FAA has talked a great deal about transitioning to a satellite-based NextGen ATC system, which would allow carriers to use RNP procedures supported by ADS-B and other technology to operate more direct flight paths, increasing system efficiency and reducing airline fleets' fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions. But the US Congress repeatedly has stalled trying to determine how the $45-$75 billion transition to NextGen will be funded.
Describing the current situation as "unsustainable," Iberia's board last week approved a strategic plan that includes creation of a new short/medium-haul carrier, long-haul expansion (mainly to/from Latin America.), an additional €37 million ($55.5 million) annual reduction in overhead costs over the next two years and a "radical" change of approach designed to generate more revenue.
Garuda Indonesia will reinstate daily Jakarta-Amsterdam service via Dubai June 1 aboard an A330-200 following "much improved business and economic relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands," it said. Garuda was removed from the EU's list of banned airlines in July ( ATWOnline, July 27). United Airlines will launch twice-daily Washington Dulles-Pensacola flights on Feb. 11 aboard a Mesa Airlines CRJ. It also will operate twice-weekly PNS-Chicago O'Hare service Feb. 13-June 6.
Thales announced that its Head-Up Display was certified by EASA on the A380 in single (left seat only) and dual configuration (left and right seats). Air France is launch customer.
Dublin Aerospace was issued EASA Part 145 certification by the Irish Aviation Authority. Its MRO facility is based at Dublin Airport at the former SR Technics (Ireland) site. Hangar can accommodate three narrowbody aircraft. It currently performs heavy MRO on 737NG and A320 family aircraft, as well as 737 landing gear and Honeywell APU overhaul. It expects A320 landing gear capability to come online next year.
Seagle Air of Bratislava suspended operations Friday after failing to receive funds from partner SkyOne Italy Airlines, Seagle CEO Peter Hanak said in a statement. Seagle's charter and cargo operations could restart if financing is secured. It operated three 737-300s and two A320s. The CTK Czech news agency reported that Bratislava's Milan Rastislav Stefanik Airport lost 34% of its traffic when SkyEurope Airlines folded last month and could lose an additional 25% with the loss of Seagle. Ryanair now is BTS's largest carrier.
Brussels Airlines is "set and ready" to enter the Star Alliance, with the formal accession scheduled for Dec. 9 in Brussels, MD Bernard Gustin told ATWOnline last week. "We performed out last IT tests yesterday in Frankfurt and we expect a green light," he said. "When we were formally invited to join Star Alliance in December in Chicago, I was cautious and expected the integration could take between 12 and 18 months. We did it in less than a year." Lufthansa, a 45% shareholder in the carrier, assisted SN with the integration.
Hamilton Sundstrand signed a 10-year agreement with Air Canada to provide component and repair services on AC's 18 777s under HS's Comprehensive Accessory Repair and Exchange aftermarket program.
Air Astana is expecting a record profit this year, surpassing the $35 million earned in 2007, thanks to cost-cutting measures implemented before the global economic crisis hit both the airline and Kazakhstan last autumn. "KC was very affected. Our traffic collapsed. But all this happened during a time when KC's cost-cutting program already was in progress," President Peter Foster told ATWOnline last week in Almaty. Astana cut capacity by 33% compared to 2008 and it faces a 15% decline in revenue.
UPS last week reported third-quarter net income of $549 million, down 43.4% from a $970 million profit in the year-ago period, and stated that economic recovery is still at a very early stage.
Norwegian will equip its new 737-800s with 186 seats rather than the available 189, the carrier revealed last week. The LCC is the European launch customer of the Boeing Sky Interior, which will be standard on its -800s delivered after 2010. It has 48 737NGs on order from Boeing as well as 22 airplanes from leasing companies.
