OAG, which has played an integral role in the history of commercial aviation, is marking its 80th anniversary this year. For decades, the Official Airline Guide, its flagship product, was essential for travel agents, tour operators, interlining carriers--anyone who needed to know which airline flew where and when. The OAG brand is venerable. That's a nice word for "old." In May, OAG's parent company, United Business Media Ltd., appointed Peter von Moltke chief executive officer of its UBM Aviation division.
Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines DG Andrew Herdman expressed his frustration with the current system during his organizations' Presidents Assembly meeting in Singapore last week: "If Nokia was operating under the same framework as the airline industry, you would have to have a Finish passport to buy one of its phones. [Regarding the automobile industry] you could only buy a Japanese car in the US if you were going to drive it on roads outside the US."
UK airports operator BAA completed an agreement to sell its 100% interest in London Gatwick to a group controlled by Global Infrastructure Partners for £1.51 billion ($2.48 billion), of which £55 million is conditional on future traffic performance and the buyer's future capital structure. GIP, which was founded jointly by Credit Suisse and GE, owns 75% of London City. "We wish Gatwick well for the future and are confident that the airport will flourish under new ownership," BAA CEO Colin Matthews said, adding, "BAA will focus on improving Heathrow and our other airports."
The air transport community went into last month's ICAO High Level Meeting on the environment in a rare state of unity behind a set of proposals with which it hoped to seize the high ground and first-mover status in the debate over the industry's responsibility toward reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
World airport traffic rose 1.6% to 261.95 million arriving and departing passengers in September compared to September 2008, according Airport Council International's PaxFlash traffic report. Domestic airport traffic climbed 4.4% to 136.69 million while international passengers dipped 1.1% to 123.31 million.
A recent study concluded what officials at Halifax Stanfield International already knew: The airport is proving to be a powerful engine that is driving the economy along the Atlantic Canada region.
Airports have a new tool that will give them access to and the ability to share successful programs and trends in airport sustainability, thanks to a new database launched by ACI-NA. "Airports across the country and around the world have undertaken or are in the process of implementing innovative sustainability programs to improve efficiency in aviation, but until today there has been no central repository of this important information," said ACI-NA President Greg Principato when he unveiled the database on Oct. 12 at the annual ACI Annual Conference and Exhibition in Austin, Tex.
Ryanair will launch service from Bordeaux to Brussels South Charleroi (thrice-weekly on Dec. 17) and plans to serve Edinburgh, Bologna (each four-times-weekly) and Porto (thrice-weekly) beginning next March. JetBlue Airways announced a 30% increase in Boston service by next summer, when it will offer 78 daily flights to 33 destinations.
Air Mauritius this week took delivery of a second A330-200 powered by GE CF6-80E engines. It seats 24 in business class and 251 in economy. The airline now operates the two -200s as well as four A340-300s, two A340-300Es, two A319-100s and two ATR 72-500s.
Hungarian government is preparing to provide financing or purchase a stake in Malev Hungarian Airlines, the Finance Ministry said yesterday. Minister Peter Oszko met in Moscow with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, according to press reports, after which the Hungarian Finance Ministry said, "Hungary indicated that in order to ensure continued operation of the company it is ready to take an ownership or financing role in the national airline." Russia's Vneshekonombank holds 49% of Malev owner AirBridge.
Lufthansa warned yesterday as it released its nine-month interim report that "revenues remain at rock bottom despite record load factor" and that "all business segments are working hard. . .to adjust their structures to the altered competitive environment."
Japan Airlines yesterday said it is seeking guidance on a turnaround plan from Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan, a move that represents a formal first step toward a likely government-backed restructuring.
Airbus yesterday said it is "quite optimistic" that the A330-200 freighter is on track for first flight next month, US FAA/EASA certification next spring and EIS in the 2010 summer. "We've done a lot of testing in the laboratory. . .so we are very ready to have a clean flight test program," A330-200F Project Manager Jens Knaack said during a conference call. The -200F is targeted to carry "at least" 64.5 tonnes over 4,000 nm. (7,400 km.) or 69.5 tonnes up to 3,200 nm. (5,930 km.). Knaack described it as a "general freight, high-utilization" aircraft.
China Southern Airlines intends to expand its international network as it faces potentially damaging competition from the expansion of high-speed rail within China. "Most of China's big cities and secondary cities will be connected by high-speed rail by 2020, which will have a big impact on domestic carriers," CZ Chairman Si Xianmin was quoted as saying. The Guangzhou-based airline is expected to be hit hardest by the rail expansion, as domestic routes account for 80% of its total.
AirAsia is deferring delivery of an additional eight A320s, lifting the number of delayed aircraft to 24. According to a regulatory filing cited by Malaysia's Bernama news agency, the LCC will push eight more 2011 deliveries back to 2014-15. It now plans to take 15 aircraft in 2011, 24 in 2014 and two in 2015 ( ATWOnline, Oct. 6).
