US Air Transport Assn. Executive VP and COO John Meenan said that while the Lieberman-Warner carbon dioxide cap-and-trade bill was withdrawn in the US Senate, the proposal likely was a "pattern piece. . .setting the stage for what eventually will be passed in Congress."
Delta Air Lines will offer a rebate of the $25 second-checked-bag fee to customers who purchased tickets before April 9 and traveled on or after May 5, making a "one time exception" to its policy of enforcing rules effective on the date of travel. It said the decision was "in response to customer feedback and as a matter of goodwill." It announced the new policy on April 9 and it became effective May 5. Separately, DL will launch five-times-weekly New York JFK-Buenos Aires on Dec. 18.
Ryanair will launch service from Nottingham East Midlands to Faro, Fuerteventura and Prague at the end of October. At the same time it will begin flying from Liverpool to Faro, Gdansk, Scezecin and Knock. Meanwhile, the LCC said it will suspend all services to Arad, just north of Timisoara, on July 31 for what it called a "lack of cooperation" from the county government. It will replace the service with a thrice-weekly Bergamo-Berlin Schoenefeld.
Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan has achieved better-than-expected fuel burn figures, officials claimed at last week's Eco-Aviation conference presented by Air Transport World and Leeham Co. in Washington. The GTF, which has completed 250 hr. of bench testing, has achieved a 15% improvement in fuel burn compared to the initial target of 12% over comparable 737/A320 powerplants. The new engine will commence flight tests next week on Pratt's 747SP before heading to Toulouse for testing on an A340-600 later this summer.
Airbus and Boeing are taking steps to ensure green manufacturing and develop environmentally friendly aircraft dismantling processes while working alongside engine OEMs and airlines to pursue development of sustainable biofuels.
Airports Council International-North America VP-Policy and External Affairs Deborah McElroy shared results of a three-month environmental benchmark survey that ended in February, reporting that 23 of the 73 responding airports currently have an Environmental Management System. Speaking at last week's Eco-Aviation conference presented by Air Transport World and Leeham Co. in Washington, McElroy said six of those EMSs are certified and 15 of the respondents, which represent nearly 60% of US/Canada passenger traffic, publish a regular environmental report.
Governments around the world must work alongside airlines and manufacturers that are trying to make a difference in the environment, according to Air New Zealand's Rob Fyfe, CEO of one of the industry's greenest carriers.
Finnair reached a tentative agreement with pilots that will run through November. It lifts an overtime ban, provides for a 3.9% pay raise and offers the airline "structural changes which improve efficiency." Negotiations on a longer-team deal start this fall.
Southwest Airlines will invest $175 million to implement RNP fleetwide for use at 64 US airports, the LCC announced yesterday at the Eco-Aviation conference presented by Air Transport World and Leeham Co. in Washington.
Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative Executive Director Richard Altman said yesterday that the coalition is on target to achieve US FAA and American Society for Testing and Materials approval for 50% Syngas blends, including biomass, by year end. By 2010, he said, it will achieve approval for 100%. "We have very definitive goals and very definitive timeframes," he said at yesterday's Eco-Aviation conference presented by Air Transport World and Leeham Co. in Washington. "But, as an industry, we've got to change the current model for certification."
SAS Group yesterday abandoned its effort to sell Spanair, saying that as a result of the "challenging market conditions in the Spanish aviation market coupled with record oil prices and pressure in the financial sector," it has been unable to "reach its targeted terms and conditions on the divestment." CEO Mats Jansson said Spanair is "a company with a competitive cost position" and that SAS is committed to its future.
TRIP Linhas Aereas signed an order for five E-175s plus 10 options and 15 purchase rights, Embraer announced. Value of firm orders at list prices is $167.5 million, and the deal could exceed $1 billion if all options and rights are exercised. Delivery will start next year. TRIP will configure the aircraft in one class with 86 seats. The Campinas-based carrier operates 18 aircraft and expects to carry 1 million passengers to 70 destinations this year.
Airline industry representatives sharply criticized environmental initiatives targeting commercial aviation around the globe, asserting that fuel prices provide significant incentive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while "taxes" penalize carriers and are counterproductive.
US Environmental Protection Agency is "days away" from issuing a broad document that will detail "ways in which regulation of greenhouse gas emissions" could apply under the Clean Air Act, potentially leading to establishment of carbon dioxide emissions regulations for a broad range of industries including commercial aviation, a top EPA official said yesterday.
Aeroflot finally has released its 2007 full-year results under IFRS standards, reporting a $313.4 million profit that represented a 21.4% increase over the $258.1 million earned in 2006. However, it is predicting a drop this year, as "fuel prices are having a colossal effect on us," according to comments from SU Deputy Director Mikhail Poluboyarinov cited by Reuters. Revenue should rise 30%, driven partly by an 8%-10% increase in fares.
Continental Airlines and United Airlines yesterday signed a "framework agreement to cooperate extensively, linking their networks and services worldwide," and CO revealed that it will leave SkyTeam to join Star Alliance with UA and CO planning to form joint venture operations with other Star carriers for transatlantic services as well as flights to Latin America and Asia.
Chinese airlines are showing "a lot of interest" in Bombardier's new CSeries aircraft owing to its greater fuel efficiency, VP-Commercial Aircraft Marketing and Communications Trung Ngo told ATWOnline recently in Beijing. "We have been in discussion with a number of Chinese carriers, including state-owned and private airlines, on the CSeries," Ngo revealed. He claimed it can consume about 20% less fuel than comparable aircraft like the E-195, A318/A319 and 737NG.
Airlines and a number of US lawmakers heavily criticized the US Dept. of Transportation's proposed rule that would initiate slot auctions at New York JFK and Newark and vowed to fight the effort. DOT, in an effort to reduce flight delays and congestion in the New York market, has proposed giving all airlines operating at JFK and EWR up to 20 slots a day for 10 years, with 10%-20% of slots above the baseline level auctioned off ( ATWOnline, May 19)
Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will meet with EU officials next month to finalize an open skies agreement, the impact of which remains uncertain. Last week, European transport ministers approved a mandate for the European Commission "to negotiate an EU-wide open skies air services agreement with Australia," Albanese told Australian parliament this week. The agreement will cover only Australian and European carriers, although only British Airways operates to Australia on its own.
British Airways subsidiary OpenSkies is scheduled to operate its first daily flight today between Paris Orly and New York JFK aboard a three-class, 82-seat 757. "While the economic climate has worsened in recent months, we believe that OpenSkies can compete effectively," BA CEO Willie Walsh said. "It has a low cost base and support from British Airways in key areas such as sales and marketing. This differentiates it from some new airlines that have failed recently which were operating in isolation without the backing of an established carrier."
Sabre Airline Solutions reached agreement with Emirates to implement its SlotManager solution featuring slot management and tracking technology for flight scheduling.
Japan Airlines said the JAL Flight Crew Union (1,100 members), JAL Japan Pilots Union (600) and Japan Air Commuter union (113) staged a strike yesterday, forcing cancellation of 86 flights (all related to the JAC walkout). JAL added that the pilots' action was "for a variety of reasons, including the summer bonus." It said JPU and JAC may continue the strike today, which would affect more flights.
