Goodrich named Segment President-Electronic Systems John Grisik its new executive VP-operational excellence and technology effective March 15. He will be succeeded by President-Sensor Systems Jerry Witowski, who will be succeeded in turn by President-Actuation Systems Brian Gora. Prism Group named Paul Leyh VP-sales consulting.
Zurich Airport was forced to cancel 72 flights Saturday owing to heavy snowfall. One day later it was Munich's turn as that airport reported 90 cancellations while 120 flights were delayed an average of 60 min. According to media reports, Europe is facing its toughest winter season in the past 150 years.
Republic Airways Holdings will set up a $21.4 million overnight maintenance facility and crew base at Pittsburgh International Airport to handle its growing fleet of Embraer 170s. Pennsylvania state officials, who said the new facility will generate some 140 jobs over the next three years, put together a $530,000 incentive package for Republic that includes tax credits and job training funds. The airline operates a fleet of 143 RJs, including 48 170s, as a Regional partner of United Airlines, US Airways, Delta Air Lines and American Connection.
Six Arab carriers signed an agreement in late January to form Arabesk Group, a consortium "designed to help members realize better commercial potential," according to Arab Air Carriers Organization Secretary General Abdul Wahab Teffaha. Initial members are EgyptAir, Gulf Air, Middle East Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Yemenia Yemen Airways. The group said Tunisair likely will join soon. Formation of the entity was discussed last summer ( ATWOnline, June 6, 2005).
News from Travel Technology Update: Worldspan chairman and chief executive Rakesh Gangwal anticipates that the GDS industry will undergo "major structural changes" in order to meet the needs of a still deeply troubled airline industry. "The airlines are hard pressed," he said during a conference call with investment analysts. "There is a rip-roaring need to change the whole model in how booking fees are established. We have to adapt to new realities, and it's not something we can do over the next three, four or five years. We've got to bring the booking fees down now."
Teledyne Controls said CSA Czech Airlines ordered its Wireless GroundLink quick access recorder for its A320 fleet. WQAR fully automates the recording and transmission of flight data.
Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection will continue to expand in Salt Lake City with seven new routes beginning June 8. The carriers will operate service to Aspen (daily aboard SkyWest Airlines CRJ700s), Bellingham, Wash. (twice-daily aboard SkyWest CRJ200s), Des Moines (daily aboard SkyWest CRJ200s), Fargo (twice-daily aboard SkyWest CRJ200s), Sioux Falls (daily aboard SkyWest CRJ200s), Toronto (daily aboard Delta MD-90s) and Victoria, BC (daily aboard SkyWest CRJ200s). The Aspen and Victoria flights are seasonal ending Sept. 2.
JetBlue Airways flew 1.68 billion RPMs in February, a 25.3% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 25.1% to 2.02 billion ASMs and load factor fell 0.1 point to 83.4%. Alaska Airlines' February traffic increased 6.4% to 1.26 billion RPMs. Capacity rose 2.1% to 1.71 billion ASMs and load factor improved 3 points to 73.7%.
SkyEurope Airlines will add the first of two 737-700s on March 10 to its new base in Prague, from which it will launch service to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Milan Bergamo, Naples, Nice, Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino from April. The carrier also finalized its first jet fuel hedging transaction, covering 90% of its demand between March and May. Hedge was made at a price equivalent to IPE Brent $60.50 per barrel. Separately, SkyEurope reported that it transported 145,425 passengers in February, up 71.9% over the year-ago month. Load factor rose 8.9 points to 75.1%.
US FAA announced yesterday that Wide Area Augmentation System use is being extended from the current 250 ft. above an airport's surface down to 200 ft. for instrument approaches for all users equipped with "appropriate" avionics. As a result, "WAAS-equipped commercial operators will gain access to Category I equivalent approach services at qualifying airports where there are no instrument landing systems." FAA will expand the application of these lower minima approaches beyond current ILS airports. The first procedures that allow operations down to 200 ft. will be published in 2007.
