Comair, Delta Air Lines' regional subsidiary, expects to ground 14 aircraft and cut 8% of its workforce this fall, according to a notice to employees cited by the Associated Press. The staff cuts will include 300 pilot and 220 cabin staff positions. DL announced wide-ranging cuts in March ( ATWOnline, March 19).
Austrian Airlines yesterday reached agreement with AeroLogic, the Lufthansa/DHL cargo joint venture, to train its pilots for type ratings for the 777-200F.
Ethiopian Airlines and privately held Togolese startup ASKY signed an MOU to form a strategic partnership covering marketing, operations, maintenance, training, financing and management contracts, ET announced. It will hold a 20% stake in the startup, which is expected to launch services in December with eight aircraft likely to be leased from ET. "Ethiopian has been engaged in the process of identifying a hub in West Africa in order to serve the region better and connecting it to the rest of the world," CEO Girma Wake said.
MK Airlines and Freight Feeder Aircraft Corp. signed a letter of intent for the purchase of 10 FF5000 Freight Feeder Aircraft plus five options, the companies announced in a joint statement. Officials of both Freight Feeder and MK, the UK-based carrier that suspended operations last month but re-launched shortly afterward after securing new funding ( ATWOnline, June 24), plan to meet within the year to complete final negotiations.
Embraer delivered 43 commercial aircraft during the second quarter, up significantly from 27 delivered in the second three months of 2007. Deliveries comprised two ERJ-145s, one E-170, 14 E-175s, 21 E-190s and five E-195s. First semester commercial deliveries totaled 18 compared to 47 last year, and the company reaffirmed its forecast of 195-200 total deliveries in 2008 including its business jet segment. As of June 30 its firm order backlog included 41 ERJ-145s (all for China's Hainan Airlines), 46 E-170s, 46 E-175s, 270 E-190s and 75 E-195s.
LAN Cargo was approved by the Colombian government to launch an affiliate cargo airline there with plans to initiate services in the first quarter of 2009. Noting that Colombia is "the largest air cargo market in Latin America in terms of exports to the US," LAN earlier this year applied for the right to launch a new airline ( ATWOnline, May 13). It said yesterday that the carrier will provide airfreight services between Colombia and the US using an undisclosed number of 767-300 freighters.
Lufthansa cancelled 641 flights scheduled to be operated yesterday by its CityLine and Eurowings subsidiaries, an LH spokesperson told ATWOnline, as a result of a 24-hr. pilot strike that started late Sunday. The work action followed a breakdown in talks between the Vereinigung Cockpit union and the airline. Approximately 1,000 pilots took part in the strike, which affected passengers throughout Germany, including those at LH's main hubs of Frankfurt and Munich. The airline said further delays are possible this morning as it works to bring its schedule back to normal.
Alaska Airlines announced a partnership with Frontier Alaska under which customers of the commuter airline will have access to AS's loyalty program and the option to book through travel to certain markets from this fall.
AirTran Airways will cut 180 pilots and 300 flight attendants effective Sept. 6, Senior VP-Marketing and Planning Kevin Healy told the Associated Press yesterday. The carrier said last week it would impose a 15% pay cut on officers and a 5%-8% cut on most staff ( ATWOnline, July 3). As for the job cuts, Healy said AirTran will offer voluntary leave for employees with at least five years of service in a deal under which medical benefits and flight privileges would be maintained for 6-12 months.
News from Travel Technology Update: Skyrocketing fuel costs and the increasing popularity of the green movement are intersecting to create new interest in an old form of transportation: rail. In the U.S., ridership on Amtrak is breaking records. The House of Representatives has passed and sent H.R. 6003, a bill that authorizes $14.9 billion over 2009 to 2013 for rail programs administered by Amtrak, the states and the Department of Transportation, to the Senate.
JetBlue Airways flew 2.3 billion RPMs in June, up 2.3% year-over-year, against a 3.2% increase in capacity to 2.77 billion ASMs. Load factor fell 0.7 point to 83.1%. Gol and VRG flew a combined 2.23 billion RPKs in June, an 18.4% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 19.6% to 3.42 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 0.6 point to 65.4%. EasyJet transported 4.1 million passengers in June, up 19.5% year-over-year, while load factor rose 0.1 point to 86.9%.
Vueling Airlines and Clickair agreed late yesterday to merge, according to statement sent to Spanish stock market regulators cited by both Thomson Financial and Reuters. No further details were available. The LCCs have been talking for months and Iberia Chairman and CEO Fernando Conte, whose airline will be the majority shareholder in the merged carrier, said at last month's IATA AGM that a deal was imminent ( ATWOnline, June 4).
Aeroflot Cargo was granted a license last week from the Chinese government allowing it to transport dangerous goods into the nation. It currently operates both freighter and passenger flights to Beijing and Shanghai. It also is allowed to transport dangerous goods to the UK, Germany, France, Finland, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Wataniya Airways, a Kuwaiti startup, announced receipt of its AOC from the national Directorate General of Aviation. The premium carrier expects to launch service in January with two 122-seat A320s ( ATWOnline, May 28).
China Eastern Airlines remains confident in its plan to introduce Singapore Airlines as its strategic investor despite the fact that the exclusive stake sale agreement signed with SIA last September will be invalid after Aug. 9. "As fuel prices keep surging, it is a difficult time for the airline industry, which makes it more necessary for carriers to conduct cooperation," CEA Board Secretary Luo Zhuping said. "I think our cooperation with SIA won't be hindered by the short-term difficulty caused by the rising fuel price.
Sensis Corp. announced that its Aerobahn Service is now operational with Continental Airlines at Houston Intercontinental. Sensis said the Web-based service provides CO with "real-time situational awareness into their hub operation at IAH by integrating flight schedule and operational data with Sensis' Multistatic Dependent Surveillance ground surveillance." CO already uses Aerobahn at Newark.
Spirit Airlines last week announced a plan to reduce nonfuel expenses by 15% through the retirement of five aircraft, schedule adjustments and layoffs.
A Kalitta Air 747-200F crashed yesterday into a home shortly after takeoff from Bogota, killing three occupants in the house, fewer than 24 hr. after a USA Jet Airlines DC-9F crashed on approach to Saltillo, Mexico, killing one pilot.
AirTran Airways was awarded a US General Services Administration flying contract covering 119 city-pairs worth an estimated $47 million during FY09, a more than 30% year-over-year increase.
Lufthansa Systems reached a six-year deal with Gol for provision of its NetLine resource management solution and MRO technology. Implementation is expected in the 2009 first quarter.
American Airlines flew 11.85 billion system RPMs in June, down 3.1% year-over-year, while capacity declined 1.2% to 13.86 billion ASMs. Load factor dropped 1.7 points to 85.5%. American Eagle flew 736.7 million RPMs, down 8.6%, against a 2.3% decline in capacity to 980.8 million ASMs. Load factor fell 5.2 points to 75.1%. Delta Air Lines flew 11.69 billion system RPMs in June, up 0.2% year-over-year, against a 0.7% rise in ASMs to 13.68 billion. Load factor dropped 0.5 point to 85.4%.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways will launch an advertising campaign this weekend informing consumers of their right to claim refunds following the carriers' admission that they colluded on transatlantic fuel surcharges between August 2004 and March 2006 ( ATWOnline, Feb. 19).
Germanwings will phase out four of its 29 A319s Nov. 1. "We don't want to make the mistake of expanding at any cost. The business of our industry has changed, especially the high fuel prices. We have to be profitable. That's why we have to reduce our fleet," MD Thomas Winkelmann said. It was not clear whether any destinations will be removed from the network or if there will be any employee reductions.
