China Southern Airlines announced this week that it will launch international service to 10 destinations from its Guangzhou hub in 2007. New markets are Dubai, Luanda, Sendai, Sapporo, Kathmandu, Delhi, Siem Reap, Phuket, Yangon and Vientiane. Launch dates were not provided. The carrier plans to take delivery of 68 aircraft this year, increasing its fleet to 440.
Winter weather forced cancellations and delays throughout the US Northeast and Midwest this week, but it was JetBlue Airways that dominated the headlines thanks to incidents at New York JFK and Pittsburgh Wednesday. The airline said 10 flights were "significantly delayed" at JFK, with news reports detailing passengers who were stuck on the tarmac for up to 10 hr. At PIT, passengers sat on a New York-bound aircraft for 4 hr. before being allowed to leave.
Air France is increasing its presence at London City Airport and will launch eight new routes on March 26, bringing to 10 the number of destinations it serves from LCY. New services operated by AF subsidiary CityJet will be to Geneva, Madrid, Milan Linate, Nice and Zurich. The Dublin-based carrier already operates six daily flights to Paris Orly and five to DUB under a franchise agreement with AF. In codeshare with ScotAirways it will launch flights from LCY to Belfast City, Dundee and Edinburgh. With the additions, AF will have up to 70 daily flights from LCY.
EasyJet opened its 17th base yesterday at Madrid Barajas, where it will keep four new A319s that will operate three domestic, 13 European and two North African routes ( ATWOnline, Aug. 25, 2006). It expects to carry 2 million passengers through the airport this year. The LCC's MRO supplier, SR Technics, opened a line maintenance station at Barajas. New twice-daily services launched yesterday were to La Coruna and Asturias.
US Airways said its largest shareholder, PAR Investment Partners, sold 6.5 million shares "as part of its portfolio diversification strategy." PAR still holds 7 million shares and will retain its seat on the board.
Air Mauritania 737 was hijacked yesterday en route from Nouakchott to Nouadhibou. The armed hijacker reportedly demanded passage to France but the aircraft flew to Las Palmas, where he was arrested, according to press reports. Spanish officials said there were 71 passengers and eight crew onboard. Some reports indicated several passengers may have been injured.
LAN Airlines finished 2006 $241.3 million in the black, a 64.6% improvement over the $146.6 million earned in 2005, and said its performance "provides a solid base for long-term growth and profitability" that will include a 19%-21% capacity increase in 2007. Full-year revenues rose 21.1% to $3.03 billion against a 15.5% lift in expenses to $2.73 billion, more than doubling operating profit to $302.6 million from the $141.6 million earned a year earlier.
WestJet earned C$114.7 million ($97.8 million) for 2006, widened from net earnings of C$24 million in the prior year and the highest profit in the Calgary-based LCC's 10-year history.
CSA Czech Airlines is scheduled to take delivery of its first new A320 today. Through April it will collect three A320s and its first two A319s. The additions are part of a 12-aircraft order placed in late 2004 ( ATWOnline, Oct. 19, 2004). Airbus will deliver the final four aircraft in 2008. New equipment replaces leased 737s. In April and May CSA will return four 737-500s and one -400.
CFM International and Indian Airlines signed an MOU to establish a CFM56 MRO joint venture in India. The shop will perform "the full spectrum of services" for CFM56-5B and -7B engines, CFM said. Indian operates six -5B-powered A319s and has 43 A320 family aircraft on order.
Thai Airways announced that it will buy eight A330-200s to cover a shortfall in capacity resulting from the A380 delays. Thai President Apinan Sumanaseni made the announcement in Bangkok. The airline will receive its A380s in 2011 instead of 2009. Last year, Airbus leased 19 A330s to Singapore Airlines ( ATWOnline, July 24, 2006) and sold four A330s to Qantas ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Lufthansa Technik and Croatia Airlines signed agreements under which LHT will subcontract overflow third-party C checks to Croatia and exchange personnel. In addition, Croatia will send landing gear on its four A319-100s and four A320-200s to Hamburg for MRO and exchange. Separately, LHT will overhaul landing gear on 53 Virgin Blue 737NGs over the next eight years.
