Airlink, South African Airways' regional partner, faces possible grounding by the Civil Aviation Authority following Monday's E-135 runway overrun in George ( ATWOnline, Dec. 8). Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele asked for the results of a CAA audit by Friday, which he will use to make a decision, according to press reports from South Africa.
Malev Hungarian Airlines expects to lose HUF5-HUF7 billion ($27.1-$38 million) this year, reduced from HUF10 billion in 2008, CEO Martin Gauss told Pester Lloyd this week. The carrier is shooting for a profitable 2012.
United Airlines will invite Embraer to make an offer when the carrier is ready to renew its narrowbody fleet, Chairman, President and CEO Glenn Tilton told Reuters. "We are going into the narrow-bodied market next year. We are going to invite Embraer into that competition," he said.
Continental Airlines said the overallotment option has been exercised on the convertible note offering announced this week and that it will issue $230 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.5% convertible notes due 2015 ( ATWOnline, Dec. 8). Net proceeds are expected to be around $224 million.
Aer Lingus announced the resignation of CFO and Head of Short-haul Operations Sean Coyle. He will leave EI at year end. Meanwhile, CEO Christoph Mueller warned that the airline remains at risk of a Ryanair takeover. He told The Financial Times, "If Aer Lingus isn't capable of mastering its own destiny, then of course the likelihood that some form of non-independence might occur is more likely." Ryanair is permitted to make a third bid for EI after late January.
United Airlines yesterday announced an order for 50 long-haul aircraft evenly split between the A350-900 and 787, along with purchase rights for 50 of each type, claiming that the "breadth in size and capabilities of the different aircraft models ensure the company has the right aircraft for the right market through the fleet replacement cycle." The order was United's first for new aircraft since 1998. Boeing said the deal was not yet finalized and that it has not added the Dreamliners to its Orders and Deliveries'list.
Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal said yesterday at the US-India Aviation Partnership Summit in Washington that consolidation among Indian airlines is inevitable and will be necessary to restore financial sanity to the market.
Japanese Transport Minister Seiji Maehara rejected widespread reports that the government has decided to provide ¥700 billion ($7.74 billion) in credit guarantees to Japan Airlines. "We haven't decided how to fund state guarantees for JAL yet, let alone the size of such potential guarantees," he told reporters yesterday.
Copa Airlines announced an order for an additional two 737-800s scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2010. In July, the carrier placed an order for 13 -800s for delivery in 2012-15, plus eight options for 2015-17 delivery ( ATWOnline, July 17). It did not say how the new delivery positions became available or whether the two new firm orders represented option conversions.
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes hopes his AirAsia X subsidiary will serve either New York JFK or Newark next year, he told the Bernama news agency. Malaysia Airlines pulled out of EWR and now flies only to Los Angeles in the US. "We are very keen to enter the US market, which has good business potential," Fernandes said ( ATWOnline, September 2009).
Talks between Ryanair and Boeing regarding an order for up to 200 737s dissolved over the weekend after the manufacturer changed delivery conditions, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said yesterday in Brussels while announcing an expansion of the LCC's base at nearby Charleroi.
Delta TechOps signed a five-year agreement with Skymark Airlines of Japan to provide CFM56-7B maintenance in partnership with Evergreen Aviation Technologies.
Air Algerie signed a deal for four ATR 72-500s worth approximately $82 million, ATR announced yesterday. Aircraft will seat 66 passengers each and will deliver next year. The carrier already operates eight of the type. "The ATRs allow us to open up regions not able to receive other types of aircraft. We are therefore doubly satisfied to be able to provide high-quality public service and coverage over all the national territory," AH President, CEO and MD Abdelwahid Bouabdallah said.
Thales signed a five-year repair-by-the-hr. agreement with EVA Air for support and maintenance of a selection of avionics equipment aboard its 11 A330s.
Skyworld Aviation placed two Saab 340As with Romania's Direct Aero Services. Aircraft will operate on freight contracts and support passenger operations of sister carrier Blue Air.
French BEA opened an investigation into the Nov. 29 Air France A330-200 flight from Rio de Janeiro Galeao to Paris Charles de Gaulle that issued a mayday call after encountering extreme turbulence ( ATWOnline, Dec. 2). Analysis of the incident could provide supplementary insight valuable to the inquiry into the loss of Flight AF447, BEA said. The agency also said it will release a second report into that accident on Dec. 17.
Commercial aviation's carbon footprint in 2009 will fall 7% from the "just under" 670 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced in 2008, IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The global recession is responsible for a 5% reduction, while strategies employed by airlines resulted in a further 2% cut. "Shortening routes, spreading best practice in fuel management and using more efficient ways to land are among the measures that we are implementing to reduce emissions. Since 2004, our. .
Aircastle announced the placement of a second A330-200 with Avianca. Aircraft seats 30 passengers in business class and 222 in economy. Debt financing was arranged and provided by Calyon and supported by a guarantee from Coface, Aircastle said.
CSA Czech Airlines next month will merge all handling activities under an independent subsidiary called CSA Support. Approximately 800 CSA employees will be transferred to the new operation.
Los Angeles International will receive $150 million from the US government over the next two fiscal years to support the completion of an inline baggage screening program in "several" LAX terminals by the end of 2012, the airport operator announced. Total project cost is $670 million.
US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said that "any number of options have been explored" to determine how to finance equipage of commercial aircraft with NextGen ATC technology such as ADS-B, including consideration of the government's providing airlines with money for early equipage that would be "subject to repayment."
Malaysia Airlines and SITA Lab announced the launch of MHmobile, a mobile phone and PDA application allowing users to book, pay for, check in and board their flights. It also connects to social networking sites, features geolocation capabilities and offers access to SITA WorldTracer so passengers can check the status of delayed or mishandled baggage.
ASKY Airlines, a Togolese startup affiliated with Ethiopian Airlines ( ATWOnline, July 8, 2008), plans to launch service to regional destinations on Jan. 15 with two 737-700s on lease from ET and said it intends to serve Europe, the Americas and Asia in the future. Shareholders include ET (20%), Ecobank Group, Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development, West African Development Bank and the Sakhumnotho Group of South Africa.
Airlink E-135 overran the wet runway at George Airport in George, South Africa, and crashed through a fence yesterday morning when landing on a flight from Cape Town. Minor injuries were reported and damage to the aircraft was "substantial," according to Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network. There were 33 people onboard. In September, a Jetstream 41 operated by South African Airways' regional partner crashed on a repositioning flight near Durban ( ATWOnline, Sept. 25).
