Airports are not all created equal, this is clear. This does not refer simply to available facilities but also must encompass market, the economic power of an airport's region. At the top are airports flooded with demands for slots and terminal space, carriers eager to crawl over their competition's corporate bodies to get in and stay in, believing their economic welfare depends upon it.
Two issues must be resolved before China can experience explosive growth in online travel, and neither is insurmountable, according to participants at TravelSky Technology Ltd.'s China Travel Distribution Future Forum 2005 in Beijing. The first is widespread implementation of electronic ticketing in what is expected to become the world's largest travel market. The second issue may prove more challenging: facilitating online payment for online purchases in a country in which credit cards are relatively scarce.
The presence of the A380 at the Dubai Air Show this month in Emirates livery says it all: The new Airbus "baby" will play an intrinsic role in Emirates' and Dubai International Airport's shared goal to become global players. Emirates Airline has ordered 45 A380s, two of which are freighter versions, and the Dubai Dept. of Civil Aviation, which operates DXB, is sparing neither cost nor effort to accommodate the 555-seater.
The good news for maintenance, repair and overhaul suppliers is that the market is in full recovery mode. Stronger-than-expected traffic demand in 2005 is causing airlines to fly their aircraft harder, many of the thousands of jets ordered between 1996 and 2000 are coming due for heavy checks, and relatively few airlines are investing in new repair facilities.
You can say this about Piedmont Airlines: It is a company with staying power. Since its formation in 1931 it has changed names, ownership, aircraft and location, yet still it lives today as a wholly owned subsidiary of US Airways operating in the Major's Express network. That resilience will serve Piedmont well as it confronts the possibility of still more change ahead after US Airways' merger with America West Airlines in late September.
Two new airliner power-plants are offering an unprecedented choice: With engine bleed air to power aircraft systems, or without. It's a package deal, of course; in order to get the bleedless powerplant one must order the 787, while the A350 only comes with bleed air.
Paramount Airways, a new Indian Regional carrier, signed a nine-year, $12 million OnPoint Solutions service agreement with GE Engine Services for MRO of the CF34-8Es powering the airline's five Embraer 170s/175s.
News from Travel Technology Update: AirTran Airways will end its participation in Worldspan effective Nov. 10. The carrier said it could not come to terms with Worldspan on the cost of participation. AirTran did, however, reach an agreement with Cendant Travel Distribution Services to distribute its fares, schedules and inventory through Cendant's Galileo/Apollo systems. It reached an agreement to distribute through Sabre and Travelocity last month.
Air New Zealand's first 777-200ER delivered on Oct. 28 ( ATWOnline, Oct. 31) marks the beginning of a significant ramp-up in capacity for the airline. ANZ's long-haul fleet currently consists of 5,251 available seats across 17 aircraft, but by early 2007 the fleet will consist of 6,826 available seats across 21 aircraft. "We have some catching up to do," said new CEO Rob Fyfe. "During the 1990s we only grew at 1% a year while the industry grew at 5% a year.
Rockwell Collins said that Indian low-cost startup IndiGo selected Collins avionics for its recently ordered fleet of A320s, deliveries of which begin in 2006. The avionics package includes the WXR-2100 MultiScan Weather Radar, ADF-900, DME-900, HFS 900 D HF system, CPL-920D HF communications, VHF-920 transceiver, VOR-900 and AOC-900 data link.
Let 410 cargo aircraft operated by Trade Air crashed Sunday night around 10:05 p.m. local time shortly after taking off from Bergamo-Orio Al Serio en route to Zagreb Pleso. Two crewmembers and one passenger onboard the turboprop were killed. Weather was described as poor with limited visibility of 200-300 m. owing to fog, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
Airbus North America named John O'Leary senior director and Bill James director of ANA Engineering Wichita and David Trent senior director of ANA Engineering Mobile.
News from Travel Technology Update: Worldspan told the Securities and Exchange Commission that Expedia has yet another deal with another GDS. "In October2005, Expedia notified us of its intention to move some portion but not all of its European transactions to another GDS provider in 2006," Worldspan said.
Boeing said ANA has launched the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter program with a firm agreement for three passenger-to-freighter conversions and options for an additional four conversions. Value of the deal was not supplied. ANA is launch customer for the 787, which is expected to replace its 767 fleet. The three 767BCFs will be redelivered to the carrier between December 2007 and October 2008. Boeing will determine a modification site for the prototype aircraft at a later date.
