Air Transport World

By Victoria Moores
It is not every day that Europe’s network airlines agree with Ryanair (FR), but the latest airport fees hike rolled out by Spanish state-owned airport operator AENA has triggered a fierce response from both network and low-cost carriers.
Airports & Networks

India’s foreign investment regulator has cleared AirAsia Berhad’s proposal to set up a new Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) jointly with the Tata Group.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Lufthansa will unveil a new premium-economy class in 2014, board member Jens Bischof told journalists at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin.
Aircraft & Propulsion

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold both a public “forum” and “investigative hearing” next month to explore issues surrounding the Boeing 787’s lithium ion batteries.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Finnair will join the American Airlines/British Airways/Iberia transatlantic joint venture (JV) at an unspecified date later this year.
Airlines & Lessors

LATAM Airlines Group, parent of TAM and LAN Airlines, has chosen membership in oneworld over Star Alliance for both carriers.
Airlines & Lessors

By Karen Walker
Bombardier Aerospace rolled out the first CSeries flight test vehicle (FTV1) Thursday at its Montreal Mirabel facility and announced an extended variant of the CS300 that can carry up to 160 passengers.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Migrations from one passenger services system to another are often described by survivors in surgical terms: the airline equivalent of open-heart surgery, a heart-lung transplant and other occasions involving lots of blood.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Top Republicans in Congress have accused US transportation secretary Ray LaHood and FAA of “resorting to scare tactics” in determining how to comply with mandatory budget cuts.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided a detailed description of the Jan. 7 Boeing 787 fire in Boston, but offered no conclusion regarding the incident’s root cause.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Alan Dron
With Europe suffering from one of the worst bouts of economic turmoil in recent history, it takes more than the luck of the Irish for a small airline from the continent’s westernmost fringes to make an impact on a new route.
Airlines & Lessors

By Henry Canaday
Indian aviation has taken off, but its maintenance facilities are still sparse, compelling airlines to seek support abroad. Indian aviation has taken off, but its maintenance facilities are still sparse, compelling airlines to seek support abroad. Moreover, substantial hurdles must be overcome to enhance in-country support of airframes, components and engines.
Maintenance & Training

By Alan Dron
Athar Husain Khan was promoted to AEA Acting Secretary General in June. He joined AEA in 2007 as general manager, infrastructure, following seven years in management roles at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. At AEA he has overseen progress on key dossiers, including the association’s competitiveness agenda, aviation’s inclusion in the European Union emissions trading scheme and progress towards the Single European Sky. He spoke with ATW European correspondent Alan Dron during the Farnborough Airshow in the UK in July.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

With the approach of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Qantas added a special touch to the famous “flying kangaroo” emblem on one of its Boeing 747s—yellow boxing gloves were painted on the ‘roo’s paws. The symbol of a fighting kangaroo may be appropriate at more than one level as competition steps up on some of its most established routes. China Southern Airlines (CZ) is intensifying its focus on operations between Australasia and major European gateway cities as part of an overall strategy to grow its international network and attract more business travelers.
Airlines & Lessors

By Karen Walker
As ceremonies go, despite being led by a man with a very French name and accent, Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier’s July 2 announcement that his company will build a final assembly factory in Alabama could not have been more American. The red, white and blue was everywhere; balloons and confetti rained down reminiscent of a US political rally, and even the company name was given the Stars and Stripes treatment, to emphasize the “US” in Airbus.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Alan Dron
London Heathrow Airport, the UK’s largest airport, recorded an improved, but still loss-making, financial position in 2012. Annual results for
Airports & Networks

Spanish infrastructure company Abertis has rejected Bolivian government claims that it failed to fulfill investment commitments in the country’s
Airports & Networks

Ecuador’s new $700 million Quito International Airport opened Feb. 20, replacing the city’s 52-year-old Quito Mariscal Sucre airport, which closed a day earlier. The new airport is located 24 kilometers east of Quito. Construction began in 2006 as a follow-up of the management privatization of old the Quito airport in 2002. Management company Quiport expects the upgraded infrastructure—including a better geographical location and a longer runway—will allow airlines to introduce nonstop operations to destinations such as Madrid.
Airports & Networks

Delta Air Lines and JFK IAT said they will spend $175 million to further expand New York JFK Airport’s Terminal 4. JFK IAT is wholly owned by Schiphol
Airports & Networks

The Chinese government has increased airport charges for domestic carriers. Effective April 1, domestic airlines will pay the same fees as foreign
Airports & Networks

Five additional US airports will begin offering US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check expedited screening April 1. The additions
Airports & Networks

Air China, Cathay Pacific and Shanghai International Airport have launched a ground handling service joint venture. The new venture, which has a
Airports & Networks

Delta Air Lines has filed an application with the US Dept. of Transportation to add additional nonstop flights between Sao Paulo and New York and Atlanta, as it continues its Latin American expansion. If approved, Delta will begin second daily Sao Paulo flights to Atlanta and New York in 2013. Gambia Bird Airlines will launch 2X-weekly Accra-Bamako service from March.
Airports & Networks

By Alan Dron
UK charter operator Titan Airways is adding the first Airbus A320 to its fleet May 1.
Aircraft & Propulsion

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has approved a final commitment of $1.1 billion to finance the export of a fleet of Boeing 737-900ERs.
Aircraft & Propulsion