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.
Southwest Airlines in November will finish converting operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from hub-and-spoke to point-to-point, which will result in additional daytime flights that are more appealing to business travelers, and potentially a bigger challenge to the airport’s dominant operator, Delta Air Lines.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday moved to end the FAA’s air traffic controller furloughs and avert the closure of 149 contract towers with the passage of a bill allowing the agency to reallocate funds. This bill mirrors legislation passed late April 25 by the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the coming days is planning to issue a proposed policy to shift the cost burden for monitoring passenger exits to airport operators, an Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) executive says. By proposing an airport security program change, the TSA will avoid using the Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) process or the need for Congressional approval before implementing the cost shift, which is valued at almost $90 million a year.
April 29-30—Aircraft Electronics Association Regional Meeting, Munich, Germany, www.aea.net/events.asp April 30-May 2—NBAA 2013 Maintenance Management Conference, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, Tex., www.nbaa.org/events/mmc/2013/ May 1-2—SpeedNews 11th Aerospace and Defense Industry Suppliers Conference, The Jonathan Club, Los Angeles, Calif., www.speednews.com/ConferenceInfo.aspx?conferenceID=22 May 3—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, Washington, D.C., 703-783-9000, www.nbaa.org
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Mexico City - Monterrey, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Mexico City - Monterrey, April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way
Lion Air’s new full-service Indonesian carrier, Batik Air, has secured its air operator certificate (AOC) and intends to operate its inaugural flight May 3. Lion’s President Director, Rusdi Kirana, told Aviation Week earlier this month that Batik’s first route will be between Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado.
The FAA in an airworthiness directive due to be released today says the cost of modifying the auxiliary power unit battery systems on United Airlines’ six Boeing 787 will total almost $2.8 million, or $464,678 per aircraft. Boeing has not disclosed the total cost of its modification program. Mike Sinnett, 787 Chief Project Engineer, says installations will take five days per aircraft.
The FAA considered targeted controller furloughs to mitigate delays at the country’s busiest airports, but decided it would make little difference from broader furloughs and could poison the work environment, says the agency’s Administrator Michael Huerta says. “We came to the conclusion that the national airspace system is an interconnected network,” Huerta said in response to a question about the furlough distribution during testimony before the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee.
