Lufthansa Technik signed a Total Component Support contract with Air Berlin Group and will manage component supply for AB's 737s, A320 family aircraft, A330s and Q400s. Germany's second-largest carrier will receive on-site service at its Berlin and Dusseldorf hubs and will have access to LHT's warehouses in Hamburg and Frankfurt. A significant portion of AB's inventory already has been transferred to LHT. LHT also announced a seven-year engine support contract with Yemen's Felix Airways.
ARC and American Airlines are developing what the pair described as "a revolutionary" revenue recovery tool that will enable participating airlines to identify duplicate bookings in virtually real time across multiple distribution channels. Although carriers do not disclose the amount of revenue lost through such activities, which typically occur when passengers deliberately make multiple bookings to cover more than one trip, the figure is very large, AA MD-Revenue Management Rick Elieson noted.
Flydubai will launch twice-daily Dubai-Bahrain service on Dec. 13. Arik Air will launch five-times-weekly Abuja-London Heathrow service on Nov. 27 aboard a 737-800.
IATA reported "an interruption" in the recovery in premium airline travel evidenced in July and August as international premium traffic declined 13.9% year-over-year in September, marking "a deterioration from the 12% August fall." In its latest Premium Travel Monitor, the organization stated, "The question is whether this setback is just the usual volatility--upturns are never smooth--or a change in the previously improving trend." It added that "most analyses" of recent dips in world trade and US consumer confidence, key indicators of passengers' willingness to purchase first-
China United Airlines, the Beijing Nanyuan-based subsidiary of Shanghai Airlines, plans to establish a second base in Foshan, Guangdong Province. It launched service to the southern city yesterday. Like Nanyuan, Foshan's airport largely is reserved for the military and has not handled commercial operations in seven years. SAL Chairman Zhou Chi said CUA plans to establish an airport management company in Foshan and will open more routes from the airport in the coming days. Owing to fierce competition, CUA's strategy is to serve secondary domestic markets.
Delta Air Lines revealed yesterday that it has made a comprehensive offer to Japan Airlines to switch from oneworld to SkyTeam that includes financial assistance and guarantees totaling $1 billion, saying it wants JAL to be "the face of Asia" for DL.
RDC Aviation said its fuel burn and emissions calculator "has been recognized by the UK Government as fulfil[ing] the approval requirements on specific emissions factors." According to the firm, "this is the first time that a standalone methodology has received such an approval in the UK, paving the way for RDC Aviation to offer its emissions calculator as an approved alternative to simple, generic calculators." RDC Aviation's flight emissions calculator is available at www.rdcaviation.com and on ATWOnline here.
Senegal order helps Airbus to 'better than expected' air show CFM, Pratt make progress on next-generation engines Fokker introduces comprehensive support program Additional stories Dubai News from Nov. 16, Nov. 17, Nov. 18.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres opened its new Chinese retread and distribution facility in Jinjiang. The facility, operating as Dunlop Taikoo (Jinjiang) Aircraft Tyres Co., is a joint venture with Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (28%) and Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering (9%). It has full site and product approval from CAAC and repair station approval from EASA. In addition to retreading, it will support Asia/Pacific customers by distributing new tires manufactured at Dunlop's Birmingham site.
Aer Lingus yesterday threatened to "proceed to implement an alternative means" of delivering the required €97 million ($144.7 million) in cost savings if it cannot reach an agreement with unions by Nov. 30 ( ATWOnline, Nov. 10). It said it accepted an invitation from Ireland's National Implementation Body to mediate negotiations.
AirTran Airways said it will outfit its entire 138-aircraft fleet with 2.5-by-9-in. seatback advertisements over the next two weeks. Ads will be "easily changeable" and the first advertising partner is Mother Nature Network. Atlanta-based OnBoard Media Group provides the FAA-approved, patent-pending system, AirTran said, adding that it will be the first US airline to use it.
