TAME of Ecuador converted two E-190 options. The airline operates two E-170s and a single E-190. The new aircraft will be delivered by year end. "This decision is based on the success achieved by operating this type of airplane, which was first acquired in 2006, that has boosted passenger demand," TAME President Fernando Martinez de la Vega said. Separately, the manufacturer said it is expanding its partnership with CAE to include initial and recurrent pilot training on both the E-170 and E-190 as well as on the Lineage 1000.
Comtran Ltd. said its advanced jet nozzle for MD-80s was certified by EASA as meeting Chapter 4 noise requirements. "It is important for operators to note that this modification not only brings their MD-80 series aircraft into full Chapter 4/Stage 4 compliance but also that [it] can be accomplished in as little as four hours during thrust reverser overhaul," CEO Douglas Jaffe said.
Libyan Airlines ordered three firm CRJ900s plus two options, Bombardier announced. Firm aircraft are worth an estimated $108 million at list prices. "This purchase represents the launching of our fleet renewal program. The CRJ900 aircraft was selected because we believe it is the type of regional jet that can meet the requirement of domestic and regional routes in our network," Libyan Chairman Tarek Arebi said. The carrier currently serves 27 destinations.
European Air Express, a German regional based in Monchengladbach, said it will shut down Sept. 30 due to tough competition from LCCs. EAE was founded in 1999. It operates five ATR 42-300s and transported 98,000 passengers last year on 144 weekly flights to seven destinations.
Terra Firma and AWAS completed their acquisition of Pegasus Aviation Finance of San Francisco, which was announced last month ( ATWOnline, May 14). The combination will create the world's third-largest aircraft lessor, AWAS said. The new company owns 223 aircraft valued at more than $5.5 billion and has an additional 101 aircraft under management and on lease to more than 120 customers. It has $2.2 billion worth of orders in place with Airbus and Boeing.
Brussels Charleroi was shut down Friday following a strike by security staff employed by the Walloon Ministry of Transport. Ryanair, by far the largest carrier at the airport, said the "illegal" strike was the second in the past year and forced it to cancel all flights to and from CRL through the weekend. The LCC said it has "asked for an explanation as to why no contingency plan has been put in place" and that it was "unacceptable that the travel plans of 15,000 passengers over a busy weekend can be disrupted by the unlawful actions of a small number of airport security staff."
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Thai Airways said its board decided to cancel its contract to manage Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong "due to delay of handover [of] the airport to Thai according to the contract." The carrier was supposed to take control more than a year ago, the Associated Press reported from Bangkok. Thai also said it would hire 426 new flight attendants.
Delta Air Lines and Gol announced an interline agreement effective July 1 under which DL passengers will be able to connect through Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo to each of the LCC's 58 Brazilian destinations as well as eight in South America.
EasyJet announced the addition of flights to Austria and Romania, bringing its network to 22 countries. Daily London Luton-Vienna service will begin Oct. 29 and daily Milan Malpensa-Bucharest Baneasa flights will launch sometime in September. The LCC transported 3.3 million passengers in May, up 13.8% from the year-ago month. Load factor slipped 0.3 point to 83.6%.
Airbus entered the fray over aviation's environmental impact, saying yesterday that it is targeting a 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and an 80% lowering of nitrogen oxide production in new aircraft by 2020 compared to those manufactured in 2000. President and CEO Louis Gallois called for an environmental summit of CEOs representing engine and airframe manufacturers. "Technology and leadership is key," he said.
Shin Corp. of Thailand said this week that it divested its remaining stake in Thai AirAsia in order to focus on its telecom business, according to press reports from Bangkok. Shin held 50% of the airline until last year, when it set up a company called Asia Aviation to control the stake following the purchase of Shin by Singapore's Temasek Holdings. Shin held 49% of that company but sold off the remaining shares to airline management for THB472 million ($14.4 million).
Air Berlin announced executive changes at its dba subsidiary. Former Lufthansa, Hapag-Lloyd and TUI executive Wolfgang Kurth will head the technology and finance departments and former Etihad Airways VP-Operations Helmut Weixler will lead flight operations. MDs Martin Gauss (operative personnel and commercial department) and Peter Wojahn (technology, finance and personnel) will leave the company.
