South African Airways will not pull its inventory from the Worldspan GDS on Dec. 1 as it initially indicated to travel agents because it was unable to secure cost-competitive rates. The airline has agreed to extend contract negotiations for an indefinite period.
Pinnacle last week bought back some 2.5 million shares of its outstanding common stock held by Northwest, the first step in a plan that will see Northwest selling its ownership interest in its partner. The deal leaves Northwest with Pinnacle's Class A Preferred shares, but the regional will buy them back from Northwest in January.
The Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Navy have partnered to test an airport perimeter security system at Florida's Panama City-Bay County International Airport.
With a full month to go this year, Boeing is already moving past its previous record for the number of orders in a calendar year. The airframer has 1,049 net orders through Nov. 27, eclipsing the previous record - set last year - of 1,044. Boeing added two more orders in the seven days through Nov. 27, both 787s for unidentified customers. 737 orders lead the list - as usual - with 580, followed by the 787 with 292
Appointed David Barioni Neto, former VP-operations, as CEO to succeed Marco Antonio Bologna, who resigned from the company to join TAM Empreendimentos e Participacoes as special adviser. Fernando Sporleder was named to succeed Barioni Neto as VP-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) APRIL 15-17, 2008 -- MRO/MRO Military North America, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. SEPT. 12 -- Management Forums, Green Aviation, Brussels, Belgium OCT. 2-3 -- Lean/Six Sigma, San Francisco, Calif. OCT. 29 -- Avionics Outlook, Phoenix, Ariz. NOV. 26-27 -- BizAv Trends/VLJ West, San Diego, Calif.
A U.S. delegation is heading to Rio today to begin air service liberalization talks with Brazil, a senior U.S. official tells The DAILY. On Dec. 11, a team of Australian negotiators will arrive in Washington to begin open-skies talks. And on Jan. 22, a delegation from Russia will come to Washington for air services negotiations, which are expected to include talks on overflight and enhanced code sharing.
European Union transport ministers are being asked to support a proposal to exempt regional airports handling under 5 million passengers a year from the proposed Airport Charges Directive.
AirTran Airways will be able to access up to $1 million in incentives from the Economic Development Authority of the City of Newport News, Va., for new service to Tampa and possibly Las Vegas.
Delta CEO Richard Anderson continues his management team shuffle by naming Stephen Gorman as the airline's new executive VP-operations, effective Dec. 1. Gorman, currently CEO of Greyhound Lines, held a similar position under Anderson at Northwest Airlines. He takes over for Joe Kolshak, who will retire after 20 years. He has also resigned as chairman of Northwest Airlink carrier Pinnacle. [email protected]
Thailand's budget airline, One-Two-Go Airlines, intends to order eight Boeing 737-800s and 12 737-900ERs for delivery from 2010 to 2011. One of the airline's aircraft crashed Sept. 16, killing 90 people.
The U.S. and the EU are teaming up on a proposal that would ultimately eliminate tariffs and no-tariff barriers to qualified environmental goods and services. This would be the first-ever proposal before the World Trade Organization to eliminate tariffs and barriers on climate-friendly technologies. Susan Schwab, U.S. Trade Representative, fingers clean technologies directly linked to climate change and energy-intensive activities.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] DEC. 10 -- American Association of Airport Executives, 7th Annual Aviation Security Summit, Arlington, Va., 703-824-0500, e-mail: [email protected] DEC. 10-13 -- National Agricultural Aviation Association, Annual Conference and Expo, Reno, Nev., 202-546-5722 DEC. 13 -- Wings Club Luncheon featuring Fred Smith, Chairman & CEO, Fedex Corporation, Yale Club, New York, 212-867-1770, e-mail: [email protected]
Okay Airways, China's first private airline, last week took delivery of its first new aircraft, Boeing said. The Tianjin-based carrier is leasing the 737-800 from Irish company Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services. Okay already has six other 737s in its fleet. The new aircraft will be used on domestic routes from Tianjin, such as Kunming, Changsha, Zhang Jiajie, Guilin, Hohhot, Taiyuan and Harbin. Boeing says it has so far received more than 2,400 orders for the 737-800, from 79 customers. [email protected]
Liberalizing air services across the world is the key to the aviation sector's growth, and the U.S. is firmly committed to a second stage of talks with the European Union on open skies, a senior U.S. Transportation Dept. official said last week in Washington.
Tapped Stephen Gorman to become executive VP-operations, beginning Dec. 1. He replaces Joseph Kolshak, who will retire after 20 years with the airline.
The Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) union plans to change its name, but not its acronym. Union members voted to adopt a new name - Professional Aviation Safety Specialists. The union says the new name will emphasize its role in aviation safety.
The Allied Pilots Association has almost finished presenting its revised contract proposal to American, and the two sides are about to take a two-week break, so the airline can consider it. APA negotiators last week told their airline counterparts that the union has only the scope section and a few minor items left to present, according to a negotiations update from American. The scope proposal is expected to be offered very soon.
Alitalia expects to receive non-binding offers from parties wanting to buy the carrier on Dec. 6. Management says it will then announce who has responded and invite one to enter formal price discussions. Industry officials say it's unlikely a final agreement will be in place this year. Consortia involving AirOne, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM are in the running.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which has been collecting cards of interest from United's mechanics around the country for a representation election, will reveal its plans regarding those efforts today at 1 p.m. CST in Chicago. The IBT recently asked the carrier not to spin off certain assets, including its maintenance division, and says it has not had a response.
The International Aviation Club's holiday reception will take place on Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Canadian Embassy, 501 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. Reservations must be made by mail or messenger and should arrive no later than 12 noon, Dec. 7. More information is available at www.iacwashington.org
All Nippon Airways is expected to start planning its Boeing 787 flight training syllabus in detail with the manufacturer in March 2008, with the formal flight training effort starting in November next year. The move comes as assembly of the fatigue test airframe begins at Boeing's Everett, Wash., plant., and is seen as further strong evidence of the program's continuing recovery.
