AirAsia is expected to place another large order for A320s, possibly as early as today. Sources confirmed to ATWOnline that the airline will double its A320 fleet; it operates 15 and has 70 on order ( ATWOnline, July 20, 2006). Part of the pending buy will be the exercise of existing options. The LCC also has 35 737-300s in service that all will be replaced by A320s.
Malev Hungarian Airlines acquired a Mechtronix FFS X Non Zero Flight Time simulator for recurrent pilot training at Budapest Ferihegy. Malev said it is the first FFS X operating in Europe.
The world's airlines enjoyed their second-safest year on record in 2006, according to Ascend, a division of Airclaims. "It was a return to safety for the aviation industry," the consultancy said. The industry suffered 13 fatal accidents in 2006, a figure "well below the long-term trend." The safest year on record was 2004 with 11 fatal accidents.
AAR will perform heavy MRO and interior modifications on select Northwest Airlines 757s. Work will be completed in August. Maintenance checks will be conducted on five previously stored aircraft, while cabin modifications will prepare 10 aircraft for NWA's expanded international service.
Jat Airways and BH Airlines, formerly Air Bosna, signed a codeshare agreement covering flights between Belgrade and Sarajevo. TAM launched a second daily flight to Santiago, a nighttime A320 service originating at Rio de Janeiro Galeao and stopping at Sao Paulo Guarulhos. Mesa Airlines will start daily flights to Chicago Midway from Decatur, Marion and Quincy, Ill., on Feb. 1 aboard 19-seat B-1900Ds.
ATR delivered an ATR 72-500 equipped with IFE to Kingfisher Airliners. The IFE equipment, provided by Vision Systems of France, features 17 drop-down LCD screens.
US Airways took delivery of two E-190s yesterday at a ceremony in Charlotte. They are scheduled to enter service Feb. 11 and will be based in Philadelphia. US has placed firm orders for 25 of the type.
Assn. of European Airlines announced that Iberia Chairman and CEO Fernando Conte will chair AEA in 2007. Conte headed the oneworld governing board for two-plus years before being succeeded by Qantas's Geoff Dixon in October ( ATWOnline, Oct. 20, 2006).
Indonesia DG-Air Transport Ichsan Tatang yesterday backed away from previous reports that the pilots of the missing Adam Air 737-400 sent out two distress calls before the aircraft disappeared Jan. 1. As search efforts intensified ( ATWOnline, Jan. 4), Tatang told reporters that signals from the plane's emergency beacon, which is supposed trigger automatically in the event of a crash, had been picked up on Jan.
Vietnam Airlines posted an estimated VND304.5 billion ($18.5 million) profit in 2006, 8% below the carrier's guidance, according to VietNamNet. Year-ago figures were unavailable. Revenues were VND17.5 trillion and passenger numbers climbed 17.2% to 6.8 million. The airline said oil prices that surged 18% higher than expected and high airport fees contributed to the profit shortfall.
Boeing Commercial Aviation Services and Goodrich Aerostructures Service Center Europe reached an agreement to perform thrust reverser component MRO on 737NGs and 777s. The Goodrich site is in Prestwick.
GE Aviation said Air Mauritius ordered CF6-80E1 engines to power its two A330-200s on firm order plus one option and one purchase right. The engine order is valued at $60 million. "GE and Air Mauritius have developed a good relationship over the years as the carrier operated CF6-80C2 engines on its Boeing 767 fleet," GE Aviation VP-Sales Roger Seager said.
Indonesia continued to search for the missing Adam Air 737-400 that was carrying 96 passengers and six crew when it disappeared Jan. 1 in a heavy rainstorm ( ATWOnline, Jan. 3) but has been unable to find any wreckage.
Korean Air will launch twice-weekly Incheon-Anchorage-Atlanta-Houston Bush-Anchorage-Incheon all-cargo service aboard a leased 747-400F from Jan. 25. Houston is a new city on KE Cargo's network. "Houston's dynamic business and logistics climate makes this an easy decision for us," KE VP-Cargo-Americas Derek Han said. EasyJet will launch weekly flights to Ibiza from Glasgow International from June 16, Belfast from July 7 and Bristol from July 14.
AirAsia is planning to establish a long-haul budget airline, according to local press reports, through regional affiliate FlyAsian Xpress, in which AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes holds 50%. AirAsia Executive Director Kamarudin Meranum holds a 30% stake in FAX and Raja Azmi, AirAsia's former CFO and current FAX CEO, owns the rest. FAX flies throughout east Malaysia using seven F50s and five Twin Otters. For the moment, all of its flights are domestic, but according to its website, "it will extend services to international destinations in the future."
Air Madrid, which declared bankruptcy and suspended operations last month ( ATWOnline, Dec. 18, 2006), was unable to reach a rescue deal with Germany's LTU but remains confident a buyer will emerge, according to Spanish press reports cited by AFX News.
Tensolite Co. of Florida announced that it will supply specialty high-temperature airframe wire, data bus and fiberoptic cable for use in Labinal North America's wire harnesses to be installed on the 787. Tensolite's deal with Labinal extends through 2011.
Indian airlines are preparing for INR180-200 million ($4.1-$4.5 million) in combined losses resulting from days of heavy fog in Delhi, according to The Economic Times. Runway visibility was down to 100 m. as 35 arrivals and 50 departures were cancelled Tuesday, with another 61 diverted. The three-day total of cancellations and diversions reached 300, the paper said. Air Deccan said it has canceled 15-20 flights on each of the past three days and faces losses of more than INR40 million.
Continental Airlines, the highest earning US carrier in the 2006 third quarter with $237 million in net income, said it expects to report a "modest loss" for the fourth quarter, adding that consolidated RASM likely will increase 4.1%-4.4% with mainline RASM growing 5.5%-6.5%.
ExpressJet Airlines flew 861.1 million RPMs in December, up 5.4% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 3% to 1.12 billion ASMs and load factor rose 1.7 points to 77.1%.
Cyprus Airways said it has completed its restructuring process ( ATWOnline, Jan. 11, 2006) and is expecting to turn a profit this year. It lost CYP23.2 million ($53.1 million) in 2005 and has not announced its 2006 results. The carrier cut 500 employees from a staff of 1,800 and implemented salary cuts of up to 25% but in line with an increase in productivity. It also announced the addition of Sofia, Heraklion and Rhodes to its network.
KLM will invest more than €100 million ($132.5 million) in the next two years to equip some 130 aircraft with a "fresher, more modern interior." It also will repaint the Fokkers flying for KLM cityhopper in the mainline livery. New Koito lie-flat seats, which boast on-demand entertainment and in-seat power, will be installed in World Business Class aboard KLM's 22 747-400s and 10 MD-11s, bringing them in line with its new 777s and A330s. TV screens aboard 747s will be replaced with Matsushita/Panasonic LCD screens.
Delta Air Lines reported a $49 million net loss for the month of November, or a $12 million loss excluding reorganization items. The result compares to a $181 million net loss and a $164 million loss excluding reorganization items in November 2005. "November's results continue the momentum that will deliver a nearly $2 billion year-over-year improvement in Delta's net income excluding reorganization items for 2006," VP and CFO Edward Bastian said.
US Airways yesterday announced a long-haul expansion from its Philadelphia hub that Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said "demonstrate[s] our commitment to. . .our international growth prospects." Subject to foreign regulatory approval, US will start 767 service to Athens on May 25, 757 flights to Brussels on June 1 and 767 flights to Zurich on June 8. All services will be daily. Athens flights end Oct. 6, with the remaining routes operating year-round. Next summer US will offer 22 daily flights to 19 European cities in 12 countries.
