SITA announced completion of 700 workstations at Beijing Capital's Terminal 3 to support Olympic Games traffic this summer including check-in, boarding and transfers. A $3 billion addition, the terminal is expected to boost annual capacity by 30 million passengers ( ATWOnline, March 3). SITA projects that 50 of its self-service check-in kiosks will be ready to go live for the Olympics.
NavAero received STC authority for the navAero tBag C22 as a Class II EFB on MD-82/-83/-87 series aircraft. Product is suitable during all phases of flight.
Air One will increase its presence from Milan Malpensa this summer, using opportunities available as a result of Alitalia's downscaling at the airport. The Italian carrier will operate 138 weekly flights from MXP on a network featuring domestic, European and long-haul routes. Last month, Network, Marketing and Business Development Director Giorgio de Roni told ATWOnline that AP had applied to the US Dept. of Transportation for authority to launch flights to the US. The new transatlantic open skies agreement eliminates the designation requirements but still requires licensing.
Sabena Technics signed a three-year aircraft maintenance services agreement with Brussels Airlines covering its 10 737s and four A330s. Agreement includes line and light maintenance support, outstation services for long-haul operations and component support services. By year end Brussels aims to conduct its own line maintenance on its 737s. It already does so on its BAe 146s and A320 family aircraft.
TACA expects 2008 revenue to increase 15% year-over-year to $1.1 billion as passenger traffic rises 10%-15%, President Roberto Kriete told the Reuters Latin America Investment Summit last week, according to the news service. "We are growing because we do not depend on the North American market," he said.
Compass Airlines, a wholly owned Northwest Airlines subsidiary, said it served nearly 500,000 passengers in its first year of operation flying 17 E-170s. It also announced that it was approved for daily Detroit-Monterrey service beginning May 2. Compass operates 74 daily flights to 26 cities as Northwest Airlink and expects to fly 36 aircraft and transport more than 2 million passengers by year end.
Global Logistics Systems said Cathay Pacific Airways adopted its Ezycustoms technology as its customs gateway to conform to AAMS requirements of US CBP. Features include compliance verification, waybill records management and exception alerts.
US FAA came under intense scrutiny last week when "whistleblower" agency inspectors, Dept. of Transportation Inspector General Calvin Scovel and a House of Representatives committee detailed "cozy" relationships between inspectors and airlines, pervasive "dysfunction" and "regulatory abuse" at a regional office and "a disconnect" between its Washington headquarters and day-to-day field operations.
United Airlines flew 10.04 billion system RPMs in March, down 2.7% from the year-ago month. Capacity was level at 12.14 billion ASMs, dropping load factor 2.3 points to 82.7%. US Airways Group said consolidated March passenger RASM climbed 5%-7% year-over-year but President Scott Kirby said high fuel prices will lead the company to reduce mainline capacity 3%-4% in the second half of 2008. The group flew 5.58 billion consolidated RPMs last month, down 0.7% from the year-ago month, against a 2.9% fall in capacity to 6.65 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 1.9 points to 83.9%.
Northwest Airlines yesterday announced a series of measures "in response to the high cost of fuel and current economic uncertainties," including a 5% reduction from its 2008 business plan in domestic capacity following the peak summer schedule that will result in the removal of an additional 15-20 aircraft from service. Aircraft removed will comprise 10 DC-9s and a mix of 757s and A319s/A320s.
Alitalia board yesterday convened an emergency meeting following Air France-KLM's withdrawal from its bid to acquire the ailing Italian flag carrier and named Aristide Police as chairman replacing the resigned Maurizio Prato. The board maintained that the AF-KLM deal remains "suitable to ensure Alitalia can return to profitable growth," according to Reuters, and that it would "evaluate the existence of the necessary conditions to continue doing business" at a meeting scheduled for next Tuesday. However, time is running out.
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly conceded that there "was clearly a mistake with our regulatory compliance" when the carrier operated 46 737 Classics for nine days in March 2007 after it had disclosed to US FAA that the aircraft were in noncompliance with an agency airworthiness directive but insisted that "safety of flight" was not compromised.
Air Canada unveiled an a-la-carte service product via its website intended to help customers manage travel disruptions such as weather, airport and ATC delays not typically the responsibility of the airline.
TAP Portugal reported its "best year ever" in 2007 with a net profit of €32.8 million ($51.2 million) that represented a more-than-fourfold increase over the €7.3 million earned in 2006 as operating profit more than doubled to €79.3 million from €30.3 million a year earlier.
British Airways expects to operate a full schedule to and from London Heathrow's Terminal 5 Saturday and next week. However, the financial impact of the troubled opening is estimated to be around £16 million ($31.7 million), BA said yesterday, reflecting all costs associated with the disruption in addition to lost revenue opportunities.
ATA Airlines, an independent carrier based in Indianapolis, shut down operations yesterday after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday.
ANA exercised options for two additional 767-300BCFs, bringing its firm orders for the passenger-to-freighter conversions to seven. The carrier is the launch customer for the aircraft. The first of its converted freighters is nearing completion at Singapore Technologies Aerospace and is expected to make its first flight this month. After flight testing and certification, redelivery to ANA is planned for June at the SASCO facility in Singapore.
Iberia signed an agreement with Slovenia's Aurora Airlines to provide component MRO and inspection services on MD-80 aircraft at its Madrid shop. Contract expires in December 2011
Amadeus unveiled the Amadeus Airline Retailing Platform, designed to allow carriers to merchandise their products through GDSs much the same as they do on their own websites. Developed in conjunction with Iberia, Qantas and other airlines, the new platform will enable carriers to showcase features and brand attributes such as flat beds or satellite television via mouse-over popups on the availability screen. It also will present a list of upsell opportunities, such as desirable seats, lounge access or other optional services, at the time of pricing.
Boeing delivered 115 commercial aircraft in the first quarter, up from 106 in the first three months of 2007. First-quarter 2008 deliveries comprised 87 737NGs, four 747s, three 767s and 21 777s.
EgyptAir Chairman Atef Abdel Hamid said the carrier's effort to meet the requirements for Star Alliance membership is nearing conclusion and it expects to be ready for a Cairo joining ceremony scheduled for July. "We still have some challenges to meet the last standards of a Star Alliance member," Hamid told ATWOnline this week in Istanbul. He said training of certain staff and some minor adaptations to its IT infrastructure are still on the docket but will be completed on schedule.
United Airlines grounded all 52 of its 777s after disclosing to US FAA that a review of its maintenance records revealed that required checks on cargo fire suppression systems were "not performed." UA cancelled an estimated 38 flights yesterday as it conducted the inspections. It said one of five bottles in the 777's cargo fire suppression systems had been overlooked during routine maintenance checks.
AMF, the French stock market regulator, said its 18-month investigation into alleged insider trading at Airbus and parent EADS related to A380 program delays produced enough evidence to "initiate proceedings" against an undisclosed number of unidentified executives.
