Cyprus Airways lost €3.3 million ($4.4 million) in 2009, reversed from a €1.7 million profit in 2008, as traffic and yield fell sharply. The carrier attributed the result to the "world economic crisis that adversely affects the airline industry." Revenue dropped 20.1% to €249 million and the operating loss of €5.7 million compared to a €2 million surplus the prior year. CY said it has sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations. It sold three older A320s last year and hopes to find buyers for its remaining four owned A320s.
Turkish Airlines will introduce a new class and service product in between business and economy on its new widebody aircraft, CEO Temel Kotil told ATWOnline last week in Istanbul. The class is unnamed but "will exceed the premium economy standards of most other carriers and will be close to the business class of some other carriers," he said.
Air New Zealand lifted its net profit for the six months to Dec. 31, 2009, to NZ$56 million ($38.6 million), more than double the NZ$24 million reported in the year-ago semester, despite fuel hedge losses and a significant decline in revenue.
Japan Airlines posted a net loss of ¥177.9 billion ($1.99 billion) for the first three quarters of its fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2009, considerably widened from a ¥1.9 billion loss for the prior-year period.
Thai Airways reported 2009 net income of THB7.34 billion ($222.8 million), reversed from a net loss of THB21.38 billion in 2008, citing "cost control" and a foreign exchange gain as the main reasons it returned to the black.
GuestLogix reached a multiyear agreement with Republic Airways to deploy its retail transaction platform and OnTouch, its branded onboard store design.
Cabot Aviation delivered the fourth of seven 737-200s to Karachi-based Shaheen Air International. Aircraft were purchased by Sharjah-based KAL Aviation from Aerotrans Leasing.
Ryanair will launch service to Kos and Volos from Frankfurt Hahn and Bergamo and to Rhodes from Bergamo and Pisa in May. AirTran Airways will launch the following seasonal service: Daily flights from San Antonio to Baltimore and Orlando International on May 27, daily Allentown-Atlanta on May 4, four-times-weekly Asheville-Tampa on May 4, weekly Wichita-MCO on May 27 and daily Harrisburg-ATL on May 4.
American Airlines and China Eastern Airlines are negotiating the latter's possible entry into oneworld, AA CFO Tom Horton said this week in comments cited by Reuters. CEA is in the market for an alliance and was hoping to make a decision by last week ( ATWOnline, Jan. 26). Horton also said that oneworld is talking with a Brazilian airline about oneworld membership. TAM is committed to Star Alliance but Gol remains in play and currently codeshares with AA.
Third 787 joined Boeing's flight test program. Aircraft ZA004, the fourth test aircraft built, took off Wednesday at 11:43 a.m. local time from Everett. Boeing said the fourth aircraft was scheduled to fly before ZA003 because the data it is collecting "is needed more quickly both for certification and development of the 787-9." ZA004 flew for 3 hr. 2 min., reached 30,000 ft. and 255 kt. and "operated flawlessly," according to Capt. Heather Ross. ZA004 will be used to test aerodynamics, high-speed performance, propulsion performance, flight loads, community noise and ETOPS.
United Airlines yesterday finalized its order for 25 787-8s worth $4.2 billion at list prices, Boeing announced. The contract includes 50 purchase rights ( ATWOnline, Dec. 9, 2009). UA said it expects to take delivery of the 787s, as well as the A350s it also plans to acquire, between 2016 and 2019. It said it expects its Airbus order to be finalized this quarter.
Alaska Airlines, which tested Row 44's inflight Internet service last year, has chosen instead to offer Aircell's Gogo inflight Internet on its passenger fleet, excluding combis, by year end. The decision will prompt Aircell to add coverage in Alaska. It currently provides Wi-Fi coverage in the lower 48 states but said it wants "to ensure the service is available to the airline's namesake state." A 60-day customer trial of Row 44's inflight Internet conducted onboard an AS 737-700 last year found that 96% of passengers would use the service again
American Eagle Airlines is installing nine first class seats on each of its 25 CRJ700s and will offer "the same level of outstanding service customers experience on American Airlines" beginning July 2. By that time it also will have taken delivery of two of the 25 CRJs it has on order, all of which will be equipped with the new product
Tiger Airways and Tiger Airways Australia parent Tiger Aviation Group posted a net profit of S$14.1 million in the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, reversed from a S$7.9 million loss in the year-ago period. Third-quarter operating profit was S$23.5 million, boosted by a 29% year-over-year increase in revenue to S$139.5 million. President and CEO Tony Davis said the turnaround was "driven by traffic growth across both our airlines, increasing ancillary revenues and a focus on cost containment." Unit cost fell 16% and CASK excluding fuel was cut 4%.
