Airbus said its third A380 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, MSN 2, performed a successful inaugural 3-hr. flight Nov. 3. All systems were checked out and the whole flight envelope was cleared. The aircraft will fly to Hamburg where it will be the first to be fitted with a full cabin.
Aegean Airlines and Lufthansa launched their first codeshare flights on Nov 1. Eighty-two daily departures within Greece and additional flights to Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels, Larnaca, Hannover, Berlin, Hamburg and Paris will be operated under codeshare. Aegean could become the next Star Alliance Regional member.
Royal Air Maroc signed a purchase agreement Nov. 2 in Casablanca finalizing its acquisition of five 787s for $650 million ( ATWOnline, Aug. 11). The first aircraft is due to be delivered in October 2008, the airline said in a statement.
Virgin Group purchased 10,000 doses of Tamiflu for its staff and is looking into new technologies to combat germs aboard aircraft in anticipation of an avian flu pandemic, which "will most certainly affect the airline industry," according to Chairman Richard Branson, Time reported.
TAP Portugal will assume a controlling interest in Varig Engineering and Maintenance and VarigLog (Logistics and Cargo) as part of its participation in the carrier's restructuring ( ATWOnline, Nov. 3). Total consideration for the controlling stakes is $62 million. A TAP spokesperson told ATWOnline that the airline will not be drawing on its own cash for the transaction. Two-thirds of the amount will be financed by Brazil's National Economic and Social Development Bank and the balance by external investors, whom the spokesperson declined to identify.
US Registered Traveler program, which received lukewarm reviews during a year-long test at five airports, will be rolled out nationwide beginning next June, according to Dept. of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley. DHS ended the test in September. The program allows participants to avoid some of the more onerous airport screening requirements such as individual pat-downs and will, if implemented, clear the way for special security lines for travelers who agree to provide the government with personal information.
Northwest Airlines and negotiators for the Air Line Pilots Assn. reached a tentative agreement on temporary pay and benefit concessions valued at $214 million, or 60% of the $358 million the carrier is seeking to have imposed by the bankruptcy court through a Section 1113 filing. Last Wednesday, Northwest agreed to defer its request until mid-January if its unions agreed to the interim request ( ATWOnline, Nov. 3). A delay will give the carrier and unions more time to reach consensual restructuring agreements.
Gulf Air implemented e-ticket services Nov. 2 on flights between Bahrain and London, Singapore and Sydney and gradually will roll e-ticketing out across the rest of its network.
Northwest Airlines reported an October load factor of 82.9%, a 2.6-point climb over the year-ago month. Systemwide RPMs declined 4% from 6.15 billion to 5.9 billion while capacity narrowed 6.9% from 7.65 billion ASMs to 7.12 billion. United Airlines reported a record October load factor of 80.6%, a 2.8-point rise over October 2004. Traffic dipped 1.1% from 9.55 billion RPMs to 9.45 billion against a capacity decrease of 4.6% from 12.29 billion ASMs to 11.72 billion.
German low-cost carrier Air Berlin will turn the tables on Ryanair and easyJet, which have been opening bases in Germany, when it launches a transfer hub at London Stansted Dec. 16 and begins operating domestic services within the UK offering twice-daily flights to Manchester and Glasgow.
Assn. of European Airlines and Air Transport Assn. submitted a joint letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff calling for efficient passenger screening systems. According to AEA, the letter argues that a proposal to require airlines to submit passenger information 60 min. before departure will "bring gridlock to airport check-in areas and generate huge additional costs." AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathus said, "Adding just 10 seconds to the time it takes to handle each passenger on a full 360-seat aircraft would add one hour to the check-in process."
A dedicated premium jet service concept between New York and Milan is slated to take off in February. Branded Milano Manhattan or MiMa Club, the service will use a dedicated A319 CJ with 48 seats operated by Italy's Eurofly. Travel is limited to MiMa Club members, who can apply to join via the Internet at mimaclub.com. Service will offered six days per week from JFK Terminal 4 to Milan's close-in Linate Airport.
