Mexico’s seven largest operators each increased domestic capacity in 2011, with the country’s only remaining legacy carrier shedding a few percentage points of market share to its three chief rivals. International services also blossomed during the year, with reassessed U.S. regulations helping Aeromexico to reclaim market share dominance against its North American rivals as well as granting startups Volaris and Interjet a stronger foothold outside Mexico. But foreign carriers still carried the most traffic, accounting for 78.4% of the year’s total.
EADS is pulling out of a joint venture with Embraer formed in 2005 to take control of OGMA—Industria Aeronautica de Portugal S.A., an aerostructures, airframe and component maintenance, repair and overhaul organization once owned by the Portuguese government. The venture, Airholdings, was created in 2005 by the two manufacturers to take a 65% holding in OGMA, with the Portuguese state retaining a 35% stake. Initially, Embraer owned a 99% share in the Airholdings joint venture, although EADS later exercised an option to increase its holding to 30%.
Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe says he will leave the airline at the end of this year, and the carrier indicates it could take about six months to name his replacement. Fyfe is one of the higher-profile CEOs in the airline industry, and is currently the chairman of the Star Alliance and an IATA board member. Under his leadership, Air New Zealand has remained profitable despite industry downturns.
Indian airlines and other operators are expected to add about 1,000 fixed-wing aircraft and 250 helicopters over the next five years to keep pace with rising demand, the country’s Planning Commission says. According to government estimates, scheduled airlines are likely to induct nearly 400 aircraft into their fleets and non-scheduled operators would include 300 business jets, 300 other small aircraft and 250 helicopters
In another sign that Europe’s low-fare carriers continue to outperform their network rivals, Ryanair has increased its full-year-profit guidance to stockholders on the heels of a strong third-quarter performance.
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Delta Air Lines is contemplating another acquisition and could target US Airways, AMR Corp. or another of a shrinking number of domestic competitors. Sources claiming intimate knowledge of Delta’s plans are telling various media outlets that Delta is considering further consolidation of the U.S. airline industry and has charged a number of advisers with examining potential acquisitions. Both AMR and US Airways are on that list of viable partners, say the sources; no formal approach to either of these airline has been made.
Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) is expected to introduce legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would undo many of the provisions of the Transportation Dept.’s new fare advertising rules, which went into effect Jan. 26.
In addition to looking at a possible winglet upgrade for its A330s, Airbus also expects later this year to decide whether to pursue a modification to boost the maximum takeoff weight of the -300 model. The modification would boost the A330-300’s maximum takeoff weight to 240 metric tons from 235, and enable a range or payload increase.
Spanair filed for bankruptcy Monday, according to a Barcelona high court. The airline stopped flight operations on Friday after Qatar Airways withdrew from investment talks and the Catalonian government refused to inject more capital. The company says its debt exceeds €300 million ($393.8 million).
Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) still is working to establish airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) businesses around the globe. President Chang Cheow Teck says the MRO provider plans to set up narrowbody airframe MRO shops in Europe and the Middle East. There are some “things in the pipeline” that ST Aero is working on to achieve that goal, “but I am unable to say any more than that,” says Chang.
U.S. regulators are seeking public comments on LightSquared’s December petition for a ruling that commercial GPS receivers are not entitled to protection from interference caused by a broadband wireless network operating within technical parameters set by the government. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) request for comments is the latest step in the battle between the GPS industry and LightSquared over the company’s plans to use frequencies reserved for satellite services to launch a terrestrial broadband network.
Building on the success of 2011, Alaska Air Group plans to increase capacity by 6% in 2012, while it continues to hold down costs in the face of rising oil prices.
After 23 extensions, House and Senate conferees are scheduled to meet Jan. 31 to iron out differences between two FAA reauthorization bills. The House is also expected to finally, formally move to a conference, with Republicans naming representatives to the conference committee that will handle the negotiations.
JetBlue ended the fourth quarter with an 11.3% increase in yields, even as capacity rose 10.5%, mainly on the changing passenger mix in its Boston and Caribbean markets, CEO David Barger told analysts in a Jan. 26 earnings call, adding that the yields were “impressive, given our capacity growth.” Premium traffic is becoming increasingly important for the carrier out of Boston. In that market, 30% of JetBlue’s traffic is business, while the systemwide average is 20%, Barger said.
Congress could add a provision barring U.S. carriers from participating in the European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) to the FAA reauthorization bill, multiple Washington sources say. But to do so may imperil passage of the long-awaited and much-debated FAA bill, a person familiar with the matter tells Aviation Week.
You can now register online for Aviation Week events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/conferences or contact: Lydia Janow, 212-904-3225 or 800-240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada only) Feb. 1-2—MRO Middle East 2012, Dubai, United Arab Emirates March 7—54th Annual Laureate Awards, Washington March 13-14—Innovation Supply Chain Showcase, Orlando, Fla. April 3-5—MRO Americas 2012, Dallas April 3-5—MRO Military Conference & Exhibition, Dallas Nov. 29-Dec. 1—Certification Together-AeroConseil, Toulouse
Duncan Aviation , Lincoln, Neb., named Brad Homeyer airframe service sales representative for its Provo, Utah, location and Ryan Huss the representative in Lincoln.
