News from Travel Technology Update: The latest initiative in IATA's drive to take costs and complexity out of the airline industry is slated to go live next month, but an alarming number of carriers are unprepared, according to Neela Bhattacherjee, head of Kale Consultants' airlines strategic business unit.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has blamed soaring fuel prices for a second-quarter net loss of MYR527 million ($177 million), similar to the MYR535 million net loss for the year-ago period, also owing to fuel prices.
New US Dept. of Transportation (DOT) regulations aimed at providing "protections" for airline passengers went into effect Tuesday, boosting compensation for involuntarily bumped passengers and imposing a 4-hr. tarmac delay limit on international flights at US airports.
The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) has issued draft approval for the Joint Business Agreement (JBA) between Qantas and American Airlines for Pacific routes between the US and Australia/New Zealand and the networks that support those routes.
Wizz Air will launch twice-weekly Riga-Eindhoven service Dec. 9. Spirit Airlines launched Chicago O'Hare service to Boston (daily), Dallas/Ft. Worth (twice-daily), Detroit (twice-daily) New York LaGuardia (daily) and will add service to Orlando Nov. 10.
[CORRECTED VERSION] LOT Polish Airlines said its first-half results have improved by PLN32 million ($11.3 million) compared to the same 2010 period, although it still recorded a loss.
Royal Air Maroc (RAM) took delivery of its first two ATR 72-600s, as part of an order placed at the Paris Air Show in June 2009 for four ATR 72-600s and two ATR 42-600s.
Qantas’s (QF) new Asian-based premium airline is going target the region’s financial high flyers with luxury beds better than those on the airline’s Airbus A380s.
United Continental Holdings announced Wednesday that the first of its Boeing 787 aircraft entered the assembly phase at Boeing's Everett facility. During assembly, Boeing will join the forward, center and aft fuselage sections, the wing, horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin. In early 2012, United Airlines will be the first North American carrier to take delivery of the aircraft, the first of 50 Dreamliners for the airline.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) said it reached a tentative agreement with Omni Air on its first pilot contract, which includes substantial pay and benefit increases, and scope provisions to protect jobs and quality of life.
Ethiopian Airlines (ET) signed an agreement with Canada-based FlightPath International Co. to developing and implement a Multi-crew Pilot License training program (MPL).
Air Berlin (AB) CEO Joachim Hunold announced he is stepping down Sept. 1 as the airline embarks on a steep cost-cutting program that will include cutting 7,500 flights this year.
Boeing’s 747-8 freighter was awarded FAA and EASA certification Friday, paving the way for delivery of the first aircraft to launch customer Cargolux in early September.
Boeing's 747-8 freighter was awarded FAA and EASA certification Friday, paving the way for delivery of the first aircraft to launch customer Cargolux in early September. FAA granted Boeing an Amended Type Certificate (ATC) and an Amended Production Certificate (APC), while EASA also granted the company an ATC for the airplane, Boeing said.
To paraphrase the American General, Douglas MacArthur, some older airports that are being replaced with new ones not only don't die; they don't fade away, either. Recent evidence of this was the announcement by ANA of Japan (a country General MacArthur had some experience with, by the way) that the airline was considering utilizing its new Boeing 787s on international routes from Tokyo's Haneda Airport, and not Narita, following initial domestic services with the aircraft type.
Air Berlin (AB) CEO Joachim Hunold announced he is stepping down Sept. 1 as the airline embarks on a steep cost-cutting program that will include cutting 7,500 flights this year. Hunold, who has been with AB since 1991, will remain as non-executive director. AB board member Hartmut Mehdorn was named interim CEO.
Martinair appointed former Martinair Holland Director-Operations Diederik Pen managing director. Horizon Air named Yvonne Daverin, formerly Alaska Airlines MD-airframe, engine and component maintenance, to the post ofVP-maintenance and engineering. JetBlue Airways selected BMO Capital Markets MD Ellen Jewett to its board of directors.
Royal Jordanian reported a first-half 2011 net loss of JOD39.2 million ($55.5 million), deepened from a JOD7.7 million deficit in the year-ago period, owing to political and social unrest in the region, higher fuel prices and the debt crisis in several European countries.
