Air Transport World

A United Airlines Boeing 777 arriving at a gate at Washington Dulles Airport from Brussels Thursday “made contact” with the wingtip of a second United 777 aircraft parked at an adjacent gate.

If American Airlines-US Airways merger occurs, the US major airline industry would be down to six carriers.

A group of 17 European aviation stakeholders have launched an action plan aimed at minimizing the risk of runway excursions.

US Airways and its flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining deal.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes has abandoned plans to set up a JV airline in Singapore and hinted at the flotation of AirAsia Indonesia.

BBA Aviation has appointed Peg Billson as president and CEO of the BBA Aviation Aftermarket Services division. In her new role, Billson assumes overall leadership responsibility for the division and will continue to serve on the BBA Aviation executive committee.

Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) has determined the cause of a Red Wings Airlines’ Tupolev Tu-204 crash last month.

EasyJet posted a first-quarter revenue of £833 million ($1.31 billion), up 9.2% year-over-year for the period ended Dec. 31, 2012.

Alaska Air Group reported a 2012 net income for 2012 of $316 million, up 29% from a $245 million net profit in the year-ago period.

Hainan Airlines must postpone opening some international routes due to continuous Boeing 787 delivery delays.

United Airlines parent United Continental Holdings incurred a 2012 net loss of $763 million on heavy interest expenses and merger-related costs.

EasyJet plans to firm up options on three Airbus A320s just days after the airline’s founder warned against further fleet expansion.

The Kuwaiti government has approved the privatization of Kuwait Airways Corp. (KAC).

The Japan Airlines Boeing 787 lithium ion battery that caught fire in Boston Jan. 7 experienced “a thermal runaway” and “short circuits,” the US National Transportation Safety Board reported.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’ Leary has outlined a rough timeline for the Irish budget carrier’s next aircraft order.

Southwest Airlines posted 2012 net income of $421 million, marking its 40th consecutive year of profitability.

Republic Airways Holdings has ordered 47 Embraer E-175s, plus 47 options.

Qatar Airways is the first carrier to use the new Required Navigation Performance-Authorization Required (RNP-AR) approach into Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport.

Virgin America launched weekly Palm Springs-New York JFK service. Transaero Airlines signed a multilateral agreement with UTair Aviation to establish interline connections via Moscow Vnukovo to cities in Russia, the CIS, the US and Western Europe. Dragonair will launch 3X-weekly Hong Kong-Da Nang Airbus A320 service March 28.

Russia`s regional carrier Komiaviatrans will take delivery of its first Let L-410 Turbolet aircraft in early February.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has weighed in on the debate concerning proposed changes to Flight Time Limitations (FTL).

The supervisory board of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport has dismissed CEO and commercial director Rainer Schwarz.

Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet posted a third-quarter net profit of INR1.02 billion ($18.97 million) in the October-December 2012 period.

UK-based Flybe will cut 300 jobs as part of a £35 million ($55.5 million) restructuring plan to return the group to profitability by 2013-14.

US Airways reported a 2012 net income of $637 million, up 797% from a $71 million net profit in 2011.