Virgin Blue warned that it will post a A$30 million ($30.3 million)-A$80 million net loss for its full fiscal year ending June 30, owing to natural disasters and soaring fuel prices.
Ryanair has temporarily suspended operations at Trapani from March 21 “for an indefinite period and until at least March 28” as the airport is closed to all civilian air traffic owing to the ongoing military action in Libya. The LCC consequently switched its TPS operations to Palermo Airport, 35 mi. (56 km.) from Trapani. Ryanair operates to/from 42 domestic and European destinations from TPS. Etihad Airways will launch daily Airbus A320 Abu Dhabi-Male service Nov. 1.
An Antonov 12 cargo plane operated by Trans Air Congo was destroyed Monday after crashing in the final stages of an approach at Pointe Noire Airport, Congo. According to Ascend, the plane came down in a residential area, killing at least 14 people. However, media reports have placed the death toll as high as 19. Q8’s Antonov 12BP TN-AGK (msn 402006 built 1963) was operating a cargo flight from Brazzaville. Q8 is on the list of airlines banned within the EU.
Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority is revoking the operating license of Sun D'Or International Airlines as of April 1, owing to noncompliance with international aviation standards.
Organizers of the 49th Paris Air Show, taking place June 20-26, said exhibition space for the biannual event has been sold out for five months and predicted this year's edition will have a modern feel with free high-speed Wi-Fi available and an area dedicated to alternative fuels.
United Continental Holdings said Tuesday that subsidiary Continental Airlines has signed a letter of intent with LiveTV to offer inflight Wi-Fi via Ka-band beginning next year. It plans to offer the service on more than 200 Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft operating domestically and equipped with DirecTV satellite-television. Passengers will have access to onboard connectivity and more than 95 channels of live television, UCH said.
Boeing and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne announced the creation of the Sustainable Biomass Consortium, a “research initiative focused on increasing collaboration between voluntary standards and regulatory requirements for biomass used to create jet fuel and bioenergy for other sectors.” The consortium also will “seek to lower overall sustainability certification costs,” Boeing said.
Southwest Airlines is "anxious to have some answers this year" regarding a narrowbody replacement, Chairman, President and CEO Gary Kelly said Tuesday at the JP Morgan Aviation, Transportation and Defense Conference in New York, available via webcast.
The European Airport Coordinators Assn. on Tuesday said its member slot coordinators view the recent disruption to air services to Japan and the Middle East/North Africa region “sympathetically” and vowed to show “flexibility” in applying the “use it or lose it” rules in light of the flight disruptions to those parts of the world.
Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it is cutting Japan capacity by 15%-20% through at least May, including immediately dropping flights from Detroit and Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda.
Travelclick acquires Rubicon Air Astana, Amadeus reach agreement on GDS terms Aer Lingus, Brussels Airlines weigh migration to new PSSs Air China selects Datalex to power online reservations Amadeus makes moves in online, GDS rail distribution In Focus: New site aims to inspire -- and to boost travel agencies World news briefing
Kayak, the travel meta search company, is moving closer to becoming an online travel agency through a new deal with Travelocity. Under the agreement, Travelocity Partner Network will power Kayak's new hotel booking engine. The deal will for the first time enable bookings on the Kayak site, which previously referred all transactional activity to is partner supplier sites. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
News from Travel Technology Update: Kayak, the travel meta search company, is moving closer to becoming an online travel agency through a new deal with Travelocity. Under the agreement, Travelocity Partner Network will power Kayak's new hotel booking engine. The deal will for the first time enable bookings on the Kayak site, which previously referred all transactional activity to is partner supplier sites. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Airlines serving Japan are reporting declining load factors to ATW, suggesting that services are under constant review and may be reduced in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.
Oxford Aviation Academy was selected by easyJet as its training partner in a new Multi Crew Pilot’s License program. During the program, 30 easyJet-mentored Cadet Pilots will be trained by both the OAA and easyJet training teams, preparing them to qualify for the issue of a new MPL under the approval of the UK CAA.
SR Technics won a contract from GECAS to perform C checks this year at its main base in Zurich. The number of C checks completed at SR Technics’ Zurich facility rose 36% year-over-year to 49 in 2010 versus 36 in 2009, it said. A J Walter Aviation has announced a 10-year power-by-the-hour component support contract from Germania, covering the carrier's fleet of Boeing 737NG and Airbus A320-family aircraft.
Bombardier said the first systems for its CSeries aircraft are being developed and tested by suppliers in advance of installation at its "Complete Integrated Aircraft Systems Test Area" in Mirabel, where the company plans to "extensively test" all systems on a "virtual aircraft."
Nigeria-based Arik Air entered into a joint venture agreement Friday with the government of Sierra Leone to incorporate Leone Airways, which will be the country’s national carrier, the airline announced following a visit from Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma. Arik Air MD Chris Ndulue said that Leone Airways will operate the Freetown-London route and that structures are being put in place to enable the airline to start operations soon.
American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia will further expand their transatlantic joint venture March 27 including the rescheduling of New York-London service out of JFK and Newark to create what the carriers are calling a "London express service" featuring 15 non-overlapping AA/BA daily flights between JFK/EWR and LHR/LCY with flights departing from JFK approximately every 20 min. between 6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (a total of nine). In addition the carriers are launching five new routes.
Libyan airspace has been closed to all commercial flights since Friday, when the UN Security Council passed a resolution to enact a no-fly zone over parts of the country. The US, UK and France on Monday continued to lead an air attack on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's military and have said a no-fly zone is effectively in place. Eurocontrol informed airlines Friday that "Tripoli [ATC] does not accept traffic." Many airlines had already curtailed or canceled Tripoli services in recent weeks as violence in the North African country escalated.
Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental achieved first flight Sunday, taking off from Paine Field in Everett and landing 4 hr. 25 min. later at Boeing Field in Seattle.
Embraer and Alitalia finalized an agreement for 15 E-175s and five E-190s through a lease structure to be arranged by third parties, the companies announced on Monday.
A group representing China's largest airlines sent a formal notice to the EU expressing strong opposition to non-member-state airlines' inclusion in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme from 2012.
ICAO and four other UN bodies issued a joint statement declaring air travel to/from Japan safe, adding that they are "monitoring the situation closely and will advise of any changes."
