Attorneys for 250 Air Madrid passengers met with senior officers from Chile's consumer protection regulator (SERNAC) and the civil aviation board (JAC) to discuss filing a judicial complaint against the airline for poor service and to seek compensation for damages.
Costa Rica needs to build a new, more modern facility to replace Juan Santamaria Airport that serves the capital, a government-appointed committee stressed in a new report. Juan Santamaria will be saturated with capacity and obsolete by 2015, the committee said. "Immediate priorities should cover making initial studies and plans, including financial, construction and other technical areas, plus reserving adequate land sites with existing highway links," said the report.
KLM today plans cut its fuel surcharge by EUR5 per segment on all interncontinental flights and by EUR1 per stretch on all intra-European flights. The latest cut, which follows a similar reduction on Sept. 28, applies to tickets issued as of Oct. 12. The airline said the move complies with its policy of adjusting the surcharge if oil prices rise or drop below a certain level for more than 30 consecutive days.
Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling isn't shying away from the competitive push into the country by other LCCs; in fact, its CEO thinks the new competition is healthy. Both EasyJet and Ryanair are in the midst of setting up bases in Madrid, and Ryanair plans to add 17 new routes from Barelona Girona next year.
Airbus parent EADS finalized an agreement to launch a joint venture with Russian airframer Irkut to manage Airbus A320 freighter conversions in Germany and Russia.
London City Airport has been acquired by a consortium composed of AIG Financial Products Corp. and Global Infrastructure Partners, the infrastructure joint venture between Credit Suisse and GE Infrastructure Inc. The consortium outbid parties including Hochtief and Fraport AG. Although a final sale price was not released, the airport was valued at $917 million when the facility was put on the block in May. The airport was bought by Irish businessman Dermot Desmond in 1995 from the U.K.'s Mowlem, which built the airport in 1986.
SkyWest Airlines has been eyeing Bombardier's Q400 for several years, says President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Reber, noting that as the industry continues to shake out, it should be "an interesting aircraft to watch." Earlier this year, SkyWest Inc. CEO Jerry Atkin noted that most major carriers were probably looking at larger turboprops as fuel prices were climbing (DAILY, May 26).
Delta in about two years plans to trim the capacity of its small Boeing 777 fleet by seven seats to make room for a minimum $20 million investment in new lie-flat sleeper seats.
Close to two months after EasyJet announced Madrid as its 17th base, Ryanair followed suit, unveiling Madrid Barajas as its 18th European base and second in Spain.
The investigation into the crash of a Helios Airways 737 in August 2005 spurred FAA to mandate changes in procedures for pre-flight set-up of the aircraft model's cabin pressurization system to ensure crews have the settings configured properly, and that they receive sufficient alerts if the pressurization switch is set incorrectly.
Transportes Aereos de Cabo Verde (TACV) struck a $50 million deal with ATR for three planes -- one ATR 42-500 and two ATR 72-500s -- for delivery next year. The Cape Verde-based carrier flies three ATR 42-300s and opted for the newer models as part of a fleet renewal. TACV also has two Boeing 757-200ERs. ATR has logged 57 new orders for its turboprop aircraft year-to-date.
By: Steve Lott, Aviation Daily For more than a year, the six largest U.S. network carriers have been hitching their futures to international service. A new analysis shows that Delta is ahead of the pack with substantial capacity shifts from domestic to international under its belt and more growth planned next summer.
American disagrees with JetBlue's argument that its request for slots at Chicago O'Hare still falls under current regulations governing allocations despite its plan to start service after the current rules expire. JetBlue outlined that line of reasoning in response to United's objection to its request. United's main contention is that JetBlue is not using correct methods to apply for slots outlined in the rules that expire Oct. 28, and eschewing guidelines that dictate methods for gaining slots under FAA's final rule on access to O'Hare (DAILY, Oct. 6).
Engine lessor Willis Lease Finance Corp. yesterday named Robert Morris, president of Union Bank of California Leasing, to fill the board seat vacated by William LeRoy, partner at BDO Seidman LLP. LeRoy is resigning from the board after 10 years due to the policy requirements of his firm. Morris joined Union Bank of California in 2004 to establish an innovative equipment leasing group.
New Airbus CEO Louis Gallois appears to be taking a more favorable approach towards the planned A350, signaling the airframer's commitment to the program despite shifts in the company's management and operational structure. "Airbus must offer planes across the entire spectrum," Gallois said in an interview with French radio station Europe 1. "The A350 represents 40% of the market."
Dallas/Fort Worth Airport this week breaks ground on the first phase of a perimeter taxiway system. The new system will allow planes to taxi around the airport's seven runways, rather than cross them, reducing delays and the risk of incursions. The southeast quadrant of the taxiway will be built first at a cost about $67 million, with completion slated by yearend 2008. FAA will pay for 75% of the project and DFW the rest.