Lufthansa and EgyptAir announced a codeshare agreement yesterday that they said will be part of a close cooperation between the two and that will boost rumors that the African carrier is being courted by Star Alliance. A source close to the tie-up confirmed that there have been discussions about EgyptAir's potential membership. Codesharing will start with the introduction of the winter schedule and will be introduced on Frankfurt-Cairo, FRA-Alexandria and Munich-CAI flights.
Ryanair will expand operations at its Stockholm Skavsta base in October, adding a fifth and sixth 737-800 and launching 12 new routes during the month: Seven-times-weekly to Berlin Schoenefeld and Bratislava; four-times-weekly to Eindhoven, Baden Baden, Liverpool and Valencia; thrice-weekly to Alicante, Basel, Pisa and Porto, and twice-weekly to Trapani and Malta. A twice-weekly service to Salzburg will start in December. Ryanair said it expects to carry 2.5 million passengers to and from NYO each year.
Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair flew a combined 6.35 billion RPKs in May, up 1.1% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 1% to 8.46 billion ASKs and load factor rose 0.1 point to 75.1%. Hawaiian Airlines flew 672.7 million RPMs in May, up 19.6% from the year-ago month, on a 19.8% lift in capacity to 776.6 million ASMs. Load factor dipped 0.2 point to 86.6%.
CAE signed contracts to design and manufacture three CAE 7000 Series full flight simulators and training devices valued at C$48 million ($44.9 million), bringing first-quarter simulator sales to 13. CAE will build a 7000 Series 747-8 Freighter FFS and a suite of Simfinity747 ground school training devices for Cargolux International Airlines, launch customer for the 747-8F. Emirates ordered a 777-300ER FFS. Hainan Airlines will receive an ERJ-145 FFS along with a suite of Simfinity training devices.
SITA added Global Systems of UAE to its international network of Indirect Channel partners that provide the company's IT solutions to airports that handle 5 million passengers or fewer per year. Global Systems will offer SITA solutions to airports in Morocco, Algeria and Libya with plans to extend further into Africa in a later phase.
EVA Air reported a first-quarter net loss of TWD331.3 million ($10 million), widened considerably from a TWD225.9 million deficit in the first three months of 2006. Revenue slipped 0.7% to TWD22.49 billion against a 0.6% decline in expenses to TWD23.02 billion. Operating loss deepened to TWD523 million from TWD514.9 million. EVA operates 18 747 passenger aircraft, Combis and freighters, 11 A330-200s, three 777-300ERs four MD-90s and 14 MD-11Fs.
Indian Airlines yesterday said it had resolved the issues with the Air Corporation Employees Union representing ground operations and clerical staff that led to a three-day strike this week and that operations are scheduled to return to normal today. The carrier said the issues pertained to career progression and payment of a decade's worth of arrears. The Indian government's Press Information Bureau said the arrears total INR2.67 billion ($65.1 million) and will be paid out over 18 months.
AirTran Holdings may have nudged Midwest Air Group a step closer to a merger after its three candidates were elected yesterday to the nine-member Midwest board. In light of the change, Midwest said it would permit AirTran to present its takeover proposal to the board. But at the same time, the Milwaukee-based carrier made a point of stating that it had made "no determination to engage in negotiations with AirTran."
Ukraine International Airlines said IATA extended its IOSA registration for another two years until June 17, 2009. In 2005, UIA became the first CIS carrier to complete IOSA certification.
Spanair confirmed yesterday that Spanish tour operator Marsans has made a full bid for the airline, whose pending sale was announced by SAS Group this week ( ATWOnline, June 14). Outgoing SAS Executive VP Gunnar Reitan told reporters that Marsans' offer was "not exclusive" but that no other bids have been received. Marsans head Gonzalo Pascual said his company was bidding on its own, according to AFX News, adding that Spanair will not merge with either Air Comet or Aerolineas Argentinas.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, yesterday said it has entered into a joint venture agreement to build a new cargo warehouse at Seoul Incheon. The 12,000-sq.-m. Atlas Air Cargo Terminal, slated to open early next year, will be operated by AACT Co., a JV comprising Atlas Air and Sharp, a South Korean provider of maintenance, ground and related airline support services. It will be the first facility at Incheon to be at least partly owned by a foreign airline.
