Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Guadalajara - Mexico City, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Guadalajara - Mexico City, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats /D
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is sending four investigators to Afghanistan to help with the probe of the April 29 crash of a National Airlines Boeing 747-428 freighter on departure from Bagram Airfield. All seven crewmembers on board, who were Americans, were killed in the 11:20 a.m. crash. The GE CF6-80C2B1F-powered aircraft, one of three in Michigan-based National Airlines’ fleet, was destroyed.
Airport executives are still pursuing dozens of lawsuits against FAA as they await word on whether the agency will use its new budget flexibility to fund most of the U.S. contract tower program. Nearly 40 communities, along with the American Association of Airports Executives (AAAE) and U.S. Contract Tower Association (USCTA), are suing FAA over its plan to end funding for 149 contract towers – roughly 60% of the program – on June 15 as part of the agency’s sequestration cuts.
Dubai International Airport’s owners have begun planning for an 80-day runway closure next year set to bring a major upheaval to airport operations, and have asked airlines to reduce operations into Dubai or shift them over to the city’s World Central facility. In a letter detailing the plans, Dubai Airport chief executive Paul Griffiths tells operators that the closures, set to start on May 1, 2014, are essential because the airport’s northern runway, 12L-30R, is nearing the end of its design life.
United Airlines reached an agreement to add 30 Embraer 175 regional jets to its United Express fleet, with 40 more on option, but did not say which partner will operate them or how many of the 50-seat jets they will replace.
President Obama on Monday nominated the leader of a city with a US Airways hub to become the nation’s next transportation secretary, citing Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx’s experience in local government, relationships with other local government officials and advocacy for infrastructure improvements in his city. Those infrastructure projects included a third parallel runway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which opened in 2010, as well as improvements for light rail and streetcar service.
Turboprop specialist ATR says it has received certification from the FAA for its ATR 42-600 and 72-600 aircraft, a milestone it believes will provide a boost not only for sales efforts in the U.S., but also Japan.
FAA is dropping its furlough plans for all 47,000 workers in its employee base after Congress last week passed a bill permitting the agency to shift up to $253 million in funds to prevent “reduced operations and staffing.” But the agency still has not outlined plans on whether it also will continue to fund the contract air traffic control tower program or whether it will move forward with anticipated cuts. And other services, such as most preventative maintenance of navigational aids, are still going to be curtailed.
If a true regional open-skies deal brokered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) fails to materialize in 2015 as planned, flag carrier Malaysian Airlines’ (MAS) “Plan B” response will be expanding a joint-venture network to go beyond just its Oneworld partners or even, at a stretch, to invest, says MAS senior marketing VP Dean Dacko.
Viewing Australia as a test-bed for its global strategy, China Southern is moving this fall to deploy Airbus A380s to Sydney, and is upgrading aircraft on all its Australia routes. The A380 introduction into this market had been rumored, but China Southern Executive VP Chen Gang confirmed the move for the first time during an industry event in Sydney this past weekend.
A former Qantas executive who helped set up the Jetstar low-cost subsidiary will take over as the new head of Tiger Airways Australia, in a move endorsed by prospective Tiger majority owner Virgin Australia. Robert Sharp is set to become Tiger CEO on Wednesday (May 1), taking over from a caretaker manager. His appointment comes less than a week after Virgin Australia’s proposed purchase of a 60% share of Tiger cleared a major regulatory hurdle.
German leisure carrier Condor and its subsidiary Condor Berlin are merging, and the two air operator certificates (AOCs) will be combined effective May 1. Both carriers are part of the Thomas Cook group of airlines, which has recently agreed on deeper integration across its European affiliates.
Europe is embarking on a series of programs to develop the supply chain for sustainable jet fuels, using feedstocks ranging from camelina to woody biomass and even sunlight. To begin this year, the Core-Jetfuel “coordination action” will bring together all the stakeholders to discuss potential biofuel projects, says Daniel Chiron, deputy head of the aeronautics unit within the European Commission’s directorate for research and innovation.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Bogota - Cali, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Bogota - Cali, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Depa
Star Alliance is working on a conditional agreement with US Airways to leave the alliance as the carrier moves closer to implementing its planned merger with American Airlines. At the Phoenix Aviation Symposium last week, Star’s CEO Mark Schwab told Aviation Week that he expects US Airways to leave the alliance in the next few months. Schwab this week met with US Airways CEO Doug Parker and President Scott Kirby, who are based near Phoenix, to talk about the departure. “It is tough to see them go,” says Schwab.
Indonesia Air, the scheduled arm of charter carrier Indonesia Air Transport (IAT), has added its first Airbus A320. At the Airlines and Airports conference and exhibition in Jakarta last week, officials from the airline told Aviation Week the A320 will operate from Bandung’s Husein Sastranegara International Airport to Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, Sultan Syarif Qasim II International Airport in Pekanbaru, Palembang International Airport and Polonia International Airport in Medan.
European and Japanese regulators, following the FAA’s lead, have cleared the way for Boeing 787 operators to resume revenue flights following modification of the aircraft’s battery systems and, in Japan’s case, taking added precautions to monitor the aircraft’s safety.
Introducing the Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index Designed for anyone with risk on the future level of airfares – for example Airlines, Banks/Credit Card Companies, Corporate Travel Managers, etc. The Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index tracks daily airfares within the domestic airline market. The Aero 100 delivers financial risk mitigation and protection against constant fluctuation of airline ticket prices by providing the price settling mechanism for Commodity Futures Contracts.
Lufthansa’s pilots are demanding a 4.6% pay increase in the current round of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. Talks with the pilots have been ongoing for the past year, the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union said on April 26, adding that formal negotiations for a new deal that would continue into 2014 started this week. VC’s wage demand covers pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings.
