Uzbekistan Airways ordered four more A320s, bringing its total commitment to 10. It signed up for six last summer ( ATWOnline, June 29, 2007). Its Airbus fleet currently comprises three A310s.
Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber told ATWOnline recently that acquisition of Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines is a "logical step" toward creating a pan-European network. Speaking at Star Alliance's annual board meeting in Chicago, Mayrhuber said LH is targeting further consolidation. "From the LH management perspective, we can do more," he told this website. "What we have already done is no surprise."
The UK Competition Commission yesterday "confirmed" that it will require BAA to sell both London Gatwick and Stansted, setting the stage for a breakup of the airport operator's control of London's airports for which UK airlines long have pushed.
KLM finally will become the sole owner of Martinair after the European Commission approved the Dutch flag carrier's proposal to acquire the 50% stake owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk Group.
V Australia, the international long-haul arm of Virgin Blue, confirmed a launch date of Feb. 27 for its first 777-300ER service, a thrice-weekly Sydney-Los Angeles flight that will go to daily on March 20. Originally scheduled to begin flying this week, V Australia postponed launch due to the Boeing machinists strike ( ATWOnline, Oct. 3). It will take delivery of its first aircraft on Australia Day (Jan. 26), with arrival in Sydney scheduled for Feb. 9 after a special cabin fit-out.
Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority named Cathay Pacific Airways Senior Training Capt. John McCormick as director-aviation safety and CEO effective March 1. He formerly was with Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force.
TAP Portugal will launch five-times-weekly flights from Lisbon to Warsaw, Helsinki and Moscow Domodedovo in June. LIS-WAW will operate daily July 22-Sept. 6. EasyJet will launch flights from London Gatwick to Larnaca (four-times-weekly from March 31), Naples (daily from May 1), Dubrovnik (four-times-weekly from May 1) and Santorini (thrice-weekly from May 3).
Delta Air Lines and the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which manages Minneapolis-St. Paul International, reached a tentative agreement that will allow the airline to largely retain financial benefits that subsidiary Northwest Airlines received for maintaining its headquarters and primary hub there. In exchange, the combined carrier will base its "Delta North" headquarters in Minneapolis, keep 10,000 NWA/DL employees based there--1,500 fewer than were based at NWA HQ prior to the merger--and operate at least 400 daily flights at MSP.
Qantas took delivery of its second A380 Monday in Toulouse. The aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Sydney today and will enter service on flights to Los Angeles from Melbourne and Sydney on Dec. 22. "This second aircraft will allow us to increase frequency to Los Angeles to as many as six return services each week," QF Executive GM John Borghetti said, adding that the first A380 ( ATWOnline, Sept.
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh told reporters yesterday that his airline remains interested in Alitalia and that "What we are offering, under current conditions, is a credible collaboration that will leave the Italian company the possibility of deciding its own future in a flexible manner," according to Reuters. However, the offer "isn't complementary to others taking stakes," he said, according to Il Sole 24 Ore. The Compagnia Aerea Italia investor group took control of AZ on Dec. 12 ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Vietnamese LCC Jetstar Pacific parent State Capital Investment Corp., which holds 75.8%, was granted permission by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to raise money by issuing additional shares to existing holders and to reduce its holding to 51% by selling its right to buy additional shares to other domestic stakeholders, the state Vietnam News Agency reported. Qantas holds 18% of the carrier and is allowed to take up to 30% ( ATWOnline, May 26).
American Airlines will launch daily Boston-San Diego on April 7 aboard a 757 as part of a service at BOS that will include additional daily frequencies to Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis and London Heathrow. Seasonal BOS-Paris Charles de Gaulle flights begin May 1 aboard a 767-300. Separately, AA announced the reopening of its 3,600-sq.-ft. Miami Flagship Lounge. It has similar facilities at Chicago O'Hare, LHR, New York JFK and LAX.
