintain stability at the carrier.
Belgium initiated proceedings against Switzerland before the UN International Court of Justice regarding its longstanding dispute over the 2001 bankruptcy of Sabena, in which SAirGroup (formerly Swissair) and its SAirLines subsidiary held a 49.5% stake. Belgium claimed that Switzerland violated the Lugano Convention, "in particular in the judicial domain, [and relating to] the decision by Swiss courts not to recognize a decision by Belgian courts and not to stay proceedings later initiated in Switzerland on the subject of the same dispute," according to the filing.
China Cargo Airlines selected Boeing's Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag for six new 777 freighters, as well as multiple airplane health management modules for both the 777s and its two current 747-400Fs. The China Eastern Airlines and China Ocean Shipping joint venture will take delivery of its first 777 in the 2010 first quarter.
