No one disputes that the European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) will impose a significant cost on airlines in the long term, but some European airlines reportedly are exploring ways to make money from the system in the short term.
Garuda Indonesia, which posted a large increase in revenue last year, is planning to announce an order for regional jets at the Singapore Airshow in February. A Garuda spokesman says the airline’s president director, Emirsyah Satar, plans to attend the event and is likely to use the occasion to announce the airline’s order for 18 regional jet aircraft. The spokesman declines to say which type Garuda has chosen, but industry executives tell Aviation Week that it is Bombardier CRJ aircraft, rather than Embraer 190s.
Boeing has recorded 26 net orders so far this year. Air India ordered 17 standard 737s and an unidentified customer ordered 10 787s. In addition, Virgin Australia ordered one 737. Boeing, however, also reports two cancellations of 777s from unidentified customers, bringing its net orders through Jan. 12 to 26. The company also identified KLM-Air France as the buyer of 25 787-9s that appeared in the unidentified customer column in December.
Bombardier Aerospace , Toronto, named Michele (Mike) Arcamone president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, succeeding Scott Scott, who retired in October 2011.
New estimates suggest the merger between LAN Airlines and Grupo TAM could generate as much as $700 million in annual pre-tax synergies, a significant improvement on the $400 million previously forecast by the two operators. The new guidance anticipates about 60% of the total will come from new revenues and the remaining 40% from cost savings.
In a stinging criticism of AMR Corp.'s management, the head of the U.S. government's Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) says the operator should use some of the $4 billion in liquidity to fulfill its employee pension obligations. PBGC Director Josh Gotbaum also dismisses AMR's claim that it pays more for its pensions than its peers. These pension obligations are cited as one of the main reasons American Airlines' parent company filed for Chapter 11 protection on Nov. 29.
In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Aviation Daily will not publish an issue dated Jan. 17. The next issue will be dated Jan. 18. Aviation Week Intelligence Network subscribers may visit www.aviationweek.com/awin at any time for news updates.
Lufthansa Consulting GmbH , Cologne, Germany, appointed Dr. Andreas Jahnke managing director, succeeding Werner Schuessler, who retired at the end of 2011.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Jan. 17—International Aviation Club Luncheon featuring Raymond Benjamin, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Grand Hyatt Washington, 202-508-8937, email [email protected] Jan. 18-19—Canadian Institute’s National Forum on Business and Commercial Aircraft Transactions, Intercontinental Hotel, Montreal, +1 (416) 927-7936, www.canadianinstitute.com/2012/321/aircraft-transactions
A story in the Jan. 12 issue of Aviation Daily, “U.S. Chamber of Commerce Wants NMB Provision Out of FAA Bill,” mischaracterized the position of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on a union matter in the FAA reauthorization bill. Bruce Josten, the chamber’s executive VP for government affairs, wants to see House language changing rules for union elections retained in the bill, Chamber spokeswoman Blair Latoff said in an e-mail.
Jet Airways has found an innovative way to boost its ancillary revenues by wrapping an aircraft with advertisements for Nokia Lumia 800 smart phones. “This virtual flying billboard, a Jet Airways Boeing 737–800 aircraft, will sport the tile interface of the new Nokia smartphone on its windows, as well as inside the aircraft,” says Manish Dureja, VP-marketing at Jet Airways.
In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Aviation Daily will not publish an issue dated Jan. 17. The next issue will be dated Jan. 18. Aviation Week Intelligence Network subscribers may visit www.aviationweek.com/awin at any time for news updates.
The world’s largest business association would like to see House Republican leadership cede on a labor issue that is preventing passage of the FAA reauthorization bill. In a State of American Business speech that called on Washington to confront its tough issues with “real leadership,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue said Congress needs to pass the FAA bill, which has been stalled for more than four years.
Airlines may face not only a permanent ban on night flights at Frankfurt Airport, but also more restrictions on daytime operations following protests about noise. Volker Bouffier, prime minister of the state of Hesse, says in an interview that he hopes Germany’s highest administrative court will uphold a lower court ruling that imposed an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. His own government launched legal proceedings against an earlier ruling that limited nighttime operations, thus his statements indicate a complete about-face on the issue.
Jetstar is increasingly making use of fifth-freedom traffic rights to further expand its presence in Asia. The low-cost carrier will launch a four-times-weekly Darwin-Tokyo Narita service via Manila on March 25, using Airbus A320s. The airline already operates a three-times-weekly Darwin-Manila flight launched in November 2010, but having flights go on to Tokyo Narita will enable it to link up with Jetstar Japan, says a Jetstar spokeswoman. Jetstar Japan is based at Tokyo Narita and intends to start flying this year.
Mexican low-fare airline Volaris yesterday signed a firm order for 44 Airbus A320s, 30 of which will be A320NEOs. Volaris currently has a fleet of 34 aircraft and has 58 more on order, including the most recent deal. It has not yet selected an engine, but says it will make that decision later. Airbus claims the order is the largest single commitment by a Mexican airline so far. Volaris started operations in 2006.
AirAsia’s medium- and long-haul low-cost carrier AirAsia X has suspended indefinitely its Mumbai and New Delhi services and axed all services to Europe, blaming Indian and European taxes, and inclusion of aviation in the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS).
