Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, the Mexican airports operator known as OMA, yesterday filed a registration statement with the US SEC for a proposed IPO it believes will raise $300-$345 million. OMA operates airports in Monterrey, Acapulco, Mazatlan and Zihuatanejo as well as nine other regional facilities. The IPO is intended to complete the Mexican government's privatization of OMA that began in 2000.
British Airways will meet with unions today regarding its latest offer to tackle the £2.1 billion deficit of its New Airways Pension Scheme, which has 33,794 active members. BA said yesterday that NAPS trustees have accepted the terms of the 10-year funding plan, which includes a one-off cash injection of £800 million. This is £300 million more than its original proposal ( ATWOnline, Oct. 2) but less than the GMB union's call for £1 billion.
Apple announced this week that it is partnering with Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, KLM, United Airlines and Air France to enable passengers traveling with iPods to draw electrical power for the devices from onboard systems and permit iPod video content to be transmitted to seatback screens for playback. Apple said the service will be available by the middle of next year, but AF yesterday refuted the claim that connectivity soon will be installed on its aircraft.
Embraer delivered 13 fewer commercial aircraft in the third quarter than in the year-ago period and saw net income for the three months ended Sept. 30 fall 45.5% to $61.4 million compared to $110.2 million last year on a 16% drop in revenues to $894.1 million. The Brazilian manufacturer admitted to "difficulties with the production ramp-up of the Embraer 190 and Embraer 195 aircraft," citing problems resulting from "wing assembly and supply chain delays." Consequently, it lowered its full-year forecast for aircraft deliveries from 145 to 135.
EasyJet celebrated a 59.5% surge in fiscal year profit to £94.1 million from £59 million last year with a massive aircraft order encompassing 52 firmed options on A319s scheduled for delivery between 2008 and 2010 and 75 new options on A320 family aircraft. If all options are exercised, the order will more than double the carrier's current fleet of 122 aircraft. It now has 104 airplanes on firm order worth more than $4 billion and holds purchase rights with Airbus on an additional 123.
Boeing yesterday delivered to Air China a 737-800 adorned with an official Beijing 2008 Olympics livery, marking the 150th Boeing plane delivered to the carrier.
Precision Conversions delivered a 757-200 converted freighter to Icelandair Cargo last week. Modification was performed at Flightstar Aircraft Services in Florida.
EVA Air will convert eight 747-400s to freighters, with the first conversion entering service next year, UDN News reported. They will replace the carrier's MD-11Fs. According to airline sources, EVA will convert one of its three outstanding 777-200LR orders to a dash 300ER and the balance to dash 200Fs. It had ordered the dash 200LRs to perform the Taipei-New York mission year round but found that the dash 300ER is achieving 3% lower fuel burn than guarantee, enabling it to operate the route.
Korean Air reported third-quarter net income of KRW126 billion ($132.3 million), down 17.7% from KRW154 billion in the year-ago quarter, but pointed to a 3.4% rise in revenues to KRW2.19 trillion and an improvement over second-quarter net income of KRW15 billion as evidence of solid financial performance.
Hawaiian Airlines flew 598.9 million RPMs in October, up 2.3% from the year-ago period. Capacity rose 7.1% to 692.8 million ASMs, dropping load factor 4.1 points to 86.4%. Copa Airlines flew 349.2 million RPMs in October, a 27.1% lift over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 22.1% to 461.8 million ASMs and load factor climbed 3 points to 75.6%.
Citing union unrest in September and the sharp increase in fuel prices, Alitalia reported a pre-tax loss of €65.8 million ($84.5 million) in the third quarter, which compares to a €15.7 million profit in the year-ago period. The embattled Italian carrier said it expects a positive result for the fourth quarter, yet warned that full-year consolidated net loss will exceed last year's deficit of €167.6 million.
Aeromexico yesterday announced firm orders for two 787-8s and 10 737-700s, orders that previously were listed by Boeing as unidentified. The combined value of the 12 aircraft is more than $830 million. The 787s, to be delivered in 2011, are in addition to three the carrier plans to lease from ILFC ( ATWOnline, June 30).
Swiss International Air Lines will continue its long-haul expansion with the addition of three A340-300s in the next two years. It took two ex-Sabena A330-200s last month, one of which entered service yesterday with the other set to begin flying in mid-December ( ATWOnline, Oct. 19). By summer 2008 it will operate 23 long-haul aircraft. Its fleet expansion, which includes two A321s and one A320, will create 550 new jobs.
Ryanair extended the deadline for its offer for Aer Lingus to Dec. 4 from Nov. 13 as it conceded that fewer than 0.1% of EI shareholders have accepted its €2.80 ($3.60) per share bid. The LCC said that "valid acceptances of the offer had been received in respect of 504,994 Aer Lingus Shares," representing about 0.095% of the issued share capital. EI urged its shareholders earlier this month to take no action on the offer ( ATWOnline, Nov. 6).
Bombardier yesterday inaugurated a new £1.5 million ($2.9 million), 50,000-sq.-ft. repair and maintenance facility in Belfast that will serve Emirates, UPS, British Airways, bmi and Icelandair aircraft.
Iberia Group posted consolidated net profits of €75.6 million in the third quarter, down 80% from the €372.6 million earned in the year-ago period, which encompassed capital gains realized from the sale of its Amadeus stake. Operating revenue excluding nonrecurrent items grew 6.7% to €1.42 billion with revenue from passengers and freight up 5.2% to €1.195 billion. Excluding nonrecurring items, operating expenses rose 6.6% to €1.34 billion. Operating profit reached €87.7 million, up 8.6%.
Finnair Technical Services signed a three-year general terms maintenance agreement with KLM for performance of airframe checks on the Dutch carrier's 10 MD-11s.
TACV Cape Verde Airlines and Condor (formerly Thomas Cook Airlines) both appointed Aviareps subsidiary Airline Centre UK as general sales agent for the UK.
Czech Airlines, citing "the recent fall in oil prices," reduced its fuel surcharge on passenger tickets by $2 on European routes to $23 and by $7 on long-haul flights to North America to $60.
Tiger Airways said yesterday it has chosen International Aero Engines V2500-A5s to power the eight A320s it ordered last month ( ATWOnline, Oct. 18). Pratt & Whitney, one of four partners in the IAE consortium, said its share of the Tiger order is worth more than $100 million. The engine order is accompanied by a long-term V2500Select aftermarket agreement that will be extended to cover the Singapore carrier's existing fleet of eight A320s, which also are powered by V2500s.
TAAG Angola Airlines took delivery on Nov. 11 of three 737-700s and two 777-200ERs. Chairman Jesus Nelson said TAAG will take delivery of an additional 737-700 in January and another 777-200ER in the fourth quarter of next year. He added that the airline is in negotiations to acquire a 777-300ER.
Airbus won six and two A320 firm orders from Kuwaiti lessor ALAFCO and Pakistani carrier Airblue respectively. ALAFCO Chairman and CEO Ahmad Alzabin predicted "strong demand for the A320 family aircraft during the coming years."
