Travelport, owner of the Galileo GDS and -- for 41 days in the third quarter -- of Worldspan, reported its net income rose from a $1.1 billion loss in third quarter 2006 to a net income of $165 million.
Orbitz Worldwide reported third- quarter gross bookings rose 11% to $2.6 billion from third quarter 2006, mainly on strong international ticket demand. International gross bookings jumped 31% to $363 million from $277 million, and domestic gross bookings were up 8% to $2.3 billion from $2.1 billion, both due primarily to higher volumes in air travel and dynamic packaging domestically, as well as strong growth at consumer brands ebookers, HotelClub and RatesToGo.
Middle East carriers placed orders and commitments for no fewer than 715 aircraft during the Paris and Dubai air shows this year, the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation says. This is equivalent to 62% of Boeing's total sales forecast for the region through 2026, and 76% of Airbus' estimate through 2025, CAPA notes.
The benefits of using gas-to-liquid synthetic jet fuel will undergo testing next year under a new cooperative effort launched today. Qatar Airways, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Shell and Qatar Fuel Co. and Qatar Petroleum are part of the team. Detailed plans remain to be set, but Shell Aviation VP Sjoerd Post says the first flight trials should take place before the end of next year.
Germany's Fraport Group AG has raised its earnings forecast for traffic and operating results in 2007 driven by gains between January and September. In the first nine months of 2007, group revenue climbed by 8.3% to nearly EUR1.8 billion (US$2.6 billion). EBITDA - which fell 5% in the first half of the year due mainly to the previous year's special effects - still rose by 0.7% and hit EUR490 million (US$715.7 million) by September.
Indian flag carrier Air India inked a $17 million Integrated Component Solutions (ICS) agreement with SR Technics. The seven-year contract covers component services for Airbus A330-200 aircraft. SR Technics will provide full component support, including exchange, component maintenance, logistics and access to a consignment stock based at Mumbai.
The expanding economy of the Denver Metropolitan Area, continued growth in O&D and connecting passenger traffic at Denver International Airport and the facility's favorable geographic location, have led debt watcher Fitch to give $365.5 million in airport bonds issued by the city and county an A+ rating and stable outlook.
ExpressJet's load factors in its branded flying fell from 63.8% in August to 51.4% in September. The decreases corresponded with drops in the carrier's contract flying for Continental and Delta from 80.6% to 75.6% and a systemwide drop from 76.7% to 69.4%. Branded flying block hours fell from 8,790 to 8,527. ExpressJet starts flights for Frontier this month to backfill flying for Frontier's new Lynx subsidiary until it is awarded certification. Frontier is aiming to start Lynx flights with Bombardier Q400s by yearend. [email protected]
Things are still tenuous for troubled Lloyd Aereo Boliviano: a splinter group of workers joined government creditors in calling for the carrier's liquidation; worker-shareholders are trying to pin down the investment commitment of Swiss Transatlantic Corp.; and the Nov. 19 deadline to renew operations with at least one flight looms.
Despite the industry push for consolidation in the Caribbean, the leaders of Caribbean Star, Caribbean Airlines and Cubana de Aviacion say they believe their growth -- and the future of the region -- reside in another "C" word -- cooperation; they insist on their view even though a recent asset purchase agreement that will mean the end of Caribbean Star (DAILY, Oct. 29), and Caribbean Airline's absorption of Tobago Express (DAILY, Sept. 27) point in the opposite direction.
Colombian carrier Avianca will use some of the first batch of 10 of its total order for Boeing aircraft (DAILY, June 22) to inaugurate long-haul flights to Europe, including service from Bogota to Frankfurt, London and Paris via Medellin next year, majority shareholder German Efromovich said in Barranquilla last week.
Aeromexico, with a nod from the U.S. Transportation Dept., wants to launch Guadalajara-San Antonio and Acapulco-Chicago services on Dec. 10, offering daily flights on both routes with Boeing 737-700s [DOT-OST-2007-0038]. Mexicana would launch its Monterrey-San Antonio services on Dec. 1. Even though its foreign carrier permit included the route, it is seeking a DOT exemption "so that there is no doubt as to the validity of its authority" [DOT-OST-2007-0040.]
Ocean Air will provisionally operate BRA Transportes Aereos' domestic routes using the latter's aircraft, flight crews and ground personnel, as part of an agreement sponsored by Brazilian airline regulator Anac after BRA's temporary suspension (DAILY, Nov. 9). Arrangements between the carriers were concluded and await government approval; detailed provisions should be released by mid-week.
Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways signed a multi-million extension to its maintenance contract with Lufthansa Technik, just one of several happenings in the Middle Eastern MRO market. Jazeera selected Lufthansa Technik its MRO provider for airplanes, components and engines and to support the thrust reversers of its Airbus A320 family aircraft. LHT extended its existing Total Technical Support contract signed in 2005 by US$38 million.
The public dispute between Aerolineas Argentinas (AR) and its pilots union about flight cancellations and pilots' vacations (DDAILY, Nov. 9) is being reflected in AR's schedule -- by Friday the carrier acknowledged some flights had been rescheduled but lessened cancellations would probably go on for 45 more days.
Qatar Airways has at long last signed on to the Boeing 787, taking 30 firm orders and 30 options CEO Akbar Al Baker suggests are likely to be exercised. The carrier also unveiled and expanded an order for Boeing 777s, of which the first will be delivered next month. Qatar now has 27 firm orders and five more options. Of the firm orders, 14 are for -300ERs, six are -200LRs, and seven are freighters.
U.K. low-cost carrier Flybe has cut 14% of combined seat capacity in its own operations and that of BA Connect, which it acquired from British Airways earlier this year. Part of that includes cutting BA Connect's unprofitable routes from Bristol, closing a maintenance base on Isle of Man and the closure of an office in Manchester and an operations center in Birmingham.
Gonzalo Pascual and Gerardo Diaz, holders of 92% equity in AR through Spanish parent group Marsans, are lobbying to improve the presence of Air Comet Chile in Chile. Pascual told El Mercurio they plan a healthy, competitive role in the Chilean domestic market, along with LAN, "which merits our utmost respect."
CFM International won new business in the Middle East after Dubai Aerospace Enterprise ordered 70 CFM56-7B engines to power 70 Boeing 737s its DAE Capital aircraft leasing ordered earlier this week at the Dubai airshow. DAE selected GE90-11B engines to power the 10 Boeing 777-300ERs it ordered and GEnx for the five 747-8 freighters set to join its portfolio.
The nine southeastern airports managed and operated by Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR) together saw total passenger traffic rise 14.1% in last month versus October 2006. Domestic traffic was up 25% from October 2006. International traffic, meanwhile, increased 3.4% -- five of ASUR's nine airports experienced declines in the month.
Startup Sur Lineas Aereas (SLA) is slated to link Rio Gallegos, El Calafate and Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina's extreme southern region, with Patagonia to the north next year.
