Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry, the joint venture between Embraer and AVIC II, delivered its first ERJ-145 and the 1000th unit of the type overall to Hainan Airlines Group subsidiary Grand China Express. GCE last year placed an order for 50 145s to be manufactured by HEAI and 50 E-190s to be manufactured in Brazil ( ATWOnline, Aug. 31, 2006).
Mesa Air Group took delivery of the first of 14 CRJ900s to be flown by Freedom Airlines for Delta Connection. Revenue service will start Nov. 1 with two 76-seaters operating out of New York JFK and Dallas/Fort Worth. Remaining 12 aircraft are scheduled for delivery over the next 16 months.
US Airways last week confirmed its June order for 92 Airbus aircraft, signing three definitive purchase agreements with the manufacturer, including one for 22 A350 XWBs. Separately, it told US SEC that it expects CASM to rise in the second half of 2007, including by an estimated 4% in the fourth quarter.
GoAir of India took delivery of its first directly purchased A320 in Toulouse, Airbus announced. The carrier ordered 10 180-seat aircraft last year. It launched with two leased A320s in November 2005 and added five more in 2006. It currently serves 13 cities.
DR Congo President Joseph Kabila fired Transport Minister Remy Henri Kuseyo Gatanga Friday in the aftermath of last week's An-26 crash that killed at least 37 people and possibly as many as 51, both aboard the aircraft and on the ground in a heavily populated area of Kinshasa, where the aircraft plowed through a number of homes and burst into flames shortly after takeoff ( ATWOnline, Oct. 5).
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines secured a $30 million investment from funds managed by Value Partners Ltd. and affiliates, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said. Oasis currently operates three 747-400s with a fourth set to arrive this year and a fifth in early 2008. CAPA said Oasis plans to operate 14 -400s on eight routes by 2011.
Both houses of France's parliament will hold hearings this week on allegations of widespread insider trading at EADS and Airbus as lawmakers seek answers in a brewing controversy that has led to sensational headlines in European newspapers and threatens to ensnare many of Airbus's top executives.
US Airways Group airlines flew 4.86 billion RPMs in September, up 2% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 5% to 6.26 billion ASMs and load factor was up 5.4 points to 77.6%. Frontier Airlines flew 776.6 million RPMs in September, a 26% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 9.4% to 996.9 million ASMs and load factor increased 10.3 points to 77.9%. Mainline yield fell 5.7% year-over-year to 9.79 cents while RASM rose 8.7% to 7.63 cents.
Gate Gourmet will enter the market for third-party ground handling services with the acquisition of a UK-based group operating under the Fernley and International Aviation Services brands. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Mexicana late Wednesday submitted a takeover bid for AeroMexico valued at MEX2.17 billion ($199 million), topping recent bids made by the Saba family and Banamex.
An Africa One An-26 freighter crashed yesterday in a heavily populated area of Kinshasa shortly after takeoff, killing as many as 25 people onboard and killing or injuring an unknown number on the ground. The aircraft was en route from the DR Congolese capital to Tshikapa but reportedly was airborne only briefly before crashing into multiple houses and catching fire.
VGS Aircraft Holding (Ireland) acquired two 757-200s from GECAS. Aircraft are leased to Thomas Cook until April 2013. VGS is owned jointly by Volito Aviation and an affiliate of the Goldman Sachs Group.
Aviareps, the airline and tourism marketing organization, is expanding its profile in the US to support its growing activity there. According to founder and CEO Michael Gaebler, revenue from US operations doubled last year compared to 2005 as total sales rose 24% to €73 million ($103.6 million).
Snecma Services Brussels entered into a three-year time-and-materials engine MRO agreement with KD Avia based in Kaliningrad covering the CFM56-3s powering the airline's seven 737 Classics. Under the agreement, Snecma also will ensure the availability of a replacement engine.
Shanghai-based Junyao Airlines, benefiting from robust domestic growth and yuan appreciation, earned a net profit of CNY18 million ($2.4 million) from January to August operating with an average load factor of 80%, President Wang Junjin revealed this week on the occasion of the carrier's one-year anniversary. He expressed satisfaction with the result considering the company's youth. Buttressed by the solid result, Junyao is seeking to sell a 20%-25% stake to an international investor. "We hope to reduce our debt ratio through private placement," Wang explained.
Boeing delivered 109 commercial aircraft in the third quarter, up from 100 in the year-ago quarter. Deliveries comprised 81 737NGs, five 747s, three 767s and 20 777s. Year-to-date deliveries totaled 329, up from 295 in the first three months of 2006.
Ural Airlines confirmed an MOU signed at the Paris Air Show for seven A320s, Airbus announced. Ural is a new Airbus customer. Aircraft will accommodate 160 passengers in a two-class configuration. The airline, which currently operates two leased A320s, has not selected an engine.
JetWorks Leasing entered into a comprehensive Aircraft Portfolio Management contract with TAIL Finance covering four MD-88s, six 757-200s and nine 767-300s, all of which currently are on lease.
Spanair yesterday confirmed that Chairman Gonzalo Pascual resigned in order to launch a full bid for the airline, which is owned by SAS, according to press reports from Madrid. Pascual is chairman of Grupo Marsans, the largest tourism conglomerate in Spain, and co-founder of Spanair. The airline also said that Gerardo Diaz Ferran, Pascual's business partner and a main shareholder in Marsans, resigned as CEO of Spanair and D.
Bombardier said that an estimated 149 of the global fleet of 165 Q400s have returned to full service following SAS's and Wideroe's combined reintroduction of up to 11 aircraft yesterday ( ATWOnline, Oct. 4).
UK and Singapore concluded a significant aviation services agreement that removes all restrictions on flights operated by airlines of both countries and includes beyond and domestic rights in the UK. The deal was reached almost two decades after Singapore first proposed it. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said the deal "virtually guarantees Singapore Airlines will jettison its [49%] stake in Virgin Atlantic and mount additional services to Heathrow and beyond to the US in a staged manner from March 2008, when the UK-Singapore agreement takes effect."
United Airlines flew 9.18 billion system RPMs in September, down 0.8% from the year-ago month. Capacity dropped 1.7% to 11.44 billion ASMs and load factor was up 0.7 point to 80.2%. Delta Air Lines flew 9.79 billion system RPMs in September, up 7.8% from the year-ago month, against a 3.6% rise in capacity to 12.61 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 3 points to 77.6%. Northwest Airlines flew 6.24 billion consolidated RPMs in September, a 1.1% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity declined 1.7% to 7.45 billion ASMs and load factor rose 2.3 points to 83.7%.
