Afrijet Airlines of Nigeria and ATR announced the signing of a Heads of Agreement deal for the purchase of four 68-seat ATR 72-500s worth a combined $80 million. Aircraft wil be powered by PW127Ms and will feature the Elegance cabin and IFE. Afrijet launched as a cargo carrier in 1999. Its passenger fleet currently comprises MD-82s and -83s.
LOT Polish Airlines launched LOT Charters, which will operate six LOT 737-400s and one 767 on long-haul flights to holiday destinations. The airline said the dedicated fleet is expected to carry 400,000 passengers by year end, which "would allow the company to reach a 25% market share and establish a leading position among charter carriers operating on the Polish market."
Fifty airlines that so far have reported first-quarter financial results have posted a combined $3.3 billion net loss for the period, IATA reported yesterday, also noting that revenue from cargo is expected "to show a record decline in 2009."
United Airlines sent a request for proposals to both Boeing and Airbus "that could result in a potentially significant number of aircraft that could ultimately replace our widebody fleet," according to a letter to employees from Chairman and CEO Glenn Tilton obtained by ATWOnline, with The Wall Street Journal pegging the potential order at 150 aircraft.
Alaska Airlines and technicians represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. tentatively agreed to a two-year contract extension through Oct. 17, 2011, covering 665 employees. Employee ratification is expected to be completed by late July.
Virgin America and V Australia reached an interline agreement effective June 8. It is VX's first interline relationship. The airlines both serve Los Angeles.
Engine Alliance and Emirates signed a fleet management agreement for GP7200 MRO valued at more than $3 billion over the life of the contract. EK has more than 250 of the A380 powerplants on order.
Iberia CEO Fernando Conte told shareholders yesterday that the airline expects to report a full-year loss for the first time in 13 years as premium passenger numbers have fallen 20% so far, The Financial Times reported. When unveiling its €92.6 million ($131.5 million) first-quarter loss three weeks ago, IB said a full-year profit was "unlikely" ( ATWOnline, May 13).
UPS and its pilots represented by the Independent Pilots Assn. have identified savings targets of $40 million for this year, $38 million for 2010 and $53 million for 2011, a company spokesperson told ATWOnline.
Delta Air Lines launched four-times-weekly Detroit-Shanghai flights on June 1. Service is operated by Northwest Airlines. Continental Airlines will launch daily Houston Intercontinental-Rio de Janeiro Galeao on Aug. 1 aboard a 767-200. Uzbekistan Airways started all-cargo flights with two A300Fs dry-leased from Korean Air. The service is based at Navoiy, where the airlines will partner in developing the airport into a logistics hub for central Asia. The freighters will operate to Bangkok, Delhi and Mumbai.
ICAO's Group on International Aviation and Climate Change yesterday recommended "a global aspirational goal of 2% annual improvement in fuel efficiency of the international civil aviation in-service fleet," but noticeably did not make any proposals on emissions trading.
Air Macau is expected to get a MOP507.3 million ($62.4 million) capital injection from Air China and other stakeholders designed to help it avoid liquidation. CA said in a statement that shareholders approved the plan last month. Hit hard by the increasing number of direct flights across the Taiwan Strait and the harsh economic environment, Air Macau's 2008 loss exceeded the MOP109 million posted in 2007, Chairman Zhao Xiaohang told the Macau Daily News. Its net asset value was approximately MOP-107.3 million as of Dec. 31.
Asiana Airlines suffered a KRW227.17 billion ($183.5 million) loss in 2008, reversed from a KRW106.26 billion profit the prior year as the value of the won collapsed against the dollar and the Korean economy faltered, and followed that with an even deeper first-quarter loss. The 2008 loss occurred despite a 16.6% increase in revenue to KRW4.22 trillion. Expenses soared 26.3% to KRW3.7 trillion and Asiana's operating result swung to a KRW52.68 billion loss from a KRW171.61 billion profit in 2007.
GECAS delivered one new A320-200 to Wizz Air through a sale/leaseback transaction with the airline. Cabot Aviation was appointed by KLM to remarket six F50s and announced the sale of a 737-300 (ex-United Airlines) on behalf of an unnamed energy services company.
Bombardier Aerospace reported a first-quarter operating profit of $110 million, a 46% plunge from $206 million in the year-ago period, on an 8% drop in revenue to $2.2 billion. The Canadian manufacturer reported consolidated EBIT of $235 million, down 27.5% year-over-year. It delivered 31 regional jets and turboprops during the first quarter, a small improvement from the 28 delivered in the first three months of 2008. It delivered 43 business jets compared to 58 last year. Lufthansa and Lease Corp.
As more debris was spotted in the Atlantic Ocean where an Air France A330-200 is suspected to have crashed Sunday night about 400 mi. northeast of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, French officials embarked on what they fear may be a difficult investigation owing to the depth of the sea at the crash site. The Brazilian air force, which on Monday spotted a 3-mi. debris field and an oil slick on the ocean's surface ( ATWOnline, June 3), yesterday said it observed a "a 23-ft. piece, seemingly metallic."
US Airways said consolidated May passenger RASM declined 18%-20% year-over-year while total RASM was down 14%-16%. It estimated a $20 million loss in revenue owing to the swine flu scare. Group airlines flew 5.29 billion consolidated RPMs, down 5.2%, while capacity fell 5.8% to 6.43 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 0.4 point to 82.2%. Southwest Airlines said May passenger RASM fell an estimated 9% year-over-year. It flew 6.43 billion RPMs last month, down 3.6%, against a 3.2% decline in capacity to 8.62 billion ASMs. Load factor slipped 0.3 point to 74.6%.
IER was awarded a contract by Swedish airports operator LFV Group to supply 45 self-service kiosks at Stockholm Arlanda over the next three years. First rollout of 10 CUSS IER 918 kiosks is planned by mid-August.
Southwest Airlines pilots represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn. narrowly rejected the five-year tentative labor deal reached in late March ( ATWOnline, April 10), with "nearly" 51% of those voting casting their ballots against ratification. "The group has stated there is more work to be done," SWAPA President Carl Kuwitzky said. "This contract, despite some financial gains, contained too many other negative aspects to ratify it."
Alitalia received a fifth new A320, part of a major fleet renewal comprising 90 new A320s by 2013 and 14 A330s. It will take delivery of a further nine A320s by year end. All seats on the new A320 fleet are equipped with LCD screens and AZ is replacing seats on its existing Airbus fleet. Its fleet currently comprises 153 aircraft, 135 used for short/medium haul and 18 on long-haul flights.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told reporters that an Air India IPO will be "considered" once the "stock markets do better," but that the government will "keep control." He said the airline "is not going to lose its public sector character. It is not going to be privatized or disinvested completely. It would bring in much needed equity infusion." The government reversed course on plans to offer 15% of AI last summer ( ATWOnline, Aug. 22, 2008).
BAE Systems Asset Management arranged the placement of a BAe 146-200QT freighter with PT Nusantara Air Charter of Indonesia. Aircraft was owned by Erik Thun and previously was managed by European Turboprop Management of Sweden.
