The coalition led by the three U.S. legacy carriers and organized labor is asking the U.S. government to request that the three Persian Gulf Airlines freeze capacity to the U.S.
Virgin America CEO David Cush has predicted U.S. airlines will significantly increase fares soon, and urged the U.S. government to protect the “competitive structure” of the industry.
VivaLatinamerica, the holding company that operates Mexico’s VivaAerobus and Colombia’s VivaColombia, is on track to launch a third airline in 2016, with plans to launch a new Viva-branded airline every year after that.
Though it declined to provide a specific number, the Brazilian manufacturer hints that E-Jet sales could top 150 aircraft this year, on the heels of 149 units sold in 2014. It has already sold 131 E-Jets in 2015, including both current-generation E-Jets and -E2 variants.
Aviation Daily talked to Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines senior vice president-network and revenue management, about the carrier’s international expansion and what the airline has learned about non-U.S. markets one year later.
AirAsia’s Thai affiliate has confirmed plans to launch its first flights from Thailand’s U-Tapao International Airport, which is set to become the growing airline’s fifth base.
The FAA is structurally flawed in its efforts to ensure that the FAA’s modernized air traffic management (ATM) systems and procedures—also known as NextGen—will be compatible with similar programs at least nine other countries are deploying, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
30 Years Ago Aug. 30, 1985 — Following some prodding by Pan Am, the U.S. Government agreed to hold meetings in Washington to discuss resuming direct air services with the USSR. President Ronald Reagan had terminated service in 1982. 20 Years Ago
Fastjet’s long-touted fleet-expansion plans are slowly materializing, with the LCC signing a letter of intent (LOI) to purchase an Airbus A319. The 144-seat secondhand A319 will be the LCC’s first owned aircraft, and will be used to support the launch of Fastjet Zambia. The aircraft is due to join Fastjet’s fleet in September, providing the LOI is converted to a purchase contract.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Aug. 31-Sept. 2—Airports Council International Latin American-Caribbean World Annual General Assembly 2015, Panama City, Panama, www.aci-waga2015.com Sept. 9-10—CargoIS Forum, Sheraton Munich Airport Hotel, Munich, Germany, www.iata.org/events/Pages/cargois-forum.aspx
For a complete list of Aviation Week’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.awin.aviationweek.com/events Oct. 13-15—MRO Europe, ExCel London Exhibition and Convention Center, London, U.K. Nov. 4-6—MRO Asia, SingEx Exhibition and Convention Center, Singapore. Feb. 3-4, 2016—MRO Middle East, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. Mar. 3, 2016—Laureate Awards, The National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
The next milestone for the American Airlines-US Airways integration will be reached in October, when the US Airways brand will be retired and its reservations system will cut over to American’s Sabre system.
Air Canada is adding density to its mainline international fleet and plans to expand the international reach of its Rouge LCC subsidiary. The carrier’s seat density project is moving ahead, Benjamin Smith, Air Canada president-passenger airlines, told Aviation Daily at the Boyd Group’s International Aviation Forecast Summit here. The process will add more economy seats to the airline’s long-haul Boeing 777 fleet, but will not change the premium cabins. The carrier has 23 777s now and is expecting to take delivery of two more next year, Smith said.
United Airlines is likely to use Boeing 787s to serve secondary cities in China, according to a senior executive. Speaking Aug. 31 at the Boyd Group International Aviation Forecast Summit in Las Vegas, United Vice Chairman and Chief Revenue Officer Jim Compton said United’s San Francisco-Chengdu 787-8 flights, which were launched last year, are a precursor to how it will develop the U.S.-China market. United already served Beijing and Shanghai when it launched Chengdu service, becoming the first U.S. carrier to fly directly to the capital of Sichuan province.
The first Mitsubishi Aircraft MRJ will fly in the second half of October, the company says, refining but not shifting a target set in April. As expected, the MRJ90 92-seat flight-test aircraft will fly from Nagoya Airport. That is where the company is setting up a final assembly factory, and the current Komaki South plant is already working on the program.
Southwest Airlines and its pilots union could have a tentative agreement (TA) “within a couple of weeks,” Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) President Paul Jackson told Aviation Daily. The two sides were in talks led by the National Mediation Board and made “very good progress toward a TA,” Jackson said. If they reach a deal, SWAPA’s board must review and approve it before presenting it to union members for a vote. Southwest’s pilot contract became amendable in 2012.
JAL is boosting its North American network with the addition of a flight between Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the main hub of its transpacific partner, American Airlines.
Concerns about the improper use of UAVs has prompted the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority to create a so-called “Drone code,” advising users to operate their devices within line of sight.
