Air Transport World

Footnotes: * International only. 1. January - June. 2. January - May. 3. Includes Regional operations. 4. Combined American Eagle, Executive Airlines and American Connection. 5. Combined traffic for SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines. 6. YTD 02013 from 4/26/13

The flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) have been recovered from the United Parcel Service (UPS) Airbus A300-600 freighter that crashed on approach to Birmingham, Ala., Airport.

A US federal bankruptcy judge has declined to rule on whether to approve American Airlines’ plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing the lawsuit filed earlier in the week by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that seeks to prevent American’s planned merger with US Airways.

Germany’s airberlin has signed a letter of intent for 11 aircraft with newly established Chinese lessor Minsheng Commercial Aviation Limited.

German carrier airberlin recorded improved second-quarter figures year-over-year, but warned that difficult market conditions were making the chances of reaching its targets “increasingly challenging.”

Israeli carrier El Al Airlines reported a second-quarter net profit of $3.7 million, reversed from a $6.1 million loss in the year-ago period.

Jazz Air parent Chorus Aviation reported second-quarter net income of C$7.9 million ($7.5 million), down 65.1% from a C$22.6 million profit in the year-ago period.

Continuing tough economic conditions in Europe showed up in the half-yearly traffic summary released by the Association of European Airlines (AEA).

US airlines reported a 71.9% on-time arrival rate in June, down from June 2012’s 80.7% on-time rate and falling from May 2013’s 79.4% posted rate, according to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report.

Airline Routes

Lawyers for American Airlines and US Airways said the airlines are “looking forward” to challenging the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit seeking to block the companies’ planned merger, saying the government’s antitrust case won’t hold up to scrutiny in federal court.

International Airlines Group (IAG), parent company of Iberia and British Airways, has secured firm orders and options for up to 220 Airbus A320 family short-haul aircraft.

A United Parcel Service (UPS) Airbus A300 freighter crashed on approach to Birmingham, Ala., Airport early Wednesday.

Etihad Airways has confirmed it is in talks with Airbus and Boeing over future long-term aircraft orders.

India’s Jet Airways plans to continue with a steady capacity induction despite mounting losses.

Finnair reported second quarter net income of €17 million ($22.6 million), up just over 190% from a €18.7 million loss in the year-ago period.

Cathay Pacific Airways has reported a first-half net profit of HK$24 million ($3 million).

Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade will postpone the financing of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co.’s SuperJet New Generation (SSJ NG) program until 2016, RIA Novosti reported, quoting deputy minister Yuri Slysar.

Brazilian low-cost carrier GOL posted a second-quarter net loss of BRL433 million ($193.6 million), narrowed from a net loss of BRL715.1 million in the year-ago quarter.

MRO News

Briefs from the Aug. 14, 2013 issue of ATW’s MRO Digest

ST Aerospace posted a second-quarter net profit of S$67.1 million ($53 million), down 1% year-over-year.

The HAECO Group reported a first-half profit of HK$359 million ($46.3 million), down from HK$455 million year-over-year.

Illinois-based AAR will open its sixth North American MRO facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana, at Chennault International Airport.

Ranked by % of flight arrivals ontime at all responded airports