Flybe is interested in acquiring parts of bmi and officially confirmed its interest to Lufthansa "quite awhile ago," Chairman and CEO Jim French told ATWOnline.
Japan's transport minister said on Japanese TV Sunday that he will not force Japan Airlines, Asia's largest carrier by revenue, into bankruptcy, according to the Associated Press. "We will not crush and liquidate [the airline]," Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said on a TV Asahi talk show. "It's just impossible," AP reported him as saying.
Buoyed by strong domestic GDP gains and global economic recovery, Chinese carriers enjoyed robust growth in the domestic and international markets in August. According to CAAC, Chinese airlines transported 22.64 million passengers in August, up 41.6% over the year-ago period, while cargo traffic jumped 18.1% to 390,800 tonnes. Passenger load factor improved 1.7 points to 79.9%.
Perth-based Skywest Airlines is moving to acquire up to four A320 family aircraft to satisfy an upswing in demand for resource industry charters and to launch new international routes to Southeast Asia destinations. The airline deferred its announced plans to acquire the aircraft when the economic downturn struck last year, but yesterday MD Hugh Davin said it has "dusted off plans" to order up the aircraft, a new type for the regional.
Lufthansa said Friday that award miles earned on its and subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines' frequent-flyer programs can be used for "voluntary carbon offset donations." LH and Swiss have expanded their carbon dioxide compensation program "to allow passengers the opportunity to counterbalance their individual share of the carbon emissions generated during their flight." Previously, LH allowed passengers to donate cash voluntarily to the myclimate foundation in Switzerland to help offset their share of a flight's CO2 emissions.
Air India last week announced a cut in productivity-linked incentive payments due to more than 7,000 employees, retroactive to August. Cuts will range from 25% to 50% depending on the amount. Those earning more than INR200,000 ($4,140) per month will see their bonuses reduced by half.
MTU Maintenance Hannover, an affiliate of MTU Aero Engines, said it secured engine maintenance contracts worth approximately €50 million ($73.6 million) "over the past few weeks." Largest deal is with Air New Zealand covering MRO on 38 CF6-80C2s used to power its 747-400s. MTU did not identify the remaining customers. Delta TechOps signed an open-ended extension of its MRO agreement with Ethiopian Airlines covering its PW2040 engines.
ILFC last week announced the following lease deals and deliveries with 21 airline customers: Two new A330-200s to Garuda Indonesia for 84 and 86 months respectively, one new 777-300ER to V Australia for 148 months, one used 737-500 to Aerosvit for five years, one used 737-300 to Sharjah-based AVE.com for five years, one used 747-400F to Air Atlanta Icelandic for 54 months, two used A320-200s to Moscow Vnukovo-based Avianova for 58 and 59 months respectively, one used 757-200ER to Madrid-based charter carrier Mint Airways for four years, one used 737-800 to Sun Country Airlines for 51 mo
Jazz Air is eyeing a return to Toronto City Centre after having been forced out by an exclusivity agreement struck between the Toronto Port Authority and Porter Airlines. "We operated at the island airport for 18 years before we were evicted," Jazz CEO Joseph Randell said during a recent investment conference, according to The Globe and Mail. "We're looking forward to getting back in there.
Finnair announced a 10-year sale/leaseback transaction with Engine Lease Finance Corp. on one new CF6-80E1 spare for its A330 fleet. Engine is worth €13 million at list prices, AY said.
Frontier Airlines, which is set to emerge from bankruptcy on Oct. 1 as a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, suffered a $2 million net loss in August, which it attributed to expenses associated with bankruptcy. It lost $5.6 million in August 2008. It showed dramatic improvement on the operating level, reporting a $10.2 million operating profit compared to a $3.3 million surplus in the year-ago month. It said August net profit would have been $10.2 million excluding special items. Mainline unit revenue fell 8.2% to 10.17 cents while passenger RASM was down 12.6% to 9.31 cents.
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways last week followed American Airlines' lead in imposing a $10 surcharge on travel on three peak days following upcoming holidays. The four carriers will tack the charge on to nearly all tickets for travel on Nov. 29, the Sunday of the four-day US Thanksgiving holiday weekend that traditionally is one of the country's busiest travel days, as well as the weekend of Jan 2-3, which follows a Friday New Year's Day.
