Air France KLM flew 17.91 billion RPKs in September, up 5.3% from the year-ago month, against a 5.9% rise in ASKs to 21.76 billion. Load factor fell 0.5 point to 82.3%.
IATA yesterday announced a standard it said "paves the way for global mobile phone check-in using two-dimensional barcodes." DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said the standard, which will use both the Aztec and Datamatrix codes popular in Europe and North America and the QR code used in Japan, "is an important step in getting rid of paper that bogs down processes and drives up costs." IATA has set a 2010 deadline for implementation of barcoded boarding passes.
Southwest Airlines unveiled a new gate design to complement the adjusted, numbered boarding procedure announced last month ( ATWOnline, Sept. 20) that it hopes will "alleviate the need for customers to 'camp out' in line at the gate." Stainless steel columns and television monitors will be installed to support the boarding procedure at each of SWA's 64 airports, with a family area, power stations, a business/leisure section with padded seats and tables and flat screen TVs to follow.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres signed an MOU with Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. and Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co. to establish a tire retreading facility in Jinjiang. Dunlop will be majority partner of the venture, which is scheduled to be operational in early 2009.
Sterling Airlines will open its seventh base in Malmo, where it will base two 737s and fly to London Gatwick, Barcelona, Alicante, Florence and Nice beginning March 10.
VRG Linhas Aereas, the new Varig, reached interline agreements effective this month with Hahn Air, Malev Hungarian Airlines, El Al, Air One, Mexicana and Qatar Airways in addition to its deal with partner carrier Gol.
China Eastern Airlines has an optimistic outlook about its cooperation with Singapore Airlines as the carriers share common business interests, CEA President Li Fenghua said yesterday.
Russian airlines have been ordered by the Transport Ministry to follow a list of customer service regulations beginning Oct. 20 or risk fines and the eventual loss of their operating licenses, The Moscow Times reported. Under the new directives, airlines are forbidden from denying travel in the case of lost or stolen tickets and must provide hot meals every 4 hr. and hotel rooms in the case of extended delays, among other things, the paper said.
Messier Services officially opened its new Americas landing gear and hydraulics MRO facility in Queretaro, Mexico, completing its move from Washington Dulles to a 10,000-sq.-m. complex with potential for substantial growth.
Fraport remains on course to expand its portfolio of foreign airport investments, with China and India priority regions, Senior VP-Marketing, Sales Support, Board and Committees Annegret Reinhardt-Lehmann told ATWOnline. "We are looking for further opportunities in China as well as in India," she said, adding that the company already holds a 10% share in Delhi International Airport Private Ltd., which took over the operation of Indira Gandhi International last year and is in the process of taking a 24.5% share in Xi'an Xianyang International.
Qantas, the largest customer for the 787, was among several carriers that offered generally muted responses yesterday to Boeing's announcement that it will delay first flight and first delivery by at least six months.
Air Canada named Michael Rousseau as its new CFO, effective Oct. 22. Rousseau was president of Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay Co. and replaces Joshua Koshy, who is leaving the airline. Separately, AC announced the launch of a daily Toronto-Madrid service on June 15, 2008, aboard a 767-300. AC and its Jazz subsidiary flew a combined 4.48 billion RPMs in September, up 3.3% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 3.7% to 5.7 billion ASMs and load factor slipped 0.2 point to 78.7%.
Continental Airlines announced the contribution of an additional $75 million to its defined benefit pension plans, lifting to $336 million its year-to-date contribution.
Dragonair will launch flights from Hong Kong to Fukuoka (daily aboard A321s) and Sendai (thrice-weekly aboard A320s) on Oct. 28. KLM and Copa Airlines signed a codeshare agreement covering flights beyond their Amsterdam and Panama City hubs effective March 30. KLM will launch thrice-weekly service between the hubs that day.
VGS Aircraft Holding (Ireland) through its wholly owned subsidiary VGS Investments One Ltd. acquired an A320 from JetBlue Airways that is leased to TAM until February 2014.
Aerolineas Argentinas and Air Comet parent Grupo Marsans, the Spanish tourism and transport giant, yesterday signed an MOU with Airbus for four A380s, 10 A350-900s, five A330-200s, five A321s, 25 A320s and 12 A319s. No catalog value or engine choice was announced in conjunction with the order, which follows Marsans' 2006 commitment for 12 A330-200s.
The European Commission yesterday confirmed a citation from DG Competition Director General Philip Lowe Tuesday night that the body has no competence to force Ryanair to sell its shareholding in Aer Lingus. "We are reiterating what we have previously said, namely that under the EU merger regulation we are not in a position to act because Ryanair's stake doesn't grant it effective control [over Aer Lingus]," DG Competition spokesperson Linda Cain told ATWOnline.
Air India expects revenue of $4 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, as it moves forward with the merger between the old AI and Indian Airlines, Dow Jones reported from New Delhi. The two carriers reported pro forma revenue of $3.5 billion in the 12 months ending last March, AI Executive Director-Finance S. Venkat told the newswire. Separately, AI parent National Aviation Co. of India signed a $1.23 billion financing package with the Export-Import Bank of the US to support the acquisition of 17 Boeing aircraft and four spare engines, the bank announced.
Star Alliance said US Airways has relocated to the new South Terminal at Miami International, beginning the process that will see all five Star member carriers at MIA operating from the same terminal. The Star area is located in the new Concourse J and has 50 shared ticketing and check-in counters.
Tiger Airways confirmed its Paris Air Show order for 30 A320s plus 20 options, Airbus announced. The LCC currently operates nine A320s, with 11 scheduled for delivery by 2010. Airbus said that no engine choice had been made but Tiger announced in August that it had selected the V2500 ( ATWOnline, Aug. 31). The reason for the discrepancy was unclear. Aircraft will seat 180 in a single-class configuration.
Ryanair said it is taking France to the European Court of Human Rights over a recent ruling by the French Conseil d'Etat, the country's highest administrative court, requiring that the carrier apply French labor laws to employees located in Marseille, where it opened a base in November 2006. The LCC's decision relates to a December 2006 decree compelling foreign carriers to apply French employment laws to crews based at the country's airports.
American Airlines will close its Cincinnati reservations office in September 2008. It said it will offer jobs to the 450 affected employees elsewhere in the company.
