ANA is set to introduce from Sept.16 a complimentary helicopter transport from Tokyo Narita to central Tokyo for first-class passengers returning to the Japanese capital from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Frankfurt. Mori Building City Air Services signed an agreement with the airline and will provide the service at least through March 31, 2010. On arrival at NRT, first-class passengers will be taken by limo on a 15-min. drive to the nearby Narita (Sakura) Heliport. From there it is a 15-min.
Cathay Pacific will launch four-times-weekly Hong Kong-Dubai-Jeddah service Oct. 25 aboard an A330-300. It will increase Hong Kong-Riyadh service to daily (from five-times-weekly) Aug. 1 and reduce Hong Kong service to Brisbane (from 10-times-weekly to daily Sept. 1-Nov. 17), San Francisco (14-times-weekly to 11-times-weekly in September and October) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (from 10-times-weekly to daily Sept. 1).
EASA certified a new Auto-Pilot/Flight-Director TCAS mode for the A380 that Airbus said "essentially completes the existing TCAS functionality by implementing a TCAS vertical guidance feature into the Auto Flight computer." It explained that "the main benefit" is that "the pilot can now fly the aircraft without switching out of one mode and into another. . .
The US Air Transport Assn. said yesterday that US airlines' July passenger revenue fell 21% compared to the prior-year month, marking the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year decline. ATA said passengers carried dipped 4% while the average price to fly one mile dropped 18%. "Revenue declines extended beyond the mainland United States to the transatlantic, transpacific and Latin markets," the organization said.
US National Transportation Safety Board named Christopher Hart vice chairman. He was sworn in as a member on Aug. 12 to a term that ends Dec. 31, 2012. He also served as a member in the 1990s. Most recently he was FAA deputy director for air traffic safety oversight. He is an aerospace engineer, attorney and licensed pilot with commercial, multiengine and instrument ratings.
DHL said it will relocate its customs activities over the next 12 months from Cologne and Frankfurt to its Leipzig/Halle hub, creating 110 new jobs at LEJ, according to Leipziger Volkszeitung. It plans to increase its LEJ workforce from 2,300 to 3,500 in coming years.
Abdel Baset Mohamed al-Megrahi, the Libyan intelligence officer convicted of participating in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was released from prison by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill yesterday so that al-Megrahi could return home to Libya. He has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and is not expected to live more than a few months, according to widespread press reports. The action, which had been expected, drew a strong rebuke from Washington.
Air Canada released a "touch application" for Apple iPhones/iPods that will allow passengers with the devices "to retrieve electronic boarding passes, track flight information in real time, receive notification of itinerary changes and obtain other [flight] details." Executive VP and Chief Commercial Officer Ben Smith said the application is "only the first iteration. .
Air Berlin placed a €125 million ($177 million) convertible bond with institutional investors outside the US, Canada, Australia and Japan. Part of the inflowing capital will be used to repurchase existing bonds (€90 million nominal value), while the remaining €70 million will be used to refinance future aircraft purchases and improve liquidity. Based on figures reported for the 2009 first quarter, the carrier's equity will improve by €172 million to €504 million. Net indebtedness will decrease by €182 million.
Southwest Airlines Chairman, President and CEO Gary Kelly said the LCC is "seriously considering" operating international flights as soon as 2011 and also remains interested in acquiring troubled assets from rival carriers following its failed bid to purchase Frontier Airlines.
The French BEA said yesterday that it has abandoned the search for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Air France A330-200 that crashed May 31 about 360 mi. off Brazil's northeast coast, killing all 228 aboard, though it has not ruled out restarting the search later this year.
Hamilton Sundstrand was selected by Irkut Corp. to supply multiple systems for the MC-21, the 150/230-seat commercial aircraft family the Russian company is developing ( ATWOnline, July 3). HS will provide the advanced Electric Power Generating System, secondary electrical power distribution, auxiliary power unit, wing anti-ice and bleed air conditioning for the Nitrogen Generation System.