Air France Industries signed Air Mauritius to a five-year agreement for full component support of seven A340s and two A319s, together with a maintenance base kit to be installed at the airline's Plaisance hub.
Hard hit by heavy Chapter 11-related restructuring costs, Delta Air Lines yesterday reported a $6.2 billion net loss for 2006, widened from $3.8 billion in red ink in the prior year and bringing its net loss for the two-year period to $10 billion. Excluding reorganization and special items, however, its full-year net loss was just $406 million, greatly improved compared to a $2.21 billion loss on a similar basis in 2005.
Qantas yesterday said the termination of its transtasman agreement with Air New Zealand ( ATWOnline, Nov. 16, 2006) resulted in the convertible notes issued by ANZ to QF in 2002 being converted into 44.2 million new ordinary shares. As a result, Qantas will own approximately 4.2% of ANZ's ordinary shares.
SunExpress, the Lufthansa-Turkish Airlines joint venture, said it will order two more 737-800s, bringing its fleet to 11 -800s and four 757-200s. The new aircraft will be delivered in April and May. "It is the first time that we have bought aircraft and not leased them," MD Paul Schwaiger said at a news conference in Istanbul. He said SunExpress transported around 2.35 million passengers in 2006, up 34% from 2005, with a load factor of 79.4%. Turnover rose 24% to €244 million ($316.9 million).
Continental Airlines completed installation of on-demand entertainment systems and in-seat power ports in the business class cabins of its 41 757s, which are used primarily on transatlantic flights from Newark. AVOD and power ports will be installed in economy class starting this summer.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines will return to Greenland after five years, launching a twice-weekly Copenhagen-Kangerlussuaq service in May aboard A319s, increasing to thrice-weekly in June. SkyEurope Airlines will launch three new services to Brussels, anticipating an increased demand for low-fare flights when Virgin Express ceases operations March 25 due to its merger with SN Brussels Airlines ( ATWOnline, Nov. 8, 2006).
Amadeus announced the successful implementation of the Amadeus Ticketing Platform for Hahn Air, allowing it to distribute e-tickets worldwide and develop interline e-ticketing.
S7 Airlines flew 4.9 million passengers in 2006, a 16.4% increase over the prior year. Traffic rose 14.2% to 12.5 billion RPKs, of which 60% was domestic and 40% international. The carrier added six A319s, four A310s, two 737-400s and two 737-500s last year, bringing its foreign-built fleet to 25. It also operates 27 Tu-154Ms and nine Il-86s. It became the second Russian airline to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit. Last week it announced the issue of 2.3 million bonds worth RUB1,000 ($38.05) each.
Citing "dynamic" passenger activity, "buoyant unit revenues" and a "favorable economic backdrop" that included a drop in oil prices to year-ago levels, Air France KLM Group reported that its net profit tripled to €229 million ($297.4 million) for the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31 from €77 million in the year-ago period.
LOT Polish Airlines named Marek Mazur chairman and CEO, according to press reports. He comes from outside the company and replaces Tomasz Dembski, who took over in November for the fired Krzysztof Kapis.
TAM selected Globe Air Cargo as its GSA in the UK and Ireland. The airline expects to carry 4 million kg. of freight per year on its London Heathrow-Sao Paulo service.
US FAA yesterday unveiled its eagerly awaited Next Generation Air Transportation System Financing Reform Act of 2007, the funding and air traffic control legislative proposal that would eliminate domestic ticket taxes, impose user fees and "make it easier for airports, airlines and controllers to keep pace with the skyrocketing demand for air travel," according to Administrator Marion Blakey.
Aviation Partners Boeing said yesterday that Gol placed an order for 27 additional Blended Winglet systems for installation on 737-800s the airline has on order for delivery through 2012. It already has 10 winglet-equipped -800s in service. Separately, Gol said it plans to operate a Sao Paulo-Lima-Mexico route later this year and will launch the service once it receives regulatory approvals.
