Sukhoi is hoping to pull off the delayed first flight of its Superjet 100 regional jet by late April or early May. The aircraft maker has been running behind, in part because engine testing started late. But other equipment also has taken longer to get into the first flight aircraft, and systems tests are now starting up on the first prototype.
Bolivian carrier AeroSur last week renewed regularly scheduled flights between La Paz,Bolivia, and Cusco, Peru, with two weekly frequencies. The service, suspended by Lloyd Aereo Boliviano two years ago, is much in demand by foreign tourists eager to visit the Ancient Aymara/Inca World. Mijail Moscoso, AeroSur’s regional manager in Cusco, said frequencies will be gradually escalated according to market demand to daily service.
In a victory for the airline industry, a federal appeals court yesterday ruled that New York state overstepped its authority with its Passenger Bill of Rights law. In its decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 pre-empts the New York law. The appellate court reversed a district court's decision and remanded the case to the lower court to rule in favor of the Air Transport Association.
More Star Alliance carriers are moving into London Heathrow Terminal 1 this year, as the alliance continues its push to consolidate the group’s operations in one terminal.
FAA plans top-to-bottom reviews of 20 major U.S. airports, Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell announced March 25 as part of a progress report on runway safety initiatives; the full reviews will include Seattle, Chicago Midway, New York LaGuardia, Washington Dulles and Teterboro, N.J.
British Airways plans to move more than 1,000 vehicles, aircraft and equipment items across Heathrow airport tonight, to prepare for the opening of its new Terminal 5. The south runway will be closed between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. while the vehicles shift from Terminals 1 and 4 to Terminal 5. However, airport operations will not be affected. “Putting up the closed for business sign [at Heathrow] is not an option…this is a massive logistical exercise, which is without parallel,” BA CEO Willie Walsh said.
AirTran yesterday announced it is joining the Air Transport Association, a move that may signal the growing influence of low-cost carriers in the major U.S. airline industry organization. Effective April 1, AirTran will be the 19th member of ATA, joining other LCCs, such as Southwest and JetBlue, in the group. AirTran will retain its membership of the Air Carrier Association of America, a group that represents mainly niche and low-cost carriers. LCCs arguably have more influence at ATA now as they represent a larger slice of the domestic market.
A report being sent to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation on establishing a master plan for next-generation air navigation services in India identified action items that require immediate attention of the Airports Authority of India following the recent upsurge in air traffic.
Last week was a troubling one for Venezuela’s financially strapped Aeropostal, which lost its president and saw its operations slow to a crawl following the impounding of two aircraft in Miami.
The Japanese transport ministry has approved Hong Kong Express’s application to fly two weekly passenger Boeing 737-800 flights between Hong Kong and Naha in Okinawa. The Thursday and Sunday flights will begin on April 4. Hong Kong Express is also seeking approval for three more destinations in Japan this year — Nagoya, Kagoshima and Okayama. The airline is integrating its business with that of Hong Kong Airlines. Both are 45% owned by China’s No. 4 carrier, Hainan Airlines.
GOL CEO Constantino de Oliveira, Jr., is confident that his carrier will be able to compete with any comers in Brazil’s market, but that same confidence didn’t translate to Mexico, where an upswing in competition resulted in the carrier’s backing away from plans to launch a local carrier (DAILY, Nov. 1, 2006). Oliveira told DAILY affiliate AvNews Latin America & Caribbean that GOL canceled plans to operate domestically in Mexico with a local partner because “things changed. Six new low-cost carriers took off, which made our entry unfeasible.”
Argentina’s government is preparing a package to increase domestic fares — now the lowest in the region — by as much as 30% to 40% to offset rising fuel and labor costs, according to local published reports.
Qantas has created a new annual award program for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism to recognize Australian tourism operators that minimize their impact on the environment, respect local culture and provide benefits to local communities. The airline is committed to sustainable growth and wants to acknowledge and support tourism businesses that protect, enhance and promote the country’s distinctive destinations and environment, said Rob Gurney, Qantas’ general manager for sales and distribution.
Korean plans to launch a new route between Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, saying this will be the only nonstop service between the two cities. The flights will begin June 2, using Boeing 777-200s configured for 260 passengers in three classes. Subject to government approval, the flights will operate Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving LAX at 7:30 p.m. and arriving in Sao Paulo at 11 a.m. The return flight will leave Sao Paulo at 1:30 p.m. and arrive at 9:30 p.m. the same day. Korean currently flies 24 weekly roundtrips from Los Angeles to Seoul and Tokyo.
Southwest is hiring JDA Aviation Technology Solutions to help evaluate is maintenance programs, the company said. JDA will make recommendations on how the airline can improve maintenance processes. A team of JDA experts will “begin the assessment immediately and provide Southwest with a complete report.”
The U.K.’s independent Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that a national press ad by environment campaigners AirportWatch and enoughsenough.org were misleading and told them not to repeat the ad’s findings.
Aloha Airlines intends to continue operating as usual after receiving U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval to do so following its filing of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection petition. David Banmiller, president and CEO, said the airline continues to seek additional investors and new opportunities. The airline filed for bankruptcy March 20, saying it was attempting to renegotiate a financing agreement with its principal working capital lender, General Motors Acceptance Corp.
As a sign of better things to come, consortium Opain, 20-year concessionaires for Bogota Eldorado International Airport, last week added l,500 square meters of space to the main hall of the current terminal building installed a new system to speed up passenger check-in.
Oman Air and Sabre have signed a three-year deal to continue their partnership and deepen their service offering provided by the global distribution system provider. Additional features Oman Air is having Sabre provide include managing group travel and limousine bookings. The new deal also calls for Sabre and Oman to jointly work on marketing activities. Sabre has been increasing its footprint in Oman, in part reflecting the growth in its Oman Air activity and anticipated expansion.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a petition to review FAA’s issue of an Airport Improvement program grant of $29.3 million to partly reimburse the City of Chicago for work on Runway 9L/27R under the O’Hare Modernization Program.
