Mercator was selected by Air Mauritius to supply its rapid cargo solution to manage the carrier’s cargo operations’ revenue accounting. Mesa Air Group has FAA approval to launch a six-month validation process for using the Apple iPad as a class I electronic flight bag (EFB). During the validation, the EFB will be used alongside the pilot carry-on flight bags, but eventually will replace the paper flight bag.
El Al Israel Airlines reported a second-quarter net loss of $6.2 million, narrowed from a $19.7 million net deficit in the year-ago period, on a 3% year-over-year decline in revenue to $516.8 million.
AirBaltic (BT) is moving forward with privatization plans as the government-owned carrier anticipates its cost-cutting program leading to profitability by 2014.
Wirecard acquires Indonesian firm Travelport chief pleased with diversification strategy Google agrees to acquire Frommer’s travel guides Priceline.com gives ARC’s EMD processing a big boost Carnival takes a page from airlines’ ancillary playbook In Focus: New venture wants to help travel players rethink roles World news briefing
A federal judge granted American Airlines’ motion to dismiss Travelport’s antitrust claims against the carrier, saying that whatever harm may have been committed by American was done to travel agents and passengers. Travelport had filed its complaints as a counterclaim to American’s antitrust lawsuit filed in April 2011 against Travelport and Sabre.
United Parcel Service (UPS) extended the offer period for its proposed acquisition of TNT Express from Aug. 31 to Nov. 9, by which time the companies hope antitrust concerns about the merger will have been resolved.
JetBlue Airways (B6) will pay a $90,000 US Dept. of Transportation (DOT) fine for not informing passengers they could deplane a delayed aircraft as it sat at New York JFK in March for nearly 3 hr. with the door open.
FL Technics Training signed an agreement with Avia Group Techniks to provide technical training courses for the company’s MRO specialists in Russia and Lithuania. StandardAero delivered its 6,000th APU since the program inception in 1995, at its Maryville, Tenn. facility. The APS2300 was delivered to an unnamed commercial customer.
United Airlines (UA), the North American launch customer for the Boeing 787, said its first Dreamliner took a 3-hr.-plus pre-delivery test flight Sunday to/from Boeing’s Everett, Wash., facility.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) said it will start 5X-weekly Boeing 787 service between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and San Jose, Calif. from Jan. 11 and will replace Boeing 777s with 787s on its NRT-Seattle route from Oct. 1 and on its Tokyo Haneda-Beijing route from Oct. 28.
News from Travel Technology Update: A federal judge granted American Airlines’ (AA) motion to dismiss Travelport’s antitrust claims against the carrier, saying that whatever harm may have been committed by AA was done to travel agents and passengers.
London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW) said it welcomed the decision of its former owner BAA to drop its appeal to the Supreme Court and agree to sell Stansted Airport (STN), in compliance with a 2009 UK Competition Commission ruling to sell both LGW and STN airports.
United Airlines has joined the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), an industry working group that aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of aviation biofuels. SAFUG members represent about 32% of commercial aviation fuel demand. When joining SAFUG, United Airlines signed a pledge to pursue the advancement of drop-in biofuels that achieve sustainability criteria, work with leading organizations to achieve biofuel certification standards, and take actions to enable commercial use of aviation biofuels.
The US Environmental Protection Agency is under pressure to waive the government-mandated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which places a quota on ethanol production, as high heat, drought impact US corn production and raise the price of livestock feed. The August US Dept. of Agriculture corn forecast anticipates10.8 billion bushels, slashed over 2 billion bushels since the last report.
Air Berlin (AB) will equip the 14 Airbus A320/A321 aircraft it has on order with Sharklet wing tip devices, cutting its fuel burn by up to 3.5%. NIKI (HG), which is part of the Air Berlin group, will take delivery of its first Sharklet-equipped A320 in spring 2013. AB said the move will cut its carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,000 tonnes per aircraft annually, the equivalent of 55 flights from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca.
A wide range of US organizations—including Airlines for America, the Aerospace Industries Assn., Airports Council International-North America, several airline employee unions and the Chamber of Commerce—have asked the US government to “strongly restate opposition to—and continuing plans for overturning—the application of the EU [Emissions Trading Scheme] ETS to international aviation.”
Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) have opened a joint technology center in Beijing dedicated to commercial aviation energy and emissions research projects. The Boeing-COMAC Aviation Energy Conservation and Emissions Reductions Technology Center’s project will explore opportunities to refine waste cooking oil into sustainable aviation biofuel. Research will focus on identifying contaminants in so-called "gutter oil" and processes that could treat and clean it for use as jet fuel.
