TAP Maintenance and Engineering Brazil delivered two ERJ-145s formerly operated by Thai carrier PB Air to GECAS after performing a C check. The aircraft immediately went into operation with Passaredo Linhas Aereas.
The European Commission confirmed Friday that it sent a "statement of objections" to American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia in September, warning the carriers that their proposed cooperation on transatlantic services "may be in breach of European rules on restrictive business practices."
Oman Air last week launched four-times-weekly Frankfurt-Muscat service and thrice-weekly Muscat-Munich flights aboard A330-200s. Wizz Air will launch service from its new base in Wroclaw to Paris Beauvais (twice-weekly starting Dec. 18), Oslo Torp (thrice-weekly starting Dec. 17), Eindhoven (twice-weekly starting July 19), Forli Bologna (twice-weekly starting July 19), Cork (twice-weekly starting July 18), Milan Bergamo (thrice-weekly starting July 17) and relaunch service to Dortmund (thrice-weekly starting Dec. 17) and Doncaster Sheffield (twice-weekly starting July 19).
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said Friday that it has signed a letter of intent with Trans States Holdings, parent of US regional carriers Trans States Airlines and GoJet Airlines, covering a firm order for 50 MRJs plus 50 options.
Amadeus reached a five-year, full-content distribution agreement with TACA International Airlines covering all inventory from TACA as well as its subsidiaries Lacsa, Aviateca and TACA Peru.
AirBaltic yesterday launched daily service between Turku and Tallinn and will launch four-times-weekly service from Lappeenranta to Tallinn and Riga Nov. 12 aboard 737s.
Jeppesen said it received FAA certification to design, flight validate and maintain public Required Navigation Performance Special Aircrew and Aircraft Authorization Required procedures in the US. As part of the qualification process, Jeppesen designed a public RNP procedure to Runway 28 at Savannah/Hilton Head International. The procedure is expected to be operational in the 2009 fourth quarter.
Swissport will terminate its passenger handling activities at Vienna at the end of 2009, largely owing to the collapse of SkyEurope "and the insufficient prospects of positive local business development in the longer term." Approximately 70 employees are affected. It said the decision does not affect its cargo handling operation.
Greater Toronto Airports Authority announced that landing fees and terminal charges at Toronto Pearson will each be reduced by 10% effective Jan. 1. GTAA said that landing fees have been cumulatively lowered by 13.1% since 2007 while terminal fees have been cut by 15% over the same period. "This fee reduction is welcome because it helps us control costs in this challenging economic environment," Air Canada Executive VP and COO Duncan Dee said in a statement.
IATA reported yesterday that investors "looked more favorably" at airlines in September "as signs emerged of an upturn in this highly cyclical industry," but it reiterated that the worldwide industry is on pace for an $11 billion full-year loss.
SAS agreed to sell its 20% stake in bmi to Lufthansa-related UK holding company LHBD Holding, effectively giving LH full control over bmi when the transaction takes effect on Nov 1.
Frontier Airlines Holdings, parent of Frontier Airlines and Lynx Aviation, officially emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday and was acquired by Republic Airways Holdings as planned.
JAT Airways said yesterday that its fleet was grounded owing to a strike by JAT Tehnika mechanics that service its aircraft. The mechanics reportedly are protesting the airline's failure to make payments to JAT Tehnika in a timely manner. "We are negotiating and expect to find a solution," a spokesperson for the Serbian carrier told Reuters. "Our debt to JAT Tehnika is $1.5 million and we never disputed that. We are a month behind in paying it." JAT Tehnika has 900 employees.
AirTran Airways said it entered into agreements with its principal credit facility lender and its largest credit card processor to extend and modify both its credit facility and its credit card processing arrangement, "resulting in enhanced liquidity and improved financial flexibility." The carrier did not place a specific value on the accords but said that it expects to end the current quarter with more than $400 million in unrestricted cash and short-term investments.
Exactly two years after ATR announced the launch of its -600 series, the manufacturer officially presented its first ATR 72-600 prototype at a ceremony in Toulouse yesterday. The prototype -600 (converted from an ATR 72-500) started its flight test campaign in July 2009 after being powered on in December 2008. The aircraft is fitted with new Pratt & Whitney 127M engines.
Etihad Airways completed its first European export credit agency-guaranteed transactions covering $233 million to finance the purchase of two A340-600s. In the first deal, HSBC Bank, acting as the mandated lead arranger, lender, facility agent, security trustee and hedge provider, will furnish financing valued at $122 million to the airline over 12 years. The second $111 million agreement was signed with Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg, which acted as mandated lead arranger, lender, facility agent and security trustee. Debt placement for this deal was undertaken by SkyBlue Capital LLC.
Saudi Arabian Airlines took delivery of its first A320, acquired under a long-term lease agreement with ALAFCO. It will deploy the aircraft from Riyadh to routes in the region as well as to Europe and to the Indian subcontinent.
Pratt & Whitney Canada said it will cut 250 employees by year end and additional 160 workers next year in order "to align with a projected decline in customer demand and weakness in the global aerospace market with no signs of a recovery in 2010." President John Saabas described the job reductions as necessary owing to "difficult times," adding, "We need to make strategic decisions and structural changes to remain competitive and preserve our future in the face of continuing economic headwinds." P&WC said it will consolidate its activities into "three key strategic manufacturin
Air India pilots ended their four-day wildcat strike yesterday after the government overruled management's plan for massive wage cuts. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel reportedly told AI that the pay cuts would have to be withdrawn and "productivity-linked incentives" should be paid to 7,000 of its highest-paid workers on Oct. 7, the Economic Times reported. The pilot dispute revolved around the airline's decision to ax those incentive payments, which account for 50% of the pay of pilots and other management, to cut costs.
China Southern Airlines decided to sell its 50% stake in MTU Maintainance Zhuhai to its parent China Southern Air Holding Co. for CNY1.61 billion ($235.5 million) in an effort to concentrate on its mainline business and reduce its debt. The deal requires approval from CZ's minority shareholders and relevant government organs. MTU Maintainance Zhuhai was launched in 2001 with registered capital of $63.1 million. CZ holds 50% while MTU Aero Engines GmbH owns the other half.
US Senate's proposed cap-and-trade climate change legislation, formally introduced yesterday by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D.-Mass.), contains more aggressive emissions reduction targets but covers aviation emissions in the same way as the House-passed version of the bill ( ATWOnline, June 30), according to Air Transport Assn. VP-Environmental Affairs Nancy Young.
Austrian Airlines Group said it will present its "Austrian Airlines Next Generation" plan on Oct. 6 in Vienna. "We'll announce the concept and strategy for how the company will be integrated into Lufthansa, where help is needed from LH and so on," a spokesperson told ATWOnline.
Air New Zealand 777-300ER was deployed to ferry supplies to Samoa to help with tsunami recovery efforts. GM-Airline Operations David Morgan said the aircraft left for Samoa yesterday stocked with several hundred blankets, more than 1,000 t-shirts and basic amenity packs with items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste.
United Airlines Chairman and CEO Glenn Tilton, in his role as chairman of the Air Transport Assn., yesterday called for large-scale government loans, loan guarantees and grants to jumpstart development and mass production of alternative fuels, including biofuels for the airline industry.
