Mexican all-cargo carrier AeroUnion will expand its U.S. offer with the start of weekly flights between Monterrey and Chicago, pending regulatory approval. Monterrey-Chicago will be served with AeroUnion's Airbus A300 freighters. Mexico approved AeroUnion to serve the route in late October. AeroUnion also serves Chicago from Mexico City and Guadalajara [OST-2006-26562]. -ARS
British Airways this week faces what could be the most important pension talks yet with its unions, with at least one union hinting it will consider a strike if no progress is made. The airline is scheduled to meet with its major unions Thursday, after similar talks last month failed to yield an agreement on pension plan changes proposed by BA. There is still a large gap between the union and airline positions, the unions say.
A court dismissed Mesa's countersuit against Hawaiian Airlines late last week, and set a Sept. 27 trial date for Hawaiian's own suit against the Phoenix-based airline.
TSA is focused on developing a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for the maritime industry now, but will be moving to aviation, although there is no time frame, said Stephanie Rowe, TSA's assistant administrator for transportation threat assessment and credentialing. "We are solidifying what we're doing with maritime and want to use that to develop a TWIC for aviation. We will work with the aviation industry and stakeholders to develop a TWIC that makes sense."
Registered guests at hotels attached to Detroit Metro and Dallas/Fort Worth airports will be able to visit food and retail concessions beyond the sterile security area under a pilot program being tested by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
Lufthansa Technik and Croatia Airlines signed a letter of intent to strengthen their bond to offer technical services to various customers, with Lufthansa Technik agreeing to subcontract overflow C-check business to the airline. The carrier is opening a new maintenance center next year, widening its ability to offer more C-checks to third-party customers. Under a separate five-year agreement, Lufthansa Technik plans to maintain landing gear for eight of Croatia Airlines' Airbus A320s and also will supply a spare shipset to the carriers. -LR
TAM last week reported a nearly 34% domestic traffic increase, which outpaced the 33% capacity increase in November, leading to market share growth. Overall market demand rose 6.7% and supply grew about 9.8%. In the international market, TAM registered 45.5% growth in traffic and capacity increased 50.5%, compared to November 2005. TAM's domestic load factor was 68.1%, which was 0.3 points higher than last year and the figure was higher than the 67.1% market average. TAM's international load factor reached 70.9%, higher than the market average of 67.4%.
With A380 type certification to be granted this week, Airbus officials are starting to map out what they will do with the mega-transport until Singapore International receives its first aircraft in October 2007. Flight test officials have focused on the certification milestone, but said that once that's in hand, they will review how to adjust plans for 2007. A goal is to make the most of the extra time, resulting from late deliveries because of production problems.
Qantas recently operated the first commercial flight at Sydney airport using a new satellite-navigation approach system, Airservices Australia said. The flight used the Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) which is part of an operational trial at Sydney. Nine of Qantas' Boeing 737-800s are equipped to participate in the trial. As well as Airservices and the airport, the GBAS trial involves Honeywell and Boeing. Airservices believes GBAS will be an attractive alternative to instrument landing systems (ILS). -AS
Engine lessor Willis Lease Finance Corp. last week decided to repurchase 1.3 million shares of its common stock, or 14% of shares outstanding, at $9 per share from FlightTechnics.
Kazakhstan says it will increase its frequency of flights to Dubai, with daily Airbus A320 flights serving that route. Air Astana President Peter Foster notes the move is part of a broader expansion plan, which also has seen the airline increase its fleet to 15 Airbus and Boeing single-aisle aircraft.
US Airways plans to start revenue flights of its new Embraer 190s Feb. 11; the first aircraft arrives at the carrier Dec. 20, followed by a second Dec. 25. The airline plans to fly the aircraft to five markets from Philadelphia, including Boston, Hartford, Dallas-Fort Worth, Manchester and Providence, Rhode Island. The airline's third 190 should arrive in February. -LR
Indian officials last week committed to developing an Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP) with the U.S., and a final Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) could be signed as early as next month, a U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) official said.
Essential Aircraft Maintenance Services (EAMS), a new company founded by Sterling Airlines and executives formerly with SAS Component and EADS Sogerma Services, plans to branch out of its initial base of Copenhagen this year, most likely in Mediterranean France, Spain or Italy.
The Registered Traveler program has come a long way in 12 months, with six applications for service providers, along with seven airports and one airline onboard to offer the program, said Stephanie Rowe, TSA's assistant administrator for transportation threat assessment and credentialing.
European Transport ministers are expected to meet today in Brussels to discuss where the supervisory body for the Galileo satellite navigation system should be headquartered. Eleven countries have applied to host the Galileo Supervisory Authority, the public body that will oversee the system, an EU spokesman said. Separately, EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said negotiations with the eight private partners involved in the Galileo project are continuing, adding that "no one has an interest in seeing these talks fail."
Shortly after LAN announced plans to fly from Santiago to Puerto Madryn, Argentinean carrier Andes is following with three weekly frequencies from Buenos Aires to the same destination in Argentina's South Atlantic coast, gateway to the world-renowned marine wildlife preserve at Peninsula Valdes (DAILY, Dec. 4). Andes flights are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday and Friday using 165-passenger MD-82s.
JetBlue awarded a new Airbus A320 heavy maintenance contract to Empire Aero Center based in Rome, NY as that MRO waits for a decision by the new Board of SR Technics regarding a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) SR Technics struck with Empire earlier this year to take a 60% stake in the company.
Star Alliance has grown its corporate travel program 20% from last year, and executives reported that more than 80 companies have signed accords with member carriers worth EUR2.2 billion in annual revenue.
Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta was named as one of 10 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civil award. Established in 1963, the medal may be awarded by the President "to any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the U.S., world peace or cultural or "other significant public or private endeavors."
Japan Airlines this week in Tokyo plans to meet with representatives of the Civil Aviation Administration of China as part of a new program to launch cooperative safety projects.
