The Airbus/Boeing duopoly in the narrowbody market is being challenged by Comac, Irkut and Bombardier, but it is too soon to tell if these potential rivals will be successful, according to a recent report from the Congressional Research Service.
Fokker Services will be providing aircraft component support for Australia’s Alliance Airlines, one of the largest Fokker operators in the world. The Dutch maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company says it has secured a contract from Alliance that resulted from “a comprehensive tender Alliance issued to identify a core group of component support suppliers to provide repair services, on the basis of fixed price and turnaround time, ensuring predictability of cost and parts availability.”
Lufthansa Technik Group , Hamburg, shuffled several top executive positions: Burkhard Andrich, senior VP-engine services, will become senior VP-aircraft component services; he will be succeeded by Johannes Bussmann, currently senior VP-aircraft component services; Stephan Drewes, VP-engine overhaul at Hamburg, will become CEO of LT Malta, replacing Aloysius Giordimaina, who will retire but continue in Malta as a member of the Supervisory Board; Drewes' former role will be assumed by Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel, currently CEO of LT Philippines, where he will be succeeded by
Click here to view the pdf Top Nonstop Airport Pairs: Canada-U.S., 12 Months Ending November 2010, Ranked By ASMs Onboard ASMs % Chg. Seats Per Load Market (Metr
Alaska Air Group , Seattle, elected Ann Ardizzone VP-strategic sourcing and supply chain management at Air Group and named Andy Schneider VP-inflight services and Shane Tackett VP-labor relations, both at Alaska Airlines. Yvonne Daverin was elected VP-maintenance and engineering at Horizon Air.
Air Canada’s ability to improve its second-quarter financial performance is due to the company’s ongoing cost initiative, although the operator says it is seeking more cost reductions, higher fares and surcharges and may adjust capacity to counter an estimated C$800 million (US$817 million) year-on-year rise in fuel expense. Despite these concerns, the second-quarter net loss of C$46 million ($46.9 million) compares favorably with the C$318 million loss posted in the same period last year, and revenues grew 11.1% to C$2.9 billion.
Pinnacle Airlines last week reported a $2.4 million loss for the second quarter, capping a rough period for the largest U.S. regional airline companies that highlighted some of the challenges they continue to face from their efforts to reshape and grow their businesses.
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) Sept. 12—A&D Finance Europe, London Sept. 14-15—Airlines, MRO, Aircraft & Engine Lessors: “The Tricky Triangle,” Dublin Sept. 26—Aircraft Composite Repair Management Forum, Zurich Sept. 27-29—MRO Europe 2011, Madrid Sept. 28—MRO Military Europe, Madrid Oct. 20-21—MRO IT, Chicago
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Aug. 11-13—Eighth Annual Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, www.abag.org.br/labace2011/ Aug. 12—Aeropodium’s Third Annual Business Aviation in Latin America Summit, Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, www.aeropodium.com/conferenceprojects
Canadian low-cost, one-class carrier WestJet is considering premium coach seating. “We’re looking at whether that might make sense for WestJet," since it has worked for other airlines, President and CEO Gregg Saretsky says.
The Canadian government is contributing CA$3.2 million (US$3.3 million) to improve Runway 08-26 at the Region of Waterloo International Airport in Ontario. The funding is part of a safety improvement program that has brought CA$556 million for 678 projects at 171 airports.
New boutique aircraft asset manager Falko has acquired BAe Systems’ aircraft leasing and management business and has started signing agreements with operators on its portfolio of 143 BAe regional aircraft. Falko is backed by New York management company Fortress Investment Group, which bought BAe’s asset management business in May for $187 million.
Garuda Indonesia’s low-cost carrier Citilink is seeking to lease more Airbus A320 aircraft in addition to the five leases it already has in place. Con Korfiatis, who is an adviser to the Citilink board, says the airline is receiving four of the leased A320s by the end of the year, with the first due to arrive later this month or early next month. The fifth will arrive in February, says Korfiatis, who declines to name the mix of lessors involved.
Turkish Technic received another Hamilton Sundstrand APS3200 auxiliary power unit (APU) from Atlasjet, a Turkey-based carrier, in mid-July and should finish repairing it by the middle of this month. The service agreement also included spares support. The parties would not disclose the contract’s value for the APU’s maintenance.
Nashville International Airport is joining a hot new trend of providing health care services at the airport. The CareHere clinic and wellness center opened Aug. 4, offering treatment for conditions that typically befall travelers, such as ear aches, rashes and nausea. It is one of a handful of airport clinics, joining others at Philadelphia, Orlando and San Francisco airports.
Brazilian regional carrier TRIP is close to implementing a new reservations and sales technology platform that will enable the code share agreement with Grupo TAM to “grow and consolidate,” confirms the mainline operator, noting that the process will take at least 90 days. Brazil’s largest airline also says it has “satisfactorily completed” due diligence in TRIP as it continues to investigate a possible strategic alliance that could include the acquisition of a minority stake in the regional (Aviation Daily, March 31).
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) is opening eight reports to public scrutiny that were developed as part of the authority’s master plan through 2030. A key question will be whether Hong Kong International Airport should remain a two-runway facility or expand to three runways.
Having recently agreed on a 35 aircraft sale-leaseback arrangement with American Airlines, AerCap management says it is in talks with other carriers about similar arrangements.
Mesa Air Group is not concerned about a US Airways decision to ditch some Mesa flying in favor of SkyWest Airlines, says Jonathan Ornstein, the regional carrier’s chairman and CEO. SkyWest on Aug. 4 disclosed a tentative three-year agreement with US Airways to fly 14 50-passenger Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft as US Airways Express, with options to switch to larger CRJ700 aircraft. That would replace the CRJ200 and Bombardier Dash 8 service currently provide by Mesa to US Airways at its Phoenix hub, in early to mid-2012 (Aviation Daily, Aug. 5).
