To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) APRIL 22-24 ACMG’s 6th Annual Air Cargo Express and Freighter Aircraft Workshop, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seattle, Wash., 206-587-6537, e-mail: [email protected], http://www.cargofacts.com/workshop APRIL 23-26 — Aircraft Electronics Association, 51st Annual Convention and Trade Show, Washington, 816-373-6565
Boeing booked 20 new orders during the week ending April 16, mostly Southwest 737 orders but also including a corporate jet version of the 747. Southwest ordered 13 737s, and was also identified as the customer for three 737s that had already been ordered anonymously. SAS ordered a 737, and five new unidentified 737 orders were placed — three as business jets versions. No customer was named for the 747 business jet. Boeing has 338 net orders for the year through April 16, of which 235 are 737s. It also has orders for two 747, 26 777s and 75 787s.
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British Airways is reinforcing long-haul flights from London Gatwick Airport this fall, adding New York Kennedy to its network from there, as well as several other short- and medium-haul flights.
Cheapflights Ltd. promoted Senior VP Mo Bulbrook to head of international, leading the continued development of Cheapflights in Europe and other continents.
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Should high fuel prices persist, it could hurt the airlines’ profitability as much as — or even more than — the 9/11 terrorist attacks, argues JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker. “While Delta-Northwest synergy figures and the potential for a United-Continental follow-on make for spirited debate, neither phenomenon is likely to advance the industry quickly enough toward the required level of downsizing, now estimated at roughly 20%,” Baker wrote in a research note.
Aer Lingus hopes to position Dublin at a transatlantic hub, taking advantage of the U.S. immigration pre-clearance at Ireland's airports, says CEO Dermot Mannion. The carrier is targeting 17 European routes to connect with transatlantic flights through Dublin because thanks to the U.S. government pre-screening, passengers arriving from Dublin to the U.S. are treated like domestic passengers. (see related story Page 2)
Fraport AG is getting EUR41.9 million (US$66.7 million) from the German government for investments made in the Manila airport. The money came from a government fund that guarantees capital investments made by businesses outside Germany. Fraport was part of a consortium tapped to build a new Terminal 3 at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport back in 1999, but the contract was voided by the Philippines’ then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2002 (DAILY, Nov. 25, 2002).
Southwest is trying something different with the fare hike it loaded into its system Wednesday: giving it a definitive end date. The $3 to $10 one-way increase, variable by flight length, applies only from June 13 through Aug. 17, when busy summer travel demand should be higher. CEO Gary Kelly allows it’s unusual, but adds “it’s a different environment, so we’re calling a little bit different play.”
Word that airlines will now have to double what they pay bumped passengers in compensation, and do it for flights on aircraft with as few as 30 seats, prompted a few cheers yesterday among passenger advocates, but mostly grumbling that the moves still don’t go far enough. And from most airlines’ point of view, the real issue is avoiding the need for compensation in the first place by pressing forward with real air-traffic modernization.
Southwest is again slowing its planned growth by deferring at least half its aircraft deliveries for next year, but also is reconsidering the planned retirement of as many as 16 aircraft this year to take advantage of potential opportunities created by the troubles, capacity cutbacks and potential consolidation of other carriers, the airline revealed yesterday. CEO Gary Kelly also disclosed during the airline’s first quarter earnings call that the carrier is considering multiple domestic and international code-share partnerships — perhaps as many as six.
Spurred by an arbitrator’s finding on pilot seniority, US Airways pilots yesterday voted to drop the Air Line Pilots Association in favor of the newly formed US Airline Pilots Association. USAPA vowed a “more businesslike” approach in addressing contract deficiencies. But a group formed to protect the interests of former America West pilots decried the vote claiming the resulting inadequate representation is “a recipe for labor turmoil.” Just under 52% of eligible USAirways pilots voted for USAPA.
The tarmac delay task force is set to meet again later this month in Washington, the U.S. Transportation Dept. reported in the Federal Register. The National Task Force to Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy Airline On-Board Ground Delays will hold its second meeting April 29. Members will hear a briefing from FAA on how air traffic management can affect on-board delays and the persepctive of regional airlines on tarmac delays. The panel last met in February (DAILY, Feb. 23).
Continental yesterday joined other U.S. major carriers in fulfilling promises to slash capacity if the economy didn’t improve, and the carrier hinted it may take further steps to shore up its position through a merger.
Aer Lingus is taking advantage of the U.S.-European Union open skies agreement, with transatlantic traffic up 13% in the first quarter of this year, Dermot Mannion, the carrier's CEO said yesterday in Washington.
Airbus has just completed the first test of in-trail climb procedures over the North Atlantic using Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) and aims to certify the technique by 2010 so transatlantic aircraft can reap substantial fuel savings and cut emissions.
Embraer doesn’t see immediate competition for its regional jets despite a host of rival projects targeting that market segment. Of four newcomers to the segment, Embraer EVP Mauro Kern only worries about Bombardier’s C Series, expecting it to represent a formidable challenge — although only against the Embraer 195. Embraer is watching that program closely to see if it needs to respond, but decisions on that are unlikely for another 18 months or so.
Finnair is letting passengers calculate their flights’ fuel consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions on its web site, but so far won’t offer carbon offsets to travelers. The emissions calculator can be used to figure the distance, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions resulting from one person’s trip on Finnair’s routes. The carrier uses the Airbus A320 for calculations on European and domestic routes, while it uses the A340 for long-haul flights and the Boeing 757 for leisure flights.
The uncertain timeline and emerging risks of FAA’s runway safety technologies underscore the need to explore other near-term ways to improve runway safety, warned Transportation Dept. Inspector General Calvin Scovel. There are several relatively low-cost, simple, airport-specific changes that can help cut the risk of runway incursions, including infrastructure and procedural changes to daily operations, said Scovel in testimony before the Senate Aviation subcommittee.
The air transport industry lost $3.8 billion in 2007 because of growing pressures on baggage management linked to passenger volumes, tight aircraft turnaround times, and heightened security measures, according to a new SITA baggage report. The SITA report studied how baggage handling can be improved at the world’s busiest airports by applying technology better, given that the industry now handles around 2.25 billion pieces of checked baggage every year.
