KAZAKHSTAN—Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, will start services to Greek and Spanish destinations following its April removal from the EU’s suspended airlines list. The airline will initially operate summer charter flights from Almaty and Astana to holiday destinations in Southern Europe in June 2014. The first routes, using Airbus 320 and Boeing 757-200 and 767-300ER aircraft, will serve Rhodes and Heraklion in Greece, and Barcelona in Spain in addition to its current flights to London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
Timing Still Doubtful For Jetstar Hong Kong BEIJING—Would-be startup Jetstar Hong Kong remains unsure of even when it may get a decision from the Hong Kong government on its application for an air transport license, let alone which direction that decision might go.
The next generation search and rescue satellite network could provide airlines with a tamper-proof solution for triggering the remote-tracking of an aircraft in distress, according to a proposal by the European Union (EU). Officials are discussing the option in Montreal as part of a two-day meeting on global tracking of aircraft, spawned by the March 8 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
BRUSSELS—Despite its hints to the contrary, British low-cost carrier easyJet will not say whether it is interested in installing an additional eight seats or possibly even an additional two rows of seats on its future Airbus 320s. “Our conversations with Airbus are confidential,” stresses Chief Financial Officer Chris Kennedy, “but, just wait and see.”
ORLANDO—The FAA is working to approve limited commercial operations by unmanned aircraft in specific applications, such as crop spraying, that pose a low risk to those on the ground. Four industries have approached the agency about using legislation in the 2012 FAA reauthorization act to get an exemption to the ban on civil UAS, says Jim Williams, UAS integration office manager.
SINGAPORE—Losses since the disappearance of Flight MH370 are causing severe financial pain at Malaysia Airlines (MAS), but the Malaysian government has apparently vetoed the idea of injecting any further cash into the ailing Malaysian flag carrier. According to one report, Malaysian Minister of Tourism and Culture Mohammad, Nazri Abdul Aziz said that there was no possibility of the country’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which owns 69 percent of the company, bailing out the airline.
SINGAPORE—Reversing previous moves to forgo a fourth fare class on its aircraft, Singapore Airlines will now go ahead with Premium Economy class to try to woo less-affluent business and leisure travellers, SIA Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said last week.
LONDON—The owners of London’s Heathrow airport have firmed up their plans to deliver a third runway by 2030. Heathrow’s northwest runway is one of two options being considered for the airport by the U.K. Airports Commission, and one of four overall, which also includes a second runway at Gatwick, and a new-build airport in the Thames Estuary.
ORLANDO, Fla.—Legal wrangling over the commercial use of unmanned aircraft will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court and most likely involve the use of UAS for news gathering, a law expert told the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International show here yesterday. “There will be a UAS case in front of the Supreme Court and it will be a First Amendment case,” says Doug Marshall, division manager for UAS regulatory and standards development at New Mexico State University.
An Asiana Airlines Boeing 767-300 on the trans-Pacific Incheon-Saipan route last month continued to fly some four hours after an oil warning light initially indicated problems in one of its engines, though the aircraft eventually landed successfully at its destination on one engine.
Onboard ASMs Market (Metro Area Airports) Passengers Departures (mil) 1 New York LaGuardia - Toronto Pears 1,061,606 18,380 600 2 Los Angeles - Vancouver 745,249
A coalition of unions is supporting Dreamjet’s application to the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) for a foreign air carrier permit, but is using Dreamjet’s application as a proxy to fight Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) application to start low-cost service using an Irish AOC and is urging DOT to conduct a separate, deeper review.
The integration of International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) into AerCap is hitting its marks and the formal closing of the deal that will establish AerCap as the largest independent lessor is on schedule to close “in the coming weeks,” CEO Aengus Kelly says.
JetBlue Airways’ expansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, could help the carrier tap a large and affluent market as the carrier expands into Latin America, its executives say.
Alaska Airlines’ board authorized the company to begin a $650 million share buyback program, the carrier’s seventh since 2007. The share buy back will begin as soon as the current $250 million program is completed, the carrier says. Alaska has bought $208 million in shares in the current program. The carrier also upped the quarterly dividend it pays investors to 25 cents from 20 cents. The company began paying a dividend last year for the first time since 1992. Alaska since 2007 has repurchased 21 million shares.
