Transat, parent of Canadian leisure charter specialist Air Transat, reported net income of C$56.1 million ($53 million) for the six months ended April 30, a 16.8% increase over C$48 million earned in the year-ago period, on an 18.2% lift in revenue to C$1.62 billion.
Ultra Electronics Airport Systems will supply and install a range of its latest airport information systems at Minneapolis-St. Paul, including UltraCuse, UltraSeats, UltraSelfService, UltraFIDS, UltraResource (resource allocation) and UltraDB (airport operational database). ARINC certified the compact IER 918 CUSS check-in kiosk for operation with ARINC's enhanced SelfServ CUSS kiosk platform.
US Transportation Security Administration announced that 22 US carriers have 30 days to arrange payment of a combined $219 million in back security fees, Bloomberg News reported. Money owed is to cover the January 2005-March 2007 period, TSA said. Airlines owing the most are Southwest ($54 million), American ($40 million), Delta ($32 million) and US Airways ($18 million), Bloomberg said. Air Transport Assn. told the news service that it intends to challenge the order and will go through the courts if necessary.
Correction: ATWOnline reported that Airbus was set to announce the adoption of an all-composite fuselage barrel for the A350 XWB at next week's Paris Air Show. This report was based on very recent conversations with multiple sources, whose accuracy and insights heretofore we have had no reason to question. However, based on subsequent information received from Airbus, we accept that this report was inaccurate and that Airbus does not intend to adopt an all-composite barrel for the A350. ATWOnline regrets the error.
Interjet of Mexico took delivery of its first new 150-seat, single-class A320 Friday. Aircraft is powered by CFM56-5B4/Ps. The LCC has 19 more A320s on order ( ATWOnline, Jan. 11).
Vodafone Spain and Spanair signed a partnership agreement launching a "two-dimensional code system that will enable passengers to receive their boarding card on their mobile phone and proceed directly to security and boarding."
EU transport ministers issued a joint statement Friday saying that any airline operating flights to or within the EU must participate in the European emissions trading scheme, which European carriers have warned would hit bottom lines hard and the US government and IATA have said would be in violation of international aviation agreements ( ATW, February).
Despite the delay, China Eastern Airlines remains committed to selling a stake to Singapore Airlines and plans to issue additional shares tailored for SIA when the deal finally is concluded, CEA President Li Fenghua confirmed at last week's IATA AGM in Vancouver.
Continental Airlines estimated that May consolidated RASM fell 0.5%-1.5% year-over-year, although mainline unit revenue is estimated to have risen up to 1%. CO flew 8.14 billion consolidated RPMs during the month, up 6.4% from the year-ago month, as domestic traffic rose 8.9% and international grew 7.3%. Capacity climbed 5.8% to 9.98 billion ASMs on a 8.2% domestic rise and a 6.2% international increase. Consolidated load factor was up 0.5 point to 81.5%.
Domodedovo Airlines reported a RUB495.6 million ($19.2 million) net loss in 2006, nearly double its deficit in the prior year, Russia's AK&M reported. Revenues rose 27.4% to RUB7.6 billion. Domodedovo operates 15 IL-62s and five IL-96-300s.
Timco Aviation Services' Brice Manufacturing subsidiary was selected by Boeing as the exclusive supplier of courier seats for new 747-8 and 777 freighters.
Wizz Air is basing a third A320 in Warsaw and recently launched weekly flights to Bourgas and Corfu. Thrice-weekly service to Durham Tees Valley and Oslo Torp will begin July 28. In the past two weeks Wizz also has started flights from Katowice to Belfast (thrice-weekly), Eindhoven (thrice-weekly), Bourgas (weekly) and Heraklion (weekly).
Ryanair's plans to launch inflight mobile phones in cooperation with OnAir ( ATWOnline, Aug. 31, 2006) have been delayed by four months as regulatory approval has taken longer than expected, the Irish Independent confirmed. The system has approval from relevant Irish authorties, but a handful of other countries, mainly in Scandinavia, have yet to agree. CEO Michael O'Leary last week conceded that the new system will not be running until November at the earliest.
Air India is in a "wait-and-see" position regarding its interest in taking a stake in Serbian flag carrier Jat Airways, which also has caught the eye of Aeroflot. "We were talking with the [Serbian] government, but we haven't taken any clear decision" on whether to invest in Jat, AI Chairman and MD V. Thulasidas told ATWOnline.
The European Commission adopted a regulation on flight message transfer protocol that will allow the use of Internet protocol in communication systems between air traffic control units. "This legal instrument is another milestone in the implementation of the Single Sky, as it supports the coordinated introduction of a new technical solution in air traffic management systems throughout Europe," VP Transport Jacques Barrot said. Last year the EC adopted two regulations aimed at modernizing ATM within the Single European Sky.
SITA and Flight Explorer are developing an integrated decision-support solution that combines the Flight Explorer Aircraft Situation Display with SITA's Aircom product for inflight data link communication. AirTran Airways, which already uses both systems, is set to carry out the first tests of the combined solution in September.
Frontier Airlines will retrofit its A318/A319 fleet with lighter seats in an effort to cut annual fuel costs by $5.4 million. The 18-month project is expected to begin later this year and is projected to reduce weight by up to 1,588 lb. on the A319 and up to 1,372 lb. on the A318. Each of the three-seat sets supplied by B/E Aerospace weighs about 36 lb. less than existing seats.
Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil said the carrier is investing heavily in growth as it prepares to join Star Alliance next year. "We are adding about 20 new aircraft this year and will reach a fleet size of 100 by the end of 2007," he told ATWOnline. New aircraft and onboard product upgrades are part of THY's effort to upgrade its image. It also will increase its advertising spend considerably. Kotil said it has budgeted $50 million for advertising this year and $70 million in 2008.
Former Swissair executives were acquitted yesterday of all charges in the mismanagement and fraud case stemming from the airline's October 2001 collapse. Prosecutors brought charges against 19 former executives ( ATWOnline, Jan.
Lufthansa Flight Training this week commissioned one of the first certified Mechtronix FFS X NZFT (nonzero flight time) 737NG simulators at its Berlin training center. The simulator, LFT's first Level B, will be 75%-90% dedicated to TUIfly, according to Manager-Communications Patrick Meschenmoser, who said LFT's decision to acquire the device, which has a bit less capability than a Level D, is in line with the evolution toward more targeted training solutions.
Ryanair is launching an effort to generate revenue through inflight advertising on seatbacks and overhead luggage bins. It signed a contract with Inviseo Media to sell seatback advertising on five aircraft and a deal with Fourth Edition to sell ads on overhead bins. "Passengers will benefit. . .because these revenues will help keep our fares the lowest in Europe," COO and Deputy CEO Michael Cawley said.
British Airways adopted Amadeus Flex Pricer, which provides customers booking connecting flights with the ability to see prices across a seven-day calendar and price comparisons across the airline's range of cabins and services. BA signed a three-year deal following a six-month trial that resulted in a 50% increase in the number of connecting journeys booked on its website, Amadeus said.
Malev Hungarian Airlines said its 2007 business plan will allow it to reduce significantly the operating and pre-tax losses suffered last year. Buoyed by its membership in oneworld and its recent privatization, it expects to report a HUF7.5 billion ($40.1 million) pre-tax loss this year compared to HUF10.5 billion in 2006, along with an operating loss of HUF5.3 billion that will represent considerable improvement from the HUF10.8 billion deficit suffered last year.
