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.
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.
ST Aerospace yesterday signed a three-year maintenance service agreement with Copa Airlines covering maintenance, repair and overhaul of the carrier's fleet of 28 737NGs and 15 E-190s as well as an additional 11 E-190s operated by subsidiary Aero Republica. The contract, an extension of a previous accord signed three years ago that allowed ST Aerospace to launch services in Panama, commences immediately and is valued at $18.5 million.
Austrian Airlines flew 1.71 billion RPKs in July, an 11.6% decrease year-over-year. Capacity was down 11.7% to 2.14 billion ASKs, leaving load factor level at 79.8%. Aer Lingus flew 1.72 billion RPKs in July, up 0.2% year-over-year, against a 1.5% increase in capacity to 2.09 billion ASKs. Load factor fell 1 point to 82.3%.
Estonian Air resumed thrice-weekly Tallinn-Helsinki service. Kenya Airways will launch twice-weekly Nairobi-Ndola service Sept. 17. Rex Regional Express will launch 17-times-weekly Townsville-Mackay service Oct. 1 aboard a 34-seat Saab 340. Iceland Express said it will operate weekly Reykjavik-Keflavik-Birmingham service for 13 weeks beginning in the 2010 summer. Jet Airways launched four-times-weekly Mumbai-Riyadh service aboard a 737-800 and will begin twice-weekly Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi flights Oct. 6.
SITA announced that it became "the first platform provider" to achieve certification demonstrating that its Common Use Passenger Processing System "is fully compliant with the pre-released version of the IATA CUPPS Technical Specification." SITA's CUPPS pilot started in January at Orlando International.
Hainan Airlines earned a net profit in the 2009 first half, according to Chairman Chen Feng, who declined to reveal the exact figure. The carrier is scheduled to release a detailed financial report for the year's first six months at the end of August. HNA posted net income of CNY311 million ($45.4 million) in the first half of 2008.
CSA Czech Airlines detailed its workforce reduction plans, saying that 860 of its 4,600 employees will be let go and the cuts will affect all areas of the company. The carrier will lay off about 140 pilots (about 25%) and 240 flight attendants, the Mlada fronta DNES newspaper reported. The least affected group will be administrative employees, of whom 15% are to be dismissed.
Hawaiian Airlines said it has hired more than 100 maintenance, service, contract, ramp and cleaning personnel "in recent months" and plans to add 170 more employees (including 25 pilots and 30 flight attendants) by early next year as it prepares for the April delivery of its first A330-200. It currently has 3,756 employees. It signed an order for six A330-200s and six A350-800s, plus purchase rights for six of each type, 18 months ago.
Turkish Airlines firmed up its order for seven 289-seat A330-300s. It signed an MOU at the Paris Air Show ( ATWOnline, June 22). Delivery is scheduled to begin in September 2010. THY currently operates seven A330s.
Avianca said it plans to sell up to COP500 billion ($246.5 million) in bonds on the Colombian BVC on Aug. 25 in order to finance the acquisition of new aircraft and pay down debt. Two years ago the carrier placed an order for 33 A320 family aircraft and five A330-200s plus options for 27 and five respectively ( ATWOnline, May 31, 2007). It said in yesterday's statement that its commitment with Airbus now numbers 34 aircraft and it has 12 787s on order. Delivery of the Airbus aircraft already has begun.
Eight US airlines operating at Los Angeles International have signed a multiyear deal for the supply of a renewable synthetic diesel fuel for use in ground service equipment, an arrangement that Rentech, the Los Angeles-based fuel manufacturer, called "the first of its kind."
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.