Austrian Airlines Group is increasing the number of potential layoffs as a result of its acquisition by Lufthansa. CCO Andreas Bierwirth told the Austrian Press Agency that "the total workforce could be reduced to 6,000" by the middle of next year, as opposed to the originally planned 6,500. "In several areas, it is necessary to reduce the workforce more than planned." As many as 300 of those jobs could come from Austrian's Vienna maintenance operation. "AAG has to operate profitably when ticket prices are down," Bierwirth said.
Naverus said Friday that it received a Letter of Qualification from US FAA "to design and validate Required Navigation Performance flight paths for public use in the United States."
Jet2.com will launch service from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik (weekly from May 2, 2010) and Faro (thrice-weekly on May 20). Canadian North will stop serving Calgary (Oct. 10) and Hay River (Oct. 25) due to what it called "an oversupply of seats and a price structure that compromises our commitment in other areas." The Yellowknife-based airline said that "operational and administrative staff reductions" will be made at YZF, YYZ, YHY and Edmonton (where frequencies to YZF will be cut). Canadian North operates 737-200 Combis and Dash 8s.
Pinnacle Airlines pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. rejected an amended labor contract, the airline announced last week. Pinnacle President and CEO Phil Trenary said he had been "optimistic" before the vote, and that now the US National Mediation Board "will decide the next steps and we are hopeful that we can achieve a swift resolution." USA3000 Airlines cabin staff are deciding whether to join the Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA in an election conducted by the US National Mediation Board. Voting closes Oct. 6.
OAG reported that global airline capacity grew 1.4% year-over-year in September, the second consecutive month of growth. The world's airlines scheduled 296.9 million seats for the month, or 4.13 million more than in September 2008, OAG said. "As the summer season winds down, the steady upward trend we have seen since May is continuing," VP-Market Intelligence David Beckerman said. "After 11 straight months of capacity cutbacks, these figures indicate a growing confidence within the industry that demand for air travel is starting to pick up."
Turkey's MNG Airlines doubled its commitment to the A330-200F, placing an order for two more of the type in a move that Airbus said revealed the carrier's intent to "expand its network as the freighter market gradually rebounds." MNG placed an order for two -200Fs in 2007. The Istanbul Ataturk-based carrier launched operations in November 1997 and currently operates eight A300B4-200Fs, seven F27s and one Challenger CL-601, according to its website.
British Airways is introducing a charge for pre-selection of seats on Oct. 7, claiming that the new "service will give customers more control over their seating options."
Ryanair yesterday said it now expects to carry 66 million passengers this year rather than 67 million owing to its cuts at London Stansted ( ATWOnline, July 22) and Dublin ( ATWOnline, June 18).
AVIC this week strengthened its international OEM relationships with the announcement of a significant agreement with Safran covering the design, production and support of landing gear systems and engine nacelles that also will pave the way for extensive Franco-Chinese cooperation on China's C919 150-seat commercial transport.
Pratt & Whitney announced maintenance contracts with El Al and Martinair. El Al deal is a $70 million, five-year Fleet Management Program extension covering PW4060s on its 767s and 747-400s, plus a five-year option. Martinair signed a 10-year service agreement covering its PW4056, PW4060 and PW4462 engines. No value was announced. Lufthansa Technik signed a three-year contract with Vietnam Airlines for MRO on the PW124s powering seven ATR 72-200s and the PW127s on up to 16 ATR 72-500s. LHT also extended its deal with VN covering APU MRO on its A321s until mid-2010.
Japan Airlines President Haruka Nishimatsu yesterday asked Seiji Maehara, Japan's new transport minister, for a government bailout, conceding that even a cash infusion from a foreign investor likely won't be enough to keep the troubled carrier afloat.
Embraer said it plans to raise an unspecified amount of money through an offering of a series of notes due 2020 to global capital markets through its Embraer Overseas subsidiary. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes and repayment of short-term debt. Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley are book-running underwriters.
An Aer Lingus source confirmed to ATWOnline that the airline's ambitious cost-cutting plan is targeting "every single part of the company," especially its long-haul operations.
