Virgin Australia executives say discussions are close to concluding a code-share deal with Hawaiian Airlines on the Sydney-Honolulu route. They expect to be able to begin code-sharing on the Hawaiian Airlines flights from the end of July.
Many airlines are poised to replace their older aircraft with newer, more efficient models. Innovations like the geared turbofan from Pratt & Whitney and the CFMI’s LEAP-X engine, for instance, promise significant fuel burn benefits. But much has changed in the airline industry. To make the best fleet decisions in this environment, carriers will need to adjust their purchasing strategy.
Block-hour limits in American Airlines’ pilot contract and the lack of South Pacific services by the U.S. carrier mean it and Oneworld partner Qantas have no need for antitrust immunization for a proposed joint business agreement on services between Australia/New Zealand and the U.S.
Aeromexico has expanded its components supply contract with Embraer. With this latest deal, Aeromexico Connect’s fleet of Embraer 190s will now have access to engine line replaceable components, which adds 47 part numbers to the 310 or so already available under Aeromexico's previous contract.
The government-operated Japan Tourism Agency has been lobbying for more funds to reverse the slump in inbound travel that has occurred since the March earthquake and tsunami. However, JTA officials say they have so far been denied due to the range of higher priorities. The JTA receives ¥6 billion ($112.3 million) a year to promote Japan.
Faced with a July 31 deadline to meet the requirements for joining the Star Alliance, representatives of Air India and the global airline group will soon meet with government officials to set the date for the national carrier’s formal entry into the 27-member partnership. “In a meeting of the Star Alliance’s Chief Executives Board at Barcelona on June 3, the Star Alliance appraised the readiness of Air India to join Star Alliance by July 31,” an Air India spokesman says.
The Transported Asset Protection Association, a security standards and accreditation agency, has certified DHL’s Los Angeles and San Francisco gateways, completing full certification of all DHL North American locations. TAPA certifies that the facilities “meet the highest security standards for the handling of high-value goods in supply chains,” says DHL Express Director of Security Larry Neushotz. The rating came after two-day security assessments that reviewed security procedures, policies and protocols for compliance with TAPA standards.
Gearing up for the summer rush, airlines in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East have launched a raft of offers to draw leisure and business travelers despite higher fuel costs.
Germany has established a platform to bring together industrial stakeholders and universities to foster aviation biofuel efforts. The Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy In Germany (Aireg) was formally established June 8 and includes 20 organizations.
Initial testing of GPS receivers confirms aircraft navigation systems will experience significant jamming from thousands of broadband-wireless transmitters planned to be deployed across the U.S.
With an eye on announcing orders this month at the Paris air show, Airbus order intake in May totaled only seven aircraft, but perhaps more importantly, the aircraft maker did not suffer any further order cancellations. The two deals that hit the order book were Korean Air’s five A330-200s and Star Flyer, which became a new customer with the purchase of two A320s. The deals bring Airbus’s gross order intake for the year to 176 units and its net order intake to 97 aircraft, with cancellations remaining flat at 79 aircraft.
Restoration of tornado-damaged Concourse C at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport will take up to a year, Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge says. A key part of the project will be replacement of the roof, which was lost in the April 22 storm. Airport officials are working on developing a bidding process. Another part of the project is replacing windows in Terminal 1, which could take four to six months.
The American Federation of Government Employees is appealing to Senate appropriators to block two labor restrictions included in the House Homeland Security spending bill.
The aviation industry is becoming increasingly concerned that it will be the target of retaliation against a planned European emissions trading system (ETS), with China now saying it believes the ETS to be an illegal tax. This latest development has some European carriers anxious that China could go as far as blocking European airlines from Chinese airspace.
Qatar Airways on June 8 completed the partial takeover of Cargolux. The Doha-based airline bought a 35% stake in the cargo carrier. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Australian regulators have granted interim approval for Qantas and American Airlines to begin marketing their proposed joint business agreement. The carriers propose to coordinate operations on routes between the U.S. and Australia/New Zealand, and on services that support those routes. In giving interim authorization, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) notes that Qantas and American do not currently compete directly on any routes.
Aluminum manufacturer Alcoa says advanced alloys and structural technologies would allow a next-generation single-aisle airliner to be lighter and cheaper, with lower fuel-burn, than carbon-fiber composite airframes.
Icelandair has signed a seven-year agreement with Bombardier Aerospace for repair work on Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 engine nose cowls for its fleet of Boeing 757 aircraft. The partnership is the extension of an existing five-year agreement for the engine work Bombardier performs at its nacelle repair facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Click here to view the pdf Top Nonstop Airport Pairs: Africa/Middle East - U.S., 12 Months Ending September 2010, Ranked By ASMs Onboard ASMs % Chg. Seats Per Load
