Northwest Airlines announced that Senior VP-Labor Relations Robert Brodin will retire at the end of the month. VP-Labor Relations Julie Hagen Showers will assume leadership for the group and will report to Mike Becker, who has been named senior VP-human resources and labor relations.
Accident investigators are hoping to gain an insight into the cause of Australia's worst air crash in 40 years after retrieving the black box recorders from the wreckage of a regional aircraft in far north Queensland. Fifteen passengers and crew were killed when the Metroliner operated by Transair on behalf of Aero-Tropics Air Services slammed into a cloud-covered mountain on a scheduled flight from Bamaga near Cape York to Cairns Saturday morning.
General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt yesterday said the company will double its investment in researching cleaner technologies--including aircraft engines--to $1.5 billion annually by 2010 from $700 million in 2004 under "ecomagination," which the company described as an initiative "to bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges." At a series of events in Washington announcing the program, Immelt said, "Ecomagination is about the future.
Ryanair said passenger numbers totaled 2.7 million in April, up 24% on the year-ago period. Load factor lost 1 point to 81%. For the rolling 12 months ended April 30, passenger numbers totaled 28.1 million and load factor averaged 84%.
Thomas Cook signed an agreement with Ringways Handling Services in partnership with SAS Ground Services UK Ltd. for ground handling at Manchester. The agreement went into effect April 1. Thomas Cook operates some 110 flights per week to various leisure destinations.
WestJet flew 585.7 million RPMs in April, up 35.1% over the year-ago period. Capacity climbed 28.5% to 850.8 million ASMs and load factor gained 3.3 points to 68.8%. For the four months ended April 30, RPMs increased 40.4% to 2.52 billion, ASMs rose 30.4% to 3.48 billion and load factor jumped 5.2 points to 72.4%.
SAS said Sveneric Persson, currently president and CEO of its Finnish subsidiary Blue1, will take over as VP-Americas based in New York on Sept. 1. He replaces Jorgen Hoe-Knudsen, senior SAS executive in the Americas since 1996, who is retiring. Persson joined the airline in 1970.
AWAS delivered a CFM56-3B1-powered 737-500 to Bulgaria Air, which the airline will use to operate flights from its hub in Sofia to destinations throughout Europe. AWAS also delivered a CFM56-3C1-powered 737-300 to bmibaby.
British Airways World Cargo and worldwide logistics and forwarder grouping IFLN announced a strategic partnership to increase their business together. "The commitment from both parties recognizes the potential of the IFLN member companies to utilize BA World Cargo's global network, a benefit that will offer greater freighting possibilities to IFLN and its customers," they said in a statement.
Boullioun Aviation Services inked a medium-term lease with TUI Group for a CFM56-3C1-powered 737-300. The aircraft will be delivered later this month and will be operated by Thomsonfly, Britannia Airways' low-cost carrier. Both Britannia Airways and Thomsonfly are part of TUI Group.
The Air Transport Assn. has reacted strongly to a proposal by House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) to double the $2.50-per-segment federal security fee in order to fund the purchase and installation of explosive detection systems for in-line baggage screening at 64 US airports and install reveal technology at a further 376 airports over the next three years.
Air Jamaica pilots will take a 5.6% pay cut under a new contract reached with the airline last week. According to the Associated Press, the 180 pilots also agreed to a reduction in a range of employee benefits, including meal allowances and overtime pay. The carrier, which has posted massive losses owing to higher fuel costs and a significant drop in passengers following 9/11, did not reveal how much it will save with the new deal.
Volga-Dnepr Airlines is extending its outsize and heavyweight air cargo service capability in Afghanistan to include Kandahar and Heart. Since December 2001, Volga-Dnepr has operated more than 570 cargo flights into Kabul using An-124-100 and Il-76 freighters.
US and Maldives signed a new open skies agreement that will permit US and Maldivian airlines to operate air services between the two countries without reservation.
Boeing selected Jamco Corp. to provide flightdeck interiors, including a stowage area, linings and the stowage consoles near the seats, along with the flightdeck door and bulkhead assembly, for the 787. Earlier this year, Jamco was chosen to supply the lavatories for the aircraft. "Boeing has a longstanding relationship with Jamco," 787 Program VP and GM Mike Bair said. "They are repeatedly winners of our top recognition awards for quality and performance. It's a natural for them to be a part of the 787 team."
US Airways flew 3.47 billion RPMs in April, down 0.2% compared to the year-ago period. Capacity climbed 5% to 4.58 billion ASMs and load factor fell 3.9 points to 75.9%. For the four months ended April 30, RPMs jumped 4.1% to 13.12 billion, ASMs increased 2.4% to 17.76 billion and load factor gained 1.2 points to 73.9%.
ARINC was selected to provide advanced passenger check-in systems and related technologies for the $4 billion Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 project.
Servisair/GlobeGround began ground handling services at Miami International Airport and by the end of May will be handling flights there for seven major airlines: Aeromexico, Alitalia, Bahamasair, Copa, Varig, Taca and Martinair. The company already operates the largest into-aircraft fueling service at the airport and also provides cargo handling for Lufthansa there.
JetBlue Airways flew 1.63 billion RPMs in April, up 26.6% over the year-ago period. Capacity climbed 25.1% to 1.86 billion ASMs and load factor rose 1 point to 87.3%. For the four months ended April 30, RPMs increased 30.1% to 6.06 billion, ASMs jumped 23.2% to 7.03 billion and load factor gained 4.6 points to 86.2%.
Iberia and Avianca have broadened their codeshare agreement to cover additional destinations in both Spain and Colombia. Effective May 1, Iberia added its code to Avianca's flights between Bogota and Barranquilla, Bucaramanga and Armenia, while Avianca placed its code on Iberia flights between Madrid and La Coruna, Santiago, Vigo, Oviedo, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Pamplona, Majorca, Malaga and Seville, as well as Las Palmas and Tenerife.
Air Canada flew 3.38 billion RPMs in April, up 4.7% over the year-ago period. Capacity climbed 1.1% to 4.2 billion ASMs and load factor gained 2.8 points to 80.5%. For the four months ended April 30, RPMs rose 4.8% to 13.49 billion, ASMs decreased 1% to 17.08 billion and load factor jumped 4.3 points to 79%.
Emirates announced that Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defense Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved the carrier's plans to construct a new five-star, Dhs800 million ($218 million) luxury hotel in Dubai. Separately, Emirates launched Congress Solutions Dubai, a professional congress organizer that will provide "comprehensive management and consultancy services to a broad range of institutions and associations with a goal of organizing large-scale meetings in Dubai."
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. was appointed by Shanghai Airlines to be its service provider for cargo terminal operations at Hong Kong International Airport. The carrier will launch freighter service between Shanghai and Hong Kong in June.
