SAS and Star Alliance signed a two-year global travel agreement with Volvo AB, "which means that Volvo has selected SAS and the Star Alliance as its main supplier of air travel," according to SAS. It is the largest such agreement that the automaker has signed with an airline alliance, according to SAS, and was completed after a year of tough competition with SkyTeam. It covers 12 of Star's 16 alliance members.
Southwest Airlines will double its presence next year at Philadelphia International Airport from six to 12 gates. It will assume leases on four gates from Delta Air Lines and two from United Airlines, the Associated Press reported. Southwest currently operates 53 daily flights at PHL.
TRAX USA was selected by Air Plus Comet to implement the TRAX maintenance software, becoming the 48th operator to choose TRAX. Air Plus Comet operates a fleet of 747-200s, 737-300s and A310-300s.
East Star Airlines, a Wuhan-based startup, signed a letter of intent yesterday for the purchase of 10 A320s directly from the manufacturer plus a firm lease deal with GE Commercial Aviation Services for an additional 10. The agreements reportedly are worth $1.48 billion. The 10 purchased aircraft will be delivered in 2009-10. The carrier will begin taking delivery of the leased A320s in the second quarter of next year. All of the aircraft will be powered by CFM56-5Bs.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings President and CEO Jeffrey Erickson said in London yesterday that Atlas is looking to go into the passenger ACMI business using 747-400s. Speaking at the Air Cargo Seminar that opened the Future of Air Transport Conference, Erickson said the company hopes to build on its business relationships with cargo ACMI customers, grow its ACMI base and add a new revenue stream.
Turkish Airlines reported "strong growth" in net earnings to $96 million during the third quarter ended Sept. 30, up 28% over the year-ago period, as revenues jumped 27% to $716 million on a 15% increase in passenger numbers to 4.3 million.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines' Swedish operations could see a 5%-6% drop in revenues if a proposed environmental tax on airline travel is enacted, the company warned ( ATWOnline, Sept. 21). For flights within Sweden, the revenue decrease could reach 15%, CEO Jorgen Lindegaard told Reuters.
OzJet, Australia's first all-business-class airline, entered the domestic market amid signs that the price war of recent years is set to shift to the premium sector. The startup's launch was greeted by business fare discounts by Qantas and a more aggressive campaign by Virgin Blue for the corporate market, underpinned by the introduction of its Velocity frequent-flier scheme. Former racing team head Paul Stoddart's OzJet is offering eight flights a day between Sydney and Melbourne using two 737-200s configured with just 60 seats each.
Finnair Cargo signed a five-year contract with CHAMP Cargosystems for a suite of Web-based applications designed to cover the carrier's operations, revenue accounting processes and warehouse management system.
Airbus is finishing strong in Dubai after receiving a commitment for 70 A320s from AerCap, the Amsterdam-based leasing and asset management firm formerly known as debis AirFinance.
President Jacques Chirac's proposal to attach a levy of up to €40 ($47.24) on passenger tickets for flights leaving France passed yesterday ( ATWOnline, Nov. 23). The tax will go into effect July 1, assuming it is approved by parliament. The government hopes to raise approximately €210 million per year to put toward global poverty and healthcare issues, according to Reuters. Taxes for economy classes will range from €1 to €4 depending on distance, while taxes on premium cabin tickets will be 10 times as much.
US National Transportation Safety Board added a new page to its website providing the public with information on foreign aviation accident investigations in which NTSB has participated. The page may be accessed at www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/foreign.asp
Czech Airlines and Czech Railways signed a contract for joint marketing of SC Pendolino express trains on the Ostrava-Prague route. The trains will be operated as codeshare connections.
US Airways Group said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it raised $189 million from a public stock offering in September. It said at the conclusion of the filing that "America West Holdings and US Airways Group anticipate the combination of America West Holdings and US Airways Group will result in significant annual revenue, operating and cost synergies that would be unachievable without completing the merger.
UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, reported in a filing with the US Bankruptcy Court an October net loss of $698 million, or $114 million excluding reorganization expenses driven by charges related to the termination of its pilots defined benefit pension plan. The monthly operating loss of $71 million was about level with the $65 million loss reported in October 2004.
Kaiser Aluminum signed a long-term contract with Airbus to supply heavy gauge plate for airframe production, adding to a June agreement providing for heat treat aluminum sheet and light gauge plate.
Ryanair is making good on its warning and reducing capacity at Newquay Airport following the decision by the Cornwall County Council to introduce a £5 ($8.61) surcharge on passengers and visitors to the region. As of today, the LCC will withdraw 12 flights per week. "It is regrettable that by taxing tourists Cornwall will lose 100,000 Ryanair passengers annually," Deputy CEO Michael Cawley commented.
Air France-KLM's net earnings nearly quadrupled in the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, soaring to €717 million ($846.8 million) from €195 million in the year-ago period as traffic rose and the sale of the company's stake in Amadeus resulted in a €504 million capital gain.
