Air Canada reported a 2009 net loss of C$24 million ($22.4 million), significantly improved over a net loss of C$1.03 billion in 2008, as it was helped by C$657 million in gains on foreign exchange that were reversed from C$655 million in losses in the prior year.
Kingfisher Airlines was granted traffic rights from New Delhi to London Heathrow (its first European destination), Hong Kong, Bangkok and Dubai and from Mumbai to Colombo, Bangkok and Dubai. No launch date was announced. Kingfisher will operate A330s to LHR and HKG and A320 family aircraft on the remaining routes. Chairman and CEO Vijay Mallya said it "may even look at inducting new aircraft into our fleet sooner than planned so that we are fully geared to capitalize on the upturn. We are actively pursuing various options for fundraising and our plans are on track."
AirBaltic will launch thrice-weekly Riga-Tehran flights on June 8 aboard a 737. Germania will launch weekly Berlin Tegel-Beirut service on March 11 with a 737-700 and plans to increase frequency to thrice-weekly by April.
The second major snowstorm to hit the US Mid-Atlantic region in five days closed airports up and down the East Coast yesterday, forcing cancellation of thousands of flights and resulting in delays across the nation's air transport system.
Thai Airways named Pravich Rattanapira chairman of the executive board, succeeding Wallop Bhukkanasut. Air Berlin announced the departure of Chief Maintenance Officer Wolfgang Kurth, citing "differences of opinion concerning the future strategic positioning of the technical support companies and their integration in the Air Berlin Group." AB CEO Joachim Hunold will handle Kurth's responsibilities in the interim.
Southwest Airlines reportedly is under investigation by FAA for another possible safety violation related to aircraft maintenance. Multiple media reports cited sources with knowledge of the probe and The Dallas Morning News stated that FAA's Fort Worth office confirmed it but declined to provide details. According to reports, FAA is investigating whether a Seattle-based repair station contracted by the LCC used unapproved procedures to repair as many as 44 737s that then operated more than 100,000 flights.
Ryanair will establish a base at Kaunas, its 40th, in May with two 737-800s. Routes from the airport will double to 18, including new service to Berlin Schoenefeld, Dusseldorf Weeze, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, Bergamo, Oslo Rygge, Paris Beauvais, Tampere and Girona. The LCC said the new base represents an investment of more than $140 million and that it "is in continuous negotiation with four other Central European airports" regarding new bases.
The US Dept. of Transportation yesterday tentatively granted the slot swap transaction involving Delta Air Lines' Washington National slots and US Airways' New York LaGuardia slots but said the approval is contingent on the sale of 20 of the 125 LGA pairs and 14 of the 42 DCA pairs.
Turkish Airlines is negotiating a two-year dry lease of three Jet Airways 777-300ERs, a THY spokesperson confirmed to ATWOnline. The widebodies would join the THY fleet in April and be painted in its red-and-white livery. In December 2008, Turkish agreed to wet-lease three 777-300ERs from Jet. THY has a firm order for 12 of the type with delveries starting in October. It is scheduled to take delivery of five this year and seven in 2011 ( ATWOnline, July 29, 2009).
Continental Airlines suspended Wednesday operations at its Newark hub as it anticipated a winter storm. A second significant snowfall was forecast to hit the US Mid-Atlantic region, which yesterday was still suffering flight cancellations as a result of the storm that hit last Friday and Saturday ( ATWOnline, Feb. 9). The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said it does not expect any flights to operate at either Dulles or National today.
AirTran Airways announced that flight dispatchers at its Orlando control center represented by the Transport Workers Union ratified a new 48-month collective bargaining agreement.
SAS Group lost SEK2.95 billion ($400 million) in 2009, improved 53.7% from the SEK6.36 billion deficit suffered the year before, but the company felt additional cost cuts were necessary and extended its Core SAS cost reduction program by SEK2 billion to SEK7.3 billion.
Skynet Asia Airways of Japan announced the lease of one 737-800 from AWAS for delivery in the summer of 2011. It currently operates nine 737-400s. Aircraft will feature the Boeing Sky Interior.
