Alitalia yesterday joined the Air France KLM-Delta Air Lines transatlantic profit/loss-sharing joint venture, adding Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa to a network that utilizes Amsterdam, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York JFK, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Cincinnati, Memphis and Salt Lake City.
Swiss International Air Lines believes its continued profitability will hinge on its ability to control costs and leverage its brand. "Swiss transported 13.8 million passengers last year and made a profit of CHF146 million ($137.2 million); that means we earned just CHF10 per ticket," CCO Holger Haetty told ATW recently in Vienna. "Cost management in a business with low margins will be an ongoing process…We need discipline."
The European Union's General Court ruled yesterday that the European Commission was right in June 2007 to block Ryanair's takeover of Aer Lingus on competition grounds and also was correct in stating that it could not force Ryanair to divest its minority shareholding in EI. The ruling derived from an appeal by Ryanair against the EC's refusal to clear its takeover bid and also an appeal by EI against the EC's rejection of its request to order Ryanair to divest its stake.
News from Travel Technology Update: Google Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire ITA Software Inc., the company that revolutionized air fare shopping, for $700 million in cash. The deal requires regulatory approval. On a telephone call with analysts and reporters, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said airline travel and search represent a “perfect opportunity for more innovation, more investment and more interesting products.”
TripAdvisor buys U.K. vacation rental site Trondent service reduces paper invoices SITA survey sees effects of recovery on IT spending Pegasus to offer single point of entry for descriptive content American Express to offer Cisco Telepresence Suites Special report: China Online World news briefing
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Dublin Airport Authority Vancouver Airport Services Airport Coordination Ltd. SAS AirBaltic and TAV Airports Holding
The European Commission last month issued a report on the use of so-called body scanners that could lead to creation of a legal framework for introduction of the machines at airports on an EU-wide basis.
Airports Council International-North America Executive VP-Policy and External Affairs Deborah McElroy told ATW's Eco-Aviation Conference in Washington last month that airports are driven to be environmentally friendly by a desire to serve their communities. "Getting green is the right thing to do," she said, noting that compliance with regulatory mandates is important but not the overriding motivation.
The UK's new government, which already had announced it was dropping the previous government's plans for additional runways at London's three main airports, last month released more details on its future aviation policy and confirmed what it described as "the need for restraint" owing to environmental considerations.
Dubai Airports officially opened Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International for cargo operations June 27 in Phase 1 of the airport's development. The emirate's new massive five-runway airport is slated to become operational for passenger flights in the 2011 first quarter. Inaugural cargo flights were operated by Rus Aviation, Skyline and Aerospace Consortium.
Inspired by, and perhaps a bit envious of, its successful larger sibling Madrid Barajas, Barcelona El Prat is embracing a new strategy to develop into a "reference" hub with the support of a considerable €5.1 billion ($6.3 billion) investment by its owner and operator Aena.
Google Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire ITA Software Inc., the company that revolutionized air fare shopping, for $700 million in cash. The deal requires regulatory approval. On a telephone call with analysts and reporters, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said airline travel and search represent a “perfect opportunity for more innovation, more investment and more interesting products.” But neither Schmidt nor Jeremy Wertheimer, ITA’s founder and chief executive officer, would be specific about their future plans.
Aer Lingus Regional launched daily Manchester-Shannon service operated by Aer Arann. AirBaltic launched thrice-weekly Riga-Lulea flights. Turkish Airlines will launch thrice-weekly Istanbul Ataturk-Podgorica service July 8.
African Airlines Assn. Executive Committee appointed Tewodros Tamrat as acting secretary general following the recent resignation of Nick Fadugba ( ATWOnline, June 25). Tamrat currently is director-government, corporate and industry affairs for the organization, a position he has occupied since 2001. Prior to joining AFRAA he served with Ethiopian Airlines.