Lufthansa intends to pay €0.50 ($0.75) per share to buy out remaining Austrian Airlines shareholders. The Austrian board and shareholders, likely to meet in mid-December, must approve the deal. "The minority shareholders of Austrian Airlines will receive cash compensation for their shares in conformity with the law after notification of the squeeze-out has been entered in the commercial register. That will probably occur in the first half of 2010," Austrian said. LH currently holds 95.4% of Austrian.
B/E Aerospace and Aviation Partners Boeing signed a three-year contract under which B/E's Consumables Management segment will support the hardware kitting requirements for approximately 250 767 winglet kits.
Spring Airlines reported net income of CNY140 million ($20.5 million) for the first nine months of 2009, a better than fourfold increase over the CNY30 million earned in the same period last year, according to a company spokesperson. The result implies a bumper third quarter, as Shanghai-based Spring was CNY41.2 million in the black through the first half. Chairman Wang Zhenghua had said he expected a CNY100 million profit for the full year.
US National Transportation Safety Board last week launched an investigation into the Oct. 21 incident in which a Northwest Airlines A320 en route from San Diego to Minneapolis-St Paul "overflew" MSP. NTSB said Flight 188 "became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 ft.," adding, "The aircraft flew over the destination airport and continued northeast for approximately 150 mi." The MSP Center controller "reestablished communications with the crew" 78 min.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, the 747 wet-lease freighter specialist, announced Friday that it has won a contract to operate "outsourced premium-passenger private charter service" between Houston Intercontinental and Luanda using two customized executive-class 747-400s provided by Angola's SonAir. The "Houston Express" charter service will ferry members of the US-Africa Energy Assn. between the US's primary oil center and West Africa on thrice-weekly flights. The service is not open to the public.
Southwest Airlines announced service increases from Denver and St. Louis. From DEN it will launch daily flights to Hartford, Boise, Ontario, Detroit and Washington Dulles on March 14, as well as a third daily frequency to Oklahoma City. In May it will start Saturday flights to New York LaGuardia along with additional frequencies to seven US cities. SWA said it has acquired two additional gates on Concourse C, giving it 12 at the airport.
Singapore Airlines will fly the A380 to Zurich beginning in February, a ZRH spokesperson told the Neue Zurcher Zeitung. SQ reportedly will cease its 12-times-weekly 777 SIN-ZRH service and replace it with a daily A380 flight.
El Al named former Israeli Air Force Maj. Gen. Eliezer Shakedi as its new CEO, succeeding the resigning Haim Romano. Globes reported that the transition is expected to take two months. The airline did not release a statement.
Delta Air Lines flew 15.13 billion system RPMs in September, a 5.2% drop from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 6.7% to 18.32 billion ASMs and load factor was up 1.4 points to 82.6%. United Airlines flew 9.25 billion consolidated RPMs in September, a 1.1% decline year-over-year. Capacity fell 3.7% to 11.39 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 2.1 points to 81.2%. Lufthansa Passenger Airlines flew 10.99 billion RPKs in September, a 2.8 % year-over-year decline, against a 3.6% cut in capacity to 13.69 billion ASKs. Load factor rose 0.7 point to 80.3%.
EU's Environment Council agreed Wednesday to set a target of reducing aviation greenhouse gas emissions by 10% below 2005 levels by 2020. The EU will use this target as a negotiating position for December's UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.
US Airways reported an $80 million loss in the third quarter, narrowed considerably from the year-ago period's $866 million deficit that resulted from heavy fuel hedge losses and other special charges. Excluding special items, US was $110 million in the red, compared to $243 million on a similar basis last year.
Delta Air Lines reported a third-quarter net loss of $161 million, widened from a $50 million deficit in the year-ago period, blaming $212 million in special charges and a "significant revenue decline" driven by global economic weakness. Charges included an $83 million noncash hit associated with the refinancing of subsidiary Northwest Airlines' debt, $78 million in merger-related items and $51 million for employee severance. Absent the charges, DL would have posted net income of $51 million, reversed from a $64 million loss on a similar basis in the 2008 third quarter.
