Ryanair’s bid for Aer Lingus has been soundly rejected by management at the low-cost carrier’s domestic rival. The Aer Lingus board of directors on July 18 issued a statement saying it “unanimously recommends shareholders should take no action in relation to the [Ryanair] offer and should not sign any document sent by Ryanair or its advisers.”
The carrier that would result from a merger between America Airlines and US Airways would not focus on expansion in Asia, instead relying on Oneworld alliance partners for reach in the region, Doug Parker says.
The European Commission (EC) has dropped its target for allowing the unrestricted carriage of liquids on board aircraft in April 2013, citing ”a considerable operational risk mainly due to the scale of the change.” The decision is a victory for European airports, which for years have lobbied against the legislation, arguing that implementation of all the changes needed would be impossible. In the airports’ view, the current equipment for screening is insufficiently tested, unreliable and too large for current airport layouts.
Click here to view the pdf Arab Air Carrier Organization Monthly Traffic, May 2012 Arab Air Carrier Organization Monthly Traffic, May 2012 RPK % Chg. ASK % Chg. Load Factor May 12 vs.
The FAA is prepared to grant extensions to operators working to meet the December 2014 deadline for installing fuel tank flammability reduction means (FRM) systems in half of their aircraft, but will not move the December 2017 full-fleet deadline.
By Douglas Lavin, Regional VP-North America, International Air Transport Association Imagine if the federal government published a regulation to require Apple to sell its entire product line through third-party retailers. It could still sell via its own Apple stores and apple.com, but every product also would have to be made available for sale wherever competing products are sold. Sound impossible? An unwarranted governmental intrusion into the marketplace?
Ryanair yesterday submitted a €694 million ($852 million) all-cash offer for Irish rival Aer Lingus, fulfilling a promise issued in June. The bid, one of several takeover attempts by Ryanair, faces several hurdles, notably a European Commission (EC) investigation that will consider the bid’s antitrust implications. Also, the U.K. Competition Commission was already considering the anti-competitive effects of Ryanair’s existing 29.8% stake in Aer Lingus.
The Uruguayan government is looking for new bidders to operate Pluna Airlines’ aircraft and routes, one week after grounding the regional carrier. The government may create a new airline with Pluna’s assets, route authorities and employees if new investors can be found. The new airline would not assume Pluna’s debt or liabilities, a source close to the airline tells Aviation Week.
Southwest Airlines sees opportunity for freight revenue growth from the expansion of its new Boeing 737-800 fleet, its merger with AirTran Airways and its pending entry into near-international markets. The airline, however, will achieve this while maintaining its current restrictions on belly cargo, which include a prohibition on hazardous material and a 200 lb. weight limit on each item of cargo, Wally Devereaux, director of sales and marketing for cargo, tells Aviation Week.
Indian startup Air Mantra, which is part of charter operator Religare Voyages Ltd., is scheduled to launch July 23 with daily flights between Amritsar and Chandigarh, cities in the country’s north. The first airline to be launched in the country in the past five years, Air Mantra will start with a fleet of two 17-seat Beechcraft 1900Ds previously operated on charter service. But Religare Voyages CEO Sandeep Bhatt says the airline intends to add larger turboprops, with ATRs and Bombardier Q400s likely candidates.
Purchasing Finnair’s engine services operation would open up a new business line for GA Telesis, but one that fits tightly with the leasing and service provider’s overall strategy, a company executive tells Aviation Week. “In our business, we’re focused primarily on mid-generation assets,” says Alvin Khoo, chief investment officer of Fort Lauderdale-based GA Telesis. “We own aircraft and engines and manage them. If you think about the value in aircraft as they age, the value is in the engines. So owning an engine shop is a very strategic fit for us.”
Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are renewing a proposal to extend corporate aircraft depreciation schedules to seven years to help offset the costs of a research and development tax credit. The committee Democrats late last week introduced legislation, the Investing in American Innovation Act of 2012, to renew the 20% credit for certain research expenses, at least through the end of this year.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Berlin Tegel - Munic, June 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Berlin Tegel - Munic, June 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats/Dept.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that Republic Airways’ regional airline subsidiaries filed against the union representing their pilots, maintaining that the content of a union website was hindering the carriers’ ability to hire enough cockpit crewmembers. The website created by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 357, encourages prospective pilots not to apply because of the state of the contract and working conditions.
Hawaiian Airlines is continuing its push into the South Pacific with a new route to Auckland, starting in March, which will open one-stop flights to New Zealand from multiple U.S. cities. Hawaiian likely will be the only U.S. carrier serving New Zealand directly when it begins flying from Honolulu to Auckland with Boeing 767-300ERs. The service also will connect to Hawaiian’s interisland and U.S. mainland networks.
Boeing Capital Corp. is shifting its strategic focus from financing aircraft to offering services that help airlines find commercial and government financing, saying the commercial markets are more efficient at backing aircraft sales. “We are not a bank,” Kostya Zolotusky, managing director for capital markets and leasing, tells Aviation Week. “We can always step in and finance [aircraft], but we don’t provide the best rates.”
