FAA is improving its most crucial weather forecasting tools, but a much larger transformation in forecasting systems is also needed, agency head Marion Blakey said yesterday.
The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has indicated that it will install tighter caps on the fees that BAA will be allowed to charge airlines for landing at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick, along with Manchester Airport. CAA is reviewing what the user charge level should be from 2008 to 2013. BAA, which operates the three London airports, is currently allowed to collect a 7.75% return on its asset base.
Phoenix emerged as the winner of an online poll by AirTran of its customers to determine its next destination. The carrier asked customers to select from 49 communities through online voting that started Oct. 30, and noted it would most likely unveil the destination before yearend (DAILY, Nov. 9).
To ease cross-border shipping and to capitalize on the $8.8 billion market for express and ground parcel shipping from the U.S. to Mexico and Canada, DHL yesterday announced the launch of a new program, the North America Trade Lane Initiative, in 2007. In addition to upgrades to DHL's facilities, fleet and infrastructure, the company will set up several Border Operating Centers in Mexico and Canada to help companies be more efficient in cross-border shipping. BOCs will include package inspection equipment and specially trained staff.
Air Berlin's shares dropped by more than 14% yesterday, after the airline announced its second major aircraft order in two years and reduced its earnings forecast for the full year despite improved results in the third quarter. "The financing is the most important uncertainty," HypoVereinsbank airline analyst Uwe Weinreich said about the share decline.
Detroit Metropolitan Airport has cut airport landing fees by 28% effective Oct. 1; the move is due to cost-cutting measures implemented by the Wayne County Airport Authority, which oversees the airport.
German banks and the federal government are close to agreeing on a consortium that could buy a 7.5% in EADS once DaimlerChrysler decides to sell. A government spokesman said a fundamental understanding had been reached, with details still to be sorted out. The consortium is understood to include Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank and Goldman Sachs.
Delta yesterday announced plans to significantly boost its service between Chicago and New York. From Feb. 15, the carrier will offer 12 daily departures on this route - seven between Chicago Midway and LaGuardia, and five between O'Hare and Kennedy.
Pratt & Whitney hopes to add four to five new customers soon to its new CFM56-3 engine parts business after spending the first half of the year marketing the program to potential customers. The company launched its Global Material Solutions business in February, and is readying the first round of parts to debut during the second quarter of 2007. Pratt & Whitney is currently conducting bench testing of the parts, followed by engine testing during the first quarter.
Delta could continue awarding partial business to regional airlines instead of handing out large chunks of flying after opting to transfer 12 CRJ-700s from wholly owned subsidiary Comair to SkyWest, starting in February. The Atlanta-based carrier this month planned to award flying up to 143 jets to regional airlines, including 50 incremental aircraft. But some analysts think US Airways' unsolicited offer to merge with Delta casts uncertainty over the allocation of the 50 new planes.
Verified Identity Pass' Clear registered traveler program has become the first to be approved by the Transportation Security Administration as a service provider, moving the process one step closer to full implementation.
Air New Zealand plans to slash capacity by 11% in the trans-Tasman market, hard on the heels of the rejection of its planned code share with Qantas on the troublesome Tasman routes.
Mesa Air Group last week hired David Butler as senior VP-administration and human resources. The position is Butler's first job with an airline, but he has more than 25 years of experience in a variety of senior positions with Hewlett Packard, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Kaiser Hospitals and Arizona State University.
Delta yesterday won the support of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors to allow an additional $719 million in unsecured, pre-petition bankruptcy claims for non-qualified pension benefits for its retired pilots.
Lufthansa last week named Carsten Spohr to become the CEO of Lufthansa Cargo. Spohr, currently executive VP-services and human resources at Lufthansa's passenger airline division, will take up the CEO post at Lufthansa Cargo on Jan. 15. Spohr succeeds Jean-Peter Jansen, who retired in March. Jansen was replaced by Chairman Stefan Lauer for an interim period as CEO, Lauer will now move to back to his position as chairman.
Edinburgh-based Flyglobespan intends to launch service between Liverpool and New York and between Glasgow and Boston next spring pending approval of amended authority that will factor in a stopover at the airport at Knock, Ireland. The flight from Liverpool will help the carrier boost service at its new base. The carrier added the U.K. city to its network this month with flights to Tenerife. Flyglobespan would launch Liverpool-New York Kennedy on May 27, when it will also inaugurate Liverpool-Toronto flights.
European airlines are coming out in force against the European Commission's proposal to include air transport in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), with the Association of European Airlines saying ETS "is distortive and will damage the competitiveness of European airlines."
The EADS board last week postponed launch of the Airbus A350, as EADS main shareholders became entangled in a serious fight over company ownership and A350 financing.
TAM last week won the official authorization from Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to launch daily flights to Italy. TAM won the rights thanks to liberalization of the bilateral agreement between the Italian and Brazilian governments (DAILY, Sept. 1). The start date and schedule of the new Milan schedule will be announced later, but the carrier aims to launch in the first half of 2007. Milan will be TAM's third destination in Europe and will be operated from Sao Paulo. The carrier already flies to Paris and London.
Standard & Poor's (S&P) gave a B designation to $40 million of bonds from New York City's Industrial Development Agency, which will fund a new hangar and facilities for JetBlue at New York Kennedy Airport.