OpenSkies will launch five-times-weekly Paris Orly-Washington Dulles service on May 3 aboard a 757 with 72 business class seats. The British Airways subsidiary commenced operations in June 2008 with an ORY-New York JFK service and soon acquired Paris-based L'Avion, which operated 10 weekly 757-200 all-business-class flights between ORY and Newark. OpenSkies planned to be flying six 757s by the end of 2009 but dropped its Amsterdam-JFK route last summer owing to lack of demand. On Jan.
Boeing 747 Chief Pilot Mark Feuerstein said the 747-8 freighter "performed as expected and handled just like a 747-400" during Monday's 3 hr. 39 min. first flight. The aircraft departed from Paine Field in Everett and followed a route over western Washington state before returning ( ATWOnline, Feb. 9). The manufacturer said it successfully underwent tests for "basic handling qualities and engine performance." The GEnx-2B-powered aircraft reached a cruising altitude of 17,000 ft.
Jazz Air parent Jazz Air Income Fund yesterday announced a 2009 profit of C$92.6 million ($86.5 million), reversed from a C$9.4 million loss in 2008, and said it signed a letter of intent to purchase 15 Q400 NextGens plus 15 options for Air Canada's regional partner. Jazz Air parent Jazz Air Income Fund yesterday announced a 2009 profit of C$92.6 million ($86.5 million), reversed from a C$9.4 million loss in 2008, and said it signed a letter of intent to purchase 15 Q400 NextGens plus 15 options for Air Canada's regional partner.
Months of high-stakes jockeying between oneworld's American Airlines and SkyTeam's Delta Air Lines over partnering with troubled Japan Airlines came to an end yesterday when JAL announced it will stay in oneworld and jointly apply for antitrust immunity on transpacific routes with AA.
Australian government announced a A$200 million ($174.1 million) commitment to boost airport security across the country by 2011. All international airports are to be equipped with full-body scanners and machines that can detect liquid explosives, with A$28.5 million to be spent on a variety of screening technologies. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said full-body scanners will be introduced by early next year, the Australian Associated Press reported. Australia will spend A$32 million to increase security at regional airports.
Greek air traffic controllers planned a 24-hr. strike today, grounding all flights to and from Greece. Athens-based Aegean Airlines said it was "forced to cancel all flights on its network."
American Airlines will begin charging economy passengers $8 for a blanket and inflatable pillow on North and Central American flights lasting more than 2 hr. on May 1.
RUAG Aviation announced that Lufttransport of Norway ordered a Do 228 NG, becoming the European launch customer for the upgraded version of the twin-turboprop utility and transport aircraft manufactured by Dornier from the early 1980s until 1999 and by India's Hindustan Aeronautics under license. According to RUAG, the 228 NG "is a completely modernized and enhanced version" of the Do 228-212.
The Thai Airways board announced plans to lease 15 widebody aircraft over the next five years, requiring an investment of THB35.48 billion ($1.07 billion).
The 747-8 freighter achieved first flight yesterday, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at around 12:40 p.m. local time following a nearly 3-hr. weather delay and landing at the same airport at 4:18 p.m., marking the start of flight testing for the latest derivative of Boeing's successful widebody program.
Hainan Airlines parent HNA Group is expected to launch a new Beijing-based carrier called Capital Air in partnership with the city government. The airline will be based on the assets of HNA's Deer Air subsidiary, which operates 18 A319s primarily on charter services. It transported 2.6 million passengers last year and has registered capital of CNY776.5 million. Beijing Capital Tourism Co. will represent the city government, although the amount of its investment remains under discussion. HNA will be the controlling stakeholder.
Gol launched five-times-weekly Sao Paulo Congonhas-Bauru flights. Qatar Airways will launch daily Doha-Bangalore flights on Feb. 22 aboard an A320. Continental Airlines will operate daily Portland, Ore.-Anchorage service June 10-Sept. 6 aboard a 737-800. Air China will increase its daily Beijing-Vancouver A330-200 service to 10-times-weekly from June.
