Airbus said Thai Airways signed a firm order for seven A330-300s, confirming a commitment announced at last month's Farnborough Airshow ( ATW Daily News, July 22). Deliveries will begin at the end of 2011. Engine selection was not announced but Thai's 20 in service A330-300s are powered by a mix of Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney engines.
In response to robust domestic demand growth, Okay Airways plans to expand its fleet from eight to 12 aircraft by year’s end and to 20 aircraft by the end of 2011. The current fleet consists of three 737-800s, two MA60s and three 737 freighters operating on more than 20 domestic routes. The Tianjin-based carrier placed an order with AVIC for 10 MA60s in 2007. But owing to the carrier’s suspension of operation at the end of 2008, it introduced only one MA60 earlier this month. It operates on the carrier's Shenyang-Dalian route.
United Airlines and Continental Airlines yesterday unveiled their post-merger livery, which features the "United" name in block capital letters on the fuselage but utilizes CO's logo and colors including its blue-gold-white globe image on the tail.
Vueling Airlines CEO Alex Cruz confirmed to ATW that the carrier plans to add six aircraft next year and said the company is in talks “with all the major aircraft manufacturers as well as current and some potential [new] lessors.”
ExpressJet Holdings posted a second quarter net loss of $18.5 million, widened from a $13.1 million deficit in the year-ago period, and said it will continue to make an effort to reduce operating costs as it prepares to be acquired by SkyWest, Inc.
Shenzhen Airlines yesterday said it signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 10 A320s and announced that it had an operating profit of CNY520 million ($79 million) in the first half, crediting strong domestic market demand growth and its merger with Air China for the result.
American Airlines flew 11.97 billion RPMs in July, a 2.7% year-over-year increase, while capacity rose 3.1% to 13.76 billion ASMs. Load factor fell 0.3 point to 87%. American Eagle Airlines operated 782.9 million RPMs in July, up 8.2%, against a 10.6% lift in capacity to 1.03 billion ASMs. Load factor dipped 1.7 points to 76.1%.
US National Transportation Safety Board launched a Go Team to investigate Monday night's crash of a de Havilland DHC-3T near Dillingham, AK. According to the Aviation Safety Network, five of the nine persons on board were killed including former US Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK). EADS North America CEO and former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, who was also on the aircraft, survived the crash. The National Weather Service reported deteriorating weather at Dillingham around the time of the accident, estimated at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Japan Airlines continues to pare down its portfolio of subsidiaries as it refocuses on its core activities in advance of submitting its official reorganization plan in court by the end of this month. Yesterday it announced it will sell 90% of its stakes in JAL Sky Kansai Co., JAL Ground Service Kansai Co. and JAL Ground Support Kansai Co. to Konoike Transport Co. by way of a stock transfer agreement.
Finnair reported a second-quarter net loss of €27.8 million ($37 million), widened slightly from a €23.3 million deficit in the year-ago-period. “Strengthening demand, recovering load factors and clearly improved unit revenues have restored profitability to a positive course," President and CEO Mika Vehvilainen said. "It is clear that we cannot be satisfied with a loss-making result, but the trend in profitability is heartening."
US airlines recorded only three tarmac delays in excess of 3 hr. during the month of June, a stark improvement over the year ago month’s 268 reported excessive delays, the US Dept. of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported yesterday.
Air Arabia Group reported a consolidated second quarter net profit of AED49.5 million ($13.5 million), down 44.8% from the AED89.7 million it earned in the year-ago period.
Gol reported a second quarter net loss of BRL51.9 million ($29.6 million), reversed from a BRL353.7 million net profit in the year-ago period, as interest expenses, foreign exchange losses and non-recurring maintenance costs weighed on the bottom line.
SAS President and CEO Matts Jansson, who faced a string of escalating labor, operational and financial crises since taking the helm of SAS in January 2007, announced he will step down this fall.
Boeing insiders indicated the company has decided to push back the first flight of the sixth and final 787 flight test aircraft to Sept. 12, while on another front the manufacturer is facing a $1 billion claim from Air India related to 27 delayed Dreamliners the carrier has on order.
Swissport will provide ground handling for Swiss International Air Lines at Zurich, Geneva and Basel through 2015 under a contract signed this month. Annual volume is some 64,000 flights for which Swissport will supply all passenger and baggage handling services, all ramp services, de-icing and "various further airport services and customer processes," Swissport said. Baltic Aviation Academy in Lithuania added the A320 to its type rating training list.
Lufthansa Cargo will increase its worldwide cargo rates by 20% from Oct 1. Ethiopian Airlines said it signed a purchase agreement with Diamond Aircraft Industries of Austria for 10 DA40NG pilot training aircraft and one D-SIM-40 simulator valued €3.7 million ($4.9 billion).
Delta Air Linesflew 19.6 billion system RPMs in July, a .5% rise year-over-year. Capacity decreased .3% to 22 billion ASMs and load factor increased .7 point to 88.3%. Great Lakes Aviationoperated 13.92 million RPMs in July, up 10.1% year-over-year, against a 6.1% cut in capacity to 33.43 million ASMs. Load factor rose 6.1 points to 41.6%.
An Alaska Airlines 737-400 was forced to abort takeoff Sunday in Sitka after an eagle strike shut down one of its engines. An airline spokesperson told CNN the aircraft braked to a stop about 3,000 ft. from the end of the 6,500-ft. runway, which ends at the water's edge. The plane then taxied back to the terminal with its single working engine. None of the 134 passengers and five crew members aboard was injured, he said.
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation reported that Dubai Aerospace Enterprise has cancelled an order with Airbus for 18 A320s and seven A350-900s valued at around $3 billion. ATW reported yesterday that Boeing lost 26 aircraft orders last week including 10 777s and 15 787s believed to have been ordered by DAE( ATW Daily News, Aug. 9). Airbus has had 41 order cancellations so far this year.
Bombardier said Porter Airlines signed a firm order for four Q400 NextGens plus six options. The Toronto-based airline’s firm order is valued at C$123 million ($120 million) at list prices. The four aircraft will increase Porter’s fleet of Q400s to 24 ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 20, 2009). Porter took delivery of its 20th aircraft, and the 300th Q400 aircraft to be delivered, in April.
US FAA proposed an airworthiness directive to require operators of certain 747-400s to modify thrust reverser control system wiring to prevent inadvertent, automatic retractions of leading edge flaps.
