AirAsia posted a 73% leap in net profit to MYR245.7 million ($76.7 million) for its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31, from MYR142.1 million in the year-ago period, on a 43% lift in revenue to MYR632.7 million.
Eedo Knowledgeware of the Netherlands said Eurocontrol selected the Eedo ForceTen learning content management system "for the development and delivery of e-learning services for ATC and ARM management staff."
AAR Corp. announced an agreement to acquire Miami-based third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul provider Avborne Heavy Maintenance "and a related entity" from AHM Holding Corp. Price of the sale was not disclosed. Avborne operates a 226,000-sq.-ft. hangar at Miami International capable of simultaneously accommodating up to three widebody aircraft or nine narrowbodies. It performs heavy maintenance on most types of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The deal is expected to close by the May 31 end of AAR's 2008 fiscal year.
Canadian leisure airline Air Transat received its IATA Operational Safety Audit certification this week. The IOSA audit was performed by Simat, Helliesen & Eichner. Air Transat is a subsidiary of Transat A.T.
Oneworld airlines this week will begin bringing all operations together at Beijing International in the airport's vast new passenger terminal. British Airways and Qantas will move on Feb. 29 while the alliance's other members serving Beijing (Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Finnair and Japan Airlines) will transfer into Terminal 3 on March 26. The six oneworld carriers will use check-in desks in the terminal's Area C.
International Assn. of Machinists released a statement yesterday saying it will partner with the Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights to "coordinate legislative efforts" and oppose "any combination" of legacy carriers in the US. IAM Transportation General VP Robert Roach Jr. said airline employees and customers "are the two groups essential to an airline's success, yet they are the ones who are hurt the most in mergers."
Philippine Airlines said an "absence of major one-time gains" was responsible for a swing in financial fortunes that resulted in an $11.3 million loss in the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, reversed from a $79.5 million profit in the year-ago quarter. Operating income, however, improved to $15.3 million from $13.2 million in the year-ago period, PAL claimed. Revenue slipped 5% to $371.8 million while expenses climbed 23% to $383 million. It did not explain how it achieved an operating profit.
With the end of the UK government's consultation on expansion at London Heathrow approaching, rivals British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways reiterated their support for a third runway at the world's largest international airport. "Expansion is crucial for British Airways and all other airlines operating from the airport," BA CEO Willie Walsh said in the latest BA News. "Heathrow is slipping behind. The facts speak for themselves, with a cut in the number of destinations it serves while other European hubs increase and expand."
UTair reported a RUB270 million ($11 million) profit in 2007, up 2.3% from the year-ago figure, according to press reports from Russia. It expects net earnings of RUB320 million this year on revenue of RUB33.3 billion. AK&M reported that UTair intends to add 10 737-500s by year end and 10 more by the close of 2009. Bloomberg News reported that it will lease half of those aircraft from Continental Airlines. Separately, UTair transported 205,398 passengers in January, up 122.7% from the year-ago month.
Thai Airways reported a THB1.84 billion ($59 million) profit in the three-month period ended Dec. 31, a sharp decline from the THB4.03 billion earned in the year-ago quarter. The airline changed its fiscal year as of Jan. 1 to match the calendar, so what previously has been the first fiscal quarter (Oct.-Dec.) now will not impact its full-year results. Revenue for the December quarter climbed 23.3% year-over-year to THB53.49 billion against a 15.9% increase in costs to THB49.77 billion. Operating profit was THB3.72 billion.
Rockwell Collins signed a 10-year Dispatch 100 deal with Pinnacle Airlines to support 16 new CRJ900s. Contract covers spares ownership, logistics management, maintenance repair and on-site technical support under a single per-flight-hr. price and single point of contact. Pinnacle will fly the aircraft for Delta Air Lines.
Cyprus Airways, which had endured losses for four straight years, yesterday reported a €1.2 million ($1.8 million) profit for 2007, reversed from a net loss of €7.4 million the previous year. "After four difficult years of recording losses in the tens of millions, it appears that Cyprus Airways has finally been able to win the bet over its survival," Chairman Kikis Lazarides said at a news conference. "Prospects are favorable for registering a profit in 2008."
Alaska Airlines flew 1.41 billion RPMs in January, a 9.9% rise from the year-ago month, against a 6.2% increase in ASKs to 2.05 billion. Load factor was up 2.4 points to 68.9%. Austrian Airlines Group flew 1.32 billion RPKs in January, down 19.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 15.9% to 1.9 billion ASKs and load factor declined 3.5 points to 69.6%.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will announce a fleet order by March 15, according to Reuters, which quoted airline MD M.A. Momam. The carrier "badly need[s] aircraft," Moman said, and it will choose between an offer from Boeing for four 777-200s and four 787s for delivery in the 2013-17 timeframe and four Airbus aircraft comprising A320s, A321s and A330s for delivery in an unspecified timeframe. It cut some international routes last year ( ATWOnline, Aug. 29).
CAE won Level D certification from UK CAA for its first 5000 Series A320 FFS developed to address training requirements for high-volume narrowbodies. The simulator will be used for A320 training at CAE's Burgess Hill facility.
Airlines likely will face higher insurance renewals this year compared to 2007, according to Aon Corp.'s "Airline Industry Market Review." The culprit is higher hull and liability claims last year even as premiums were falling. Aon stated that insurers incurred $1.72 billion in claims for hull, liability and estimated "attritional losses" in 2007 while taking in just $1.51 billion in premiums, down 11% compared to 2006 and the lowest figure since 2000.
US Airways said yesterday that it will charge economy passengers $25 for a second checked bag on all flights within the US and to/from Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe for travel from May 5 on tickets purchased after Feb. 26. The carrier follows United Airlines, though UA's policy is only for North America ( ATWOnline, Feb. 5). As with UA, the fee will be waived for loyalty program members.
Germanwings and TUIfly are not expected to conclude negotiations to merge their LCC operations by the time the boards of Germanwings parent Lufthansa and travel conglomerate TUI meet in mid-March, delaying the prospective combination ( ATWOnline, Jan. 30). German magazine Focus reported that the talks will not conclude before summer and that antitrust approval could take an additional four months.
China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines expanded their codeshare arrangement with an eye toward solidifying their presence at their increasingly competitive Shanghai hub. The new accord, which goes into effect March 1, will see each carrier place its code on the other's flights to Harbin, Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing and Shenzhen for a probationary period lasting until March 29. At that point, if the airlines agree, the cooperation will be extended to the end of the summer schedule.
Lufthansa yesterday released select preliminary 2007 financial results indicating that the German airline group achieved a net profit of €1.66 billion ($2.46 billion) last year, more than double the €803 million reported in 2006. Revenue rose 13.1% to €22.4 billion and group operating profit climbed 63.1% to €1.38 billion from €845 million the prior year.
BOC Aviation signed agreements with Qantas for the lease of eight A320s. Aircraft will be delivered from Airbus between the third quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2011 and will be operated by low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways.
Three years after facing bankruptcy, Malaysia Airlines is enjoying record-breaking profits, saying yesterday that it achieved an MYR852.7 million ($260.7 million) net income in 2007, reversed from a MYR133.7 million loss in 2006 and the best result in the company's 60-year history.
Frontier Airlines reported a 0.3% year-over-year increase in January yield to 10.28 cents while RASM climbed 11.7% to 7.46 cents. It flew 753.7 million RPMs last month, up 18.3% over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 6.4% to 1.04 billion ASMs, boosting load factor 7.3 points to 72.5%. Copa Airlines flew 484.7 million RPMs last month, up 16.4% over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 17.4% to 592.1 million ASMs and load factor slipped 0.7 point to 81.9%.
