AirTran announced it will launch four daily roundtrips between Chicago Midway and Minneapolis-St. Paul and three daily nonstops between Midway and Boston beginning Dec. 6. All flights will be aboard 106-seat 717s. Sample one-way fares include $109 coach and $299 business to Boston and $89 coach and $249 business to MSP.
Royal Jordanian on Monday announced that it had accepted oneworld's formal invitation to join the alliance. "We are the first alliance to invite a carrier from the entire Levant, Middle East and Gulf region on board," Iberia and oneworld Governing Board Chairman Fernando Conte told ATWOnline in Amman, adding it is the first airline to join "our very select group" in more than five years.
Air Canada has begun freighter service between Toronto and Anchorage with flights continuing to Shanghai. Canada is Alaska's third-largest international trading partner, with the two-way flow of trade reaching $531 million in 2004.
News from Travel Technology Update: In what is likely to be a boon to long-distance romances in the U.S., Site59.com has launched "Meet Me In. . .," a tool that assembles discounted last-minute weekend packages from two departure points to a single destination. A traveler departing New York and another departing from Los Angeles can purchase a single package with hotel and flights in Miami, for example.
Virgin Atlantic Chairman Richard Branson implored his EU colleagues to stand fast as open skies negotiations commenced in Brussels yesterday, indicating that an agreement may hinge on London Heathrow. "We don't know what each side is planning [this] week but what we don't want is an unbalanced deal giving the US all it wants with little more than empty promises in return. In simple terms, the EU must not trade access to Heathrow--its most valuable asset--for anything less than a true Open Aviation Agreement," Branson said in a statement.
Air Line Pilots Assn. and its Aloha Airlines unit condemned the carrier's request to have the bankruptcy court impose a new contract on the pilot workforce. The Section 1113 filing was made on Saturday. ALPA claimed yesterday that Aloha signed a Letter of Agreement on May 13 stating it would not seek rejection of the negotiated collective bargaining agreement in bankruptcy court. In exchange, pilots agreed to a 20% pay cut, productivity enhancements and a two-year pension freeze.
Striking members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. will vote on a contract offer from Northwest Airlines that would allow just 500-539 mechanics to return to the airline, at least initially. More than 4,400 mechanics and aircraft cleaners walked off their jobs Aug. 20. NWA quickly replaced the cleaning positions and used a mix of new hires and third-party shops to handle its MRO needs. Prior to the strike, its final offer envisioned preserving 2,750 union mechanic jobs.
JAL agreed to purchase 30 737-800 blended winglet shipsets with options for 10 additional shipsets. Deliveries will begin in November 2006. Aviation Partners Boeing estimated JAL will save more than 80,000 gal. of fuel per aircraft per year. Saab Aerostructures signed a $100 million deal with Boeing to design, develop and manufacture large cargo doors, bulk cargo doors and access doors for the 787 Dreamliner. CTT Systems reached an agreement with Excel Airways, a UK charter airline, to install its Zonal Drying System on two new 737-800s.
Ratification of an open skies agreement between the US and EU would mean a significant increase in high-tech jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, according to a study released Friday. Kenneth Button and Jonathan Drexler of George Mason University's School of Public Policy presented their findings in Washington at a one-day seminar organized by United States Airports for Better International Air Service, a coalition of smaller international gateways. The GMU study concluded the number of high-tech jobs would increase by an average of 30,000 in each of the 29 EU regions examined.
Aviareps announced Thursday it will handle Munich Airport's marketing and sales rights in North America. Munich is Aviareps' first European airport client.
Montreal-based Mechtronix Systems, a maker of simulators and flight training equipment, received C$8 million in investment capital from Roynat Capital and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec. The additional funds will allow Mechtronix "to expand its manufacturing facilities, to accelerate its reach and development program and pursue the marketing of its flight simulators in China, Latin America and Eastern Europe," the company said,
Air New Zealand named Group GM-Airlines Rob Fyfe as CEO succeeding Ralph Norris, who left the company in August to become head of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Fyfe joined ANZ in early 2003 as CIO about a year after Norris was appointed CEO. He was promoted to group GM later that year. Like his predecessor, Fyfe has several years of experience in the banking industry. He also worked briefly in the telecom industry and served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force between 1979 and 1987.
