Royal Jordanian selected the 787 as the replacement aircraft for its aging A340s and also decided to add four new A320 family aircraft. RJ President and CEO Samer Majali previously had told ATWOnline that the carrier was considering the 787 as well as the A350 XWB for its future long-haul fleet. It confirmed yesterday that it is negotiating with Boeing and several leasing companies to introduce four or five 787-8s as a first step. It may increase its commitment depending upon how it opts to replace its A310s, which are due to be phased out from 2011.
The European Commission yesterday detailed its anxiously awaited proposal to bring commercial aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Subject to adoption by member states and the European Parliament, the policy will see emissions limits imposed from 2011 on all domestic and international flights between EU airports and from 2012 on flights originating outside the bloc.
Delta Air Lines' Official Creditors' Committee declined to give a swift thumbs-up to the airline's proposed Plan of Reorganization and accompanying Disclosure Statement released Tuesday ( ATWOnline, Dec. 20).
Australian travel agents filed an $80 million class action suit against Qantas, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines claiming the carriers withheld commissions by citing fuel surcharges as a tax rather than a component of the airfare, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Travel agents sold 85% of the $16.9 billion in international tickets purchased in Australia from 2004 to 2006, the paper said. The airlines did not comment.
Aloha Airlines suffered a $9.9 million loss in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, more than four times greater than its $2.2 million deficit in the year-ago quarter, according to a Bureau of Transportation Statistics filing cited by press reports. The privately held carrier's nine-month loss was $33 million. "During the third quarter Aloha faced a new inter-island competitor [go!] who priced its product below its operating cost.
Alaska Airlines flew 1.4 billion RPMs in November, a 2.5% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 3.5% to 1.88 billion ASMs, dropping load factor 0.7 point to 74.5%. Air Berlin and its dba subsidiary transported 1.4 million passengers in November, up 8.5% on the year-ago month. Load factor rose 1.1 points to 68.7%. AirTran Airways flew 1.13 billion RPMs in November, up 15.4% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 19.1% to 1.63 billion ASMs and load factor fell 2.2 points to 69.2%.
Air New Zealand confirmed the purchase of an additional four 787-9s to meet growth plans over the next decade. The order takes the airline's 787 commitment to eight aircraft plus eight options. The order is a firming up of price rights secured when ANZ ordered eight 777s and two 787s along with 42 price rights in 2004.
AirTran Airways employees threw their support behind the proposed merger with Midwest Airlines. AirTran said a letter addressed to Chairman and CEO Joe Leonard and signed by three unions and two internal employee organizations cited "the common cultures and entrepreneurial spirit" at both carriers and offered "to meet with our counterparts at Midwest" and "to stand together to help make this merger a reality."
Malaysia Airlines decided to maintain its Kuala Lumpur-Stockholm Arlanda-Newark service, which it originally had chosen to suspend from Jan. 15. "Our earlier decision was guided by the initial findings from our route profitability exercise. However, in response to a call from the Malaysian government to reconsider our decision, we reviewed this route," MD and CEO Idris Jala said. MAS will continue operating the service thrice-weekly aboard a 777-200. American Airlines announced the launch of daily Chicago O'Hare-Shannon service on May 1 aboard a 757.
If any more cracks appear in their bid to buy Qantas, the Airline Partners Australia consortium members may have to put the deal back in the hangar for an overhaul.
US Dept. of Transportation yesterday issued a tentative ruling allowing Swiss International Air Lines, LOT Polish Airlines and TAP Portugal to receive the same antitrust immunity already enjoyed by European Star Alliance members Lufthansa, SAS and Austrian Airlines. DOT also expanded the immunity between United Airlines and Air Canada to cover cooperation on all of the two carriers' international operations.
China's civil aviation industry is expected to post bigger profits in 2006 despite a CNY640 million ($81.7 million) loss during the first half due to high fuel prices, China Daily reported. Chinese airlines recorded a CNY5.5 billion profit in the third quarter and enjoyed a 22.2% rise in revenue to CNY65.4 billion on double-digit passenger and cargo growth.
