US Airways is moving ahead with an investment to refurbish the interiors of its Boeing 767s and 757s. Plans for the 767 include new business class seating, carpet and in-flight entertainment, and recovering the economy-class seats. For the 757s, the airline is looking at a business class reconfiguration for the transatlantic fleet, but no other interior changes are planned at the moment.
Charles Leader today is expected to start work as the new director of the multi-agency Joint Planning and Development Office. Leader has strong experience in the business world, but little experience with government agencies, sources say. After 17 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Leader held management positions with corporations involved in research, technology development and systems integration.
Embraer will meet its 10 aircraft per month production target for the 170/190 family of planes as early as this month after making the necessary investment to ensure those levels, The DAILY has learned. Previously, the company was examining how to reach that goal internally, and what needed to occur on the supplier side to support the production ramp-up (DAILY, May 26). Earlier this year Embraer said the production rate for the 190 was about four planes per month (DAILY, March 29).
US Airways CEO Doug Parker last week decided to exercise stock options worth about $8.9 million before taxes, the first time he has cashed in any options since he started with America West 11 years ago.
Northrop Grumman is outfitting some of FedEx's MD-10s with its "Guardian," the laser jammer meant to counter man portable air defense systems. The carrier aims to fly nine of the equipped aircraft on "normal operational flights," said Jack Pledger, director of Northrop Grumman's business development for infrared countermeasures. The company has tested Guardian on a Boeing 747 and MD-11 flown by FedEx.
The judge handling Varig's restructuring case rejected an injunction last week that would force it to use Volo do Brazil/VarigLog's $75 million down payment to pay back salaries to Varig workers.
Alaska Airlines collected about $4.5 million in fees to complete ticketing not done through the airline's Web site through the first six months of the year.
Promoted Allen McReynolds to VP-technical services and purchasing for Mesa Air Group, named Kenley Chambers to VP-inflight services and Ed Gomes to VP-customer service and appointed CD Lauritsen as chief operating officer and Joe Brock as chief marketing officer of Go.
You can now register online for Aviation Week events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or contact Lydia Janow, 212-904-3225 or 800-240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada only) SEPT. 19-21 -- MRO Asia, Xiamen, China OCT. 24-26 -- MRO Europe, Amsterdam NOV. 13-15 -- Aerospace & Defense Programs, Phoenix
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] AUG. 6-8 -- Airport Board Members and Commissioners Conference, Co-sponsored by AAAE & ACI-NA, San Francisco, Calif., 202-293-3035, email [email protected] AUG. 29-31 -- SAE's General Aviation Technology Conference & Exhibition, Wichita (Kan.) Hyatt, 724-776-4841, fax 724-776-0790, www.aerospace.sae.org
Train travel is growing faster than air travel on the ultra-competitive London-Paris route, says Geneva-based Air4casts. Ticket sales on the Eurostar London-Paris high-speed rail link rose 11% in the first six months of the year, while air passengers on the same route were up only 0.6%. London-Paris air travel is forecast to increase 2.2% for the full year, with London City-Paris Orly flights seeing the most growth.
The world's airlines passed the halfway mark in meeting IATA's goal of 100% electronic ticketing for its members by yearend 2007, with Asia/Pacific carriers making the greatest strides.
The share of foreign investors at Lufthansa now stands at 40.3%, the airline said last week. Under the German Aviation Compliance Documentation Act, Lufthansa is allowed to buy back shares when the foreign ownership exceeds 40%. Lufthansa has to be majority owned by Germans in order to retain its traffic rights and air traffic license, but it does not currently plan to use the buy-back option. "After a careful analysis of share trading, Lufthansa does not currently see a threat of excessive foreign control.
Dallas/Fort Worth Airport recently found a new revenue source thanks to a deal with Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. to begin natural gas exploration in the Barnett Shale that lies below its 18,000 acres. Under the agreement approved by the airport board, DFW will get a $181 million bonus from Chesapeake within 30 days and a royalty of 25% on all gas produced on its property. "I suspect this deal will be the number one non-airline revenue source and in the top four revenue sources for the airport," DFW CEO Jeff Fegan told The DAILY.
Gulf Air and Malaysia Airlines yesterday signed a code-share agreement that aims to boost traffic between the carriers' respective markets. The agreement launches Sept. 18 and allows Malaysia Airlines to market seats under its code on the Gulf Air-operated flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bahrain and Oman. During the summer, Gulf Air flies six flights a week to Kuala Lumpur. Later this year the carriers will expand the relationship with Gulf Air adding its code on parts of Malaysian Airlines domestic and international network.
Experimental Aircraft Association estimated that attendance for the AirVenture 2006 in Oshkosh, Wis., last month was 625,000, about a 10% decline from the 2005 show. The show attracted attendees from 65 different countries. More than 10,000 aircraft flew in for the event, which featured 2,310 show planes and 812 exhibitors. EAA President Tom Poberezny said the decline in attendance was anticipated, in part because of the sharp increase in fuel prices. The 2005 show also had some unique attractions that helped draw a larger attendance , he said.
The Hungarian government is launching yet another attempt to privatize state-owned Malev Airlines, its seventh attempt since the early 1990s. Malev has not turned a profit in the past five years but claims to be close to breakeven. The carrier plans to join the oneworld alliance in the near future.
30 Years Ago Aug. 9, 1976 -- One carrier that frequently upgraded Sen. Edward Kennedy from economy to first class was pleased when Kennedy's plan to eliminate tax deductions for first-class travel was killed. 20 Years Ago Aug. 12, 1986 -- British Airways will operate its first Concorde flight to California as charter offered in conjunction with the Queen Elizabeth 2/Concorde program from Cunard, which involves the flight from Ontario to London and a QE2 crossing to the U.S. 10 Years Ago
WestJet Vacations is expected to generate C$20 million-C$30 million in revenue during its first year of operations, says CEO Clive Beddoe. The new program beat expectations during its first month of service, says Beddoe, who notes the carrier's new division was profitable during its first month.
ANA estimates it will carry 1.7 million passengers during Japan's traditional Obon summer holiday period, which runs from Aug. 11-Aug. 20. Advanced domestic reservations are up 3.5% during the holiday, and international reservations are 10% ahead of last year.