Hamburg International Airlines plans to open new bases in the UK and Austria, expanding beyond its eight bases in Germany. "With our future fleet of between 13 and 15 aircraft, we cannot grow anymore just in the German market," MD Norbert Grella told ATWOnline. "We have to look outside [the country]." He described the independent carrier "as a hybrid airline" that operates not only scheduled services but tour operations. It offers flights on unconventional routes, including between Germany and Iraq. Its fleet comprises eight A319s and one 737-700.
Continental Airlines sent the 47 passengers who were stranded overnight on an ERJ-145 operated by ExpressJet Holdings compensation packages including a refund for the Continental Express flight that was diverted to Rochester, Minn., a $200 voucher to use toward a CO flight ticket within the next year and a $50 gift card, according to USA Today. But the gesture may have backfired, as numerous passengers complained to the newspaper that the package was insulting.
SAS secured a contract to provide domestic travel for Swedish government employees from Oct. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010. The contract applies to all government agencies, departments, institutions of higher education and universities. The airline valued it at SEK250 million ($34.5 million), but said it potentially could be worth twice as much. "The Swedish government is the single largest and most important customer for SAS in Sweden," the carrier said. "Government employees mostly travel on the routes between Stockholm and Lulea, Malmo and Ronneby."
SuperJet International signed an LOI with Armavia Airlines for after-sales support of the carrier's fleet of Sukhoi Superjet 100s. The Armenian carrier, which has firm orders for two of the type plus two options, intends to finalize a five-year "SuperCare" agreement by the end of November. SuperJet also signed an MOU with Budapest-based Aeroplex for MRO services to support SSJ 100s.
Ryanair will launch four new routes from East Midlands this autumn--Lodz (Oct. 28) and Marrakesh, Rzeszow and Bydgoszcz in early November--lifting its winter schedule from the airport to 29 routes. Frequency was not disclosed. It also will add an undisclosed number of services on routes to Belfast City and Nantes from Oct.25. It further announced it will commence daily service from London Gatwick to Stockholm Skavsta from Nov. 5. Germanwings announced yesterday that it plans to add new destinations from its Cologne/Bonn base for the summer 2010 season.
Air France KLM withdrew from the tender process for privatization of CSA Czech Airlines, stating that in the current economic environment it believes "CSA might focus on developing and implementing a standalone recovery plan aimed at restoring its profitability."
El Al Israel Airlines reported a net loss of $19.7 million for the second quarter, widened from a deficit of $12.8 million in the year-ago period, as revenues plunged 28.4% to $399.4 million paced by a 54% decline in cargo revenues.
Rosavia, the Moscow-based airline comprising the remnants of10 regional carriers including former members of the AiRUnion alliance, is soliciting proposals from Airbus, Boeing and Irkut for 50 narrowbody aircraft plus 15 options with deliveries targeted to begin next year.
Denver International said it will ask the Denver City Council to approve construction of a photovoltaic solar electricity-generating system to power the airport's fuel-storage and distribution facility. "DIA has filed the ordinances necessary to obtain council approval to enter into an agreement with MP2 Capital and Oak Leaf Energy Partners to develop the $7 million, 1.6-megawatt solar project on approximately nine acres north of the airport's airfield," the airport said in a statement.
Qantas reported a A$123 million ($101.3 million) net profit for its fiscal year ended June 30, down 87.3% from A$970 million earned in the prior year, and announced a three-year, A$1.5 billion cost-cutting program called "Q Future." CEO Alan Joyce said yesterday that the key driver of the reduced result was weaker domestic and international demand, particularly for premium travel, which led to a 4.3% yield decline and capacity cuts of 1.9% across the group.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission accused Emirates of conspiring to fix cargo rates and fuel surcharges on international flights from 2002 to 2006 and initiated legal action aimed at imposing financial penalties on the Dubai-based carrier. EK told this website that it emphatically denied the charges and would defend itself in Australian court proceedings, which are expected to take place in Sydney next month. It becomes the ninth carrier to face ACCC charges related to cargo price-fixing; six including Qantas have been ordered to pay penalties.
ASIG renewed its agreement to provide ramp handling services to Aeromexpress Cargo for an additional three years at Los Angeles International. It has been providing Aeromexpress with ramp handling services at LAX since 2000.
