Air Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers said the airline's approximately 3,800 call center and airport customer service agents in Canada have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement ( ATW Daily News, June 16). The four-year accord, which has been approved by AC's board of directors, will remain in effect until Feb. 28, 2015.
Former UPS Airlines President Robert Lekites was named Airbus Americas' executive VP-customers, effective Aug.1, giving him responsibility for North American sales. In the newly-created position, he will report directly to Airbus Americas President and CEO Barry Eccleston.
US FAA proposed a $1.05 million civil penalty against Boeing "for allegedly failing to correct a known problem in production and installation of the central passenger oxygen system in" 777s.
In what can be fairly described as an extreme pro-consumer opinion that will likely increase airlines' costs associated with the EU 261/2004 passenger compensation regulation, the European Court of Justice's advocate general argued Tuesday that passengers may claim reimbursement for "reasonable" expenditures incurred when an airline fails to provide care and assistance in the event of a canceled flight.
Canadian Commissioner of Competition Melanie Airken filed an application Monday with the country's Competition Tribunal, an independent law enforcement agency, seeking to "prohibit" Air Canada and United Continental Holdings from launching a planned revenue-sharing joint venture on US/Canada transborder services.
Baidu takes majority stake in Qunar Vayant partners with mobile provider Court says American can seek injunctice relief from biasing Farelogix releases new version of SPRK platform Sabre introduces products to boost social media presence World news briefing
After years of talking about the mobile channel, the airline industry is finally embracing it. A third of airlines that responded to SITA’s Airline IT Trends Survey 2011 are already selling through the mobile channel, and another 52% plan to sell tickets via mobile phones by the end of 2014. But the aviation industry is “very inconsistent” in the ways it has deployed mobile applications, according to Jack Loop, formerly of Mobiata and now a specialist consultant to SITA on mobile technologies.
Canadian Commissioner of Competition Melanie Airken filed an application Monday with the country's Competition Tribunal, an independent law enforcement agency, seeking to "prohibit" Air Canada and United Continental Holdings from launching a planned revenue-sharing joint venture on US/Canada transborder services.
Aero Pneudraulics, an aircraft repair and overhaul services provider, announced it has changed its name to AeroWorx. The company recently expanded into a new 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Torrance, Calif. TAECO opened its sixth maintenance hangar at Xiamen Gaoqi International. The $73.5 million, 45,790 sq.-m. hangar is fully equipped to accommodate two widebody aircraft, enabling capacity expansion by 20%.
Boeing delivered a 777 freighter to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Crystal Cargo. The freighter is Etihad's first Boeing freighter and joins the airline's existing 777 fleet, which includes seven 777-300ERs. TAAG Angola Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER. The aircraft is part of an order for two placed in October 2009. The aircraft will be used for route expansion on service to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Lisbon, Oporto, and into the US upon approval.
AerCap Holdings completed an amendment to its $775 million non-recourse revolving debt facility, arranged by UBS Securities in April 2006. The amendment extends the facility to June 2016, granting AerCap an additional two-year revolving period with a three-year term-out period.
Dublin-based aircraft lessor Avolon said it is aiming to establish itself as a leader in the Asia/Pacific and Middle East markets and plans to open an office in one of the two regions during the next 12 months. It already maintains offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai and has leased 26 aircraft to nine airlines between the two regions.
Flights to/from and within Greece are expected to be heavily disrupted Tuesday owing to work actions by the country's ATC personnel between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time. The planned walk-off is part of a wider general strike called by the main Greek unions for June 28-29 in protest of a vote in parliament on further austerity measures.
Boeing said Monday it has started function and reliability testing and ETOPS demonstrations on the 787, noting it is entering the "final phase of flight testing prior to certification of the airplane."
Virgin Atlantic Airways founder and Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson warned that a pilots' strike would leave "an indelible scar" on the airline, "impact customers' trust" and "damage the unique and friendly culture at Virgin Atlantic."
Detroit Metro operator Wayne County Airport Authority said it has agreed to partner with Michigan State University Extension to grow, harvest and process bioenergy crops on the property of DTW and another of the authority's airports, Willow Run.
The Chinese government has blocked an order from Hainan Airlines' subsidiary Hong Kong Airlines for 10 Airbus A380 aircraft, according to widespread news reports.
Detroit Metro operator Wayne County Airport Authority said it has agreed to partner with Michigan State University Extension to grow, harvest and process bioenergy crops on the property of DTW and another of the authority's airports, Willow Run.
Cathay Pacific Airways and its subsidiary Dragonair have recorded a 5.1% improvement in CO 2 efficiency in relation to traffic volume carried (revenue tone-kilometer) for 2010 bringing the overall improvement to 23.4% since 1998. One of the big contributors has been the 777-300ER, which is 26% more efficient than the 747-400 it has been replacing. The figures are contained in the airline’s Sustainable Development Report 2010 released this month.
UK-based GKN Aerospace has signed an agreement this week with Recycled Carbon Fibre Ltd. in Birmingham, UK, to recycle the uncured carbon waste from its aero structure manufacturing operation in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. Recycling will take place at RCF’s innovative carbon recycling facility in the West Midlands. GKN Aerospace estimates that approaching 100 tonnes of carbon waste from the Cowes site will be recycled in the next 12 months as part of this cost neutral agreement.
Australian and New Zealand could be self sufficient in biomass for the aviation industry by 2050, according to a new study released last month. The wide ranging study was conducted by the Australian CSIRO, that country’s peak scientific organization, on behalf of the Australasian grouping of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, including Air New Zealand, Boeing, Qantas and Virgin Australia, together with the Defence Science and Technology Organization. The study found that 50% of the region’s biomass requirements could be met by 2020.
The European Commission, Airbus, leading European airlines and European biofuel producers have launched a new industry-wide initiative to try and speed up the commercialization of aviation biofuels in Europe.