Embraer delivered 35 regional jets to airline customers in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, down from 38 in the year-ago period. The decline was wholly attributable to slowing production of smaller RJs. In the 2005 period, the Brazilian manufacturer delivered just nine ERJ-145s, down from 25 last year. Deliveries of higher-value large RJs rose, however; 27 170s/175s/190s were delivered compared to 13 170s a year ago. Year-to-date through Sept.
Customer service workers at America West and US Airways will unite under a new Airline Customer Service Employee Assn., an alliance approved Thursday by large margins in voting conducted by the Communication Workers of America, representing 6,000 passenger agents at US Airways, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 3,500 workers at AWA. CWA's agreement with US Airways is fixed until 2012 and remains binding at the newly merged carrier. America West CSRs unionized last year and currently are negotiating their first contract.
Binter Canarias, which has added seven new ATR 72s to its fleet over the past 15 months, was honored by ERA as its Airline of the Year in ceremonies in Gothenburg at the group's General Assembly. "The airline has overcome challenges and has developed a firm base for a niche business," the judges declared in awarding the honor to the Canary Islands carrier. "They are not afraid to challenge themselves through reinvention, re-branding and a fresh approach." Binter operates a fleet of 13 ATRs, two 1900s and one 737.
Ryanair said it will not change its policy regarding disabled passengers following its controversial decision to eject nine blind or partially sighted passengers from a flight from London to Italy last week. The carrier said it limits the number of disabled or mobility-impaired passengers to four per flight and claimed it was not notified of the nine passengers' condition.
SAS said it reached an agreement with Worldspan under which the carrier will obtain "lower distribution costs" while distributing its "full content" to the GDS. SAS reached a similar agreement with Sabre earlier this month ( ATWOnline, Oct. 4), while a deal with Amadeus occurred in August. Calling it "a step in the right direction," Senior VP-Airline Commercial Robin Kamark stated, "SAS wish[es] to give the market full access to our fares and products through the GDS, but while doing so, we also need to reduce our distribution costs to a competitive level."
Eaton Corp. was selected by Hamilton Sundstrand Air Management Systems to design, develop and supply ducting and associated hardware for use in both the nitrogen generating system and the cabin air conditioning and thermal control system for the 787. Eaton estimated the contract will generate revenues of $82 million over the life of the program.
Bombardier announced Thursday that Caribbean Aircraft Leasing Ltd. contracted to acquire three new Q300 50-seat turboprops on behalf of affiliate airlines Caribbean Star, based in Antigua, and Caribbean Sun of Ft. Lauderdale. Bombardier said the planes are valued at $49 million and are scheduled to be delivered in April.
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport reported that the number of passengers rose 11% to 2,322,687 in the first nine months of 2005 compared to the same period last year. Airfreight grew 58% in the period to 71,249 tonnes.
Lufthansa will offer three weekly flights using A330s between Frankfurt and Doha beginning Jan. 10, the carrier announced Friday. Flights will stop in Kuwait. JetBlue said it will offer daily service between Ft. Lauderdale and Oakland beginning Jan. 19. Regular fares will range from $149 to $349 each way on A320s.
Amadeus entered into exclusive negotiations with Air France-KLM Group to adopt Altea Customer Management Solutions, Amadeus VP-Airlines Business Group Frederic Spagnou told ATWOnline. The negotiations comprise three different steps, the first being the introduction of Altea Reservation at KLM. The second involves Altea Inventory for Air France and KLM and the third Altea Departure Control for the carriers.
Mesaba Aviation parent MAIR Holdings agreed to provide the bankrupt airline with debtor-in-possession financing during the carrier's Chapter 11 reorganization. According to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, MAIR has provided a term sheet and commitment letter for $35 million, of which $15 million will be available immediately "subject to usual and customary conditions. The balance will be available "upon the satisfaction of certain additional conditions, including Mesaba's delivery of an acceptable five-year business plan by Jan.
