Continental Airlines flew 6.63 billion RPMs in January, a rise of 13% over the year-ago month. Consolidated capacity climbed 12.2% to 8.72 billion ASMs. Load factor rose just 0.5 point to 75.9% as a 16.1% increase in international capacity, including a 21.4% hike in transatlantic capacity, dropped international load factor 2.2 points to 74.2%. Domestic load factor improved 2.2 points to 78.3%. Cargo traffic fell 1.4% to 80.3 million RTMs. CO's estimated January RASM rose 4.5%-5.5% over the year-ago month.
US Airways signed a new five-year, full-content agreement with Sabre Travel Network to make available all its published fares and inventory through the Sabre GDS whether flown under the US Airways or America West brands, including Web fares. Concurrent with the agreement, US Airways signed a "long-term full-content deal" with Travelocity, which includes the Travelocity Partner Network, as its "exclusive hotel content supplier" for the US Airways website.
Qantas opened a new MRO facility at Los Angeles International Airport. The Australian carrier is the largest international operator at LAX. Qantas, which expects to begin the first A380 flights to the US in 2007, will use the facility as a base for full-service maintenance and engineering, including A checks on 747s. It will employ in excess of 80 service technicians.
Boeing said yesterday that its 777-200LR received FAA and EASA certification. First delivery is to Pakistan International Airlines later this month. Two 777-200LR test airplanes completed 886 flight hr. on 328 flights. With a maximum range of 9,420 nm. (17,446 km.), the Worldliner, as Boeing has dubbed it, has taken the title of the world's longest-range commercial airplane away from the A340-500. To emphasize the jet's long legs, Boeing flew a test aircraft to a new world record last November, traveling from Hong Kong to London on an eastbound routing. The 11,664-nm.
Engine Lease Finance Corp. and Frankfurt-based DVD Bank agreed to co-invest in a package of 13 commercial aircraft engines acquired from the ELF portfolio through a new venture, Deucalion Engine Leasing (Ireland) Ltd. The portfolio, valued at $50 million, comprises three CF6-80s, three CFM56s, three V2500s, one AE3007, two JT8D-20s and one PW4000. Engines are leased out to 10 different airlines with lease termination dates ranging from 2006 to 2013.
Emirates launched four-times-weekly service to Abidjan via Accra aboard three-class A330-200s. Swiss said it will end codeshare operations with CSA Czech Airlines and Qantas from March 26, as it is set to join the Star Alliance. Frequencies to Cairo will be increased to six times per week, London City will see seven daily services from Zurich, while Athens and Budapest will be linked three times per day. Nok Air will launch a daily Bangkok-Trang service from Feb. 1 using 737-400s.
The ongoing US-EU trade dispute over aircraft subsidies ratcheted up a notch in intensity as Trade Representative Rob Portman announced that the US is filing an additional consultation request under its WTO case against what it claims is illegal launch aid for the A350.
Rockwell Collins was selected by British Airways to upgrade the carrier's long-haul Total Entertainment System with on-demand audio and video, digital news and an audio jukebox feature by December 2007. Enhancements will occur on 57 747s, 25 777s and 14 767s.
SITA's efforts to reach small and mid-sized airports around the world took off yesterday when it concluded an agreement with Turkish aviation operations and airport construction company TAV certifying it as the exclusive Turkish reseller of SITA's AirportConnect CUTE, AirportConnect Kiosk, BagManager and BagMessage products. The deal marked the launch of SITA's new strategy to establish a "global network of partners" to provide the company's IT solutions to airports handling 5 million passengers or fewer per year.
Lufthansa Systems announced that Italian charter airline Eurofly opted for Lido RouteManual electronically generated navigation charts. In addition, it will rely on the Lido Operations Center for route planning and the FMS Flight Management Navigation Database Service LHS.
ANA and Interjet, a Mexican startup, each concluded CFM56-5B deals yesterday. ANA selected the engine to power five A320-200s in an order valued at $60 million. The aircraft, three of which were ordered last year and two of which will be leased ( ATWOnline, Jan. 30) are scheduled for delivery beginning in 2007. ANA already operates 28 CFM-powered A320-200s. Interjet's engine deal for its order of 10 A320s ( ATWOnline, Nov. 8, 2005) is valued at $120 million at list prices. The carrier also holds 10 A320 options.
