European Union and Pakistan signed an aviation agreement that removes nationality restrictions contained in previous bilateral air services agreements between 18 EU member states and Pakistan and thus brings them in line with EU law.
Maximus Air Cargo of Abu Dhabi reported 2008 sales revenue of $110.8 million, up 134% from the $47.3 million posted in 2007. It expects to reach $130 million this year "as we continue to secure additional short- and medium-term aircraft wet-lease contracts," President and CEO Fathi Hilal Buhazza said. It flew 347,785 FTKs last year, up 156% year-over-year. Its eight-freighter fleet comprises An-124-100s, A300-600RFs, Il-76TDs and two Lockheed L382Gs.
AVIC last week completed the merger of its aircraft manufacturing subsidiaries and launched a new company in Xi'an that will be "mainly responsible for big [military] transport aircraft production and spare parts production for Chinese big commercial aircraft," AVIC President Lin Zuoming said ( ATWOnline, Sept. 29, 2008). The venture has registered capital of CNY12 billion ($1.75 billion), with AVIC the only shareholder. Other investors will be added next year.
A J Walter Aviation was awarded a seven-year power-by-the-hour contract to provide rotable component support for Czech Airlines' fleet of 33 Airbus aircraft from March 1. Agreement initially covers two A321s, eight A320s and seven A319s. The remaining 16 aircraft will join the program over the next seven years.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, reported 2008 net income of $63.7 million, down 51.9% from a $132.4 million profit in 2007, citing "a challenging year for global trade and airfreight," high first-half fuel prices and the "global recession" in the second half of the year.
A huge fourth-quarter loss related to the collapse of Iceland's banking and financial sector last fall dragged Icelandair Group to a ISK7.47 billion ($65.9 million) full-year deficit, reversed from a ISL257 million profit in 2007. Revenue soared 77.7% year-over-year to ISK112.74 billion owing largely to a more-than-threefold increase in aircraft and crew leasing revenue. Operating loss of ISK5.69 billion compared to a ISK2.34 billion profit in the prior year. Fuel costs nearly tripled.
Air Berlin said its executive directors and "top managers" will forego 50% of their bonus entitlements for 2008, or a combined €2 million ($2.6 million). AB will announce its full-year results on March 30 and said it expects to report an operating profit. It also announced the launch of flights from Berlin Tegel to Krakow (four-times-weekly beginning April 29) and Oslo Gardermoen (five-times-weekly on April 24).
Wizz Air opened its Timisoara base, its 10th overall, from which it is serving Rome Fiumicino, London Luton, Dortmund, Bergamo, Barcelona, Paris Beauvais, Valencia and Treviso. It also announced plans to base a second A320 in Prague from July, increasing frequencies on four current routes and launching flights to Naples, Madrid and Malmo. Air Arabia will launch thrice-weekly Sharjah-Athens service on April 21 aboard an A320. It is the LCC's first route to the EU.
Bmi said it will stop operating its four daily services between London Heathrow and Leeds Bradford and thrice-daily LHR-Durham Tees Valley flights on March 28, citing a combination of falling demand, increased costs imposed by BAA and the UK government's decision to increase the Air Passenger Duty. "The fact is that due in the main to BAA's inflation-busting increases and changes to its pricing structures have placed a considerable disadvantage on short-haul flights," bmi MD Peter Spencer said. Ryanair also has cited the APD as the reason for recent cutbacks in its UK service.
The Air New Zealand A320 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a Nov. 27 test flight conducted by XL Airways pilots was in the midst of a low-speed test conducted on approach to Perpignan when the cockpit crew lost control, according to a preliminary report issued yesterday by French investigators that raised questions about the test's timing and recommended that EASA develop regulations for "acceptance" flights.
Air Astana transported 2.8 million passengers in 2008, up 8% from the prior year, on a 16% increase in capacity to 7.5 billion ASKs. Load factor was 64%. It took delivery of three A320s last year, raising its fleet to 21 (two 767s, four 757s, two A321s, seven A320s, one A319 and five F50s). It plans to operate 34 aircraft in 2014 and 63 by 2022. Air New Zealand said January yield was up 8.1% year-over-year. It flew 2.35 billion RPKs during the month, down 8.5%, against a 6.6% fall in capacity to 2.82 billion ASKs. Load factor dropped 1.7 points to 83.4%.
Australia and New Zealand authorities are moving toward scrapping customs checks for transtasman flights, which could reduce return fares by approximately A$100 ($64.44) and provide a travel stimulus, airline executives said. Flights between the countries would be reclassified as domestic. Passengers would either partially clear customs before boarding via automated border processing gates or customs checks would be eliminated entirely.
Airbus is seeking further financial help from European governments for aircraft financing, a top company official said over the weekend. In widely reported remarks made at a conference in Dubai, Airbus Middle East President Habib Fekih said €5 billion ($6.4 billion) recently loaned by France's government to French banks to be used to finance aircraft purchases ( ATWOnline, Jan.
Ryanair intends to close all its airport check-in counters by year end in a cost-cutting move. "All we will have is a bag drop where passengers can drop off their luggage, otherwise everything will be done online. Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage," CEO Michael O'Leary told The Daily Telegraph.
Japanese startup Fuji Dream Airlines took delivery of its first 76-seat E-170. A second will arrive later this year. FDA will be based at the new Shizuoka Airport.
TAP Maintenance & Engineering listed VEM Maintenance & Engineering as an affiliated company extending the scope of its membership in the Airbus MRO Network. Affiliation means TAP will be the first member to offer base maintenance services for Airbus aircraft in South America.
Goodrich Corp. reached a three-year deal with TransAsia Airways of Taiwan to provide MRO on seven A320s. Contract offers flight hr.-based support and includes Goodrich sensors, actuation, engine control and electrical power products. Work will take place in Singapore, Xiamen and Sydney.
Iberia flew 3.83 billion RPKs in January, a 12% decline from the year-ago month. Capacity was down 8.1% to 5.17 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 3.3 points to 74%. Aer Lingus flew 1.01 billion RPKs in January, down 5.6% year-over-year. Capacity fell 6.1% to 1.56 billion ASKs and load factor rose 0.3 point to 64.3%. Norwegian estimated a 16% year-over-year increase in January yield to NOK0.64 (US9.4 cents). Norwegian.no flew 520 million RPKs, up 20%, against a 26% increase in capacity to 734 million ASKs. Load factor fell 3 points to 71%.
Finnair said the Finnish Airline Pilots Assn. rejected a settlement proposed by a state arbitrator but agreed to back off its threat to stage five one-day strikes ( ATWOnline, Jan. 27). An overtime ban will continue, allowing flights to operate "for the most part normally," the carrier said. Finnair said it would have accepted the arbitrator's settlement and that negotiations will continue.
Cyprus Airways said it will lease two A320s for six years. A spokesperson told Reuters that the deal is with an "Irish company" and that the aircraft will be delivered "by March or April." Several lessors, including AWAS, are headquartered in Ireland.
Indonesian prosecutors dropped the most serious charge against Garuda Indonesia Capt. Marwoto Komar but still are seeking a four-year prison term for negligence in the 737-400 accident at Yogyakarta that killed 21 in March 2007 ( ATWOnline, July 24, 2008). "As a senior pilot, the defendant was careless and caused an accident that led to a lot of casualties," Chief Prosecutor Mudim Aresto was quoted as saying. Komar is accused of ignoring 15 automated cockpit warnings and landing the aircraft at around 240 kt.
