Air Canada’s 3,800 customer service and sales workers, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union, returned to work Friday following tentative agreement on a new labor pact ( ATW Daily News, June 16).
Air Berlin and British Airways reached a codeshare agreement. Beginning July 5, AB will place its code on BA flights from "various" German airports to London Heathrow, as well as BA flights from Frankfurt and Zurich to London City, and from Salzburg to London Gatwick. BA will place its code on AB flights from LGW to Nuremburg and from STN to Paderborn and Munster/Osnabruck. The cooperation agreement applies to flights to more than 40 European destinations served by the two airlines.
BAE Systems placed one BAe 146-300 (delivered) with Albanian Airlines configured in a 98-seat all-economy class layout. It joins two other BAe 146s at the airline, and will be utilized to increase frequencies on existing routes from the capital Tirana as well as for route expansion.
GoAir, the Wadia Group-owned airline based in Mumbai, announced at a Thursday press conference that it has ordered 72 Airbus A320neos. According to media reports from Mumbai, MD Jeh Wadia told reporters that former Air One Chief Revenue Officer Giorgio De Roni will take over as GoAir CEO and also revealed that the carrier has placed 72 "firm" A320neo orders. He added that deliveries will start in 2015 and the carrier will then receive 15 A320neos per year.
Boeing's 747-8 freighter is scheduled to land at the Paris Air Show Monday after crossing the Atlantic Ocean partially powered by biofuel. Boeing pilots Capt. Keith Otsuka and Capt. Rick Braun and Cargolux Capt. Sten Rossby were slated to fly the aircraft with each of its GE GEnx-2B engines powered by a blend of 15% camelina-based biofuel and 85% traditional kerosene fuel (Jet-A).
Flydubai expects to announce its first annual profit in 2012. "With 21 aircraft [by the end of 2012] we will have the right size to" operate sustainably, CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith told ATW in Dubai recently.
There will undoubtedly be a great deal of focus on Bombardier's CSeries at this week's Paris Air Show as the manufacturer hopes its foray into the narrowbody aircraft sector will begin to fulfill expectations on the order side.
Up to 600 firm aircraft orders are expected at the 49th Paris Air Show opening Monday with Airbus likely to account for around 70% of the total, New York-based Buckingham Research Group predicted.
US Air Transport Assn. named Sean Kennedy, a special assistant to President Barack Obama for legislative affairs, senior VP-global government affairs. He will join ATA July 15. Intrepid Aviation named leasing industry veteran Frank Pray president and CEO. He was formerly president and CEO of AWAS from 2006-2010. Prior to that, he was with CIT Aerospace for nine years.
Saudi Arabian Airlines said an IPO of its catering unit, estimated to be worth up to $540 million, is expected to be delayed for the second time, Reuters reported. The IPO was initially planned for the third quarter of 2010 and was later delayed to the second quarter of 2011. "We have submitted our file to the Capital Market Authority and haven't been given a date yet but most likely it will be delayed," DG Khalid Almolhem told Reuters.
US FAA said it is proposing a $425,000 civil penalty against Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a SkyWest Inc. subsidiary, for allegedly operating two Bombardier CRJ regional jets when they were not in compliance with FAA regulations.
About 700 Frontier Airlines pilots voted this week on whether to ratify a tentative agreement that would give them an equity stake in the airline in exchange for reductions in pay and benefits. Ratification would potentially drop parent Republic Airways Holdings' stake in the carrier to below 50% while allowing it to raise $70 million. It would also clear the way for a restructuring plan aimed at cutting more than $100 million from Frontier's annual costs.
Airline service in Australia returned to normal Thursday as the ash cloud from Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Volcano, which has played havoc with the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers, cleared the continent ( ATW Daily News, June 16).
European Commission officially closed its infringement procedure against the Republic of Ireland for levying what it called “discriminatory aspects of its air travel tax,” following the Irish government’s modification of the tax to a single rate of €3 ($4.30) per passenger on all European routes.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said it signed an MOU with ANI Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based lessor that places aircraft with Indonesian airlines, for five MRJs.
The debate and lobbying on the controversial Air Passenger Duty in the UK intensified this week with the government’s consultation on ADP reform due to close Friday.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said it signed an MOU with ANI Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based lessor that places aircraft with Indonesian airlines, for five MRJs.
Turkish Airlines launched thrice-weekly Istanbul Atatürk-Genoa service, increasing to four-times-weekly June 27. SriLankan Airlines will restart service to Zurich with the launch of Colombo-Zurich service Dec. 23, which it said is "likely" to operate via Male. The route was suspended in 2005. US Airways launched thrice-daily Philadelphia-Quebec service.
