BEIJING — Leading Chinese low-cost carrier (LCC) Spring Airlines is looking to introduce Airbus A330s to extend its reach beyond the capabilities of its A320s. In contrast to AirAsia in Southeast Asia, Spring is considering services to Europe and not limiting itself to Asia and Oceania.
A new report from a major industry group is calling for reforms to streamline air travel between Australia and New Zealand, although it appears a common border remains off the table.
While Australia’s international airline service has expanded rapidly in recent years, there are worrying signs that supply is outstripping demand, a senior government official says. This trend needs to be considered in government aviation policy, according to Mike Mrdak, secretary of the Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. Rapid growth in international service is not necessarily desirable, and it is important that airlines operate profitably, Mrdak said during the recent CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit.
In a move that could eventually allow crew members to produce more revenue, JetBlue Airways said it will give each of its flight attendants iPad Minis that they can use to sell products while onboard aircraft.
Virgin America will temporarily suspend flights between San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale beginning next spring, when it adds three new frequencies from Dallas Love Field.
In the first major changes since it appointed a new CEO in May, Indian carrier Jet Airways will retire its JetLite and Jet Konnect subsidiary brands and integrate the two low-cost carriers (LCCs) into its full-service operations by year’s end.
Southwest Airlines is revealing where it plans to fly in Mexico through filings with the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) that support—or, with some caveats, do not object to—another airline’s plans in that country. United Airlines has applied for an exemption that would allow SkyWest, operating as United Express, to fly between Houston and Mexico City. United and its code-share partner, ExpressJet, already have the authority to fly the route, but United is asking the DOT to substitute SkyWest for ExpressJet.
Lufthansa’s planned new longhaul low-cost venture could clear a major hurdle within the next two months, as shareholders of leisure carrier Sun Express are getting closer to a decision on how to proceed with the project. The airline’s next board meeting could take place in mid-October; if Lufthansa wants to stick to its plan to launch the new affiliate by next year, it needs to make quick decisions.
Airbus says the Airbus A350-900 is “ready for certification in the coming weeks” as planned. During the recently completed route-proving campaign, “the aircraft has performed remarkably well confirming the high level of maturity that it has been demonstrating all the way during our development and certification tests,” Fernando Alonso, senior vice president-flight and integration tests, said. “I truly believe the aircraft is fit to enter service.”
A collaboration between All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Thai low-cost carrier Nok Air is to begin Airbus A320 pilot training at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport from September. The new facility, called Pan Am Thailand Flight Training Center, will eventually house two A320 and two Boeing 737NG flight simulators. It is part of the Japanese carrier’s expansion plans for its recently acquired subsidiary, Pan Am International Flight Academy (Pan Am).
LATAM Airlines Group reported a second-quarter net loss of $58.9 million, narrowed from a net loss of $329.8 million in the year-ago quarter The company attributed the quarterly results as being “negatively affected by reduced passenger and cargo demand during the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament held in Brazil, as well as by very weak seed exports in the cargo business.” The LATAM Airlines Group is a consolidation of Chile’s LAN Airlines, LAN Cargo, Brazil’s TAM Airlines and each of the companies’ affiliates and subsidiaries.
Cathay Pacific Group expects its business to improve in the second half of 2014, following a modest profit recorded for the first half. The Hong Kong-based company, owner of Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair, achieved higher passenger and cargo load factors in the first six months of this year by cutting prices.
ATLANTA — Discussions on whether to mandate bird-strike reporting in the U.S. or change the metric for calculating strike risks are tied to a broader theme underpinning the effort to make aviation safer through wildlife mitigation: the push for better data.
