News from Travel Technology Update: In one of the more bizarre deals struck since the birth of the online travel industry, Travelocity Global and Expedia have signed a strategic marketing agreement whereby Expedia will provide its technology, inventory and customer service to Travelocity’s US and Canadian websites.
Chapman Freeborn and Air Libya have formed a partnership to fly cargo in Libya using an Antonov An-26 freighter, which will be based at Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport on a long-term lease agreement.
Airbus and VSMPO-AVISMA Corp. have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an end-to-end strategic collaboration, which covers development, processing and recycling of titanium material utilized for all Airbus aircraft programs.
International passenger traffic on Asia-Pacific carriers rose 6.6% in July to 19.6 million year-over-year; in June, international passenger traffic grew 7.1% to 18.4 million compared to June 2012.
The US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported that US scheduled passenger airlines collectively employed 381, 441 full-time workers in June, dropping 2.4% from June 2012.
On Feb. 14, US Airways and American Airlines announced their Valentine’s pact to merge. On Aug. 13, the US Dept. of Justice made its move with all the drama of a preacher asking, “anyone here know of any legal impediment to this marriage?”
On the Cover 26 Annual ATW/Arthur D. Little World airport report Asia-Pacific overtakes North America to become top dog in airport passenger traffic. By Anne Paylor Features 47 China’s Field of Dreams Beijing is committed to rapidly expanding its domestic airports despite most of them struggling financially. By Katie Cantle
ATW editors were proud to honor the 2013 Eco-Aviation Award Winners at a dinner on Sept. 12 to be held in conjunction with the ATW 6th Annual Eco-Aviation Conference at the Westin City Center Hotel in Washington DC.
Next year, central and eastern European low-cost carrier Wizz Air will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Since its creation, Wizz has gone from a fledgling start-up to a major low-cost player with 44 Airbus A320s serving over 300 routes from 16 bases. ATW caught up with József Váradi in Budapest to hear about the carrier’s future plans.
A commercial aircraft manufacturer spent the week of the Paris Air Show talking up the imminent first flight of its high-tech next-generation aircraft and what a great milestone achieving the maiden flight would be. But immediately upon returning from Le Bourget, the company’s executives were forced to admit that first flight would be pushed back—again.
When the Boeing 737-100 first flew in 1967, the single-aisle, short-haul twinjet was equipped with only basic avionics. No so-called “glass cockpits” were available at the time. And 737 customers would likely not have bought them if they were. Times have changed.
In June 2011, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operated the first biofuel-powered commercial flight, a Boeing 737-800 that flew between Amsterdam and Paris. Just over two years later, more than 1,500 flights carrying fare-paying passengers have been powered by biofuels. “We could even say it has become a normality; it is no longer curious, exceptional or experimental to have an aircraft flying on biofuels,” IATA assistant director environment technology Thomas Roetger said, speaking as a panelist at a biofuels symposium during the Paris Air Show in June.
" "A city should be built around its airport because the airport is the spearhead of city development. These days, the two or three kilometer-long runway can connect the world with the city, which is especially important to underdeveloped regions,” Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) minister Li Jiaxiang said, summarizing Beijing’s enthusiasm for China’s rapid airport expansion programs in recent years.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and lawyers for American Airlines and US Airways are starting preparations for a November trial to determine whether the carriers’ planned merger should be rejected on antitrust grounds, a much earlier court date than DOJ wanted.
Air New Zealand has posted a net profit of NZ$182 million ($140.8 million) for its 2013 financial year, an increase of NZ$111 million over the previous year.
Boeing has projected a global demand for 498,000 new airline pilots through 2032, an 8.3% increase over its 20-year flight deck crew demand forecast last year.
Hainan Airlines has reported a first-half net profit of CNY645.16 million ($104.6 million), up 29% over a net income of CNY499 million in the year-ago period.
Airbus and Rostec Group firm RT-Biotekhprom have signed a cooperation agreement to launch a large-scale analysis of Russian feedstock with the goal of speeding up development and commercialization of sustainable fuels for aviation.
Dutch low-cost carrier Transavia has appointed Mattijs ten Brink as its new managing director and chairman, replacing Bram Graber who is returning to parent company Air France-KLM.
