United Continental collected more ancillary revenue in 2010 than any other carrier that publicly reports or presents the figures, raking in cash from items such as co-branded credit cards, checked bag fees, hotel bookings and other products and services, a new report shows.
Aer Lingus says a potential pilot strike planned next week would have a “significant adverse effect on profitability” as it would come in the middle of the busy summer travel season. Its pilots—organized in the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) branch of the IMPACT trade union—voted in favor of striking in the ongoing dispute over rosters. The union told Aer Lingus that pilots based in Cork and at its main base in Dublin will not work on free days and annual leave days and that they will report for duty one hour late.
Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras is seeking authority to serve Aeroporto de Paulo Afonso in Bahia, from its base at Viracopos-Campinas International Airport in Sao Paulo. The service, if approved, would start Aug. 15 and operate through Salvador Airport in Bahia on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, says the Embraer E-Jet operator.
Introducing the Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index Designed for anyone with risk on the future level of airfares – for example Airlines, Banks/Credit Card Companies, Corporate Travel Managers, etc. The Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index tracks daily airfares within the domestic airline market. The Aero 100 delivers financial risk mitigation and protection against constant fluctuation of airline ticket prices by providing the price settling mechanism for Commodity Futures Contracts.
A company that owns several hundred brand names has been issued the trademark for People Express and is hoping a low-cost carrier startup will see value in the former carrier’s moniker, given its strong association with deeply discounted travel even though the Newark-based airline flamed out after ground-breaking success in the 1980s. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office issued a notice of allowance May 17 to New Rochelle, N.Y.-based 200 Kelsey Associates, which has six months to file a statement of use or extension request.
The contentious relationship between US Airways and its pilots has prompted the US Airline Pilots Association to lodge a complaint with the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York claiming the airline is violating its bargaining responsibilities under the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline employee negotiations. The main thrust of the complaint accuses the airline of delaying talks for a new contract.
General Electric says flight test progress on the GEnx-1B-powered Boeing 787 gives it confidence that combined ETOPS and functional and reliability (F&R) evaluations will start in mid-July.
A crew verification program launched by ARINC and tested since June 2008 at three U.S. airports is facing competition from a joint effort by the Air Transport Association (ATA) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Cost of ARINC’s CrewPass screening program and who should pay for the service are at issue.
As part of the company’s restructuring initiative to beef-up its engineering function, Boeing has promoted the chief project engineers of the 737, 747, 777 and KC-45 tanker programs to the role of VP for the programs they support.
Air Canada will proceed with the next phase of rebranding its feeder network by renaming all Jazz services Air Canada Express, effective today. The change comes one month after Air Canada introduced the new brand on its new Bombardier Q400 services between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport operated by Skyservice Business Aviation (Aviation Daily, April 28).
ST Aerospace’s operation spans Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe, but it would like to add to that list. In terms of airframe capabilities, President Chang Cheow Teck says, “We are always on the lookout for opportunities and are prepared to invest in markets that we believe can complement” the MRO’s operation. “To this end, an airframe facility in Europe or the MENA region will certainly complement the ST Aerospace global footprint,” he says.
Standard & Poor’s described Greater Toronto Airports Authority as “resilient” against forces that typically cause passenger declines as it rated GTAA’s credit and senior secured debt at “A,” with a stable outlook.
The U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) is moving back to square one in deciding how to beef up and solidify the data that U.S. and foreign carriers are required to submit to the government about their route-specific and flight segment-specific traffic.
The people in charge of restructuring Mexicana de Aviacion have accepted three bids to acquire the bankrupt operator and will give TG Group another opportunity to prove it has sufficient funds to support its offer despite failing to do so last month. With these acceptances, which indicate that the offers have the $350 million deemed necessary to revive the airline, Mexicana’s conciliator and administrator will now pass up to four offers to the Mexican government, which will then proceed with its own due diligence.
Acentech is striving to attain an important goal—that travelers in airport terminals hear and understand the many messages directed at them. Reception can often be difficult as travelers are being blasted constantly by noise from aircraft, air conditioners, various types of machinery and announcements via public address systems. “Paging goes on all the time,” says Richard Closs, director of audiovisual and sound system design for the Cambridge, Mass.-based company.
Alaska Airlines is issuing iPad tablet computers to its pilots as part of the company’s effort “to enhance flight safety, improve efficiency and protect the environment.” The 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) computers, which will be distributed to all pilots by mid-June, will replace up to 25 lb of paper flight manuals. The tablets were certified in February by FAA for use as Class 1 electronic flight bags, so they must be stowed during takeoff and landing. Alaska, which is the first commercial carrier in the U.S.
Twelve aviation organizations have stepped forward to support the International Civil Aviation Organization's latest safety initiative—reducing the number of aircraft runway excursions.
EVA Airways has pled guilty and agreed to a $13.2 million criminal fine for its role in fixing prices in the air cargo industry, the U.S. Department of Justice confirms.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) June 1-2—Airports Council International-NA Air Cargo Conference, Arlington, Va., www.aci-na.org/conferences/ June 2—AIAA’s Executive Symposium: “Aerospace Today and Tomorrow,” Kingsmill Resort and Spa, Williamsburg, Va., 703-264-7511, www.aiaa.org
Expect “dramatic advancements” in airline booking applications on Facebook, says Maureen Mullen, who leads the research and advisory group for L2, a New York-based digital innovation think tank. Only a handful of carriers offer the option now, such a Delta Air Lines, Air France and Malaysia Airlines, but the launch of Facebook iframes in February should spur greater adoption and innovation because it makes Facebook tabs easier to program, she says.
