Air Transport World

With barely four months to go before the September ICAO assembly deadline for reaching a global agreement on market-based measures to offset aviation emissions, the prospects seem somber.

University of North Dakota department of aviation chair Kent Lovelace remembers a time—not too long ago—when student pilots were eager to go work for airlines.

TUI Travel has signed a commitment for 40 Boeing 737 MAX-8s and 20 Boeing 737 MAX-9s, plus options on a further 90 aircraft.

Three European institutions—the Commission, the Council and Parliament—have agreed on proposals to transform the region’s fragmented transport system into a unified transport network.

UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said an emergency landing May 24 by a British Airways Airbus A319 at London Heathrow Airport was caused by the engine cowling doors being left unlatched following maintenance.

ICAO has signed a new agreement with Canada to keep the organization headquartered in Montreal, ending speculation that it might relocate to Qatar.

Abu-Dhabi-based Etihad Airways will substantially increase its connections with the Eastern European nation of Belarus.

Thomson Airways has taken delivery of its first of eight Boeing 787s, the first to be delivered to a UK airline.

Lufthansa, which took delivery of its seventh Boeing 747-8I Thursday, is considering introducing the aircraft on its daily Frankfurt-Chicago O’Hare services.

Boeing is establishing new centers for engineering design, propulsion and out-of-production airplane support for its Commercial Airplanes unit.

Aeroflot has taken delivery of its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 in full specification.

Aircraft News

Singapore Airlines has agreed to buy 30 Boeing 787-10s and 30 additional Airbus A350-900s.

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair could be forced to sell or reduce its 29.8% stake in Aer Lingus after UK Competition Commission (CC) provisionally ruled it could reduce competition between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Tour operator Thomas Cook Group has struck a deal to lease nine Airbus A321-200s from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), including six aircraft it was previously taking directly from Airbus.

AerCap Holdings has entered into a $2.6 billion sale and leaseback agreement with LATAM Airlines Group for 25 widebody aircraft.

Malaysia Airlines reported a first-quarter net loss of MRY279 million ($91.9 million), widened from a net deficit of MRY172 million in the 2012 March quarter.

Sharjah-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Air Arabia reported a first-quarter net profit of AED59 million ($16 million), up 20% from AED49 million in the year-ago period.

Hawaiian Airlines has closed $444.54 million in financing to acquire six new Airbus A330-200 aircraft to be delivered over the next 18 months.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued a Flight Simulation Device Certificate for Baltic Aviation Academy’s Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS).

Embraer said its E-Jet family has achieved 10 million flight hours since 2004.

IT & Distribution

New Alitalia CEO Gabriele Del Torchio is working on a fresh business plan after revealing a first-quarter net loss of €157 million ($202.6 million), marking a 19.8% deterioration from a €131 million loss in the year-ago period.

Hainan Airlines parent HNA Group is preparing to apply to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to launch five new airlines as the regulator loosens its grip on approving new entrants.

The US and Saudi Arabia have signed an open skies accord, according to the US State Dept.