Delta TechOps entered into an MOU with Hawaiian Airlines to provide Complete Fleet support for HA's new A330-200 fleet. Long-term agreement, which is valued at up to $500 million, also includes an extension of an existing deal covering its 767s.
Royal Jordanian reported net earnings of "around" JOD7.7 million ($10.8 million) for the first half of 2009, reversed from a JOD4 million loss in the year-ago semester. Revenue decreased 12.7% to JOD274 million on a 6% drop in passengers carried and a 33% fall in uplifted cargo. Operating cost fell 19.6% owing to cost-cutting measures and the dramatic decrease in fuel prices, the airline said. Passenger yield fell 9% and cargo yield 10%. Seat load factor in the first half dropped 6 points to 65%.
Ryanair yesterday said it has complained to the European Commission about Ireland's €10 ($14.23) air passenger duty, which it blamed for last month's decision to cut capacity at Dublin and Shannon ( ATWOnline, June 18).
Air France confirmed a Le Figaro report that one of its A320s flying from Rome Fiumicino to Paris Charles de Gaulle on July 13 had a "very brief six-second anomaly" in its airspeed data display that was "probably due to icing at high altitude." The aircraft was fitted with the new Thales BA probes, AF noted, adding that the crew applied the necessary procedures and the aircraft maintained its flight path with no change. The incident was reported and is being examined closely by manufacturers and authorities, AF said.
Lufthansa Group posted a €40 million ($56.9 million) profit in the second quarter, down a sharp 88.4% from the €345 million earned in the year-ago period, but remained €216 million in the red through the first half of the year owing to a rough first quarter.
While warning that it is too early to assess the potential financial impact of the swine flu outbreak, easyJet yesterday maintained its former guidance and said it expects to post an underlying pre-tax profit of £25-£50 million ($41.2-$82.4 million) in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 compared to a £123 million pre-tax profit in the year ended Sept. 30, 2008.
SpiceJet reported a INR263 million ($5.4 million) profit in its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, reversed from a INR1.29 billion loss in the year-ago period. It said operating revenue rose 15% year-over-year on a 21% jump in passenger numbers. Unit cost fell 24% as ASKs climbed 12%. Load factor rose 6 points to 76%. "We had a great quarter given the challenges the industry continues to face. We saw an increased acceptance of our service by the consumers. This helped in absorbing the additional 10% capacity that we deployed over last year," CEO Sanjay Aggarwal said.
Air China (CNY1.5 billion ($219.3 million)), China Southern Airlines (CNY1.5 billion) and China Eastern Airlines (CNY100 million) are expected to receive additional capital injections from the Chinese government, according to Shanghai Securities News. CEA Board Secretary Luo Zhuping responded by saying that the airline will not receive any new money until its merger with Shanghai Airlines is complete ( ATWOnline, July 14).
Lufthansa asked the Austrian Takeover Commission to extend the deadline for its proposed acquisition of Austrian Airlines Group by one month to Aug. 31 because the European Commission has not yet cleared the tie-up, while the EC confirmed yesterday that it has received a new proposal from the German company addressing some of the competition concerns associated with the potential merger.
Honeywell announced that AWAS has selected an avionics suite and APUs under a contract covering up to 110 new aircraft deliveries and worth $77 million.
Air Europa launched daily New York JFK-Madrid service aboard an A330-200. AirAsia X will increase Kuala Lumpur-Taipei service to daily from five-times-weekly on Oct. 19. XL Airways France will operate seasonal twice-weekly New York JFK-Paris Charles de Gaulle service through Sept. 14 aboard an A330. Dragonair will operate its Hong Kong-Kathmandu service via Dhaka Oct. 1 (increasing to five-times-weekly from thrice-weekly) aboard an A330.
Ethiopian Airlines yesterday said it placed an order for 12 A350-900s from Airbus and five 777-200LRs from Boeing, a move it called "unprecedented," while Turkish Airlines added eight more 777-300ERs to its order book.
TNT reported second-quarter net income of €81 million ($115.3 million), down 60.5% from a €205 million profit in the year-ago period, but noted that the decline in volume at its Express segment that relies heavily on air operations "seems to be bottoming out." Operating income lowered 45.1% to €178 million on a 10% dip in revenue to €2.53 billion. TNT Express posted an 81% decrease in operating income to €29 million on a 15.5% fall in revenue to €1.45 billion.
Cargoitalia operated its first commercial flight with an 87% load factor, the reorganized airline said. The MD-11SF departed Milan Malpensa on July 25 for Hong Kong and returned via Almaty on Monday ( ATWOnline, July 21).
News from Travel Technology Update: United Airlines told a group of congressmen and senators that it would delay by up to 60 days the implementation of a policy that denies certain agencies the right to use the carrier's credit card merchant accounts to process credit card sales for United tickets. In response to a request from the group to reconsider or at least delay the move, United said it would "individually notify and assist the impacted agents that request more time to adjust to this change, providing up to sixty additional days to transition."
East Star Airlines' effort to re-launch operations with new investment is facing a significant obstacle as the team charged with its restructuring, composed largely of Wuhan government officials, is insisting that bankruptcy is the only option ( ATWOnline, July 22). "Generally speaking, it is impossible for East Star to accept a takeover offer as it lacks the basic conditions to do so," said Zhang Jie, an attorney who represents the team.
Ryanair launched a booking service on its website allowing passengers to purchase their seats up to 6 hr. before departure and check in online up to 4 hr. before the flight. Separately, it confirmed that it has lodged proceedings in the High Court in Dublin against German ticket tout Travelviva. Ryanair said it is the first of a number of High Court cases it intends to bring over the coming weeks against European "screenscrapers."
Airbus parent EADS reported second-quarter net income of €208 million ($296.1 million), a 76% increase over a €118 million profit in the year-ago period, and noted that "the negative [macroeconomic] trend. . .stopped or slightly reversed recently."
Safi Airways Chairman Abdul Rahim Safi said the Afghan airline "has progressed so quickly in the past four months" that it will "undergo a major renewal of its fleet with either Boeing or Airbus aircraft," according to the airline. It currently flies two 737-300s and one 767-200ER. It plans to use new aircraft to serve Jeddah, Beijing and Moscow within the next six months.
US National Transportation Safety Board swore in Deborah Hersman, a member for five years, as chairman. She succeeds Mark Rosenker, who announced his resignation last week ( ATWOnline, July 22). Before joining NTSB she was a senior professional staff member of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Air Mauritius appointed Kamal Taposeea chairman.
Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents Northwest Airlines flight attendants, asked the US National Mediation Board to declare that NWA's merger with Delta Air Lines requires a representation election for all the new airline's cabin staff. DL flight attendants are not unionized.
European Commission yesterday described the number of mislaid, damaged or lost bags at EU airports as "excessive and unacceptable" and said it is considering ways to improve current legislation if the situation does not improve. "In order to protect passengers' rights adequately, we should provide citizens with the appropriate instruments. For the time being these instruments are not available," EC VP-Transport Antonio Tajani said.
AAR Corp. signed a letter of intent with SuperJet International to become a service center for the Superjet 100. AAR will provide heavy airframe maintenance, modifications, interior and exterior refurbishment, unscheduled maintenance service and will have field teams available for off-site support.