Air New Zealand is poised to launch an aggressive growth phase as it nears completion of the makeover of its international product. According to CEO Rob Fyfe, the airline's eight 747-400s will be re-configured by June when ANZ will ramp up promotion of its new interior, which will offer 34-in. seat pitch in economy and 39-in. pitch in Premium Economy, along with the industry's longest (6 ft., 7.5 in.) flat bed in Business Premier. A major plank of the growth strategy is the 777-200ER. ANZ has three in service with a further five to be delivered this year.
Record revenues were not sufficient for Singapore Airlines Group to stave off soaring fuel costs during the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31 as the company reported a S$396.6 million ($244 million) net profit that represented a 14.6% decline from net earnings of S$464.6 million in the year-ago period. The latter total was boosted by the sale of SIA's remaining stake in Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand. Numbers from the 2004-05 fiscal year were recalculated according to new national accounting standards.
AerCap established a 50/50 joint venture with LoadAir, a Kuwait-based aviation entity, to acquire, manage and market 70 A320 family aircraft to which AerCap committed at the Dubai Air Show ( ATWOnline, Nov. 24, 2005). The new company, AerVenture, will be based in Ireland. It firmed the AerCap LOI with Airbus in December. AerCap (formerly debis AirFinance) will provide complete asset management services for the portfolio. LoadAir is the trading name for International Cargo Airlines Co., which was floated on the Kuwait stock exchange in 2005.
Weather Services International said VLM Airlines will use its WeatherAlert terminal weather graphic visualization decision support tool for three years.
Defunct Independence Air was granted approval by the US Bankruptcy Court to sell its lease at Washington Dulles to United Airlines for $4.3 million. The lease includes 35 gates on Concourse A, which serves commuter flights. The move comes a day after UA exited three years in bankruptcy. While there has been speculation that the gates would be used to increase Regional flying, United spokesperson Jeff Green told ATWOnline the airline is "not providing any details" on future operations at Dulles. Independence Air, which declared bankruptcy in November, shut down Jan. 5.
Iberia announced a deal with representatives of Spanish national trade unions UGT, CC.OO and ASETMA for a collective bargaining agreement covering approximately 18,500 Iberia ground staff, or nearly 75% of the workforce, effective until Dec. 31 and retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005. The contract covers employment, pay, work rules and productivity and is highlighted by a single payment of €18 million ($21.8 million) to be distributed in March.
AeroMexico placed an order for three 737-700s and three 737-800s, Boeing announced yesterday. The aircraft are worth approximately $372 million at list prices and will begin delivery in 2007. "Since they were introduced to our fleet in 2003, the Boeing 737-700 has proved to be an exceptional airplane and with the acquisition of the 737-800 in 2006, we will continue our fleet renovation program with great success," said AeroMexico CFO Francisco Cuevas. The carrier is scheduled to take delivery of eight 737NGs and two 777-200ERs this year.
Indian startup IndiGo named former North American Airlines COO Steven Harfst as its COO. New Heights Aviation Services President Jeff Wehrenberg will succeed Harfst at NAA. Amadeus appointed former Director-Airline Sales Chris Barnes VP of e-commerce sales.
United Airlines formally, and finally, exited bankruptcy yesterday after 1,150 days during which it cut annual costs by approximately $7 billion including more than $3 billion in concessions from labor unions, reduced and reconfigured its fleet to fly more profitable international routes and launched its low-cost subsidiary Ted.
Frontier Airlines will become a subsidiary of Frontier Airlines Holdings, a new Delaware corporation, according to a reorganization plan approved Tuesday by the carrier's board. There will no anticipated effect on shareholders, who must approve the plan at a meeting tentatively scheduled for March 27.
Messier Services secured 777 landing gear MRO contracts with Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways International covering nine and 14 shipsets respectively. In addition, Boeing selected Messier Services Asia Pte as an approved facility for landing gear and component repair and overhaul.
