The 45th Annual International Aviation Snow Symposium produced a slew of ties among winning crews who achieved top performances in keeping airports safe and operational during the winter’s heavy snows.
Defying a court order and threat of stringent action by management, about 600 Air India pilots continued to strike Friday, causing the already cash-strapped national carrier a loss of about 270 million rupees ($6 million) in three days. Air India so far has been forced to cancel about 100 flights. Flight disruptions occurred mostly at the Delhi and Mumbai airports; it canceled 52 flights in the national capital and 33 in the financial capital alone.
Look for Horizon Air to start adding the name "AlaskaHorizon" to its aircraft livery soon. The U.S. Transportation Department just approved the registration of the new trade name, which the Alaska Air Group subsidiary says it plans to paint on its aircraft to align its brand more closely with that of sister carrier Alaska Airlines. Each aircraft will still clearly indicate Horizon is the operating carrier for the flights, which are flying under a capacity purchase agreement between Horizon and Alaska.
Renovation of Terminal 1 and Concourse A at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport will continue and is also likely for Concourse C, which was heavily damaged by a tornado that struck on April 22.
Allegiant Travel Company, the parent company of Allegiant Air, reported its 33rd consecutive profitable quarter and another double-digit operating margin and pre-tax profit margin. But there were some signs of the toll exacted by higher fuel prices, especially with the fast-growing carrier’s plans to reduce capacity year-over-year in the second and third quarters.
The Southwest Airlines/AirTran Airways merger is expected to close Monday May 2, but full integration of the two low-cost carriers is three years away.
JetBlue Airways continues its push for dominance at San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico with the launch of daily nonstop service to St. Maarten Nov. 17, pending government approval. This route is JetBlue’s second dedicated intra-Caribbean service, adding to a nonstop service already operating between San Juan and Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
LAN Airlines’ Colombia operations eventually will transition to an Airbus narrowbody fleet, although it will retain the Boeing 737-700s and Bombardier Dash 8-200s and Q440s already under lease at the recently acquired carrier, Aires. The Aires purchase is spearheading LAN’s entry into the Central American country, which the carrier says is the region’s second-largest market, although LAN still intends to proceed with the takeover of AerOasis, a deal prepared before Aires was available, and fold that into a single Colombian entity.
Plymouth City Airport, England, which has served the U.K.’s West Country for decades, is slated to close at year-end. The operator, Sutton Harbour Group, said continuing financial losses have pressured its board to conclude “there is no realistic prospect of trade improving in the near future.” A group subsidiary, Plymouth City Airport, holds a 150-year lease for the airport with Plymouth City Council.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has appointed three veteran managers to key positions as part of the agency’s ongoing review of how the U.S. oversees its air traffic control system. Under the new structure, Walt Cochran, currently head of labor relations, will manage the agency’s terminal operations, where he will be responsible for all airport towers and Terminal Radar Approach Control (Tracon) facilities. Chris Metts moves from controlling the western part of the FAA’s network to head en route and oceanic operations.
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) May 10-12—Aviation Week NextGen Ahead, Washington Marriott at Metro Center, Washington, D.C., www.aviationweek.com/events May 17-18—Aviation Week Events, Affordability Requirements Forum, “Creating Leaner Defense Programs,” National Press Club, Washington, D.C., www.aviationweek.com/events May 10-12—NextGen Ahead, Washington
All Nippon Airways (ANA) reported a strong earnings improvement for its fiscal year through March 31, although the last quarter of that period was weakened by soft demand following the March 11 earthquake. The carrier managed a net profit of ¥23.3 billion ($280 million) for the 2010 fiscal year, an impressive turnaround from the ¥57.3 billion loss in the prior year. While the fourth quarter was still profitable, domestic traffic and revenue declined versus the same period a year earlier.
US Airways is reviewing inflight connectivity providers as it continues to find the usage rates of Aircell’s Gogo system on its Airbus A321 “lower than we’d like for fleetwide implementation.” While US Airways is saying little about which other systems it is reviewing, it notes that other technologies have come to market since Aircell launched its air-to-ground broadband network. The airline also has no plans to install inflight entertainment on its domestic fleet, citing costs and passengers bringing their own entertainment on board.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) May 3-6—40th Annual National Aircraft Finance Association’s Conference, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 410-571-1740, www.nafa.aero May 4-5—National Air Transportation Association Day On The Hill and Committee Meetings, Washington, www.nata.aero/events
An investigation into the European Commission’s actions during last year’s volcanic ash crisis found the European Union’s executive body not only issued false and misleading information on passenger compensation rules, but it also failed to correct its mistakes in a timely manner.
Facing losses in the first half brought on by rising fuel costs and Japan’s post-tsunami traffic declines, Finnair plans to reconfigure its Airbus A319 and A320 cabins to gain greater operating efficiencies and is looking at making broader changes in its business model.
A fresh round of talks between agitated Air India pilots and management failed yesterday as about 600 pilots continued with their strike for the second day, forcing cancellation of more than 60 flights. Most of the flights canceled Thursday were mainly scheduled out of Delhi and Mumbai. Some 50 flights were either canceled or rescheduled Wednesday. Additional pilots also called in sick to work on Thursday.
