Air Transport World

UK air navigation services provider NATS reports that the environmental and operational efficiency of UK airspace improved during 2013, as measured by its 3Di metric.
Airports & Networks

The UK-Ireland Functional Airspace Block (FAB) has launched an operational trial to test new ways of delivering air traffic control services to airlines.
Airports & Networks

While the rate of air travel growth in Asia may slow down from the extremely rapid rise of the last two decades, it will still outpace growth in other regions, according to Air Lease Corp. chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy.
Airlines & Lessors

By Mark Nensel
Santiago-based LATAM Airlines Group has reported a 2013 net loss of $281.1 million, a $242 million improvement over 2012’s net loss of $523.1 million. LATAM’s 2013 revenue rose 0.3% to $13.3 billion as expenses fell 3.9% to $12.6 billion, producing an operating profit for the year of $643.9 million, more than seven times the operating profit of $91.4 million LATAM reported for 2012.
Airlines & Lessors

By Karen Walker
The hunt for Malaysia Airlines missing flight MH370 intensified in the southern Indian Ocean Thursday after Australian satellite images showed debris southwest of Perth that may “possibly be related to the search,” Malaysia’s top transportation minister confirmed.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Alan Dron
Etihad Airways has bought two extra tranches of shares in Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus within the past month.
Airlines & Lessors

UK chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne has announced plans to reform the country’s controversially high air passenger duty (APD) in his 2014 Budget.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Alan Dron
Airbus is looking closely at creating an 11-abreast configuration in the A380.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Airbus has determined that an open-rotor-powered A320-class airliner is technically feasible. The next steps are to prove the concept is economically viable, then to demonstrate the propulsion system in flight, which is planned under Europe’s Clean Sky 2 public-private research program.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

London Gatwick Airport is launching a six-week consultation among local communities, starting April 4, seeking input on its proposals to build a second runway.
Airports & Networks

Unable to secure preferred slots at London Gatwick Airport, Garuda Indonesia has postponed the relaunch of services between Jakarta and London until September, and will then operate the London sector as extension to its Amsterdam service.
Airports & Networks

By Victoria Moores
South African carrier Comair has placed a firm order for eight Boeing 737 MAX 8s, valued at $830 million at list prices. The order, which was placed in December 2013 and logged to an unidentified customer, marks the first MAXs to be ordered by an African airline. Johannesburg-based Comair said the aircraft will be used for fleet renewal and expansion. Today it operates a fleet of 25 737s on flights for budget brand kulula and its British Airways franchise.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Alan Dron
European airlines reacted with a combination of dismay and exasperation Wednesday following a European Parliament committee vote to ditch a compromise on the contentious Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Safety, Ops & Regulation

US lessor CIT Group is pushing Airbus to make a decision “in the next six months” on whether to re-engine the A330 for a potential 2017 entry-into-service. During a briefing at the ISTAT 2014 Americas conference in San Diego, CIT Transportation and International Finance president Jeff Knittel said the A330 has “historically been the star of our fleet” but is now “at a crossroads … Airbus will need to make some decisions on where they take that aircraft.”
Airlines & Lessors

Japan Airlines (JAL) and Russia’s S7 Airlines have agreed to a codeshare that will see JAL add its code to S7 flights on 12 new destinations in Russia from March 19.
Airports & Networks

By Mark Nensel
Mesa Air Group announced it will re-deploy its Hawaii-based aircraft and cease operations of its low-cost regional airline go! as of April 1. Go! has operated in Hawaii since June 2006.
Airlines & Lessors

By Victoria Moores
South African carrier Comair has placed a firm order for eight Boeing 737 MAX 8s, valued at $830 million at list prices. The order, which was placed in December 2013 and logged to an unidentified customer, marks the first MAXs to be ordered by an African airline.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling is looking to develop a second hub at Rome Fiumicino Airport later this year, CEO Alex Cruz told ATW on the sidelines of the ITB tourism fair in Berlin.
Airlines & Lessors

By Graham Warwick
Russia is taking lessons from NASA's aeronautics and Europe's Clean Sky programs in structuring its new civil aviation research effort, to begin in 2016.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Stephen Costley
Manufacturers of two new entrants in the regional jet market – the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and Sukhoi SuperJet – brought their case for success this week to the ISTAT 2014 Americas conference in San Diego.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Mark Nensel
The US Dept. of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported that 743.1 million passengers were transported by US airlines in 2013, the highest annual total since 2008’s 743.3 million passengers.
Airlines & Lessors

By Victoria Moores
Irish lessor Avolon has secured $500 million in debt financing which will be used to finance its aircraft deliveries in 2014.
Airlines & Lessors

MRO News
Maintenance & Training

By Polina Montag-Girmes
Dubai-based budget carrier flydubai will launch Dubai-Moscow service in September. It will become ninth airline`s destination in Russia. The airport in Moscow has not been specified yet, but the carrier will do that soon because ticket sales start in April.
Airports & Networks

Chinese carriers earned a collective net profit of CNY1.5 billion ($242 million) in February, up 32% over February 2013’s net income of CNY1.14 billion.
Airlines & Lessors