Air Arabia will establish its second base, and first outside the UAE, in Rabat following the signing of an agreement with Regional Air Lines under which it will assume management control of the Morocco-based privately held carrier and apply its low cost business model.
Air China launched thrice-weekly Beijing-Sydney flights aboard A330s. The carrier now offers 10 weekly flights between China and Australia. XL Airways will launch flights from London Luton to Cyprus and Egypt from May 23 "in response to huge customer demand from the North London area," according to the carrier. It will introduce five weekly flights to Larnaca, three to Paphos and two to Sharm El Sheikh.
Mexico soon will incorporate IATA's Operational Safety Audit into its civil aviation regulatory requirements for airlines operating to, from and within the country, Minister of Communication and Transport Luiz Tellez announced yesterday. Speaking to the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Cancun, Tellez said airlines that successfully complete an IOSA will not have to undergo an annual audit from Mexico's DGAC, as is currently required, but will enjoy an extended interval of three years or longer between inspections.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes said yesterday that VP-Sales Larry Dickenson will retire Dec. 31 and be replaced by Ray Conner, who is currently its Americas sales head. Dickenson, 64 and a 39-year company employee, has led the commercial aircraft sales organization since October 2006 following more than 20 years as the company's Asia/Pacific commercial aircraft sales chief. Conner, 52, has been in his current post since February 2003. Boeing said his replacement will be named soon.
Doha's new international airport is on track to open for intitial operatons by the end of 2009, Bernardo Gogna, director of the facility's steering committee, told ATWOnline in Doha this week. Total investment in the airport, which will span 22 sq. km., will reach $10 billion by the end of 2009, he added. Construction began in January 2005. The airport will have an initial capacity of 12 million passengers annually, increasing to 50 million by the time it is fully operational in 2015. It will feature two parallel runways, one 4,800 m. and the other 4,500 m.
Goodrich and Turkish Technic signed an MOU yesterday to establish a joint venture in Istanbul to perform maintenance and repair work on nacelles. The JV, to be known as Goodrich HABOM, will provide MRO services and rotable support for nacelles on Turkish Airlines aircraft. It anticipates opening a certified repair station at Sabiha Gokcen International in 2009. "In addition to servicing the Turkish Airlines fleet, the planned 43,000-sq.-ft. facility would also focus on MRO support for other carriers in Turkey and the neighboring region," Goodrich said.
Latin American airlines need to acquire 239 new aircraft above and beyond what they currently have on order between 2008 and 2012, or around 48 new aircraft per year, International Lease Finance Corp. Chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy said yesterday at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Cancun. Nearly two-thirds of the requirement falls in the narrowbody category, with ILFC estimating demand for 88 A320 family jets and 67 737NGs.
Malaysia Airlines signed an MOU with ATR for 10 ATR 72-500s to be delivered in 2009 and 2010 with options for five additional 72-500s. The agreement is valued at $285 million including options. The 72-500s, configured with 68 seats, will be operated by wholly owned subsidiary MASWings. They will be used to expand service in the states of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. MASWings commenced operations in East Malaysia on Oct. 1 and currently operates four F50s and four Twin Otters. "The new aircraft will enable MASWings to expand its capacity by 150%," CEO Tengku Azmil Zahruddin said.
United Airlines said it is adding a $5 one-way and $10 roundtrip fuel surcharge onto "most domestic fares. . .to offset record-breaking fuel costs." The surcharge, effective immediately, will exclude flights to and from Hawaii. "Every dollar increase in the price of crude oil increases United's annual costs by approximately $65 million," UA said in a statement. It noted that the per-barrel price topped $98 this week "compared with $55 a barrel just nine months ago and $20 a barrel six years ago."
JetBlue Airways said yesterday that Executive VP-Corporate Services and CFO John Harvey resigned effective immediately "to pursue other professional interests." It named Senior VP-Finance and Principal Accounting Officer Ed Barnes interim CFO. CEO Dave Barger said the LCC will "implement an executive search for a permanent CFO.''