UK Competition Appeal Tribunal yesterday issued a final order overturning the Competition Commission's March 2009 ruling ordering BAA to sell London Gatwick, Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow International. The order follows the Tribunal's December decision agreeing with BAA's claim regarding apparent bias in the Commission's decision ordering the breakup of the airport group because a commission member also was a paid financial adviser with links to Manchester Airport Group, which was in the running to purchase LGW before it was sold to Global Infrastructure Partners
Air China and Cathay Pacific Airways yesterday signed a framework agreement in Beijing establishing a jointly owned, Shanghai-based cargo airline built on the assets of Air China Cargo. Air China will hold a 51% stake in the new carrier while Cathay will acquire a 25% stake and fund an offshore trust, in the form of a loan, to hold an additional 24%. CX's total investment in the new venture will be CNY1.67 billion ($244.1 million).
AirAsia earned a MYR549.1 million ($161.1 million) profit in 2009, reversed from a restated MYR496.6 million loss in 2008, as it opened four new bases and grew market share "in every market we serve," according to CEO Tony Fernandes.
Iberia Group ended what may be its final year as an independent carrier on a sour note, reporting a consolidated net loss of €273 million ($369.8 million) for 2009, reversed from a €32 million surplus the prior year. The deficit also ended a 13-year annual profit streak for the Spanish airline that is merging with British Airways. Operating revenue plunged 19.2% to €4.46 billion and operating expenses declined 10.9% to €4.93 billion. IB's operating loss widened sharply from a €79 million deficit in 2008 to €464 million last year.
Republic Airways Holdings, fresh off reporting another profitable year with net income of $39.7 million, yesterday placed a firm order for 40 CSeries aircraft valued at $3.06 billion.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. announced that Chairman Takashi Nishioka will retire at the end of the current fiscal year ending March 31. He will be succeeded as chairman by Nobuo Toda.
US Senate aviation subcommittee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said long-stalled FAA reauthorization legislation "ought to be an urgent national priority." Speaking to the Aero Club of Washington, he said moving a reauthorization bill through the Senate is "my priority at the moment." Passage should be a "noncontroversial issue" that "in the end" will pass by a wide margin, he claimed. The agency's authorization officially expired on Sept. 30, 2007, and it since has remained operational via a series of temporary extensions passed by Congress
Etihad Airways said it will install new technology on its long- and ultra-long-haul aircraft that will aid it in managing inflight medical emergencies. The Tempus IC system "allows cabin crew to gather vital information about a passenger's health quickly and efficiently," including blood pressure and an electrocardiogram. It also enables the crew to take photo imagery. The information is transmitted to a medical team on the ground for further diagnosis and to make recommendations.
Amadeus reached a multiyear global distribution agreement with WestJet giving worldwide Amadeus agents access to the airline's content and real-time data.
Lufthansa Cargo and Austrian Airlines Cargo announced increased cooperation that will eliminate about 25% of the latter's 200 employees. Beginning July 1, the companies said they will "optimize" traffic through their Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna Hubs, merge global distribution services and "harmonize" product portfolios and production processes. LHC and OSC will integrate handling and distribution in Austria while freight activities in all other countries will be combined under LHC.
Iberia will operate its thrice-weekly Madrid-Washington Dulles service scheduled to launch March 29 with an A340 featuring IB's upgraded business class with lie-flat beds. A fourth weekly flight will operate June-August. It also will add a fourth-weekly MAD-Boston frequency in March and a fifth in June, with daily service scheduled to start in July. Ryanair will launch thrice-weekly Newcastle-Oslo Rygge service May 19. Wizz Air will launch twice-weekly Lviv-Treviso service May 14 aboard a new A320.
