Turkish Airlines has launched 4X-weekly Istanbul Ataturk-Nakhichevan-Gence Azerbaijan service. Air Astana has increased Almaty-Urumqi services from 3X-weekly to daily. Russian S7 Airlines will launch 3X-weekly Moscow-Verona Boeing 737-800 service Dec. 26.
Russian airlines carried 32 million passengers during the first half, a 17% increase over the year-ago period, Russian Federal Air Transport Agency/Rosaviatsia said in a statement.
Japan Airlines (JAL) has reported a first-quarter net income of JPY26.9 billion ($343.5 million), more than twice the net income of JPY12.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA are investigating a July 31 incident at Washington National (DCA) in which an apparent ATC miscommunication led to three regional jets—two departing and one arriving—being involved in an apparent “near-miss,” though high-ranking US transportation officials are disputing the use of that terminology.
El Al Israel Airlines has finalized an order for two additional Boeing 737-900ERs, adding to a previously announced order in March 2011, bringing its total order of the type to six.
SkyWest Inc., the parent of St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Airlines and Atlanta-based ExpressJet Airlines, said it has “reached an understanding” with Delta Air Lines (DL) enabling it to take delivery 34 Bombardier CRJ700s/900s while removing 66 older CRJ200s from its fleet.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., parent of Allegiant Air (G4), reported earnings of $25.2 million, more than doubling its year-ago net income of $11.9 million.
TIMCO Aviation Services named Mark Davis SVP-MRO Sales. Davis has been with TIMCO since 2008. Saab has appointed Sebastian Carlsson as press officer. Carlsson recently served as press secretary for Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
Gogo has enhanced an existing contract with United Airlines (UA), to upgrade 13 Boeing 757 premium service aircraft with its new ATG-4 connectivity solution.
The central government of Uruguay confirmed to local media that it used money from a $300 million passenger protection fund to aid stranded Pluna Lineas Aereas Uruguayas (PU) passengers after the airline was liquidated earlier this month
Russia’s Irkut Corp. has elected United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) SVP Oleg Demchenko as its president and chairman following the early resignation of Alexey Fedorov, UAC said in a statement.
After five consecutive quarters of losses, India’s second largest low-cost carrier SpiceJet (SG) posted a profit of INR561.2 million ($10.2 million) for the first quarter ended June 30, compared to a loss of INR719.6 million in the year-ago period.
Spanish low-cost carrier (LCC) Vueling (VY) posted a second-quarter net profit of €7.7 million ($9.5 million), more than double the €3.6 million it earned in the same quarter last year.
Republic Airways Holdings Inc. (RAH) reported second-quarter net income of $20 million compared to a $14.9 million loss in the year-ago period for business segments Republic Airlines (RW) and Frontier Airlines (F9).
Vladivostok International Airport (VVO) in the Russian Far East has transferred flights from the old Terminal B to the recently opened Terminal A. The 47,500 sq. m. terminal, which represents a RUB6.3 billion ($196 million) investment, can handle 1,360 passengers per hr., or 3.5 million per year. It is designed to simultaneously handle 70% domestic passengers and 30% international passengers.
Budapest Airport (BUD) is appealing a land tax increase that it believes violates Hungarian constitutional principles regarding the proportionate sharing of public burdens. The airport operator has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court of Hungary in which it argues that, in addition to local business tax, it is being asked to pay HUF2.25 billion ($9.9 million) in land tax for 2012. This amount “is 330% [above] last year’s obligation,” BUD said in its court submission.
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has completed its first phase of repairs to the airport’s eastern runway, returning operations to normal, officials said. The airport, Thailand’s main gateway, is working through a maintenance program for its eastern runway that began June 11. However, well-reported problems with cracks on parts of the runway and a power outage that delayed some flights and disrupted others raised concerns.
Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (LAS) has opened its new Terminal 3. At 1.9 million sq. ft., the terminal is the largest public works project in Nevada’s history, costing $2.4 billion and taking five years to construct. The 14-gate T3 will replace the smaller, soon-to-be-demolished T2 and has seven international gates. The gambling mecca hopes the new facility will help attract more international visitors to the resort city. For some years the city has increasingly been looking overseas for customers.
UK airports operator BAA has lost its most recent appeal to keep London Stansted Airport (STN), although it has vowed to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. The appeal on July 26 is the latest development in a long-running battle between the UK Competition Commission (CC) and BAA. “We are pleased that our decision on STN has once again been upheld,” BAA Remedies Implementation Group chairman Laura Carstensen said. “It is surely now time for BAA to accept the verdict and proceed with the sale.”
