Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems received both Supplemental Type Certification and Technical Standard Order Authorization from US FAA on 757s for SafeRoute, its ADS-B-based program that provides on-ground situational awareness and merging and spacing assistance to pilots ( ATWOnline, Aug. 20). It still is awaiting operational approval from FAA that would allow the technology to be used on commercial flights. "The ball's basically in FAA's court," an ACSS spokesperson told ATWOnline.
Air New Zealand is set to announce a new lower-cost, higher-value domestic product next Tuesday when it announces its fiscal-year results. The indication came yesterday in a press release issued in response to Virgin Blue's announcement that it will launch New Zealand domestic services within 12 months (see story above).
Australia's Virgin Blue Holdings cited a significant improvement in revenue and yield for a 92.9% surge in net profit to A$216 million ($172.6 million) for the fiscal year ended June 30. Revenue rose 16.3% to A$2.16 billion and yield lifted 8.1% to A11.57 cents. Expenses climbed 9.3% year-over-year to A$1.84 billion, reflecting an increase in flying and a 7.9% rise in fuel price. Operating income soared 41.2% to A$548 million, with A$16 million in one-off expenses dragging on a bottom line that otherwise would have been even more impressive.
Qantas said yesterday it will invest A$50 million ($40 million) to improve and expand its domestic terminal at Perth, with work set to commence by year end. It also revealed that it conducted an audit of all its aircraft maintenance workers after "discovering irregularities in documentation relating to the qualifications of one of its engineering employees." No other problems were found, QF said, adding that the worker in question resigned. Separately, Jamila Gordon, a former IBM executive, was named CIO.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, the Mexican airport operator, said Cancun, Cozumel and Merida airports closed Monday night due to Hurricane Dean, the intense storm that moved across the Yucatan Peninsula. ASUR said yesterday that "as of now, the airports' infrastructures have not experienced any significant damage." Flights resumed yesterday at Montego Bay and Kingston airports, which had closed earlier this week when the storm passed near Jamaica.
Delta Air Lines ended its long search for a CEO yesterday, naming current DL board member and former Northwest Airlines CEO Richard Anderson to succeed Gerald Grinstein, who had said he would retire after Delta emerged from bankruptcy.
Air Berlin said both the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office have followed the Swiss Cartel Office in clearing its acquisition of 49% of Switzerland's Belair ( ATWOnline, March 28). A subsidiary of Hotelplan Group, Belair currently operates two 757-200s and one 767-300.
Lufthansa Technik and Bulgaria's Hemus Air will open a maintenance facility in Sofia. It is expected that LHT will hold 80% of the joint venture, Hemus MD Dimitar Pawlow told the BTA national news agency. MRO work will begin on 737s on an unspecified date, with 777s and A340s to follow. LHT operates similar JVs in Budapest, Malta and the Philippines and recently linked up with Austrian Airlines to open a 777 center in Vienna ( ATWOnline, Aug. 6).
China Southern Airlines enjoyed a significant turnaround in the first half of 2007, reporting net income of CNY226 million ($29.7 million) under IFRS, a reversal from a loss of CNY784 million in the year-ago semester, on a 19.2% lift in operating revenue to CNY24.56 billion. The carrier attributed the improved performance in part to "its double-hub strategy of Beijing and Guangzhou" and cost control. The "fast-growing Chinese economy, rising domestic demands and the appreciation of the yuan" also were credited for the result.
Product Support Solutions and Holly-Connects announced "successful deployment of US Airways' next-generation platform for voice self service" following a two-month development. The system will handle more than 12 million calls per year. US said it transitioned three legacy voice platforms and 11 applications to the Holly platform.
Sabre Travel Network announced that Qantas is the launch customer for Sabre Branded Fares, a tool it said will be "integrated into the standard travel agency desktop of its GDS" and "enable the airline to package and brand a variety of fares featuring different attributes." Last week, Galileo unveiled a solution for Canadian travel agents that would make Air Canada's a la carte fare products and Web-only content available on its GDS ( ATWOnline, Aug. 16).
Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect flew a consolidated 489.3 million RPMs in July, up 25.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 24.9% to 578.6 million ASMs and load factor gained 0.7 point to 84.6%. The company estimated a 3.6% decline in yield to 13.63 cents and a 3.5% fall in RASM to 12.58 cents. Republic Airways flew 795.1 million RPMs in July, up 22.6% on the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 19.3% to 990.6 million ASMs, lifting load factor 2.2 points to 80.3%.
