Los Angeles International Airport will proceed with $4 billion in ground transportation improvement projects, including an automated people mover (APM) and a consolidated rental car facility, under a plan approved unanimously by the city’s Board of Airport Commissioners on Dec. 18. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who appoints the airport commission, supported the plan. Airport Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey expressed skepticism, saying airline tenants might balk at the high price tag.
TAP Portugal, hoping to limit the effects of a four-day walkout scheduled for the upcoming festive season, has re-opened reservations for the affected four-day period after the government issued a special decree activating a public service obligation and allowing the dismissal of striking employees. Twelve unions representing workers at the airline have called industrial action for Dec. 27-30 to protest working conditions at the carrier and government plans to proceed with TAP’s long-awaited privatization.
Hawaiian Airlines has finalized its agreement to order six Airbus A330-800neo aircraft, and has also struck an engine and maintenance deal with Rolls-Royce. The carrier signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) relating to the aircraft with Airbus in July, and has now placed a firm order. The A330neo deal replaces an order for six A350-800s, which Hawaiian agreed to cancel when Airbus wanted to shelve that version of the A350.
LOS ANGELES—Qantas will continue to explore tactical opportunities to make money with new routes to North America, similar to the airline’s January-only service to Vancouver, an executive said in an interview. “It’s part of a new philosophy we have at Qantas to match capacity with demand,” Vanessa Hudson, senior executive vice president for the Americas, said. “We are going to be more flexible going into the future.”
Swedish and European authorities are being asked to determine whether Sweden’s airlines are required to provide specialized medical certifications for pilots who regularly fly the night shift. The action stems from the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority’s analysis of a runway excursion by an Amapola Flyg Fokker 50 cargo aircraft at Malmo Airport at 1:44 a.m. the morning of Jan. 10, 2013.
For a complete list of Aviation Week’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.aviationweek.com/events Jan 13-14—MRO Latin America, Buenos Aires, Argentina Feb. 2-3—MRO Middle East, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE Mar. 5—Laureate Awards, Washington, D.C. Apr. 14-16—MRO Americas 2015, Conference and Exhibit Hall, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Florida
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] . (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Jan. 14-16—ACI-NA 2015 Risk Management Conference, San Diego, CA, www.aci-na.org/conferences Jan. 27-29—ACI-NA 2015 Customer Service Seminar, Reno, NV, www.aci-na.org/conferences
In a series of flight tests in a company-owned Bombardier Challenger 601 business jet over the past two years, engineers have been able to verify that the radar—using modified software algorithms—can consistently detect reflective airport-light structures, including approach lights and runway edge lights at airports in the Midwest, Northeast and Southern U.S.
Flydubai launched five new routes into Central and Eastern Europe this month, including twice-weekly flights to Bratislava in Slovakia, Sofia in Bulgaria, and Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The 20 A319s flying for Rouge will remain for the foreseeable future, but Air Canada likely will soon begin sending aircraft as big as the Airbus A321 to its subsidiary, said Air Canada President, Passenger Airlines Ben Smith.
NEW DELHI—The future of cash-strapped Indian private carrier SpiceJet appears bleak as lenders show reluctance, despite requests from the government, to provide short-term working-capital loans of up to 6 billion rupees ($94.2 million). Notwithstanding relief measures announced by the government, the beleaguered airline was forced to ground its entire fleet on Dec. 17 for over 10 hours, after oil-marketing companies refused to refuel SpiceJet’s aircraft due to non-payment of dues.
Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) in Indiana expects to record year-over-year passenger growth for the fifth consecutive year, in part because of an aggressive incentive program it offered to US Airways, the airport’s director said.
The 10 largest U.S. scheduled passenger airlines collectively reported net income of $2.99 billion in the 2014 third-quarter, down 13.8% from 2Q 2014 net profits of $3.5 billion but nearly matching (down by 0.5%) the $3 billion in net income the 10 carriers posted in the 2013 third-quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) quarterly Airline Financial Data report. Total third-quarter operating profit for the 10 airlines was $5.2 billion, up 15% on the $4.5 billion in operating profit the airlines reported in the year-ago quarter.
BEIJING —Sichuan Airlines, expanding international services with financial backing from the Chengdu city government, is negotiating for at least 10 Airbus A330s, two industry officials in China say.
Boeing said it would buy back $12 billion worth of public shares, announcing the board-approved repurchase authorization after Wall Street closed for regular trading. The repurchase authorization replaces a 2013 plan, of which $4.8 billion remained. Share repurchases for 2014 totaled $6 billion, but are expected to resume in January, Boeing said. The Chicago company raised its regular quarterly dividend by 25%, to $0.91 per share.
Although aerospace companies had a better year this year than last, next year is less clear, next year looks a little less certain, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) says. Noting that FAA reauthorization is coming up again and voicing concerns about the kinds of issues that delayed reauthorization before, AIA President Marion Blakey said during a Dec. 17 luncheon, “We’re looking for a solid bill.” NextGen Funding
LONDON—Heathrow Airport Holdings has closed its sale of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports, to a consortium of Ferrovial and Macquarie. The £1.048 billion ($1.68 billion) deal, first announced in October, formally closed on Dec. 18.
International Airlines Group (IAG) on Dec. 18 confirmed it made a bid for Aer Lingus, which the board of the Irish airline has rejected. Aer Lingus said it had received a “preliminary, highly conditional and non-binding approach from IAG” on Dec. 14. The airline’s board “has reviewed the proposal and believes that it fundamentally undervalues Aer Lingus and its attractive prospects.” Therefore, the proposal was rejected on Dec. 16. The airline added that “shareholders are strongly advised to take no action.”
cts/gal prev. week prev. year NY Jet Barges 197.55 -7.43 -102.60 Chicago Jet 192.30 -14.18 -101.95 West Coast (LA) Jet 184.30 -9.68 -117.20 Europe: Rotterdam Jet (Barges) 187.55 -8.37 -114.60 Asia/Pacific (Singapore Kero) 176.38 -15.79 -121.79 *All prices cts/gal All data, except for Asia/Pacific, represent latest spot price data as of Wednesday. Asia/Pacific data represent latest spot price data as of Thursday.
