Air Transport World

The Chinese government has lowered domestic jet fuel prices 5.82% to CNY7,871 per ton ($1,256) as international fuel prices fluctuate.

Babcock International was awarded preferred bidder status on operations and maintenance contracts for British Airways and Heathrow Airport.

Airline Routes

Global passenger traffic at the world’s airports grew 4% over 2011, while cargo and aircraft movements were flat.

FAA said it will begin closing 149 contract air traffic control towers April 7 to comply with mandatory budget cuts.

Dubai World Central’s passenger terminal was completed in 2012 and will open its doors to passenger airline services Oct. 27.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport will construct a new terminal in place of its Terminal B and build a tunnel under the airport’s runways to connect the northern and southern parts of the airport.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority has approved new Required Navigation Performance with Authorization Required (RNP AR) procedures at Cape Town International Airport for South African Airways (SAA).

London City Airport received a grant from the UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to trial an automated airport management system.

Aeroports de Paris Management (ADPM) has opened a new 103,000 square meter terminal at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan.

UK airports handled 221 million passengers in 2012, the Civil Aviation Authority reported, up 0.6% year-over-year.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will implement the Honeywell Smart Path Ground Based Augmentation (GBAS) system at Chennai Airport.

International Airlines Group (IAG) has converted 18 Boeing 787 options into firm orders for British Airways.

Virgin Atlantic is likely to form a tie-up with SkyTeam members Air France-KLM and Alitalia, as part of a new joint venture (JV) with its new part-owner Delta Air Lines.

Boeing planned to operate another 787 test flight Wednesday, but the company clarified it is unrelated to the battery issue that grounded the Dreamliner fleet.

Qatar Airways and Boeing are in talks regarding the 777X, CEO Akbar Al Baker told ATW.

Lufthansa is considering new long-haul options on routes to India and Southeast Asia to offset competition by Middle East carriers.

Air cargo volumes in February maintained the modest growth in demand that began in the fourth quarter of 2012, IATA reported Tuesday.

Poland’s government has passed a regulation that paves the way for the privatization of LOT Polish Airlines.

TAT Technologies recorded a net loss of $1.5 million in the full year 2012, widened from a $1 million net loss in 2011.

AFI KLM E&M won a contract from Turkey’s Corendon Airlines to provide engine maintenance services for its CFM56-7s.

Aircraft News

The 15 Biggest CO2 Intra-European Emitting Airlines in EU ETS 2012 Provisional Data

Briefs from the April 3, 2013 issue of ATW's MRO Digest.

Etihad Airways has started daily Abu Dhabi-Washington Dulles flights, adding a fourth North American destination to its network.