Los Angeles International Airport's new 10-gate international satellite ( ATWOnline, Aug. 17) will be connected to the Bradley International Terminal by an underground people-mover. It will have gate lounges and passenger services, but ticketing, federal inspection and bag claim for the new gates will be handled in the main terminal. The $1.2 billion facility, scheduled to go into service by 2012, will accommodate A380s as well as smaller aircraft.
Fraport CEO Wilhelm Bender said the company would be interested in buying a major UK airport if the UK Competition Commission investigation into BAA forces selloffs. The CC is conducting a formal antitrust inquiry into BAA to examine how the airport operator's control of seven UK airports, including London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, affects its ability to invest in infrastructure and whether the common ownership hurts consumers ( ATWOnline, Aug. 10).
Air Canada yesterday said it will launch weekly seasonal service from Vancouver to San Jose del Cabo and Ixtapa Dec. 21-22 aboard A319s. The move follows rival WestJet's announcement last week that it will start seasonal flights to Mexico for the first time, including a Vancouver-San Jose del Cabo route ( ATWOnline, Aug. 16). WestJet has authority to operate to Ixtapa but has not announced service there. Separately, AC said it will boost its thrice-weekly Edmonton-London Heathrow service to daily.
Ryanair yesterday confirmed the purchase of a further 4% of Aer Lingus shares, bringing its stake to "over" 29.4% ( ATWOnline, Aug. 20). "These new shares were acquired at or less than €2.45 ($3.30) per share, which lowers the average cost of Ryanair's shares in Aer Lingus," the LCC said.
Aviapartner Handling was contracted by South African Airways to provide ramp handling services in Munich for SAA's new MUC-Johannesburg route. The carrier operates three flights per week aboard A340-300s and will increase service to daily for the winter schedule.
Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon will quit the airline after his current contract expires in July 2009. Speaking on Australia's Sky News Business Sunday, Dixon said, "There is a time to move on, and I don't think the board or I would contemplate anything after the time we've said, unless there is something out there I don't see. I really do think it would be time to move on." He also forecast a bigger role for Qantas low-cost subsidiary JetStar Airways, which will restore service to markets that QF abandoned.
SAirGroup liquidators will start making payments to creditors in November, Wenger Plattner, the Swiss law firm handling the liquidation, announced last week. An initial payment of CHF519.4 million ($429.7 million) will include a first installment for nonpreferential creditors. So far, SAirGroup's creditors have filed claims totaling CHF48.9 billion, of which CHF9.8 billion have been accepted for payment, WP said. It added that CHF29.3 billion worth of claims have been rejected while appeals or decisions are pending on the rest.
All 157 passengers and eight crew were reported safe following a fire and explosion that destroyed a China Airlines 737-800 at a gate at Naha Airport on Okinawa yesterday morning. Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network said the CFM56-7B-powered aircraft, which first flew in 2002, departed Taipei and landed safely at Naha, but that a fire "erupted in or near the No. 1 engine as the plane arrived at the stand." Following a successful evacuation via escape slides, "a large explosion occurred in the center of the airplane," which "burned out completely."
Aer Lingus pilots called off a two-day strike scheduled to begin today after the carrier and the Irish Air Line Pilots Assn. agreed to commence talks through Ireland's Labour Relations Commission on pay and conditions at EI's new Belfast base ( ATWOnline, Aug. 20).
Virgin Group executives revealed yesterday that the firm, which except for a brief period in the 1980s has eschewed selling stakes via public markets, is now considering IPOs for some of its business units, including Virgin Atlantic Airways. VG CEO Stephen Murphy told The Times of London, "Once we have built a company to a point where it has reached a level of stability and maturity, we will seek a public exit. We are much more comfortable with that idea now but there are no firm targets of how many businesses we want to float."
China Southern Airlines yesterday announced that it entered into an agreement with Boeing for the purchase of 55 737-700s/-800s for delivery starting in May 2011 and extending to October 2013. A Boeing spokesperson contacted by ATWOnline would not confirm the order but said the 55 aircraft were unrelated to the 80 737NGs ordered by China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group 16 months ago ( ATWOnline, April 12, 2006). The manufacturer did not update the orders list on its website.
Aeroflot said it has started using mobile automatic check-in desks at up to 10 Russian airports lacking stationary desks, allowing it to check in passengers using its Sabre program and introduce e-ticket technology at new destinations.