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft announced that AiRUnion, the alliance comprising Krasnoyarsk Airlines, Domodedovo Airlines, Samara Airlines, Omskavia and Sibaviatrans, ordered 15 95-seat Superjet 100 regional jets plus 15 options in a deal worth more than $400 million. First delivery is scheduled for November 2009, according to Sukhoi President Viktor Subbotin. Separately, Dalavia Far East Airways is the customer for an additional six Superjets plus four options, according to Reuters.
US Airways yesterday dismissed Delta Air Lines' intention to remain a standalone carrier, with US Chairman and CEO Doug Parker saying that DL's reorganization plan (see story above) is nothing more than a "benchmark against which to evaluate the competing proposals" and that it is DL's creditors who remain "the ultimate authority in this process."
Saying that US Airways' $8 billion unsolicited takeover proposal is plagued by "overwhelming" antitrust and labor issues, Delta Air Lines' board of directors formally rejected the offer and submitted its own plan of reorganization that calls for it to emerge from bankruptcy in spring 2007 as a standalone airline with a disciplined cost structure and a heavy emphasis on international flying.
SkyEurope Airlines yesterday confirmed its intention to open a base at Vienna International Airport ( ATWOnline, Nov. 21) just 60 km. from its Bratislava hub, basing two 737-700s at VIE starting March 25 and flying to 16 European destinations.
Boeing's Commercial Aviation Services unit yesterday reached agreement with Messier Services-Asia, SR Technics and Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. Ltd. for provision of repair and overhaul services on 777 and 737NG landing gear in the Asia/Pacific region. Messier will perform 777 and 737NG landing gear work while Guangzhou and SR Technics will support just 737NG landing gear.
Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners voted unanimously to increase cumulative rents and fees at Terminals 1 and 3 at Los Angeles International to $292.8 million over five years from $76 million, according to press reports. The two terminals serve primarily low-cost carriers, with Southwest Airlines operating the most routes. In addition, maintenance fees will double, the Los Angeles Times reported. The increases will go into effect Feb. 1 and will equal a $4.19 increase in cost per boarded passenger to $9.89 in T1 and a $5.45 increase to $11.60 in T3.
"They are on their own" was the stark warning to Qantas's potential new owners from Australian Treasurer Peter Costello, who told ABC Radio yesterday that the government will not bail out the carrier if it fails as Ansett Australia did in 2001.
Air France KLM flew 15.54 billion RPKs in November, a 4.1% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 4.2% to 19.8 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 0.1 point to 78.5%. Continental Airlines flew 7.03 billion RPMs in November, up 9.8% from the year-ago month. Capacity grew 7.1% to 8.71 billion ASMs and load factor increased 2 points to 80.7%. Domestic RPMs rose 8.1% to 3.53 billion against a 4.2% increase in capacity to 4.19 billion ASMs, raising load factor 3 points to 84.2%.
Royal Jordanian last week confirmed that the government will proceed with the announced privatization of the carrier next year. The government will sell 74% of the company to the private sector and retain the balance. The shares to be sold to non-Jordanian investors will not exceed 49% in order to maintain traffic rights.
Qatar Airways announced an order for two 777-200 freighters to add to its incoming fleet of 14 777-300ERs and six dash 200LRs ( ATWOnline, Sept. 13). The first freighter will be delivered in 2009 and will be used on long-haul routes to the Far East and Europe. The airline uses A300-600Fs for regional feed into Doha. Deliveries of the entire 777 order will begin next November and continue through the middle of 2010.
Boeing issued a statement confirming TUI Group's order for 41 aircraft ( ATWOnline, Dec. 18), but did not specify the type(s). It said the aircraft are worth $3.6 billion at list prices.
Former American Airlines Chairman and CEO Robert Crandall yesterday said that Pogo, the air taxi business he is launching built around very light jets, will begin offering on-demand flights out of small airports in the US Northeast in 2008.