Aer Lingus said it will add three new aircraft and expand capacity by 10% across its European network in 2008, including the addition of new Belfast International-Nice (twice-weekly), Dublin-Ibiza and Cork-Jersey services. It plans to operate 59 routes from Dublin, 18 from Cork and nine from Belfast next year. Frequencies across the network will be raised, including on flights to San Francisco, Orlando International and Washington Dulles.
Air Berlin transported 2.8 million passengers in October, up 11.3% from the year-ago month. Load factor rose 2.5 points to 81.7% and unit revenue fell 0.4% to 4.99 euro cents (7.24 US cents). CFO Ulf Huttmeyer admitted the company has "not yet been able to fully optimize yield management and capacity control in the course of LTU's integration." Separately, AB named dba flight operations head Helmut Weixler as LTU's MD-flight operations and accountable manager. CEO Joachim Hunold also added the title of LTU chairman. He ceded the duties of AB accountable manager to Karl Lotz.
SkyWest Airlines pilots once again rejected overtures from the Air Line Pilots Assn., with 65% of those voting preferring to remain nonunion. "We appreciate our pilots' decision to remain union free and the professionalism they displayed during the campaign," VP-Flight Operations Brad Holt said. "The vote is an endorsement of the relationship that has worked so well throughout our history."
Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, which now operates the LCC of the same name as well as the new Varig, concluded a third quarter it called "a period of growth, consolidation and innovation" with a net income of BRL45.5 million ($26.1 million) that was 76% lower than the BRL190 million profit posted in the year-ago quarter (US GAAP).
WestJet's third-quarter net income surged to C$76.1 million ($81.9 million), up 44% over C$52.8 million in the year-ago period and its best-ever third-quarter result, as it continued to ramp up capacity.
Southwest Airlines yesterday introduced a "business select" fare category that will provide passengers paying more for tickets with guaranteed early boarding, more frequent-flier credits and a free cocktail, a move that is part of the LCC's ongoing effort to alter its traditional single-class service to attract more business travelers.
Schiphol Group appointed Maarten de Groof chief commercial officer effective Feb. 1. Silver Air of the Czech Republic named Steffen Harpoth as its new CEO.
A combination of rising demand and higher yields helped boost Emirates to "another record performance" in the first fiscal semester ended Sept. 30 as the ambitious airline reported net profits of AED2.36 billion ($642.6 million), double the AED1.18 billion earned in the year-ago period.
Mubadala Development, Abu Dhabi's government investment firm, became sole shareholder of Gulf Aircraft Maintenance following its acquisition of Gulf Air's 40% stake in the company. It consequently renamed the MRO Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies.
EASA, aviation authorities from Scandinavia and Canada and OEMs Bombardier and Goodrich met yesterday in Cologne and concluded that the Oct. 27 incident involving an SAS Q400--the carrier's third--was "not due to a design error and that the airworthiness of the aircraft is maintained." Last week the Danish Investigation Board said the most recent Q400 landing gear incident resulted from an O-ring lodged in the right main gear's actuator.
Lufthansa Technik signed a five-year MRO agreement with bmi and bmibaby covering all base maintenance checks on bmi's 24 A320 family aircraft as well as its three A330s, the recently added BMED fleet of eight A320 family aircraft and bmibaby's 21 737 Classics. Deal is valued in excess of €50 million ($72.6 million). Sabena Technics renewed its contract for line and light maintenance of Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium's six A320s. Initial agreement was signed three years ago and now is extended for an undetermined period.
Canada and Singapore announced an open skies agreement allowing any carrier from either country to operate passenger and cargo flights to any city at any frequency, as well as to codeshare.
BRA Transportes Aereas said it intended to suspend all flights as of yesterday pending a cash infusion it said it required to maintain operations, according to a Portuguese statement on its website and press reports from Sao Paulo. The airline operated eight 737s and two 767s to 26 domestic and three international destinations, Reuters reported. It signed a contract for 20 E-195s over the summer ( ATWOnline, Aug. 23).