Airbus has no plans to provide loans to customers, contrary to published reports, a spokesperson told Dow Jones. "Backstop financing is standard industry practice and is agreed at the time of contract. This happens years in advance of aircraft deliveries and is not the same thing as providing customers with billions in loans, which Airbus does not go into," the spokesperson said.
Six major US network carriers (American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways) reported an aggregate third-quarter operating margin of -5.8%, the fourth consecutive quarterly loss and a reversal from the 8.8% achieved in the year-ago period, the US Dept. of Transportation said. Delta reported a positive operating margin of 2.2% while the rest were in the red.
LAM Mozambique Airlines acquired a Q400 from an unidentified third party and will take delivery of a second "in the near future," Bombardier announced. LAM currently operates four 737-200s and two Jetstream 41s. CIT Aerospace announced the delivery of a second A320-200 to Etihad Airways. Aircraft is powered by IAE V2527-A5s. CIT will deliver two A330s to EY next year.
Southwest Airlines yesterday added a link to WestJet's booking portal to southwest.com, which SWA called "an important first step forward in the relationship" between the LCCs that will include the announcement of codeshare flight schedules by late next year ( ATWOnline, July 9).
Russia's Ministry of Transport is working out a mechanism for distributing over the next two years RUB7.5 billion ($270.1 million) in subsidies to airlines serving the country's far east. "Our goal is to introduce a uniform system of subsidizing economy-class fares on long-haul routes to and from these regions," Transport Minister Igor Levitin explained. At present, the state provides subsidies only to particular categories of passengers, such as those in the military, pensioners or students.
Boeing garnered orders for 15 787s and two 777s during the week ended Dec. 9, according to its Orders and Deliveries website. The customer(s) were not identified. The commitments lifted the manufacturer's 2008 gross order total to 663, including 94 787s and 54 777s. Net orders of 657 aircraft include 93 787s.
Malaysia Airlines is in talks with Qantas regarding some kind of partnership and intends to "pursue strategic partnerships to create additional value," CEO Idris Jala confirmed in a statement cited by widespread press reports. "We are in talks with a number of airlines, including Qantas. This ranges from joint ventures and codeshares to interlining partnerships. More details will be announced as and when we have finalized the terms of any of these partnerships," Jala said.
US Air Transport Assn. said American carriers will transport 9% fewer passengers during the Dec. 18-Jan. 7 holiday period than in the prior year, although a 9% year-over-year decline in seats will mean "full or near-full flights throughout the holiday." ATA is forecasting some 2 million passengers per day during the period and 90% loads on the busiest days (Dec. 19 and Dec. 27).
Aer Arann said that up to 30 positions, "primarily" flight and cabin crew, that were scheduled to be cut now will be retained with the creation of an Isle of Man base. RE will launch a twice-weekly London City-IOM service on Jan. 19. The carrier still plans to eliminate 70 jobs ( ATWOnline, Oct. 21). The IOM base, which will include one ATR 72-500, will focus on RE's contract lease business. It also announced the Jan.
Amadeus and Etihad Airways unveiled Amadeus Gulf, a joint venture designed to provide a GDS to travel companies and agents in UAE, Bahrain and Oman. Etihad will hold 51% of the company, which CEO James Hogan said "signals Etihad's growing ambitions in the travel industry."
Japan Airlines said yesterday that it will operate a 747-300 test flight from Tokyo Haneda on Jan. 30 in conjunction with Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell. It will use biofuel primarily derived from camelina plants. A blend of 50% biofuel and 50% traditional jet fuel will be tested in one of the aircraft's four JT9D engines. The biofuel will be a mixture of three second-generation feedstocks: Camelina (84%), jatropha (under 16%) and algae (under 1%). The flight will be the first using fuel derived from camelina and the first to use a combination of three feedstocks.
Swedish regional Golden Air took delivery of its first new ATR 72-500 yesterday. It currently operates one used 72-500, five Saab 340Bs and five Saab 2000s.
