Qatar Airways will increase its Doha-Dubai flights from eight to 11 daily Aug. 25. Swiss International Air Lines will relaunch its daily Zurich-Beijing route Feb. 11, 2012. Etihad Airways will launch four-times-weekly Airbus A330 Abu Dhabi-Dusseldorf service Dec. 16.
SunExpress, the Antalya-based joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, reported that first half 2011 revenue increased 44% year-over-year to €271million ($390 million).
Malaysia Airlines and arch rival AirAsia are reported to be planning a share swap that would give AirAsia's parent a 20% stake in Malaysia's national airline, according to Reuters.
German air traffic controllers, represented by the country's Trade Union of Air Traffic Control (GdF Gewerkschaft der Flugsicherung), have threatened to press ahead with a 6-hr. strike Tuesday, after a walkout that had been planned last week was ruled illegal by a court.
Boeing over the weekend rolled out the first 787 that will enter service with All Nippon Airways. The aircraft is slated to be delivered to ANA in September following certification.
Korean Air will operate its first long-haul Airbus A380 flight Tuesday from Seoul Incheon to New York JFK, and believes the aircraft can help it attract new business passengers.
Boeing over the weekend rolled out the first 787 that will enter service with All Nippon Airways. The aircraft is slated to be delivered to ANA in September following certification.
Alaska Airlines will launch daily San Diego-Honolulu service Nov. 17. Air Pacific will retire one 767-300ER and add one 737-800 in mid-January 2012, enabling it to increase its seven-times-weekly Nadi-Sydney service to 13-times-weekly. JetBlue Airways will launch daily Westchester County (N.Y.)-Nassau service Nov. 15, subject to government approval.
Xiamen Airlines took delivery of one 737-700, the 50th directly ordered Boeing aircraft delivered to the carrier. FlyDubai last week received its 18th Boeing 737-800. The carrier's fleet size has doubled in just one year. It launched operations in June 2009. Air Lease Corp. delivered the first of six CF34-powered Embraer 190s on lease to TRIP Linhas Aereas.
American Airlines launched the "initial phase" of a Gogo-powered inflight streaming video product, Entertainment On Demand. The option will be available to passengers onboard its fleet of 15 Boeing 767-200s, allowing them to wirelessly stream more than 100 movies and TV shows from an inflight library to "select types" of Wi-Fi-enabled laptops. Movies and TV shows remain accessible for viewing on the passenger's own device after landing—for 24 hr. and 72 hr., respectively.
News from ATW's Airports Today: Munich Airport received planning approval in late July from the regional Bavarian government for the construction of a third runway, which will allow it to handle up to 120 movements per hour, up from the current 90.
Falko Regional Aircraft, the newly launched aircraft asset manager that last month acquired BAE Systems' portfolio of regional aircraft, intends to “invest in selective acquisitions of both used, and eventually, new aircraft to build a future portfolio that is cohesive and for the long term,” CEO Jeremy Barnes said at a press briefing last week.
The China Air Transport Assn. and the Arab Air Carriers Organization reiterated their calls for the European Union to rethink plans to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme starting next year.
Jervis B. Webb Company, a subsidiary of Daifuku Webb Holding Company, inked a contract Lockheed Martin was awarded Baltic Ground Services won a contract
UK Civil Aviation Authority last month instructed Gatwick Airport Ltd. to implement a more transparent and non-discriminatory pricing structure for check-in and baggage processing by April 2012 and consult its users when revising the pricing system.
US Transportation Security Administration said it will launch a pilot program this fall to test new airport screening strategies that aim, among other goals, to provide "trusted travelers with expedited screening." The program's establishment indicates that Administrator John Pistole is starting to follow through on his pronouncements earlier this year about making TSA "a truly risk-based, intelligence-driven organization" ( ATW, June 1).
The revamped New York LaGuardia/Washington National slot swap proposal submitted by Delta Air Lines and US Airways in May was tentatively approved last month by the US Dept. of Transportation on terms the airlines said they're willing to abide by.
The European Commission is upping the number of investigations into possible improper state aid at regional airports in the 27 member states, and last month confirmed it launched in-depth investigations at Marseille and Frankfurt Hahn. The EC currently is investigating aid to Wizz Air at Timisoara airport in Romania, aid to infrastructure at the Leipzig-Halle airport in Germany and aid to Dortmund airport and the airlines using it.
Airports Council International's World Annual Traffic Report released this month details a "strong rebound from the two-year industry slump," the organization noted, pointing out that worldwide airport passengers increased 6.6% in 2010 compared to 2009 to reach 5.04 billion for the full year. That marked the most passengers ever in a single year. "Cargo volumes also hit a record, surging past 91 million tonnes with 15.3% growth," ACI stated. "Once again, our industry has shown its resiliency in recovering from a downturn."
Munich Airport received planning approval in late July from the regional Bavarian government for the construction of a third runway, which will allow it to handle up to 120 movements per hour, up from the current 90. The planning permission does come with restrictions, e.g. operations are allowed only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. to cut noise pollution at night. The new runway will be 4000 m. (13,100 ft.) long and 60 m. wide. It will be located 1,180 m. north of the current runway 08L/26R, with its thresholds displaced 2,100 m. to the east.
LOT Polish Airlines appointed Frank Joost regional sales director for the US, Canada and Latin America. Intersky, an Austrian regional airline, announced that owner Renate Moser will step in as CEO following the resignation of Claus Bernatzik. It said Rolf Seewald would manage flight operations. JetStream Ground Services named Richard Cordell COO and Blake Schultz Jr. VP-sales and marketing.
