Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. yesterday announced the final configuration of its MRJ, showing a taller cabin, increased overhead bin space and a wing box made of aluminum rather than composite materials.
Air Arabia signed a joint venture agreement with Egyptian travel and hospitality conglomerate Travco Group to launch an Egypt-based low-cost carrier that will serve Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The new base will be Air Arabia's third after Sharjah and Casablanca. It did not say where the new LCC will be based or give details on specific routes or a timeline for launch. The venture will have startup capital of $50 million with Air Arabia Group holding 40% stake, according to several press reports.
Boeing is forecasting that the Asia/Pacific region will be the world's largest aviation market over the next 20 years, with a need for 8,960 aircraft seating more than 100 passengers worth $1.1 trillion. The manufacturer said that 40% of the world's airline traffic will begin, end or take place within the region. Over the two decades, Asia/Pacific air travel will grow from 32% of the global market to 41%. The area currently accounts for more than 8,300 flights and 1.2 million passengers daily and travel is expected to grow 6.5% per year over the next 20 years.
Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China yesterday unveiled the first mockup of its C919, the narrowbody aircraft the country is building as a follow-up to the regional ARJ21. Guo Bozhi, president of CACC affiliate Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute, said in Hong Kong that the model is the "most precise" rendering to date of the aircraft, slated to seat 156-168 passengers ( ATWOnline, March 12). It reportedly is 10% of the C919's anticipated size.
Air France will introduce its Premium Voyageur premium economy product on flights to Singapore and Beirut beginning Dec. 28 and flights to Hong Kong and Beijing from Jan. 18, 2010. Second daily PV-equipped flights to New York JFK and Tokyo Narita will launch in early December. AF expects the product to be available on all its 777s, A330s and A340s by the end of 2010 ( ATWOnline, March 23).
El Al CEO Haim Romano will leave the carrier within the next 18 months, according to a statement from the airline. No replacement was announced. El Al suffered a $19.7 million loss in the second quarter ( ATWOnline, Aug. 20).
Air Berlin and TUI Travel will not implement the cross-shareholding agreement between AB and TUI's German aviation business that was announced in March, although they will forge ahead on their commercial accord as planned.
bmi will eliminate service from London Heathrow to Palma (Nov. 3) and Venice (Nov. 15). Iceland Express will re-launch twice-weekly Keflavik-London Stansted service in November. It moved to London Gatwick in May and will serve both airports.
Air France KLM flew 19.34 billion RPKs in August, down 2.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 4.2% to 22.81 billion ASKS and load factor rose 1.1 points to 84.8%. Delta Air Lines flew 18.73 billion RPMs in August, a 2.2% drop year-over-year. Capacity was down 3.2% to 21.64 billion ASMs and load factor rose 0.9 point to 86.6%. Air Canada and Jazz flew a combined 5.13 billion RPMs in August, down 0.9% year-over-year. Capacity fell 3.6% to 5.92 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 2.4 points to 86.8%.
Pegasus Airlines increased its order for 737-800s in June, Chairman Ali Sabanci confirmed to ATWOnline in Istanbul, although he declined to reveal the number of aircraft involved.
Aer Lingus announced the purchase of 5.6 million of its ordinary shares from the Employee Benefit Trust for just over €280,000 ($401,300). The shares were cancelled.
News from Travel Technology Update: American Airlines' decision to work with HP to build a new passenger services system -- dubbed a "bold move" by Monte Ford, the carrier's chief information officer -- took many observers by surprise. Amadeus has been courting the carrier for several years. Its Altea platform is up and running, serving several of American's Oneworld alliance partners, including British Airways and Qantas. The announcement that American would end the most significant element of its relationship with Sabre also signaled the end of an era.
EasyJet appointed former AOL Europe CEO Dana Dunne as chief commercial officer, replacing Saad Hammad, who is leaving the LCC to join private equity firm Gores Group as MD. EgyptAir announced that GM-Network Planning Alaa Ashour has been named chairman and CEO of the airline and Vice Chairman Hussein Massoud has been named chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Co.
Lufthansa granted interested airlines access to bmi's books as it considers the fate of the UK carrier, which it was forced to acquire when Chairman Michael Bishop exercised his put option last December ( ATWOnline, June 23). Sources told both The Times and Dow Jones that British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Flybe and carriers in the US, East Asia and the Middle East have signed confidentiality agreements and expressed interest in bmi or its assets.
Jet Airways said yesterday that about 40% of its pilot workforce "reported sick" starting Monday night, "disrupting the flight schedule and causing inconvenience." It said in a statement that 186 flights had been cancelled. The National Aviators Guild, the union representing the carrier's 760 pilots, said it wants two pilots who were fired to be reinstated.
China Eastern Airlines was granted approval at a Monday shareholder's conference to issue 1.35 billion A shares and 490 million H shares worth a combined CNY7.02 billion ($1.03 billion). The shares will not be available to the general public and will be circulated on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges respectively. The capital injection is expected to reduce the airline's debt ratio to 94.7%.
SITA won a $4.6 million, five-year contract from Oman Air to implement and maintain a voice and data hybrid network solution for the airline connecting 50 offices worldwide.
Finnair announced the withdrawal of three 757s currently used on leisure routes effective next spring. It plans to reduce leisure capacity next summer and said it intends to "use our long-haul fleet more flexibly on scheduled and leisure flights according to seasonal fluctuations in demand structure." It will continue to operate four 757s, with newer A330s operating certain leisure flights this winter. Finnair flew 1.74 billion RPKs in August, down 10.2% from the year-ago month. Capacity dropped 10.1% to 2.17 billion ASKs and load factor slipped 0.1 point to 80.2%.
Bordeaux-Merignac will construct a low-cost terminal scheduled to open in May 2010. Dubbed Billi, short for "Bordeaux illico" or "Bordeaux straight away," the facility will cost €5.5 million and is promising turnaround times of less than 25 min. "Our research highlighted a real need for a product tailored to accommodate the low-cost airlines, a product that would sit alongside our existing regional and international airport products," BOD CEO Pascal Personne said.
Frontier Airlines will raise the fee on the first checked bag to $20 from $15 and on the second bag to $30 from $25 on tickets purchased from Tuesday and on travel from Oct. 1. In conjunction, it is reducing the change fee on economy tickets to $100 from $150. It will allow passengers to confirm a seat on a different flight the same day for $100.
AVIC subsidiary Commercial Engine Co. plans to obtain secure airworthiness certification for a domestically produced engine in 2016 so it is ready to power the large commercial jet planned to enter the market by 2020. CEC GM Zhang Jian said the company, along with CFM and Pratt & Whitney, is a candidate to furnish a powerplant for the trunk liner ( ATWOnline, March 12). "As far as I know, we will become one of the providers but won't be the only one," he said.
Boeing delivered 28 commercial aircraft in August, including three 777s to Air India and three 737-800s to American Airlines. It delivered 36 in August 2008 and 307 through the first eight months of 2009.