Expedia delivers another (potential) blow to Worldspan Expedia delivers another (potential) blow to Worldspan Worldspan told the Securities and Exchange Commission that Expedia has yet another deal with another GDS. "In October2005, Expedia notified us of its intention to move some portion but not all of its European transactions to another GDS provider in 2006," Worldspan said.
Pratt & Whitney will manage all parts inventory and logistics including new spare parts, used serviceable material and part repair under an exclusive contract with United Airlines covering 217 PW4000 engines powering United's 747s, 767s and 777s. The 10-year deal is the largest Materials Management Program agreement in Pratt history and includes a renewal option, the company said. Value was not disclosed. In support of the PMP, Pratt said it will establish a material and logistics hub at San Francisco International Airport that is expected to be fully functional by year end.
Delta Air Lines intends to fold its Song low-fare airline operation back into the mainline while introducing Song's customer-pleasing attributes, including live seatback television, MP3 music programming and leather seats, to at least 52 additional mainline aircraft. Delta also will add first-class sections to Song's current fleet of 48 757-200s, making the product more attractive to higher-yield business travelers who can use status and miles to upgrade to the front of the cabin, something they cannot do with Song's current one-class configuration.
Bombardier will interrupt production of its CRJ200 in mid-January, company officials announced Friday. The 50-seat RJ, introduced in 1992 to launch customer Lufthansa CityLine, was heralded as an aircraft that would revolutionize the Regional airline industry. More than 1,000 CRJ200s made it to market, but its popularity since has been overtaken by the new technology and better economics of larger next-generation RJs.
Qantas subsidiary Australian Airlines, continuing to suffer from depressed traffic in the wake of the latest Bali terrorist attack, will suspend twice-weekly flights from Perth and Melbourne to Bali Nov. 10-Jan. 29. Thrice-weekly service between Sydney and Bali will continue. Norwegian will start a four-times-weekly Oslo-Madrid service beginning March 29 aboard 737-300s.
Austrian Airlines Technical Center Bratislava, founded in September, will commence C checks on F70s/F100s and CRJs in the November-December timeframe. The facility employs 30 and eventually will perform MRO services for Austrian partner Slovak Air and third parties. "We believe that more carriers that operate Fokker jets will be looking for some maintenance alternatives," CFO Thomas Kleibl told ATWOnline. He added that AAG will support its partner Ukraine International Airlines in opening a Boeing maintenance center in Kiev ( ATWOnline Oct. 24).
Deutsche Lufthansa AG purchased a 4.95% stake worth €170 million ($206.3 million) in Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport AG on Friday, strengthening its partnership with Europe's largest passenger and freight hub. Lufthansa said it plans to increase its holding to 5% in the short term. "Our stake in the airport operator will intensify our partnership with Fraport and lastingly strengthen our airline's position at the major Frankfurt hub," LH Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber said in a statement. The carrier accounts for approximately 60% of Frankfurt's traffic.
AirTran Airways continued to restructure its ticket distribution Friday, signing a multiyear agreement with Cendant allowing the carrier's inventory, fares and schedules to be made available through the Galileo GDS. AirTran earlier had aligned with Sabre and Travelocity ( ATWOnline, Oct. 14). It also announced Friday that it no longer will make its inventory available to Expedia, effective immediately, as a result of the termination of its agreement with Worldspan.
Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport opened its fourth runway last week. The new 8,000-ft. Runway 17/35 increases airfield capacity by 25%, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Approximately 37% of departing flights and 17% of arrivals will use the new runway.
Air New Zealand took delivery Friday of its first 777-200ER, on lease from ILFC and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800s. A second 777, to be owned outright, is expected to be delivered Nov. 8. In total, ANZ will purchase four 777s and lease an additional four. Separately, the airline issued a statement refuting claims by EPMU, which represents its engineering staff, that the 777's arrival would mean immediate MRO outsourcing. Engineers planned to protest Saturday's Auckland unveiling wearing black armbands.
American Airlines began full operations Saturday from the new international Terminal D at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. Initially, AA will operate about 78 flights per day from the terminal, expanding to approximately 115 in the coming months.
