EasyJet's profit for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 dropped 45% to £83.2 million ($123.4 million) from £152.3 million the year before amid an escalating dispute between founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the LCC's board.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday said he "spoke about Alitalia" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Trieste and claimed they "very much agree in looking with favor on the possibility of collaboration between Alitalia and Lufthansa and we hope it will happen," the Associated Press reported. AZ reportedly is cancelling up to 100 flights per day as wildcat strikes continue in protest of Compagnia Aerea Italia's €1 billion ($1.25 billion) takeover ( ATWOnline, Nov. 14).
US federal court sided with United Airlines and imposed a preliminary injunction against UA pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. for "instigating a sickout among United's junior pilots in July" in violation of labor laws ( ATWOnline, July 31, 2007), ordering ALPA to cease similar activities.
Lufthansa will reduce the workforce, including management, at its CityLine subsidiary by 20% (500 positions) by 2010 and cull 14 CRJ200s from the regional's fleet of 72 aircraft, an LH spokesperson confirmed yesterday to ATWOnline. The company hopes to make the cuts without layoffs and will try to offer displaced workers positions elsewhere with Lufthansa Group.
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Assn. President Carl Kuwitzky last week told union members that he "cannot support" the carrier's new codeshare agreements with Mexico's Volaris and Canada's WestJet. In a letter obtained by the Dallas Morning News, he said that the alliances have "the potential to severely affect the career of all pilots on our seniority list." Regarding Volaris in particular ( ATWOnline, Nov.
CSA Czech Airlines reported a pre-tax profit through the first nine months of 2008 of $22.1 million, more than double the $9.8 million earned in the year-ago period. Operating profit increased one-third to $39.2 million, the carrier said. "We are in very good financial shape compared to comparable competitors," President Radomir Lasak said. "We expect a positive financial result at the end of the year." Revenue rose 28.3% year-over-year to $1.13 billion on a 4.9% increase in passengers to 4.4 million. CSA said it expects passenger growth "to level off in the future."
President George W. Bush yesterday touted his administration's "strong record on improving air travel" and offered his "advice" on future US aviation policy, including a strong push toward satellite-based ATC, utilizing "the power of the free market" to manage congested airports and "standing side-by-side with consumers in a reasonable way. . .to make airlines more accountable."
Compass Airlines, launched by Northwest Airlines last year and now a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, named NWA VP-Regional Airline Operations Tim Campbell as president. He succeeds John Bendoraitis, who will become president of Comair.
United Airlines will launch daily Washington Dulles-Geneva flights April 19 aboard a 767 and will operate daily Denver-London Heathrow service March 29-Oct. 23 aboard a 777. Ryanair will launch flights from London Gatwick to Girona (daily) and Alicante (twice-daily) on Dec. 18.
Los Angeles International Airport will modernize its Bradley International Terminal in a $2 billion project that will replace existing remote gates with new terminal gates capable of handling A380s and 787s. The Bradley West development will feature two new concourses, a central core and taxiway, with the first set of new gates to be in service in 2012 and completion expected in 2013.
S7 Airlines reported a nine-month profit of RUB157 million ($5.7 million), nearly double the year-ago result, according to RIA Novosti. The carrier earned RUB109.7 million in 2007. Revenue through the first nine months of this year climbed 44% year-over-year to RUB31.93 billion.
ANA, whose fiscal-first-half profit fell 79.1% year-over-year to ¥22 billion ($227.4 million), is taking measures to stabilize itself as Japan officially slides into recession, and is considering launching a low-cost subsidiary.
Qantas outgoing CEO Geoff Dixon told The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney that the airline is fortunate that last year's A$11.1 billion ($7.19 billion) private equity bid by Airline Partners Australia failed ( ATWOnline, May 18, 2007). "I'm very pleased now it didn't happen," Dixon told the newspaper.
Pacific Coastal Airlines Grumman Goose crashed Sunday morning on an island approximately 50 km. north of Vancouver, killing seven of the eight onboard. Flight departed YVR on its way to Powell River, BC. It was PCA's second fatal Goose accident this year, according to press reports. The airline said it has suspended its floatplane operation until it has debriefs with all employees. Eight of its remaining 25 aircraft are amphibians. It also operates Saab 340As, Shorts 360s and Beech 1900Cs.
Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines is confident there will be medium- and long-term growth opportunities in the region but is calling for restraint from governments and suppliers as the industry endures a significant downturn. At the Nov.
Kingfisher Airlines has "received several expressions of interest from foreign airlines," Chairman Vijay Mallya said in a statement cited by widespread press reports, and he pressed the government to allow foreign interests to acquire up to 25% of Indian carriers. "I believe aviation should be treated as per international norms and other industry sectors where strategic investors can invest," he said. "This will secure the future of Indian aviation."
Amadeus IT Group appointed Amadeus Global Travel Distribution Executive VP-Commercial David Jones as president and CEO effective Jan. 1, succeeding Jose Antonio Tazon, who will become nonexecutive chairman. Jones joined Amadeus in 1992 and has been at his present position since 2000. In addition, CFO Luis Maroto will add the deputy CEO title and Senior VP-Corporate Strategy Philippe Chereque was named to succeed Jones.
ANA pilots flying for Air Nippon, Air Nippon Network, Air Next and Air Central have threatened a 24-hr. strike Wednesday "to express dissatisfaction with the management stance in their year-end round of talks," the carrier said. Potential strike by 592 pilots across four unions will affect 22% of ANA's domestic schedule (169 cancellations and 32 delays).
CIT Aerospace signed leases for two A330-200s with Mexicana, the first A330s for the airline. Aircraft are powered by Trent 772Bs and will be used to launch Mexico City-Madrid service. Delivery is scheduled for November and December.
FedEx said yesterday that it has pushed back the opening of its new Asia/Pacific hub at Guangzhou Baiyun from next month to "the first half of 2009," adding, "The revised operations date provides FedEx with the necessary time to fully test all systems and processes, as well as work closely with the Guangzhou authorities to ensure all necessary approvals are in place." The $150 million, 82,000-sq.-ft. facility will replace the express operator's Subic Bay hub ( ATWOnline, July 14, 2005).
Abu Dhabi Aviation announced the acquisition of a 95% stake in Maximus Air Cargo, which flies eight freighters on charter and ACMI operations for commercial customers and the UAE government. Maximus said nine-month revenue rose 227% year-over-year to $86.4 million.
Delta Air Lines and Alaska Air Group, parent of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, expanded their marketing services agreement to give AS passengers more access to DL's international flights and DL passengers more access to AS and Horizon's western US network.
CFM International announced that British Airways placed an order for 20 CFM56-3 Advanced Upgrade kits for its 737 Classic fleet. Order is valued at approximately $33 million at list prices and potentially could encompass as many as 44 engines. Delivery begins early next year. Kit features three-dimensional high-pressure compressor aerodynamics and new high-pressure turbine hardware and provides up to a 1.6% improvement in specific fuel consumption, CFM said.
Gol and Varig parent Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes suffered a BRL294.3 million ($131,1 million) loss in the third quarter, reversed from a BRL45.5 million profit in the year-ago period, as special charges eclipsed improvement on the operating level.
