CAE has announced more than 25 full-flight simulator sales so far in FY09. In December, the Canadian company reached agreements to provide FFSs and related CAE Simfinity training devices valued at C$40 million ($32.3 million) for Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Hua Ou Aviation Training Centre.
Airbus North America welcomed Tom Anderson as senior VP-Customer Services Inc. Aircell selected John Wade as senior VP & GM-business aviation services. Airports Council International appointed Victor de Barrena dir.-Global Training Hub. Air Transport Assn. elected United Airlines Chairman, President & CEO Glenn Tilton as chairman and named Eric Thacker dir.-security operations and Sametta Barnett MD-security.
Air New Zealand successfully conducted the world's first sustainable biofuel test flight with a Rolls-Royce-powered 747-400 on Dec. 30, capping a year in which air transport efforts on alternative fuels rapidly accelerated from the test tube to the runway. More than a dozen key performance tests were undertaken during the 2-hr. test flight that took off at 11:30 a.m. local time from Auckland International. A biofuel blend of 50:50 jatropha and Jet A1 was used to power one of the 747-400's RB211s.
With American Airlines, Virgin America and Delta Air Lines currently deploying its Gogo inflight Wi-Fi service, Aircell expects commitments for the technology to reach 2,000 commercial aircraft by the end of 2009. In 2007, American Airlines signed a deal with Aircell for Gogo and became its launch customer, and last August it became the first airline in the US to offer inflight Internet access. Now customers traveling on AA's 767-200s can access coast-to-coast coverage on nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami.
SITA said Malaysia Airlines recently selected its in-house reservations system as an expansion of an ongoing $130 million improvement program. The 10-year deal, signed in 2006, includes e-ticketing and departure control system upgrades allowing for such self-service options as kiosk and Web check-in.
Deutsche Post's DHL Exel Supply Chain unit won a 10-year, multimillion-dollar deal with British Airways to provide inflight catering services for domestic and short-haul flights from London Heathrow. Contract takes effect in April 2010 and calls for up to 13 million meals annually, inflight retail, media and comfort items as well as waste management and wash-up responsibilities. Northern Foods will prepare the meals under a subcontract with DHL.
GDS executives are calling for the development of technical standards for the booking and processing of airlines' unbundled fares, ancillary revenue and other sales innovations. Sabre chief Sam Gilliland raised the issue at November's PhoCusWright conference.
Australia is emerging as a possible major source of feedstocks for second-generation biofuel such as the hardy jatropha curcas. Speaking to media after the first successful sustainable biofuel test flight, Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe suggested that the massive arid regions of northern Australia would be an ideal region for cultivation.
Sustainable Aviation, a UK-based coalition of airlines, aerospace manufacturers, airports and air navigation services providers, projects that CO2 emissions from air traffic will fall back to 2000 levels by 2050.
Spirit Airlines requested authorization from US Dept. of Transportation to operate Fort Lauderdale-Armenia, Colombia, service next summer. It already plans to launch daily FLL-Medellin flights on March 1 aboard A319s. The same day it will begin daily Chicago O'Hare-Myrtle Beach.
Rolls-Royce inked a deal with Etihad Airways for provision of Trent 700EPs to power eight A330s. Contract is valued at $575 million and includes long-term services under a TotalCare agreement. Aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2009 and 2011. Order will bring Etihad's fleet of Rolls-powered A330s to 24.
Turkish Airlines said it signed an agreement Monday to purchase a 49% stake in Bosnian flag carrier B&H Airlines ( ATWOnline, Oct. 13). The Bosnian government will continue to hold 51%. Under a first stage, THY will invest €5 million ($7 million) on the lease of two additional aircraft (one 737 and one Airbus type) for B&H, with an additional €5 million injection to follow, Reuters reported.
World's first commercial aviation test flight powered by a sustainable second-generation biofuel is ready for liftoff. On Dec. 30, an Air New Zealand 747-400 will take off from Auckland for a 2-hr. flight with one Rolls-Royce RB211 powered by a jatropha blend ( ATWOnline, Dec. 11). The pilot in command, ANZ 747 Fleet Manager Keith Pattie, and his crew will operate the flight predominantly over the wider Hauraki Gulf area.
TAM flew 1.95 billion domestic RPKs in November, a 3.4% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 13.4% to 2.96 billion ASKs and load factor fell 6.4 points to 65.8%. International traffic jumped 36.3% to 1.32 billion RPKs against a 32.4% rise in ASKs to 1.88 billion, sending load factor up 2 points to 70%. LAN Airlines flew 2.32 billion system RPKs in November, up 9.9% year-over-year. Capacity climbed 12.4% to 3.03 billion ASKs and load factor was down 1.7 points to 76.4%.
Accident investigators are looking into what caused the pilots of a Continental Airlines 737-500 to abort takeoff on Saturday evening in Denver, where the aircraft veered from the runway into a ravine in an accident that destroyed the plane and injured 38.
Air New Zealand's Australia-based aerospace engineering support services company TAE purchased Australian aviation service provider Tenix Aviation. Acquisition follows the November purchase of Masling Industries. Tenix is based in South Australia and Masling is located in New South Wales. TAE is a leading engineering services provider and Australia's leading military gas turbine MRO operation. ANZ GM-Technical Operations Chris Nassenstein said the two purchases are part of the airline's continued diversification into MRO.
Pratt & Whitney received US FAR 33 certification approving the airworthiness of its PW4000 Advantage70 engine upgrade, projected to deliver a 2% thrust increase while decreasing fuel consumption by 1%. Slated to enter service on PW4000-100s in mid-2009, Advantage70 is expected to boost durability and reduce maintenance costs. New engines will fly initially on the A330-200 and A330-300.
AirAsia dismissed rumors that it is discussing a potential merger with Qantas low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways, although the speculation remains an interesting development for the Australian carrier, whose discussions with British Airways collapsed last week ( ATWOnline, Dec. 19). First reported in Malaysia's The Star, the rumor was called "pie in the sky" by AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani. "It's the first time I have heard about it.
Cargo B Airlines took delivery of its first new 747-400F on dry lease from Nippon Cargo Airlines. The Brussels-based carrier, which commenced operations in October 2007, will use the aircraft initially on thrice-weekly flights serving Sao Paulo Guarulhos, Quito and Bogota. It is seeking a second -400F to replace its two 747-200Fs.
Adria Airways expects to report a 2008 operating profit of €1.9 million ($2.7 million), down approximately 34% from 2007, on a 17% climb in passengers to 1.3 million, the STA Slovenian Press Agency reported. Through November, Adria carried 1.2 million passengers, up 16% year-over-year, on a 15% rise in the number of flights.
