Lufthansa is strengthening its position in Asia. Starting with the summer schedule, it will add three frequencies from Frankfurt to Shanghai, two flights from Munich to Hong Kong and four weekly flights between Munich and Beijing. In total, LH will offer 35 weekly nonstop flights to China. It also will add four weekly services on the Frankfurt-Hyderabad route. Doha will be added to the network with three weekly A340 frequencies from Frankfurt. In total, LH will boost its system capacity this summer by 1.3% compared to the summer 2004 schedule.
Qantas opened a new MRO facility at Los Angeles International Airport. The Australian carrier is the largest international operator at LAX. Qantas, which expects to begin the first A380 flights to the US in 2007, will use the facility as a base for full-service maintenance and engineering, including A checks on 747s. It will employ in excess of 80 service technicians.
Boeing said yesterday that its 777-200LR received FAA and EASA certification. First delivery is to Pakistan International Airlines later this month. Two 777-200LR test airplanes completed 886 flight hr. on 328 flights. With a maximum range of 9,420 nm. (17,446 km.), the Worldliner, as Boeing has dubbed it, has taken the title of the world's longest-range commercial airplane away from the A340-500. To emphasize the jet's long legs, Boeing flew a test aircraft to a new world record last November, traveling from Hong Kong to London on an eastbound routing. The 11,664-nm.
Engine Lease Finance Corp. and Frankfurt-based DVD Bank agreed to co-invest in a package of 13 commercial aircraft engines acquired from the ELF portfolio through a new venture, Deucalion Engine Leasing (Ireland) Ltd. The portfolio, valued at $50 million, comprises three CF6-80s, three CFM56s, three V2500s, one AE3007, two JT8D-20s and one PW4000. Engines are leased out to 10 different airlines with lease termination dates ranging from 2006 to 2013.
Emirates launched four-times-weekly service to Abidjan via Accra aboard three-class A330-200s. Swiss said it will end codeshare operations with CSA Czech Airlines and Qantas from March 26, as it is set to join the Star Alliance. Frequencies to Cairo will be increased to six times per week, London City will see seven daily services from Zurich, while Athens and Budapest will be linked three times per day. Nok Air will launch a daily Bangkok-Trang service from Feb. 1 using 737-400s.
The ongoing US-EU trade dispute over aircraft subsidies ratcheted up a notch in intensity as Trade Representative Rob Portman announced that the US is filing an additional consultation request under its WTO case against what it claims is illegal launch aid for the A350.
Rockwell Collins was selected by British Airways to upgrade the carrier's long-haul Total Entertainment System with on-demand audio and video, digital news and an audio jukebox feature by December 2007. Enhancements will occur on 57 747s, 25 777s and 14 767s.
SITA's efforts to reach small and mid-sized airports around the world took off yesterday when it concluded an agreement with Turkish aviation operations and airport construction company TAV certifying it as the exclusive Turkish reseller of SITA's AirportConnect CUTE, AirportConnect Kiosk, BagManager and BagMessage products. The deal marked the launch of SITA's new strategy to establish a "global network of partners" to provide the company's IT solutions to airports handling 5 million passengers or fewer per year.
Lufthansa Systems announced that Italian charter airline Eurofly opted for Lido RouteManual electronically generated navigation charts. In addition, it will rely on the Lido Operations Center for route planning and the FMS Flight Management Navigation Database Service LHS.
ANA and Interjet, a Mexican startup, each concluded CFM56-5B deals yesterday. ANA selected the engine to power five A320-200s in an order valued at $60 million. The aircraft, three of which were ordered last year and two of which will be leased ( ATWOnline, Jan. 30) are scheduled for delivery beginning in 2007. ANA already operates 28 CFM-powered A320-200s. Interjet's engine deal for its order of 10 A320s ( ATWOnline, Nov. 8, 2005) is valued at $120 million at list prices. The carrier also holds 10 A320 options.
Air New Zealand is poised to launch an aggressive growth phase as it nears completion of the makeover of its international product. According to CEO Rob Fyfe, the airline's eight 747-400s will be re-configured by June when ANZ will ramp up promotion of its new interior, which will offer 34-in. seat pitch in economy and 39-in. pitch in Premium Economy, along with the industry's longest (6 ft., 7.5 in.) flat bed in Business Premier. A major plank of the growth strategy is the 777-200ER. ANZ has three in service with a further five to be delivered this year.