Embraer, GE, Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras and Amyris, a US/Brazilian biotechnology company, signed an MOU to evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris's renewable jet fuel developed from existing sugar cane feedstock. The group is targeting a demonstration flight by early 2012 aboard an Azul E-190. The fuel already has been tested by the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, GE Aviation and others, the companies said. The Brazilian government contributes funding to Amyris's renewable jet fuel production.
Adria Airways posted an €800,000 ($1.2 million) profit in the third quarter, its first surplus in 2009, but expects a full year in the red despite another profit in the current quarter, the Slovenian Press Agency reported yesterday. Adria also confirmed in a statement that it will become a full member of Star Alliance in January. The group announced elimination of the regional member designation (Blue1 and Croatia Airlines are the others) in June ( ATWOnline, June 9).
Teledyne Controls was selected by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to supply its Flight Data Interface Management Unit as a standard option for DAE Capital's fleet of 70 new A320s.
ARINC announced that its vMUSE passenger system qualified as a CUPPS Certified Platform. ARINC installed vMUSE technology as a CUPPS platform at Las Vegas McCarran in "a live operational environment" in cooperation with WestJet on Jan. 15. It now has checked in "more than 70,000 passengers" for WS and Continental Airlines and handled as many as 20 flights per day, ARINC said.
Norwegian yesterday revealed its new loyalty program, Norwegian Reward, under which members will receive cash points worth NOK1 each at a 10% rate on full flex tickets and 2% on low-fare tickets for use as full or partial payment on future fares or services. Points can be used at any time, although the airline said that law prohibits individual passengers from earning points on domestic flights. The program is independent from credit card promotions and other schemes.
Claiming that the downturn "has led to behavioral changes among our customers which are likely to persist beyond the recovery," Air France KLM yesterday proposed an enlarged voluntary redundancy program affecting 1,700 jobs next year as it announced a €147 million ($219.3 million) loss in its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, reversed from a €27 million surplus last year.
United Airlines announced the issue of $810 million in enhanced equipment trust certificates comprising two classes due in 2016 and 2017 respectively that it said will generate $290 million in new liquidity. It will use remaining proceeds to repay at par $493 million in equipment notes related to its 2000-02 trust certificates. It said principal payment obligations will be reduced by some $225 million next year and by $175 million in 2011.
Gulfstream International Airlines reported a $3.5 million third-quarter loss, a 13.5% improvement from the $4.1 million deficit posted in the year-ago quarter. The Fort Lauderdale-based regional suffered a 7.3% year-over-year decline in revenue to $19.5 million but its operating loss narrowed to $2.9 million from $4.4 million last year. Nine-month loss of $567,000 compared to an $8.9 million deficit in the year-ago period.
Bombardier's CSeries program took another step forward this week when construction began on a wing manufacturing facility in Belfast. The 600,000-sq.-ft. factory will be built in two phases, incorporating an existing structure. First test wing is expected in 2011. The first test fuselage barrel arrived at Bombardier's Saint-Laurent facility in August ( ATWOnline, Aug.
SAS Group Airlines flew 2.32 billion RPKs in October, down 13.5% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 18.6% to 3.11 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 4.3 points to 74.3%. SAS Scandinavian Airlines flew 2.13 billion RPKs, down 14.6%, while capacity was cut 20.1% to 2.83 billion ASKs. Load factor rose 4.8 points to 75.4%. Turkish Airlines flew 33.08 billion RPKs through the first 10 months of 2009, up 15.1% year-over-year. Capacity rose 20.9% to 46.28 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 3.6 points to 71.5%.
Embraer yesterday announced Oman Air and Air Astana as new customers. Oman Air signed a contract for five E-175s plus five purchase rights, with four of the five firm aircraft slated to fly in WY colors and the fifth to be used by the Royal Omani Police. Deal is worth $177.5 million at list prices and could double if all five purchase rights are converted. First delivery is scheduled for the 2011 first quarter, Embraer said, adding that WY will be the Gulf region's first E-Jet operator. It will configure the aircraft with 12 business class and 60 economy seats.
Horizon Air and the Assn. of Flight Attendants announced a tentative agreement on a proposed two-year labor accord covering 548 cabin staff. Union members will vote by Dec. 21.
