Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes on Friday announced the formal integration of Gol and VRG (once again called Varig) into a single airline company and from Oct. 19 will launch a new route network in which Gol will focus on shorter routes and Varig will operate longer-haul flights.
Jet Airways will discontinue its Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco service on Jan. 13 owing to "the downturn in major economies worldwide." It said it will serve SFO from London Heathrow through codeshare with United Airlines and continue to optimize its long-haul network "focusing more on its established international gateways and routes." AirAsia will launch daily service to Singapore from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on Nov. 1. Martinair will increase freighter service to Amsterdam from Quito and Bogota to eight-times-weekly in January.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, said last week that full-year 2008 pre-tax operating profit will "exceed $65 million," a downgrade from previous guidance of "approximately $85 million." President and CEO William Flynn cited "lower utilization of our 747-200 aircraft and weaker yields [owing to a weak economy] having a negative impact."
London Luton plans to invest £2 million ($3.5 million) in improvements including upgrades of bus stops, the main terminal roundabout, drop-off zone facilities and a short-term car park. Work began this month and is expected to be completed next spring. Luton currently serves 10 million passengers per year.
Yeti Airlines said in an English language confirmation of Wednesday morning's Twin Otter accident that killed 18 of 19 onboard that "the entire [Lukla] airport region was suddenly covered with fog right after [the] other two aircraft (of Yeti) had landed successfully." Capt. Surendra Kunwar was the only survivor ( ATWOnline, Oct. 9). Aircraft was on its way from Kathmandu.
Republic Airways Holdings is considering a move into the Hawaii inter-island market to operate 70-seat E-170s in partnership with Mokulele Airlines. An internal memo dated Oct. 1 and obtained by The Honolulu Advertiser said Republic subsidiary Shuttle America "has a potential opportunity for a new codeshare agreement with additional flying beginning on or before Nov. 15, 2008. . .
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh said competing with Lufthansa and Air France KLM for a minority stake in Alitalia "is certainly possible if the CAI investor group restructuring really succeeds," Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported ( ATWOnline, Sept. 30). He also reiterated that BA still is "observing the development of bmi very carefully and we are interested in any acquisition that strengthens our position at Heathrow" ( ATWOnline, Feb. 7).
Engine Alliance GP7200 had a "flawless" entry into service on Emirates' first A380, according to EA President Jim Moravecek. EK was the launch customer for the new powerplant developed jointly by GE and Pratt & Whitney and derived from the GE90 and PW4000 engine families ( ATWOnline, July 17). "Since entering revenue service on the first Emirates A380 on Aug. 1, we've experienced no engine related issues that could have caused a disruption for Emirates," EA Product Support Director Ed Bendernagel said.
European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety this week voted to amend the EU's emissions trading scheme, increasing the number of emissions certificates that will be auctioned to 20% in 2013 (from 15% in 2012, when the ETS becomes effective) and to 100% in 2020. In addition, the 95% emissions allowance cap set for 2013 will be reduced annually "by a linear reduction factor" thereafter, the International Air Carrier Assn. said.
Boeing and the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers will resume negotiations and are "working out the details of the return to the table" with a US federal mediator, the union said. The IAM strike that began Sept. 6 now has cost Boeing an estimated $3.36 billion in sales and profit, the union claimed ( ATWOnline, Sept. 22).
Raleigh-Durham International is scheduled to open its new $570 million Terminal 2 on Oct. 26. The 920,000-sq.-ft. facility is three times larger than the terminal it replaces. Project's initial phase includes 19 gates, two ticketing islands, seven security checkpoint lanes and three baggage carousels. When the second phase is completed in late 2011, T2 will serve two concourses with 32 gates designed to accommodate up to 11.4 million passengers annually.
US FAA tentatively determined that Los Angeles International may have acted illegally in providing more than $40 million to the city's convention and visitors bureau, L.A. Inc., the Los Angeles Times reported. Funds were given to the tourism promotional office over a period dating back to 2002. US law allows advertising or marketing efforts aimed at increasing travel at a particular airport but forbids spending on general promotion of local tourist attractions. FAA could require that the money be returned or could seek civil penalties of up to $50,000 from LAX.
British Airways begins weekly London Gatwick-St. Kitts on Jan. 10. In addition, it will increase service from London Heathrow to Dubai (to 20-times-weekly from 14 on March 29) and Johannesburg (to 19-times-weekly from 14 on May 1). Atlanta and Toulouse flights will transfer to LHR from LGW on March 29. Shanghai Airlines launched service from Shanghai Hongqiao to Seoul Gimpo aboard a 757 and Tokyo Haneda aboard a 767-300ER. SkyEurope Airlines launched twice-weekly Prague-Bari.
AirAsia majority shareholder Tune Air, which holds 30.9% of the LCC, said in a statement to Bursa Malaysia that it is "considering" privatizing the airline at an indicative price of approximately MYR1.35 ($0.39) per share, according to press reports. AirAsia has 2.36 billion shares outstanding, according to its website. Separately, the carrier this week retired the final 737-300 used on its Malaysian network. It now operates A320s on those routes. The company has 175 firm A320s on order plus 50 options and currently operates 42 in Malaysia, seven in Thailand and one in Indonesia.
The US Dept. of Transportation announced its intention yesterday to move forward with its controversial plan to conduct slot auctions at New York JFK, LaGuardia and Newark as part of an $89 million capacity improvement plan over vehement objections from airlines and airports that are challenging the legality of the action (see next item), and also said it will impose a new limit on hourly operations at LGA.
Airline and airport organizations blasted the US Dept. of Transportation's final rule requiring FAA to conduct slot auctions at New York LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports to reduce delays, with the Air Transport Assn. saying the decision left it with "no choice but to pursue [a] court challenge" to prevent an auction. In a statement, ATA President and CEO James May said the DOT decision (see story above) "patently defies the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office, as well as the will of Congress," and "will result in a lengthy and costly legal challenge."
S7 Airlines took delivery of its first of three 767-300ERs and its fourth 737-800. The 767 was leased from AWAS and will begin flying this month from Moscow Domodedovo to Novosibirsk and Yerevan, the carrier said. Subsequent 767s will replace A310s on flights to Bangkok and Vladivostok. Aircraft will seat 222 in economy and 18 in business class. The 737 was leased from ILFC.
The ARJ21 is in final preparations for its inaugural test flight, which is expected to take place by the end of next month at the latest, according to Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Chairman Zhang Qingwei. The 90-seat ARJ21-700 rolled out last December, but owing to "key suppliers' failure to specify conditions for system tests," its maiden flight, originally scheduled for March, was delayed ( ATWOnline, April 1).
SEPLA, representing Iberia pilots, and the British Airline Pilots Assn., representing British Airways pilots, said yesterday at a joint news conference in Madrid that they support a BA/IB merger. Union leaders said the combination would generate more than $560 million in combined cost savings and revenue enhancements annually. Last month the respective unions signed a bilateral agreement in anticipation of the proposed merger in which they pledged to work together.
Air France will abandon its daily London Heathrow-Los Angeles International service launched when the EU-US open skies agreement came into force on March 30 and opened LHR to flights to/from the US to all EU and US carriers.
Delta Air Lines will offer 180-deg. lie-flat business class seats on 767-400 flights from both Atlanta and New York JFK to London Heathrow beginning next summer. DL operates twice-daily JFK-LHR service and will add an additional flight on the route to be co-operated with Air France in summer 2009. It flies daily ATL-LHR.
