Air Transport World

Qatar Airways (QR) has taken delivery of its first of 30 Boeing 787s. The aircraft, the first to be delivered to an airline in the Middle East, will be used on its Dubai, London Heathrow, Delhi and Zurich routes.

Lufthansa (LH) and its cabin crew, represented by the UFO union, have reached an agreement to resolve a pay dispute that has been ongoing since April.

Continental (CO) and United Airlines (UA) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. (ALPA), have voted to accept a tentative agreement on a joint collective bargaining agreement reached with United Continental Holdings.

News from Travel Technology Update: Sabre’s settlement agreement with American Airlines (AA) contains “an agreed upon period during which AA will only negotiate with Sabre regarding a new passenger processing system,” according to documents filed in the carrier’s bankruptcy court.

The China Air Transport Assn. (CATA) has welcomed the European Union’s (EU) decision to suspend its Emissions Trading System (ETS) for flights into and out of Europe for one year to allow time for ICAO to finalize a global scheme.

European flights face a possible disruption Wednesday as 40 unions from 23 countries plot a Europe-wide action to protest austerity measures and job cuts.

Mexico’s Interjet (4O) has signed a purchase agreement for 40 Airbus A320neo aircraft.

The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) has won 50 orders for the 150-seat C919 at the Zhuhai Air Show.

The Emirates Group—parent of Emirates Airline (EK) and aircraft-handling-to-inflight-catering company dnata—posted an AED2.1 billion ($575 million) net profit for the first six months, up 68% from AED1.3 billion in the year-ago period.

Irish low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair (FR) has no interest in the forthcoming Boeing 737 MAX, preferring to pick up possible “end-of-line” bargains of the existing Boeing 737NG or Airbus A320 models.

Russia’s UTair Group is considering an initial public offering (IPO) in 2013 to raise $100-$350 million in overseas stock offerings.

Monarch Airlines launched 2X-weekly East Midlands service to Lanzarote and Tenerife. Jet2.com will launch Glasgow service to Murcia (2X-weekly) and Menorca (weekly) in May 2013 followed in June biweekly service to Pula. KLM launched 3X-weekly Amsterdam-Harare-Lusaka Airbus A330-200 service, returning to the Zimbabwean capital after a 13-year break.

AMR Corp., parent of American Airlines (AA), and its pilots on Friday reached an agreement on language for a new labor deal.

The opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) could be postponed again, according to several German media reports, after fire safety experts found more problems with the facility’s security system last weekend.

Boeing has rolled out the first 787 Dreamliner built at the new production rate of five-airplanes-per-month.

Guyana-based EZjet has suspended operations in the face of financial hardship it attributes to its vendors, agents and mismanagement.

Gulf Air (GF) has renegotiated its 2008 orders covering 20 Airbus A330s and 24 Boeing 787s, agreeing instead to take up to 24 A320s and a maximum of 16 787s.

For the most part, the air transport industry has reacted positively to the news that the European Commission (EC) has agreed to suspend application of its controversial Emissions Trading System (ETS) to flights operating to and from Europe until after the ICAO Assembly next fall.

The aviation industry has welcomed the European Commission’s decision to suspend its Emissions Trading System (ETS) for flights into and out of Europe for a period of one year to allow time for ICAO to finalize a global scheme.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has unveiled a SEK3 billion ($444 million) restructuring plan, which includes the sale of Norwegian regional airline Wideroe (WF) and 800 job losses, describing this as the “final chance” to safeguard its future.

Libya-based Afriqiyah Airways (8U) has placed a follow-on order for four Airbus A350 XWBs and converted its earlier order for six A350-800s to the larger A350-900.

Northern Ireland has scrapped Air Passenger Duty (APD) on all direct long-haul flights departing from Northern Ireland airports from January 2013.

Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY) will take the delivery of its first Boeing 787 in April 2013.

Several Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft delivered to Aeroflot (SU) in 2011 and 2012 could be turned into business jets and sold to other customers, according to Russia’s Prime news agency, which quoted Sukhoi Civil Aviation Co.’s (SCAC) SVP Igor Syrtsov.

Condor (DE) took delivery of its 12 Boeing 767-300ER. The aircraft, configured with 268 seats, will be used to expand its long haul business for example to South Africa and the Far East. DE has added three 767-300ERs to its fleet within 14 months. Alaska Airlines has introduced its first Boeing 737-900ER, to be used on its Seattle, Wash.-San Diego, Calif. service. It is scheduled to take delivery of 38 of the aircraft through 2017.