US FAA yesterday unveiled its eagerly awaited Next Generation Air Transportation System Financing Reform Act of 2007, the funding and air traffic control legislative proposal that would eliminate domestic ticket taxes, impose user fees and "make it easier for airports, airlines and controllers to keep pace with the skyrocketing demand for air travel," according to Administrator Marion Blakey.
Midwest Airlines flew 302.4 million RPMs in January, a 15% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 8.5% to 448.6 million ASMs and load factor rose 3.8 points to 67.4%. It estimated a 0.3% increase in yield to 12.1 cents and a 6.2% rise in passenger RASM to 8.16 cents.
Continental Airlines said it will distribute $111 million in profit-sharing to employees today. It marks the carrier's first profit-sharing payment since 2001 and is the highest in its history. CO reported a 2006 net profit of $343 million.
IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said governments would make a much stronger contribution to the environment by reforming ATC systems rather than taxing airlines and passengers, asserting that fuel consumption and carbon dioxide production could be reduced if aircraft were routed more efficiently.
Infospectrum, a California-based software development company, systems integrator and implementation specialist primarily active in the aerospace and defense sectors, has acquired the Avexus family of IT solutions for asset management including airline maintenance repair and overhaul. Infospectrum, which started in 1993, is very familiar with the Avexus line, President Suresh Radhakrishnan told ATWOnline, because it was part of the implementation team and was providing most of Avexus's global support. "We came to know quite a bit about the products' capabilities," he said.
Berlin Airports announced yesterday that Tempelhof International Airport will close on Oct. 31, 2008, following a decision by the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg. The number of airlines serving the airport has fallen to single digits--Brussels Airlines, Sterling Airlines and Cirrus Airlines are the largest--and last month's throughput was down 45.4% year-over-year to just 26,500 passengers. Berlin Airports CEO Rainer Schwarz said the company has lost €115 million ($149.4 million) on THF in the past decade.
SIPTU union members voted by an "overwhelming majority" for industrial action against Aer Lingus, the union said this week, citing management's announcement that it would alter agreed-upon work rules in order to remain competitive ( ATWOnline, Jan. 24). SIPTU, which represents approximately 1,800 EI employees, did not detail the nature or extent of the actions under consideration.
Aviation Partners Boeing said yesterday that Gol placed an order for 27 additional Blended Winglet systems for installation on 737-800s the airline has on order for delivery through 2012. It already has 10 winglet-equipped -800s in service. Separately, Gol said it plans to operate a Sao Paulo-Lima-Mexico route later this year and will launch the service once it receives regulatory approvals.
Lufthansa yesterday revealed details of its plan to take the A380 on a series of route-proving tests next month that will include the jumbo jet's first landing in the US.
Comair pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. reached a tentative agreement shortly after a Feb. 12 midnight deadline that has been accepted by the company. The four-year deal was not what the pilots had hoped for but they felt they had little choice as the carrier's deadline to impose terms had arrived ( ATWOnline, Feb. 13), according to one Comair pilot. "We didn't have the leverage we needed to secure the deal we really aspired to," Paul Denke told ATWOnline.
NAV Canada selected Sensis to supply new surveillance technologies, including up to 200 ADS-B units, to areas in the northern part of the country and around Vancouver Harbor and Fort St. John that currently do not have surveillance coverage. NAV Canada President and CEO John Crichton said the deal will result in "safety and customer efficiency benefits at a much lower cost compared to traditional radar."
Snow, ice and freezing rain covered much of the US Midwest and Northeast yesterday, forcing many hundreds of flight cancellations and delays. Late yesterday, FAA's Flight Delay Information website indicated that flights to Chicago O'Hare, Cincinnati and Philadelphia were being delayed or cancelled at their point of origin. The Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority said "many flights" were cancelled at both National and Dulles.
US Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee yesterday approved legislation to require the screening of all cargo in the bellies of passenger aircraft within three years. The Transportation Security Administration last May approved a rule that did not include such a strict requirement ( ATWOnline, May 22, 2006).
The European Parliament is unhappy with the apparent "arbitrary" nature of new security measures for carry-on luggage introduced last November at European airports. During a debate in Strasbourg, MEPs wondered whether the rules were necessary and criticized their implementation, citing rough behavior of security personnel and random application of the regulations as frequent problems. For example, mozzarella cheese is confiscated in certain airports yet allowed in others.
BCI Aircraft Leasing of Chicago announced the sale and leaseback of two Alitalia A321-100s. It was BCI's first deal with AZ. Other recently concluded deals include the purchase of an A330-300 leased by LTU from Alex Leasing and two A340-300s on lease to Air Namibia from a consortium of European banks. Aircraft were the first Airbus widebodies acquired by BCI.
Italian government has reduced the list of 11 potential bidders for Alitalia to five, according to press reports. Those five each must submit nonbinding offers in early April, Reuters reported. They are Air One Chairman Carlo Toto's AP Holding, Carlo De Benedetti's private equity fund Management & Capitali, MatlinPatterson Global Advisers, Texas Pacific Group and UniCredit. The government is selling a 30.1% stake in the carrier, a holding that requires the owner to bid for the entire company under Italian law.
Germanwings said its 2006 revenues rose 39% year-over-year to €560 million ($727.4 million) and passenger numbers climbed 31% to 7.1 million. It currently operates 24 aircraft and plans to add five A319s this year.
STAR Capital Partners, an independent investment fund manager based in London, said yesterday it has reached agreements to acquire a majority stake in General Electric Commercial Aviation Training and to purchase the entire share capital of SAS Flight Academy and plans to combine the businesses in a deal valued at more than $275 million. SAS said the sale of SAS Flight Academy has a "transaction value and positive effect on net debt" of SEK750 million ($106.8 million) while the capital gain will be approximately SEK380 million.
Airlines must become customer-centered and invest in the "humanization of technology" if they want to participate fully in the predicted growth of international travel, a new report developed by Amadeus and global futures consultancy Henley Centre HeadlightVision concludes. Future Traveller Tribes 2020 identifies four main traveling groups expected to emerge in the next 10-15 years (see related story above). "Each of these key groups have their unique needs, yet they also share some common trends, [such as] the desire for personalization, more control and security.
British Airways' assumption that its pension problems were solved appears to have been premature, as GMB Union members once again rejected the plan approved last week by New Airways Pension Scheme trustees ( ATWOnline, Feb. 8). The union said it will meet with BA CEO Willie Walsh Wednesday.
Air Arabia plans to invest $2 billion and replace its nine leased A320s and add an additional 25 aircraft, the Arab Air Carriers Organization said. The Bahrain-based LCC is negotiating with both Airbus and Boeing. Last month it announced its intention to launch an IPO in the current quarter ( ATWOnline, Jan. 25).
Copa Airlines flew 416.6 million RPMs in January, up 30.5% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 21.9% to 504.5 million ASMs and load factor rose 5.5 points to 82.6%.
