ITA Software said it “will begin work immediately” to close its acquisition by Google following US Dept. of Justice approval of the transaction on Friday. Google announced its intention to acquire ITA for $700 million in cash in July ( ATW Daily News, October 1, 2010). “We … are committed to making the integration process as seamless as possible for our employees and customers,” ITA said. Google stated that it would “honor ITA’s existing contracts.”
US National Transportation Safety Board said the United Airlines Airbus A320 that exited a New Orleans runway when making an emergency landing on April 4 did not experience smoke in the cockpit but rather an apparently false automated smoke warning followed by system disruptions.
Air India Chairman and MD Arvind Jadhav met with a consortium of Indian bankers on Friday to present a turnaround plan aimed at making the struggling carrier "operationally profitable by 2015."
Austrian Airlines said additional cost-cutting measures will be necessary owing to escalating expenses driven by the Japanese nuclear crisis, unrest in North Africa, rising fuel costs and stiff competition on many of its main routes.
US National Transportation Safety Board said the United Airlines Airbus A320 that exited a New Orleans runway when making an emergency landing on April 4 did not experience smoke in the cockpit but rather an apparently false automated smoke warning followed by system disruptions.
Lufthansa Technik received German Federal Office of Civil Aviation certification to offer MRO services on Hamilton Sundstrand APS2300 APUs. Fokker Aircraft Services announced it has added re-skinning to its MRO services. It last year installed a new vacuum applicator at its interior shop that enables it to re-skin aircraft interior side panels, luggage bins and ceiling panels "no matter the size or aircraft type," it said.
Michelin Group was selected by COMAC to develop and supply tires for the C919. The tire manufacturer said the contract will require it to increase production capacity in Asia. Michelin said the C919 will use its Air X radial tire. KfW IPEX-Bank said it will provide loans to Hawaiian Airlines to finance two new Airbus A330-200s to be delivered this month and in March 2012.
SITA is building a community cloud computing infrastructure dedicated to the air transport industry and will launch the first cloud applications and services in June, CEO Francesco Violante revealed at a briefing on Tuesday in London. He refrained from naming the first customers for the ATI Cloud but noted that the interest from airlines and airports “is clear and diverse, cannot be geographically characterized” and that several airlines are already involved in pilot programs.
Shenzhen-based Jade Cargo named Lufthansa Cargo VP-Margin Management Frank Naeve its new CEO, replacing Kay Kratky. Jade pointed out that Naeve previously served as LH Cargo GM-Sales-Greater Shanghai, giving him familiarity with the Chinese air cargo market.
Bombardier said it has started work at its aircraft production facility in Mirabel to accommodate final assembly of the first flight test CSeries. “This is another step in the five-phased development of the Mirabel plant, which will ultimately double in size to some 860,000 sq. ft.,” Bombardier stated.
Boeing said Thursday it delivered 104 commercial aircraft in the first quarter, slightly behind the 108 delivered in the 2010 March quarter. Leading the way were 87 737NG deliveries, one more than was delivered in the year-ago quarter.
US Airways has not made a decision on whether to install Aircell's Gogo onboard Wi-Fi across its domestic fleet. At present, only the carrier's Airbus A321s are equipped and usage is very low, according to President Scott Kirby, who told reporters at the US Airways media day Wednesday that it averages "below 5%" while "breakeven is north of 20%." However, he also expects that onboard connectivity eventually will become prevalent among US carriers for competitive reasons.
UPS Airlines aircraft mechanics, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, voted to ratify a new labor agreement that will run through Nov. 1, 2013.
The Chinese government raised domestic jet fuel prices to CNY6,840 ($1,044) per ton, up 7.9% from CNY6,340 per ton in February, in response to escalating oil prices. This is the second price hike this year.
US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt on Wednesday told Congress that the agency is reviewing requirements for inspecting aging aircraft following last Friday's midair fuselage skin rupture on a Southwest Airlines 737-300.
Boeing this week delivered one 737-800 to Air Algerie, the North African carrier’s 50th Boeing aircraft and the fourth of seven 737NGs it ordered in 2009 ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 18, 2009). Separately, the manufacturer delivered a 737-800 to Algeria-based Tassili Airlines, the carrier's first Boeing aircraft and the first of an order placed in 2009 for four -800s.
Japan Airlines said it will offer a limited number of administrative and maintenance staff, flight attendants and pilots “special unpaid leave during the months of May and June” as a result of capacity reductions in the aftermath of the devastating natural and nuclear disasters in Japan. Last week, JAL announced a temporary reduction in capacity on international and domestic routes ( ATW Daily News, April 4).
Alaska Airlines will this year begin a "major renovation project" for its facilities at Los Angeles International, moving from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 in late 2011, and integrating its "Airport of the Future" check-in process and "modernized" gate facilities. The new location will open for operations in spring 2012.
US Dept. of Transportation said the nation’s largest carriers reported no flights in February with tarmac delays of more than 3 hr., down from 60 flights in February 2010. Data filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed there have been only 16 tarmac delays of more than 3 hr. reported since the tough tarmac delay rule went into effect in April 2010 ( ATW Daily News, April 29, 2010).
Airbus said it is bringing forward the A320neo's entry into service from 2016 to October 2015, and will begin the program's industrial development phase "in earnest" with Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G serving as the "lead development engine."
