Air Transport World

SAS Scandinavian Airlines is aiming to close the sale of regional airline Wideroe in September after receiving the go-ahead for the deal from Norway’s competition authorities.

Aeromexico will take delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 in the first half of August, making it the first Mexican carrier to operate the aircraft.

Israeli investment fund FIMI has come a step closer to holding the largest stake in El Al Airlines after the carrier’s shareholders agreed to its investment proposal.

Russia’s Aeroflot will ground its three Boeing MD-11 freighters, although the decision has not yet been officially announced.

Horizon Air, subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, has reached a tentative agreement with its flight attendants on a new five-year contract.

People

The first Airbus A350 XWB flight test aircraft, MSN1, completed its maiden flight from Toulouse Blagnac airport.

UAE cargo specialist Maximus Air has grounded its Airbus A300-600RF fleet and has decided to leave the ACMI side of the business.

Ukraine International Airlines has become the dominant carrier of the Southeastern European country by taking over routes and aircraft of AeroSvit, which ceased operations earlier this year.

Qingdao Airlines has been formally launched and is scheduled to begin operations in March 2014 with either Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 aircraft on domestic routes.

Moscow’s International Aviation Committee has issued the first export certificate for Europe to Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. (SCAC) for its SSJ100 aircraft.

Aeroflot will launch a subsidiary in the Russian Far East in the third quarter, according to TransNews Agency quoting Aeroflot deputy CEO Dmitry Saprykin.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines reported a second-quarter net loss of SKr388 million ($59.3 million), narrowed 7.5% from a SKr429 million loss in the year-ago period.

Jet Airways has appointed Gary Kenneth Toomey as its new CEO, succeeding Nikos Kardassis, who is stepping down after a four-year term.

Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan is confident the three main Gulf carriers will remain a strong part in the global aviation traffic.

Cebu Pacific has taken delivery of its first of four Airbus A330-300s, which are being leased from CIT Aerospace.

Caribbean regional carrier Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) has taken delivery of its first new ATR 72-600, leased from the GE Capital Aviation Services.

Airline Routes

Europe’s airlines have come out largely in favor of the Single European Sky (SES) II+ package released by the European Commission Wednesday.

Fastjet CEO Ed Winter is closing in on vital international route rights from Tanzania, which it needs to ensure the viability of its operations from the country.

Transport Canada has issued an air operator certificate (AOC) for WestJet Encore, clearing the way for the new regional affiliate of Calgary-based WestJet to launch operations June 24.

International Airlines Group’s subsidiary British Airways said it has reached an agreement in principle with the trustees of its two main pension schemes on the schemes’ regular triennial valuations.

The European Cockpit Association (ECA) and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA) have accused Europe’s transport ministers of watering down European Commission (EC) proposals to update the 2003 directive on occurrence reporting in civil aviation.

Air New Zealand has unveiled a new aircraft livery featuring the iconic official New Zealand fern mark as the carrier joins with Tourism New Zealand in a one-year partnership to promote travel to New Zealand in selected international markets.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan continues to focus on the carrier’s current strategy of not joining an alliance.