WestJet announced yesterday a third-quarter profit of C$30.3 million ($25.6 million), a 43.6% climb from year-ago net earnings of C$21.1 million. The Canadian LCC saw a 30.9% increase in operating revenue to C$406.1 million and a 31.6% rise in operating income from C$42.4 million to C$55.8 million for the three months to Sept. 30.
US Dept. of Transportation's surprise proposal to ease its interpretation of foreign ownership restrictions in order to encourage more investment in the US airline industry has drawn negative comments on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lufthansa Technik will provide total technical support for new Japanese airline Star Flyer, which will start operations with three A320s on March 16 from the new airport in Kitakyushu. Lufthansa Technik Philippines will provide maintenance and engineering.
US Dept. of Transportation's September Air Travel Consumer Report revealed an ontime arrival rate of 82.7%, an improvement of 7.5 points over August but a slight drop of 1.2 points from the year-ago period. Carriers canceled 2% of their scheduled domestic flights, nearly equal to August's 2.1%, and reported a mishandled baggage frequency of 4.49 complaints per 1,000 passengers, down from 6.31 in August. Hawaiian Airlines' ontime arrival rate was 96.3%, while Frontier Airlines led the way for mainland carriers at 91.8%. Northwest fared worst in ontime arrival at 74.8%.
North American Airlines pilots voted Tuesday to strike if released from contract talks by the National Mediation Board. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 747 said 99% of members voted in favor of the resolution.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said earlier this week that the carrier hopes to trial an onboard gambling system within two years. O'Leary often has spoken of the need to boost ancillary revenues as the LCC aims to give away at least half its seats within the next 4-5 years. Separately, Ryanair reported an October load factor of 85%, a 2-point drop off the 2004 month, as traffic rose 22.8%. It also announced new daily Dublin-Riga service starting Jan. 9.
Pakistan International Airlines signed an agreement with ATR for the purchase of seven new ATR 42-500s. The aircraft will replace PIA's aging F27 fleet operated on "socio-economic" routes. The seven firm 48-seat ATR 42-500s are scheduled to be delivered from May 2006 through 2007. ATR said the contract's total value is approximately $100 million.
Cyprus Airways will qualify for a CYP58 million ($121.5 million) bank loan if the European Commission approves a revised rescue plan submitted yesterday by the Cypriot government. The government, which will guarantee the loan, okayed additional cutbacks in order to facilitate approval, the Associated Press reported. Unions scuttled the government's previous plan.
Leaders of the Allied Pilots Assn. representing American Airlines cockpit crews acknowledged in a resolution earlier this week that the carrier's financial performance "is unlikely to improve for the long term and further corporate restructuring is highly probable." APA also opened the door for talks with the company on improving productivity as long as any consensual agreement involves "all AMR stakeholders" while protecting "the employment and compensation of [APA] members," and "obtains adequate upside" in exchange for participation in an out-of-court restructuring agreement.
Aero Flight, a German charter airline, suspended all services owing to financial problems and had its AOC lifted Nov 1. The carrier was an offshoot of Aero Lloyd, which went bankrupt in 2004. It operated six A320s, employed 360 and flew mainly to destinations in southern Europe and Egypt.
Emirates wants to double the number of weekly services it is permitted to operate between Dubai and Australia from 42 to 84, and the carrier's argument that it is run on strictly commercial principles drew an angry riposte from Qantas Chairman Margaret Jackson. "To suggest that Emirates is competing on similar terms as commercially run airlines like Qantas is, quite frankly, fiction," Jackson said in a statement.
Air-India's $8.84 billion Boeing order ( ATWOnline, April 27) now will head to an oversight committee formed by the Indian government, which will meet Nov. 8, the Press Trust of India reported. AI's firm order covers five 777-200LRs, 10 777-300ERs and 20 787s, with options on eight 777s and seven 787s. Air-India Express has an order for 18 737-800s.
Delta Air Lines' pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., will form a strike committee in response to the carrier's Section 1113 filing on Tuesday ( ATWOnline, Nov. 3). The committee will be led by Mike Donatelli. "Faced with this management onslaught, our only choice is self defense," MEC Chairman Lee Moak wrote to in a letter to pilots. Delta is seeking $325 million in additional annual savings from the pilot workforce.
