AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said the airline is "much closer to achieving our dreams of boosting the growth of Kuala Lumpur as the low-cost hub in Asia" as the LCC announced the addition of four additional daily KUL-Singapore flights beginning Dec. 1.
Foreign ownership rules and cabotage rights were key topics of discussion during EU-US Phase Two open skies negotiations last week in Washington, according to European Commission Director-Air Transport Daniel Calleja. Briefing reporters before departing Washington, Calleja said the second-stage air transport services agreement being negotiated "is about unfinished business" from the first-stage EU-US accord that kicked in on March 30 ( ATW, March 2008).
Russian Federal Air Transportation Agency last week temporarily suspended flights by 737-500 aircraft, which are equipped with the same navigation system used by the Aeroflot Nord 737 that crashed in Perm two weeks ago ( ATWOnline, Sept. 16). Six carriers operate the plane, according to RIA Novosti, which reported that the ban will remain in force until pilots from those airlines undergo additional training.
Delta Air Lines will offer a first class on its MD-88 shuttle service beginning Dec. 1. Each aircraft will feature 14 first class seats and 128 in economy and the shuttle will continue to feature open seating. DL said first class customers will "enjoy an expanded selection of snack options, a more expansive offering of complimentary cocktails and wider, more comfortable seats." By next spring the shuttle fleet will be equipped with Aircell's Gogo inflight broadband service. Delta Shuttle operates 30-times-daily from New York LaGuardia to Washington National and Boston.
Rockwell Collins reached a deal with Airbus to provide side displays and docking stations for the new Class 2 electronic flight bag on A320s for production and aftermarket applications. System is designed to enhance efficiency by electronically connecting airline and pilot operations.
Embraer delivered the first E-190 to Virgin Nigeria. The aircraft is configured for 96 passengers, 12 in first class and 84 in economy. All seats feature the Thales i4500 IFE system. VK has ordered three E-190s and seven E-170s.
SITA said Boryspil International selected its AirportConnect solution to support its goal of processing 18 million passengers by 2020. Solution enables faster check-in and easier adoption of self-service technology. The airport anticipates 20% growth this year to some 6.7 million passengers. Deal also includes SITA AirportHub, a shared wide area network offering high-resiliency and cost-effective in-airport connectivity.
Qantas Group named Jetstar Airways GM Bruce Buchanan to take over the CEO role on Oct. 1, replacing Alan Joyce, who will take over the reins at Qantas Group in November ( ATWOnline, July 29).
AVIC I is ramping up efforts to manufacture large commercial trunk aircraft as some of its subsidiaries are beginning to make big investments in expanding production capabilities.
CTT Systems announced that Air New Zealand ordered 42 Zonal Drying Systems to be installed in 13 A320s, five 767s, 16 737s and eight 777s. The systems, which eliminate condensation in the aircraft, are scheduled for installation starting in November.
Alitalia's pilots and flight attendants still have not signed on to the revived AZ rescue plan backed by the airline's other major unions, stalling its re-launch even as Lufthansa became a possible investor.
Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA said that 1,550 United Airlines flight attendants accepted voluntary furloughs in increments of six, nine, 12, 18 and 21 months beginning Oct. 31, eliminating the need for involuntary furloughs ( ATWOnline, Aug. 29).
Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines shareholders yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favor the carriers' planned merger, leaving US Dept. of Justice approval as the only remaining significant potential obstacle to the combination. The shareholder votes came on the heels of US FAA's acceptance of the airlines' merger plan earlier this week ( ATWOnline, Sept. 23).
US House of Representatives Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved language that would withhold funding for the Dept. of Homeland Security's US-Visit Exit program, which would employ a system using airline-collected biometrics to determine when foreigners leave US airports, the Air Transport Assn. said. The measure still must be approved by the Senate. ATA has argued that DHS rather than airlines should collect the data.
Air France KLM and AF Chairman and CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta will relinquish the latter title at both the parent company and airline on Jan. 1, when Deputy CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon will take over. "I felt it necessary to propose an internal solution that would guarantee continuity of governance in view of the difficult economic climate facing us," Spinetta said.
Lufthansa Technik is expanding capacity in European countries with lower labor costs and plans to perform its first D check on an A321 at its new Sofia facility in November. LHT Sofia will open formally on Oct. 28, employ 258 and feature a two-bay, 6,000-sq.-m. hangar. LHT has invested €20 million in the facility along with partner Bulgarian Aviation Group. Sofia will join LHT sites in Germany, Ireland, Hungary and Malta in performing single-aisle MRO. Meanhile, LHT Malta is planning to open its new 27,000-sq.-m.
ANA announced yesterday that it reached agreement with Boeing on a revised 787 delivery schedule that will see the launch customer take its first aircraft next August, 15 months later than originally planned but sooner than might have been expected given that the aircraft has yet to make its first flight.
US FAA yesterday announced that Croatia has been designated Category 2 and "does not comply with international safety standards" set by ICAO. FAA assessed Croatia's civil aviation authority in January. It said the Croatian government is "working diligently to correct all areas of concern," without elaborating.
Kenya Airways will launch thrice-weekly Nairobi-Guangzhou on Oct. 28 using a 777-200ER. AirBaltic will launch flights from Riga to Amsterdam (daily), Hannover (five-times-weekly), Tampere (twice-daily) and Dubai (twice-weekly) on Oct. 26. It will offer 49 routes from Riga and 14 from Vilnius during the winter schedule.
Gol and VRG parent Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes said yesterday that Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency has approved its request to integrate Gol and VRG into a single airline company ( ATWOnline, Aug. 1). "The reorganization aims at improving operational structure," Gol said.
Boeing and Honeywell subsidiary UOP have brought together a group of airlines and environmental organizations that will work to accelerate the development and commercialization of new sustainable aviation fuels.
Continental Airlines expects to record a $50 million hit on its third-quarter operating results owing to the impact of Hurricane Ike on its operation at its Houston Intercontinental hub. It reported the "preliminary estimate" in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday. CO suspended service at IAH beginning midday Sept. 12 and recommenced Sept.15. It noted that much of Houston was without power the following week.
Hainan Airlines Chairman Zhu Yimin was promoted to VP of parent HNA Group and will be succeeded by HNA Hotel Co. executive Li Xiaoming, who also will be chairman of Grand China Air, an insider told ATWOnline yesterday. HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng relinquished the Grand China role but will remain head of the parent company.
Alitalia, described by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi last week as being "on the edge of an abyss," yesterday gained new life when the airline's largest labor union reversed course and agreed to concessions contained in the rescue plan proposed by investment group CAI, which now may include Air France KLM.
