Travelport GDS said all new airline contracts will cover participation in Galileo, Apollo and Worldspan. The company also confirmed that it has moved to a "home and away" pricing system for airline bookings that "more closely aligns with the greater value we provide in reaching a global customer base." The pricing structure, which appears to be reminiscent of the "value-based" structure introduced by Amadeus at the beginning of 2004, sets lower fees for bookings made within a carrier's home market and higher fees for bookings made outside its prime market.
AIR TRAVELERS TODAY ARE MORE technologically savvy than ever, quickly embracing any new breakthrough that enables them to access information both on and off the ground. In a very real sense, passengers now can manage much of their flight experience from start to finish. They have taken the lead in this techno-revolution, with airlines playing a supporting role by implementing more self-service options.
Online travel agencies have done a great job of delivering flight search results based on price, number of stops and schedule. Meanwhile, passengers feel the pain of late flights, long connecting times, lost bags, old aircraft and other frustrations.The two realities have until now remained in separate silos. InsideTrip Inc., a new company based in Seattle, is bringing the reality of the travel experience into the booking process, assigning a "TripQuality Rating" to each flight based on 12 "pain points." The beta version of the Web site, InsideTrip.com, launches this week.
AAR Corp. acquired Miami-based third-party MRO provider Avborne Heavy Maintenance and renamed it AAR Aircraft Services-Miami. Avborne offered maintenance checks, modifications, installations and painting services to commercial airlines, international cargo carriers and major aircraft leasing companies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but AAR will gain 226,000 sq. ft. of hangar space at Miami International and increase its overall MRO space by 22%.
ON MARCH 27, THE FIRST FLIGHTS will start operating through London Heathrow's new Terminal 5, heralded by British Airways as "a new era in overseas travel." The opening of T5, as it is known, launches the biggest reshuffle in the London gateway's history and will see almost 60 airlines participating in a major move that will redistribute carriers among existing Terminals 1, 3 and 4 largely along alliance lines.
Telair International will provide Boeing with its cargo-handling system for 747-8s including main deck and lower hold systems for the 747-8 freighter and lower hold systems for the 747-8 intercontinental. Features include control system networking and two-way communication between intelligent power drive units.
HISTORY WILL BE MADE ON MARCH 30 WHEN THE first commercial aviation agreement between the European Union and the US enters into force. The accord, which creates a single transatlantic Open Aviation Area in place of the existing regime of individual bilaterals between the 27 EU member states and the US, was no easy delivery. Negotiations were begun in June 2003 and required 11 rounds to achieve an agreement that was initialed in Brussels on March 2, 2007, and signed at the EU-US summit in Washington on April 30, 2007.
Merger talks between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines apparently have stalled owing to a lack of progress in negotiations between the carriers' pilot groups.
Precision Air Services took delivery of its first ATR 72-500. The Tanzanian airline ordered five in 2006 and one more in 2007; the remaining five are to be delivered in 2008-10.
BAA, operator of seven UK airports including London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, announced that CEO Stephen Nelson will be replaced on April 1 by former British Airways Director-Technical Operations Colin Matthews.
VRG and Japan Airlines inked an interline agreement that will allow passengers to purchase single tickets for flights serving all destinations of both carriers. Passengers traveling under VRG's Smiles frequent-flier program will only accumulate miles on flights operated by VRG, formerly Varig.
FAA and the City of Los Angeles are partnering to install a Runway Status Lights system at Los Angeles International. The system uses a series of red lights embedded in the pavement to warn pilots if it is unsafe to cross or enter a runway. Los Angeles World Airports is funding the $6 million cost of the system, on which tests will begin at LAX early next year. FAA will be responsible for installing, testing, evaluating and maintaining the system. "This is another valuable tool we're using to reduce the risk of runway incursions," Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell said.
IATA and Flight Safety Foundation established a partnership "to tackle the global shortage in pilots, engineers and maintenance certification staff." FSF will join the IATA Training and Qualification Initiative to "review the shortage of skilled staff and develop a roadmap and strategy," IATA said.
Aer Lingus exercised its rights under a 2003 agreement with Airbus to purchase four A320s. While the aircraft are valued at $56.7 million each, the carrier said it had "obtained certain price concessions from Airbus."
Hawaiian Airlines parent Hawaiian Holdings reported net income of $7.1 million for 2007, reversed from a net loss of $40.5 million the previous year, on 10.7% boost in revenue to $982.6 million.
Boeing said it "successfully" has completed tests on the 787's all-composite fuselage. The trials were performed on a 787 test section and are part of the manufacturer's certification efforts for the Dreamliner, which have been delayed owing to problems assembling the first aircraft. "The tests. . . couldn't have gone any better," Kevin Davis, 787 fuselage authorized representative and leader of the testing, said.
Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies said it began construction on a dedicated single-bay line and light maintenance hangar for Etihad Airways, part of a $500 million, five-year MRO contract signed last year. The hangar is scheduled to be completed in July.
AirBridgeCargo Airlines, the scheduled services subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Group, took delivery of its second 747-400ERF. The aircraft is leased from GECAS. ABC took delivery of its first 747-400ERF in November and is scheduled to receive another in April. Volga-Dnepr also has firm orders for five 747-8Fs plus five options.
Bombardier officially opened its new manufacturing facility in Queretaro, Mexico, where it will build components for the Q400 and Challenger 850 business aircraft. The facility, which began manufacturing parts in the second half of 2007, currently employs 900 workers and plans to boost that to 1,200 by year end. It supplies electrical harnesses and structural aircraft components.
CAE signed contracts valued at C$52 million ($53 million) with Lufthansa Flight Training and Xiamen Airlines to design and manufacture four full-flight simulators and associated CAE Simfinity training devices. LH Flight Training ordered a CAE 5000 Series A320 FFS and a CAE 7000 Series 747-8I FFS while Xiamen Airlines ordered two CAE 7000 Series 737-800 FFSs along with a suite of Simfinity training devices.
Iberia reached a two-year extension on its handling contract with Iberworld covering services at 41 Spanish airports. ARINC announced a three-year deal with Etihad Airways to provide its ARINC X.400 Message Handling System featuring enhanced message flow, message management and visibility. Gate Aviation, a subsidiary of gategroup, acquired The Caterers UK, a catering company based at Manchester Airport. Gate Aviation, formerly known as IAS/Fernley, provides airlines with cleaning services at Manchester.
Ryanair said it will set up its 27th European and second Scottish base at Edinburgh Airport in September with two new 737-800s operating on 19 routes. Eleven of the new routes were not announced previously. They are Berlin Schoenefeld (four-times-weekly), Bilund (thrice-weekly), Bournemouth (13 weekly flights), Bratislava (four-times-weekly), Krakow (thrice-weekly), Lodz (twice-weekly), Malaga (four-times-weekly), Palma (thrice-weekly), Poznan (thrice-weekly), Stockholm (four-times-weekly) and Wroclaw (twice-weekly).
Airbus "successfully" conducted the first series of flight tests with an A320 powered for the first time by IAE's new SelectOne engine. The SelectOne is the new build standard of the V2500. Airbus expects certification of the SelectOne engine/airframe combination in time for third-quarter deliveries.
Iberia tallied its 12th consecutive profitable year in 2007 with consolidated net earnings of €327.6 million ($486.5 million), a better-than-fivefold increase over the €56.9 million it earned in 2006. Last year's results were boosted by net gains on the disposal of assets and impairment losses amounting to €196.3 million, including the sale and leaseback of six A320s and the sale of an MD-87. In 2006, such items totaled just €4.2 million.