Record revenues were not sufficient for Singapore Airlines Group to stave off soaring fuel costs during the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31 as the company reported a S$396.6 million ($244 million) net profit that represented a 14.6% decline from net earnings of S$464.6 million in the year-ago period. The latter total was boosted by the sale of SIA's remaining stake in Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand. Numbers from the 2004-05 fiscal year were recalculated according to new national accounting standards.
AerCap established a 50/50 joint venture with LoadAir, a Kuwait-based aviation entity, to acquire, manage and market 70 A320 family aircraft to which AerCap committed at the Dubai Air Show ( ATWOnline, Nov. 24, 2005). The new company, AerVenture, will be based in Ireland. It firmed the AerCap LOI with Airbus in December. AerCap (formerly debis AirFinance) will provide complete asset management services for the portfolio. LoadAir is the trading name for International Cargo Airlines Co., which was floated on the Kuwait stock exchange in 2005.
Weather Services International said VLM Airlines will use its WeatherAlert terminal weather graphic visualization decision support tool for three years.
Defunct Independence Air was granted approval by the US Bankruptcy Court to sell its lease at Washington Dulles to United Airlines for $4.3 million. The lease includes 35 gates on Concourse A, which serves commuter flights. The move comes a day after UA exited three years in bankruptcy. While there has been speculation that the gates would be used to increase Regional flying, United spokesperson Jeff Green told ATWOnline the airline is "not providing any details" on future operations at Dulles. Independence Air, which declared bankruptcy in November, shut down Jan. 5.
Iberia announced a deal with representatives of Spanish national trade unions UGT, CC.OO and ASETMA for a collective bargaining agreement covering approximately 18,500 Iberia ground staff, or nearly 75% of the workforce, effective until Dec. 31 and retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005. The contract covers employment, pay, work rules and productivity and is highlighted by a single payment of €18 million ($21.8 million) to be distributed in March.
Norwegian will launch daily Oslo-Munich service from May 2. Alpine Air began operating a new cargo route between Honolulu and Lihue Saturday. Its contract runs through June 26, 2008. American Eagle will launch twice-daily Dallas/Ft. Worth-Charleston service aboard ERJ-145s from April 3.
Carmen Systems AB said Continental Airlines signed a five-year agreement for the use of Carmen's preferential bidding system for scheduling its 4,000 pilots.
Amadeus IT Group is the new name for Amadeus Global Distribution. The name change reflects that the company's IT portfolio "goes far beyond distribution."
SITA concluded a $6 million contract to provide a reservation system, online booking, Aircom and flight operations applications to startup TransCaribbean Airways, which plans to operate scheduled flights linking the Netherlands Antilles with Europe and the US.
Lufthansa Systems and Airbus reached agreement to offer the LHS eRouteManual across the Airbus fly-by-wire product line in new aircraft and as a retrofit. It already is offered as a Class III Electronic Flight Bag solution on the A380. The eRouteManual charts include taxiway displays for airports, approach and takeoff charts and a seamless worldwide en route chart. When provided as a retrofit solution for aircraft already in service, the product is being offered as a Class I or Class II EFB. Class III EFBs with fully integrated systems are available for all new aircraft.
Iberia said the number of business class travelers on its long-haul flights has increased 20% since the introduction of its Business Plus service last May. The seating class is available on 70% of Iberia's A340s and the remaining 30% will be equipped by spring. The carrier also said it plans to improve its short- and medium-haul business class service concurrent with a redesign of those fleets' interiors.
Bombardier signed a contract with Regco Holdings of Toronto for 10 Q400 70-seat turboprops, with options for an additional 10. The deal is valued at an estimated $250 million for the firm orders and brings the number of Q400 orders to 175.
Smiths Aerospace and Aviall Services announced an agreement under which Aviall will become a global distributor of Smiths Aerospace systems spare parts after a transition phase of several months. "Aviall will use its core competencies of inventory forecasting and management, product fulfillment, quality management and sales and marketing to ensure Smiths' commercial aftermarket customers' requirements are met," the companies said in a statement. The 10-year agreement is expected to be valued at up to $2 billion in sales.
