China Southern Airlines will join SkyTeam formally by year end, Group MD and CZ Chairman Liu Shaoyong announced Saturday at a summit between Chinese civil aviation leaders and the alliance in Sanya.
EADS co-CEO and Airbus CEO Louis Gallois said he believes China likely will be capable of building A320-size aircraft by 2020. Regarding the country's claim that it intends to build "jumbo aircraft" ( ATWOnline, April 10), Gallois told ATWOnline last week in Toulouse that "The technology level of China is improving every day. . .They are moving very fast. When they say 2020, why not?
After years of contentious negotiations, representatives from the US and EU enjoyed a bit of ceremony yesterday--and looked ahead--as the open skies agreement reached in March was signed at a Washington event attended by Europe's VP-Transport Jacques Barrot, EU Council President Wolfgang Tiefensee, US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
A newly painted 757-200 featuring a white fuselage and a revamped two-tone red widget on a blue tail rolled out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport yesterday, signifying the end of Delta Air Lines' 19-month journey through bankruptcy and the launch of what CEO Gerald Grinstein called "a new and prosperous era."
Northwest Airlines posted a first-quarter net loss of $292 million, narrowed from $1.1 billion in the year-ago quarter, with the negative 2007 results owing to $393 million in reorganization costs as the carrier endeavors to exit bankruptcy during the second quarter. Pre-tax profit before reorganization costs for the three months ended March 31 was $100 million, reversed from a pre-tax loss of $129 million on a similar basis in the year-ago period.
MyTravel Group and Thomas Cook have increased the estimated annual pre-tax cost benefits resulting from their planned merger ( ATWOnline, Feb. 13) to "at least" €140 million ($191.1 million), the companies said in a regulatory filing, compared to the original estimate of £75 million ($149.8 million). Savings will be realized within 24-30 months.
IATA reported that international RPKs rose 7.8% in March, the largest year-over-year increase in a year, driven by 20.4% growth in the Middle East. Capacity lifted 5.8% and load factor was 76.4%. Freight was up just 2.3% on a 4.3% climb in ATKs.
Southwest Airlines will launch daily Phoenix-Manchester, N.H., service on Aug. 26 and add an eighth daily PHX-Salt Lake City flight. On Oct. 4 it will start a second daily Las Vegas-Raleigh/Durham flight and a fourth daily LAS-Seattle flight.
American Airlines is the launch customer for 767-300ER blended winglets produced by Aviation Partners Boeing ( ATWOnline, April 25), the airline announced. AA will remove an aircraft from service and lease it to APB for an eight-month flight test certification program beginning in January. It then intends to install winglets on each of its 58 -300ERs by the middle of 2010.
Delta Air Lines will operate six-times-weekly New York JFK-Montego Bay flights from June 9 aboard 737-800s. Delta Connection carrier Freedom Airlines will launch daily Orlando International-Fort Walton Beach flights on May 3 and twice-daily Tampa-Key West service on May 5. Dragonair launched thrice-weekly Hong Kong-Busan service, its first flight to South Korea, aboard A320s. First Choice Airways launched weekly Bristol-Orlando Sanford flights aboard a 767-300.
ANA Group's fiscal year that ended on March 31, during which it was named ATW's Airline of the Year, concluded with net earnings of ¥32.6 billion ($273.9 million), representing the second-highest profit in the company's history and a 22.2% increase over earnings of ¥26.7 billion in the previous 12-month period.
Pratt & Whitney signed a five-year agreement with UK-based cargo carrier MK Airlines to upgrade its JT9Ds with Pratt durability kits starting next month. The 36 upgrades are valued at more than $84 million. The JT9D-7Q technology upgrade includes new first- and second-stage turbine blades and vanes and a new second-stage turbine lenticular seal.
TAP Portugal and TAM signed a partnership agreement Friday under which they will codeshare on flights between Portugal and Brazil and onward to destinations in each carrier's network as well as link their loyalty programs. Specific routes or effective dates were not announced. Separately, the TAM board elected Maria Claudia Amaro chairman and Mauricio Rolim Amaro vice chairman.
AAR announced the acquisition of Reebaire Aircraft, an Arkansas regional aircraft MRO provider, that now operates under the name AAR Aircraft Services-Hot Springs. AAR said the deal doubles its regional MRO capacity.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines International said long-haul operations from Copenhagen were returning to normal Friday following a three-day wildcat strike by local cabin crew that ended Thursday night. It cancelled 28 flights on Friday. Separately, SAS announced that SAS Braathens will be renamed SAS Norge on June 1, bringing it into line with SAS Sverige and SAS Danmark. "The time is right for changing our name and identity, now when the operational integration is completed," Braathens Chairman John Dueholm said.
Northwest Airlines will remove 17 CRJ200s from regional partner Pinnacle Airlines and reassign them to Mesaba Airlines, which NWA acquired as part of its restructuring plan ( ATWOnline, April 25). Pinnacle is losing the aircraft because it failed to reach a new labor agreement with its pilots by March 31, a condition stipulated as part of its service agreement, an NWA spokesperson said.
Airbus plans to ramp up production of A320 family aircraft to a rate of 34 per month by March 2008, and likely to 40 per month by 2010 with help from a Chinese assembly line, to take advantage of rising sales.
Boeing last week released details of orders from Arik Air, S7 Airlines and SpiceJet ( ATWOnline, April 27) and announced that the 737-900ER earned type certification from US FAA. The Arik Air order for three 787-9s, two 777-200LRs and two 777-300ERs previously was listed as being from an unidentified customer and is worth $1.5 billion at list prices. The deal was announced simultaneously with the delivery of two new 737-700s. The Nigerian airline is the fourth from Africa to order both the 787 and 777.
The traffic and revenue boost resulting from an increase in its operating fleet by six aircraft to 20, along with falling unit costs, were enough to overcome lower yields and help Norwegian Air Shuttle narrow its first-quarter loss to NOK14.9 million ($2.5 million) from NOK42.9 million in the year-ago period. Revenue was up 36.9% to NOK738.1 million and expenses climbed 26% to NOK693.9 million, contributing to an operating loss of NOK24.5 million that was reduced significantly from a NOK59.7 million deficit in the first quarter of 2006.
Sun Country Airlines announced that CEO Shaun Nugent resigned effective immediately, citing personal reasons. Petters Aviation President T. Jay Salmen, who was Sun Country's CEO in 2002-06, will serve as interim CEO.
China Eastern Airlines' troubles continued into the first quarter as it posted a CNY510.9 million ($66.26 million) loss, narrowed from a CNY955.1 million deficit in the year-ago quarter.
United Airlines Union Coalition, comprising the Air Line Pilots Assn., Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn.
US Airways Group escaped a first quarter that featured two significant storms disrupting operations in the Northeast and a complicated reservations system integration with a $66 million net profit, a slight 1.8% improvement over earnings of $65 million in the year-ago quarter. Along with the good financial news, US unveiled a series of "customer service initiatives" including increased airport staffing, enhanced passenger reaccommodation capabilities and other improvements.
