Air Transport World

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reported a 13.3% growth in passenger numbers for January 2016, along with a 5.4% growth in aircraft movements compared to January 2015.

Greece-based Aegean Airlines has reported strong passenger growth in 2015, but faces challenges as the country’s debt crisis continues.

Global air cargo volumes improved 2.7% year-over-year (YOY) in January, according to IATA’s latest Air Freight Market Analysis.

The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the Association of European Airlines (AEA) have urged national governments and the European Union (EU) to improve the continent’s aviation sector.

Emirates Airline will codeshare with Russia’s S7 Airlines as the Dubai-based carrier aims to increase its Russian network.

Asian carriers are set to peg new benchmarks in the inflight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity sector, according to global satellite communications company Inmarsat.

Ethiopian Airlines is negotiating with Rwanda’s national carrier RwandAir for a 49% stake in the African airline, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam confirmed to ATW.

United Airlines president and CEO Oscar Munoz, who has been on medical leave since suffering a heart attack in October 2015, plans to return to work on a full-time basis on March 14, United said.

Bombardier has started route-proving flights with its CSeries CS100 regional jet in Europe as the aircraft nears service entry with Swiss International Air Lines. SWISS is due to take delivery of its first CS100 in 2Q.

Boeing delivered 55 commercial aircraft to 23 airlines, six lessors and one unidentified customer in February. Airbus had 46 commercial aircraft deliveries to 29 airlines and two lessors during the month.

Malaysia Airlines is considering buying more Airbus A350 widebodies and has seen a year-over-year 10% improvement in its revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) for the quarter ended February, the company said Friday.

Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft gross orders for 2016 year-to-date, sorted by most-recent date of order placement with manufacturer.

FAA will report to US Congress this year on technologies that could spot and identify drones near airports.

Sunrise Airways began Port-au-Prince-Camaguey, Cuba, service with a new leased ATR 42-320. The 46-seat aircraft will also serve Port-au-Prince-Santiago de Cuba. The Haitian airline hopes to add a second ATR this year through an ACMI contract with Danish Air Transport.

The trade body representing European regional carriers has appealed to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to take a stance on legal verdicts it says could pit commercial interests against safety considerations.

Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft deliveries for 2016 year-to-date, sorted by most-recent delivery date.

Unions representing pilots from American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have added their support to the proposal by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) to separate US air traffic control (ATC) from FAA.

IATA has proposed a series of measures to the Russian government to strengthen the nation’s aviation sector.

Air China will launch nonstop service between Chongqing and Dubai starting April 2, adding its second service to Dubai.

Beijing is moving ahead with plans to establish a capability to design and build engines to power Chinese-built airliners.

The first Airbus A320-family aircraft built in the US has been rolled out of Airbus’s Mobile, Alabama final assembly plant.

French air accident investigation agency BEA has reported what it describes as a serious near-miss incident involving an unmanned aerial vehicle and Air France Airbus A320 during its approach to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Bangkok Airways plans to continue its fleet and network growth this year, as one of the few Thailand-based carriers to be prospering despite the multiple challenges facing the country’s airline industry.

Brazilian manufacturer Embraer reported net income of $80.8 million for 2015, down 76.8% from the company’s $347.7 million net profit in 2014.

There was unprecedented pessimism at the European Aviation Summit in Amsterdam on whether any real progress would be achieved on implementing the Single European Sky (SES) any time soon.