American Airlines last week moved its international service at New York JFK into Concourse B of its new $1.3 billion terminal, which is near the new US Customs and Immigrations facility. With the opening of Concourse B, AA increased its gates in the new facility from 18 to 28, with 15 able to handle arriving international flights. When the terminal is complete in early 2008, it will have 36 gates including 19 capable of handling international arrivals. AA offers 92 daily flights to 38 destinations including 23 international destinations from JFK.
Sichuan Airlines and TransAsia Airways of Taiwan are in negotiations to launch a new carrier based in Shanghai, according to Lin Xiaoxin, president of Goldsun Group, TransAsia's biggest shareholder.
After several years of improved performance, British Airways Friday reported its first quarterly loss in two years as well as a 34.9% decline in consolidated net profit to £304 million ($600.8 million) for its fiscal year ended March 31, and admitted it has set aside £350 million to settle fines and claims relating to alleged price-fixing on long-haul passenger and cargo fuel surcharges.
SITA and China Southern Airlines reached an agreement under which the carrier will employ the IT service provider's integration platform to enhance its e-ticketing and global distribution capabilities. CZ CIO Hu Chenjie said SITA's solution can optimize the airline's IT capability and help it grow into one of the top carriers in Asia, noting the significance of SITA's worldwide GDS reach. CZ will link SITA's solution with the Chinese GDS monopoly run by Travelsky and other Chinese airlines.
Virgin Atlantic Airways said free Wi-Fi Internet connections will be available in all its Upper Class Clubhouse airport lounges by year end. Presently, free Wi-Fi service exists in lounges at London Heathrow, Gatwick, New York JFK, Washington Dulles and Hong Kong. The service is being extended to airport lounges in Tokyo, Boston, Newark, San Francisco and Johannesburg.
US airports need to invest $87.4 billion over the next five years in new infrastructure to keep pace with rising passenger and cargo demand, according to Airports Council International-North America, which this week called for Congress to raise the $4.50-per-segment cap on passenger facility charges.
Airline Partners Australia dropped a bombshell on Qantas stockholders yesterday by announcing that is not going to make another bid for the airline, which some investors reportedly counted on when they rejected APA's A$5.45 ($4.52) per share offer. At the same time, Chairman Margaret Jackson, who backed APA's effort, reportedly announced her intention not to seek reelection at November's annual meeting.
Boeing took delivery of the final section of the first 787 Wednesday in Everett, Wash. The piece, the center fuselage including the center wing box, was assembled and delivered by Global Aeronautica in South Carolina via the Dreamlifter freighter. The forward and rear fuselage sections were delivered earlier in the week ( ATWOnline, May 14), along with the aircraft's wings, which were manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagoya.
Citing the domestic market's "slow revenue growth and excess capacity," United Airlines yesterday announced it will reduce 2007 domestic mainline ASM growth by around 2% from previously planned levels. "We believe removing marginal capacity is an appropriate response" to the sluggish domestic trends, Executive VP and Chief Revenue Officer John Tague commented.
TAP Portugal plans to expand its African and Brazilian services this summer as it adds three former Austrian Airlines A330-200s to its fleet, CEO Fernando Pinto told ATWOnline in Copenhagen this week. A fourth aircraft may follow but no decision has been made ( ATWOnline, Dec. 12, 2006). Increased frequencies to Luanda, Brasilia and potential nonstop services to Maputo, Johannesburg and an eighth Brazilian destination are in the offing, Pinto said.
AirTran Holdings extended its tender offer to Midwest Air Group shareholders to June 8 following Wednesday's expiration, the third time it has pushed back the deadline on a bid that repeatedly has been rejected by the Milwaukee-based carrier since it first was made public last December. Meanwhile, Midwest strengthened its position by entering into a codeshare agreement with longtime rival Northwest Airlines.
Icelandair Group's first-quarter loss more than doubled to ISK1.23 billion ($19.5 million) from ISK588 million in the year-ago quarter as the expanding airline invested in network growth, aircraft introduction and training. The company said the result was "in accordance with our plans" and that it still expected to surpass the ISK2.62 billion pro forma profit earned in 2006. Icelandair Group split from investment firm FL Group last November ( ATWOnline, March 2).
Rockwell Collins announced that Air China selected its MultiScan Hazard Detection System along with a "broad range of avionics" including the GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver, for 25 737NGs and 24 A320s/A321s. Deliveries are expected to begin in the fall.
WestJet flew 936.5 million RPMs in April, up 23% on the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 16% to 1.13 billion ASMs and load factor rose 4.3 points to 82.8%.
American Airlines will offer thrice-weekly Miami-Montevideo service from July 1 aboard 767-300s. AA currently operates the route on a seasonal basis but Senior VP-Miami, Caribbean and Latin America Peter Dolara said yesterday that "our seasonal nonstop service. . .has been so encouraging that we believe the route can be successful on a year-round basis as well." Ryanair will add a fifth and sixth aircraft to its Milan Orio al Serio base and launch nine new routes in December and January.
Southwest Airlines, following up on its announcement that it will configure its entire fleet for RNP ( ATWOnline, May 9), announced this week an agreement with Naverus to "develop and implement [RNP] tailored approach and departure procedures at each of the airports Southwest serves." Executive VP and Chief of Operations Mike Van de Ven said, "We recently commissioned Naverus to illustrate the benefits of RNP for Southwest Airlines.
Air Astana, the Kazakhstan flag carrier, celebrated its fifth anniversary with the delivery of its second 767-300ER. Its fleet also includes four 757s, two A321s, five A320s and five F50s. The 767s are operated on routes to Amsterdam, Beijing, Bangkok, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hannover and Seoul as well as on domestic trunk routes from Almaty to Astana and Atyrau.
Northwest Airlines moved closer to emerging from Chapter 11 after a US Bankruptcy Court judge this week approved a $5 million settlement between the airline and a shareholder group that opposed the reorganization plan that is expected to receive court approval soon, clearing the way for next month's exit ( ATWOnline, May 10).
US Airways "hopes" to make its long-awaited long-haul fleet decision "in the next few weeks," Senior VP-Planning Andrew Nocella told ATWOnline at this week's Star Alliance event in Copenhagen, which would allow the carrier to announce its order for around 20 aircraft at next month's Paris Air Show.
Southwest Airlines signed a 10-year distribution agreement with Galileo, the second-largest GDS in the US, and will begin participating in the system later this year after technical work is completed.
Copa Holdings, parent of Panama's Copa Airlines and Colombia's Aero Republica, reported a first-quarter net profit of $48.6 million, up 50.5% over the $32.3 million posted in the year-ago period, on a 26.6% jump in revenue to $242.7 million.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines will unveil a new long-term plan next month called Strategy 2011 that will outline its future fleet and efficiency goals. CEO Mats Jansson, who took the helm Jan. 1, told ATWOnline in Copenhagen this week that the plan will focus on "cutting costs further, planning growth for the future and improving the structure of our nine SAS airlines." It will target €2.7 billion ($3.66 billion) in cost savings within five years, according to press reports. But an improved cost structure could be undermined by labor unions, Jansson warned.
World Airways will operate three MD-11 freighters on New York JFK-Europe routes for Lufthansa Cargo over an 18-month period from July 1 under terms of an expanded contract between the carriers announced yesterday. World currently operates two MD-11Fs for LHC as part of a contract set to expire in October. The new accord supersedes that pact.