European Regions Airline Assn. said it is proposing to the European Commission that instead of a tax on air transport to fund development aid, money should go to improving the air transport infrastructure in developing countries with "targeted and focused" spending. Thirteen countries agreed to impose the development tax on airline tickets last week ( ATWOnline, March 2).
EAE European Air Express became the newest carrier to complete an IATA Operational Safety Audit on March 6. On the same day, the German Regional started codeshare services with KLM between Munster/Osnabruck and Amsterdam. EAE operates a fleet of seven ATR 42-300s on six routes to eight destinations.
Yemenia Yemen Airways signed a preliminary agreement to purchase six A350-800s, with options for an additional four, Airbus announced yesterday. No engine was selected for the aircraft, which will seat 18 in first class and 265 in economy and begin delivering in 2012. Yemenia currently operates four A310s and two A330-200s in its long-haul fleet.
Australia and India entered into a more liberal air services agreement that will open the door for airlines from both countries to establish commercial partnerships and develop services. The new accord, announced on the eve of Australian Prime Minister John Howard's visit to India, provides for multiple designation of carriers, codesharing and service on more routes.
Qantas shelved plans to establish intra-Asia freight services through a Thai-based joint venture amid deepening concerns about rising fuel prices and the medium-term outlook for air cargo. Executive GM-Associated Businesses Grant Fenn said the airline has "put back indefinitely" the start of flights by 49%-held Thai Air Cargo.
Northwest Airlines' tentative agreement with its pilots ( ATWOnline, March 6), if ratified, likely will curtail growth opportunities for Pinnacle Airlines, Northwest's primary Regional partner, said JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker.
Gol exercised two more options from its order for 101 737-800s, increasing the number of firm orders to 67 from 65 and leaving 34 options. It currently operates 43 737s and will begin taking delivery of its 737NGs this year. By year end it will operate 12 dash 300s, 26 dash 700s and 20 dash 800s. By 2012 it plans a fleet of 90 aircraft comprising 19 dash 700s and 71 dash 800s.
Lufthansa was forced to cancel about 56 domestic and European flights Friday morning owing to heavy snowfall across Germany. Flights were delayed by up to an hour. The airline said that all long-haul flights were expected to operate on time.
Midwest Airlines partnered with rival Northwest Airlines on a loyalty program initiative that will allow members to earn and redeem miles on each other's flights. Midwest members can redeem miles on KLM flights as well.
North American Airlines' damages owed to a pilot bringing an unlawful termination suit against the carrier were lowered from $12.6 million to $3.1 million by a California judge last week. The plaintiff has until March 13 to accept the reduction or face a retrial. Appeals are possible, and another hearing is scheduled for April 26 to assess additional fees.
British Airways flew 8.1 billion RPKs in February, up 3.6% on the year-ago month, against a 3% rise in capacity to 11.38 billion ASKs. Passenger load factor inched up 0.4 point to 71.2%. Southwest Airlines reported a 17.3% increase in February RPMs to 4.69 billion. Traffic climbed 8.5% to 6.85 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 5.2 points to 68.5%. Ryanair flew 2.6 million passengers in February, an improvement of 22%. Load factor declined 1 point compared to February 2005 to 78%.
SAS Cargo said it had its best-ever result last year as it reported a pre-tax profit of SEK68 million ($8.6 million), up from SEK14 million in 2004, on revenues of SEK3.3 billion, up 17%. EBIT jumped to SEK83 million from SEK35 million. Improvement was achieved in spite of a 5.4% decline in yield.
ANA's codeshare agreement with Skynet Asia Airways ( ATWOnline, Jan. 31) will commence April 1 and calls for the placement of ANA's code on SNA flights from Tokyo Haneda to Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Nagasaki. SNA flights will be available through ANA sales and reservation systems. In addition, SNA will move from Terminal 1 at Haneda to ANA's Terminal 2, where its customers will have access to ANA's self-serve check-in and ticketing kiosks.
