The Court of Appeal The Hague last week ruled that the new environmental tax introduced by the Dutch government on air passengers does not contravene European or international civil aviation law. The tax adds €11.25 ($17.83) per ticket for intra-European flights and €45 for longer segments and was imposed on July 1 on all passengers departing Dutch airports, excluding transfer customers ( ATWOnline, Feb. 8).
Pratt & Whitney concluded the Farnborough Airshow by announcing that Uzbekistan Airways selected PW4000s to power four firm 767s it has on order in a deal valued at more than $130 million. Deliveries are slated to begin in 2013. It also said that AWAS Aviation Trading Ltd. selected IAE V2500s to power 30 A320s to be delivered in 2011-15 in a deal valued at $166 million. AWAS currently owns a fleet of 29 A320-family aircraft powered by V2500s.
Serbian government plans to reduce the minimum price it will accept for the sale of flag carrier Jat Airways to compensate for rising fuel prices, Deputy Prime Minister Mladjan Dinkic said last week ( ATWOnline, June 16). According to Reuters, the government initially priced the airline at €150 million and said it would sell a 51% stake in a tender expected to be called by the end of this month. Dinkic said there is a "reserve plan" if the government is unsatisfied with the tender's outcome.
Delta Air Lines reached an accord with Pinnacle Airlines and agreed to abandon plans to terminate its 10-year contract with its regional partner, with terms of the reaffirmed deal allowing Pinnacle to continue operating as a Delta Connection carrier until 2017.
China Southern Airlines plans to reduce the pay of all executives, including Chairman Liu Shaoyong, by 10% in an effort to cut its operating expenses by CNY1.3 billion ($190.3 million) by year end. The domestic fuel price has risen to CNY8,720 per ton, nearly four times greater than in 2005. The increase has hit CZ the hardest, as it operates the greatest number of domestic routes.
Qantas on Friday said it will cut 1,500 jobs by Dec. 31 and cancel a planned 8% boost in capacity for its 2009 fiscal year starting July 1 "in response to the sustained high oil prices and changing economic conditions." The carrier did, however, reach an accord "in principle" Friday with its mechanics on a new four-year labor contract, likely ending a dispute that had led to rolling work stoppages that disrupted QF's flight schedule in recent weeks.
Swiss International Air Lines announced the acquisition of Servair Private Charter, which it said will operate as a wholly owned, Zurich-based subsidiary called Swiss Private Aviation and "should establish the Swiss Group in the business aviation sector and provide a platform for operating the Lufthansa Private Jet fleet." SPA will concentrate on offering aircraft management services to private clients and companies and operating commercial charters. From spring 2009, the LH Private Jet fleet will be operated under SPA's AOC. Separately, LX will enhance its winter schedule Oct.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Alitalia has attracted significant investor interest and the government "will have to say no because the offer is over twice what is necessary," according to Thomson Financial. "We are working on the issue and I am personally convinced that we will be able to present a new Alitalia with a business plan for a profitable flagship carrier fairly soon."
US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure introduced a bill this week that it said "addresses issues raised by FAA whistleblowers and others" at an April hearing, including that the agency "had become too friendly with the airlines it regulates, allowing them to continue to fly aircraft that were past safety inspection deadlines" ( ATWOnline, July 3). The bill, which the committee claimed "will help restore confidence in the FAA's safety regime," would create an independent Aviation Safety Whistleblower Investigation Of
Aviapartner Cargo signed a contract with Turkish Airlines to provide cargo handling services covering 14 airports, including online and offline stations across France, as well as trucking distribution. Effective July 21, contract includes warehousing, ULD buildup and breakdown, inventory management, documentation, customs clearance, tracing and dangerous goods control.
One day after announcing a service cut at Dublin, Ryanair yesterday unveiled a series of winter schedule reductions and temporary base closures that it used as a platform to attack airport monopolies and increasing charges.
'Second-best' Farnborough brings Airbus $40 billion-plus in business British Airways searching for energy alternatives Q400 freighter conversion program launched Additional stories Farnborough News from July 14, July 15, July 16, July 17.
Trans States Airlines, which provides regional lift as AmericanConnection, US Airways Express and United Express, will furlough 58 additional pilots by the end of next month and reduce its fleet to 43 aircraft from 50, a spokesperson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It let 45 pilots go in June and will employ 422 this fall. Trans States serves 46 destinations and is based it St. Louis.
Babcock & Brown leased and delivered two former ATA Airlines 757-200s to Ethiopian Airlines. Lease agreements are five years each. B&B said it is "in discussions with several parties" regarding two additional former ATA aircraft.
Continental Airlines escaped the second quarter in far better financial shape than rivals American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, reporting a $3 million net loss that compared to a $228 million profit in the year-ago period.
Argentine government and Grupo Marsans reached agreement to nationalize Aerolineas Argentinas, Transport Secretary Ricardo Jaime told reporters in Buenos Aires yesterday, according to press reports ( ATWOnline, July 14). The price for Marsans' stake has yet to be determined.
Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair flew 7.76 billion RPKs in June, up 16.4% year-over-year, against a 16% increase in capacity to 9.54 billion ASKs. Load factor rose 0.3 point to 81.3%. Air Canada and Jazz Air flew 4.58 billion RPMs in June, a 1.9% increase year-over-year, while ASMs climbed 2.7% to 5.57 billion. Load factor dipped 0.6 point to 82.2%.
South African Airways reported a ZAR1.09 billion ($142.5 million) loss in the fiscal year ended March 31, widened from ZAR833 million the previous year, Bloomberg News reported. The result reportedly was driven by costs related to a restructuring program that included the grounding of its 747-400 fleet and nearly 2,000 layoffs ( ATWOnline, May 26). Excluding the restructuring costs, it was ZAR123 million in the black.
iSeatz launched its standalone booking engine developed for Delta Air Lines and featured on DL's website. Technology offers advanced travel purchasing options and ancillary service connections.
Swiss International Air Lines took delivery of its 15th A340-300 last week. The former Air Canada aircraft joins a fleet of 24 widebodies including 10 A330-200s.
Expansion and fuel costs weighed heavy on Norwegian's bottom line in the second quarter as the LCC reported a NOK62.2 million ($12.3 million) loss that represented a reversal from a NOK44.7 million profit in the year-ago period.
US Dept. of Transportation announced yesterday that within two years, all new aircraft must include technology that neutralizes flammable gasses from center fuel tanks on passenger aircraft. Those built after 1991 must be retrofitted. DOT said installation would cost $92,000-$311,000 per aircraft and that 2,730 aircraft currently in service in the US must be retrofitted. "I recognize that this is a challenging time for commercial aviation," Secretary Mary Peters said. "But there is no doubt that another crash like TWA 800 would pose a far greater challenge."
Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng told ATWOnline last week in Cairo that SIA's five A380s are flying very reliably. "But the most important thing for us is the aircraft is very popular with our passengers. Overall A380 load factor on scheduled flights has risen up to 90%," he said. Chew said the aircraft has enabled SIA to increase capacity on certain routes for the first time in 10 years. It had not had been able to do so operating 747-400s.
