Thai low-fare carrier Nok Air this week signed a technical deal with Air France Industries to maintain the carrier's Boeing 737-400s. Under the terms of the eight-year deal, AFI will do engineering, airframe maintenance, component and engine support on a power-by-the-hour basis for Nok Air's 737s. Nok Air currently operates four Boeing 737-400s and last month took delivery of another two. The airline hopes to expand its fleet to 14 aircraft by the end of 2008.
Geneva-based SITA has launched its next-generation check-in system, designed to reduce costs for airlines checking in and boarding passengers; the move follows the completion of a pilot of the system at Orlando Airport in partnership with Continental.
American this week revealed plans to spend $20 million to overhaul its first and business classes in the Boeing 767-200 transcontinental fleet. The upgrade will include new seats and entertainment systems in the premium classes, as well as a new cabin interior. The changes mean American will be able to increase its first-class seats from nine to 10 per aircraft, boosting annual first-class capacity by about 11,000 seats on transcontinental routes.
The Italian government should look to the example of the Swiss government if it wants to successfully sell off Alitalia, suggests IATA Director General and former Alitalia CEO Giovanni Bisignani.
Australia's tourism minister is calling on Customs and Immigration to unveil a trial Registered Traveler program to cut back on lines. Minister Fran Bailey wrote to Customs Minister Chris Ellison, saying the lines could be potential barriers for incoming tourists, hurting Australia's efforts to attract more foreign visitors.
AirTran plans to continue its aggressive pursuit of Midwest Airlines during the next couple of days as it targets some of Midwest's key communities to tout the benefits of merging the two companies.
The European Commission sent a "reasoned opinion" -- the last procedural step before court action -- ordering Malta to scrap an airport tax levied at Malta Airport that "differentiates between passengers in a discriminatory way."
Swiss this week reached a significant deal with its regional pilots' union. Following "months of intensive, difficult talks," the basis for a new collective labor deal has been reached.
The departments of State and Homeland Security, along with the Transportation Security Administration are working with the travel industry on a program to make foreign visitors arriving in the U.S. feel more welcome without compromising security measures put in place after Sept. 11, 2001.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office says the National Transportation Safety Board has issued 2,417 recommendations since 1996, with 68% of those being closed. Of the closed recommendations, 88% are closed with various agencies taking favorable action. Of the modes covered, rail has the highest acceptance rate of closed recommendations, with marine rounding out the bottom. Aviation has the highest percentage of open recommendations with an unacceptable response GAO says.
Abu Dhabi International Airport signed an 18-month contract with Singapore Changi International to manage the facility's operations. Changi beat out Munich Airport, Vienna Airport and BAA for the ADIA contract (DAILY, Nov. 30). The deal is Changi's first in the Middle East, which it sees as one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.
Cathay Pacific yesterday posted growth in its passenger and cargo operations for last month, partly helped by the launch of new freighter service to Beijing. The airline in November carried more than 1.3 million passengers, up 7.1% form last year. The passenger load factor was 78.7%, up 2.4 percentage points, while capacity, rose 4.4%.
The Qantas board yesterday was reportedly considering a sweetened takeover offer by an international consortium, just a day after the board re- jected an A$11 billion (US$8.6 billion) bid by the group. Major local newspapers said the board was on the verge of agreeing to a purchase price of A$5.60 a share, compared with the initial offer of A$5.50 a share. Intense speculation has surrounded the airline's future since it confirmed an approach by a consortium that includes Australia's Macquarie Bank and U.S.-based Texas Pacific Group (DAILY, Nov. 27).
The European Commission is bringing Greece before the European Union Court of Justice for failing to create a national supervisory authority for air navigation services, as required by law.
IATA is pushing the Russian government to make key changes in its aviation transport governance to help improve safety and make regional operations more efficient.
United yesterday added its objection to American's effort to revise its application for China frequencies. United said altering the application at this late stage would be contrary to U.S. Transportation Dept. rules. Northwest has already voiced similar objections. American wants to amend its application to add a Chicago stop on the outbound leg of its proposed Dallas/Fort Worth-Beijing flight (DAILY, Dec. 11).
Mexican startup Volaris recently posted breakeven results after only six months in operation, reports CEO Enrique Beltranena, and the carrier is moving ahead with aggressive fleet and network growth plans.
U.S. aerospace sales will keep rising in 2007 as record orders won by Boeing and business jet manufacturers begin to translate into revenues; the military aircraft, space and missile sectors will likely see flat or declining sales.
The European Union has signed "a new type of aviation agreement" with Morocco on Dec. 12; "It is the first time in its history that the European Community, acting as a regional group, has signed a complete aviation agreement with a non-European country," said the European Commission.
A new radar-based system is helping Canada's Vancouver Airport better detect and remove Foreign Object Debris (FOD). U.K.-based QinetiQ created the Tarsier FOD radar detection system that lets airports have 24-hour detection in all weather conditions, said spokesman Ben White. It costs airports worldwide US$4 billion a year to repair debris damage and debris-related delays, he added.
More than 80 small and regional airlines are not planning to comply with IATA's push to require airlines around the world to offer only electronic ticketing by the end of 2007.
