Atlantic Southeast Airlines will spearhead Delta's push in the Los-Angeles-Mexico market, an initiative that could move forward this year if it receives regulatory approval. Most of the new Delta Connection service would be concentrated along the Mexico's western coast -- Culiacan, Hermosillo, Los Mochis, Manzanillo and Mazatlan. ASA would also serve La Paz and Loreto in Baja, as well as Zactecas and Torreon in Durango.
Ryanair grew its profits 12% year over year to EUR302 million (US$387 million), but rising fuel costs and other expenses related to 26% passenger growth caused net margins to fall, and executives expect another slight decline in the current fiscal year.
Florida's Melbourne International Airport continues its efforts to attract service to the Space Coast region despite being hampered by its close proximity to Orlando and higher-than-average fares as compared with other cities in the state. Currently, the airport has four flights a day to Atlanta and three flights a day to Washington National on Delta.
Northwest's flight attendants yesterday voted to reject a tentative concession deal, and Northwest asked for the bankruptcy court to rule as soon as possible on the airline's request to throw out the current contract. Northwest also requested a preliminary injunction "to prevent a threatened strike" by the Professional Flight Attendants Association.
The White House yesterday threatened to veto any bill that would change the current FAA contract impasse process, including legislation that is expected to be debated in the House this week.
Emirates this week plans to add one extra flight per week to its recently launched Abidjan operation, growing service to the Ivorian city to five weekly flights.
AirTran continues to benefit from Delta's capacity reductions in Atlanta, with Delta's year-over-year capacity reductions in May in AirTran's markets from Atlanta declining 22%, according to estimates from Raymond James and Associates.
Sabre yesterday reported that 80% of all tickets issued worldwide through its global distribution system (GDS) are now electronic, but the company warned that the industry is likely to miss the IATA deadline of 100% e-tickets by the end of 2007.
Continental has doubled its order for Boeing 787s to a total of 20 aircraft and boosted its large 737 fleet with 24 more orders, the carrier announced yesterday. The first 787 deliveries will begin in 2009, and the additional 737s will be delivered from 2008. The airline has not yet specified what type of each aircraft it will order, leaving a decision until later in the production cycle, a Continental spokesman said. The new orders bring Continental's firm commitment total to 88, including two 777s and 66 737s in addition to the 787s.
Sabre Airline Solutions this fall plans to add Gulf Air to its Interline Electronic Ticketing Hub, joining 57 airlines in the system. The Middle Eastern carrier is expected to go live during the third quarter of this year, Sabre said. The IET Hub is one part of the two-year electronic ticketing project Sabre Airline Solutions is doing for Gulf Air. Other elements include enabling e-ticketing through the airline's own direct booking channels, as well as through each of the five major GDSs and with third-party ground handlers, Sabre said.
Bolivia's AeroSur in the next two weeks will take delivery of a Boeing 747-200 to help alleviate pressure on the local air transport sector caused by continued problems at Lloyd Aereo Boliviano.
Lufthansa and pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit yesterday agreed on a new pay deal that will become effective July 1 and will mean added cost for the carrier. Under the deal, pay will increase 2.5% in July and another 1.5% in March 2007. The agreement covers an 18-month period and will cause additional costs of EUR25 million, the airline said.
Leading House aviation lawmakers were yesterday working to block efforts to stall a major FAA telecommunications program during debate over FAA's 2007 budget.
The House International Relations Committee could soon report out legislation that would further push foreign governments to secure or eliminate man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and other conventional weapons that pose a proliferation, security or humanitarian threat.
The president of Brazil's fledgling commercial aviation regulator ANAC is optimistic about the outcome of Varig's auction, now planned on Thursday, and says new legislation being proffered by the local congress could help lower the risk for potential investors.
Carriers flying out of Indiana's Fort Wayne Airport could see their costs drop beginning July 1 under a new program that financially rewards airlines for new service and increased passenger boardings.
Ferrovial finally convinced U.K. airport operator BAA to approve its takeover offer, although rival bidder Goldman Sachs still has an opportunity to woo BAA shareholders with a higher offer.
Spain and Russia have agreed to quadruple the frequencies from Madrid and Barcelona to Moscow, after a meeting of their respective civil aviation authorities last week in Moscow. The Spanish ministry of economic development, which is in charge of transport, said the new agreement will help respond to a growing demand in the tourism sector. Both parties also agreed to liberalize freight services and to set up "a series of operational facilities" that will help carriers enter code-sharing alliances.
US Airways and TAP Portugal this week plan to expand the two carriers' Star Alliance relationship, with code share flights between the U.S. and Portugal and other European locations. Starting June 7, US Airways' code will be added on TAP domestic flights from Lisbon to Faro, Funchal, and Oporto, as well on TAP flights between Lisbon and Oporto to Newark. In return, TAP customers will have access to 11 points in the U.S., thanks to US Airways transatlantic code-share flights between Lisbon and Philadelphia.
JetBlue's LiveTV subsidiary placed a $7 million winning bid with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to license a portion of the air-ground wireless spectrum in the 800 MHz band. LiveTV can use the space in several ways for passenger communications on planes, including broadband access.
Japan Airlines will join the Oneworld alliance in early 2007, the group said on the sidelines of the IATA Annual General Assembly in Paris. The eight existing oneworld carriers signed a letter of invitation to JAL on Sunday, a move that comes six months after JAL said it wanted to join the group (DAILY, Oct. 26, 2005). JALways, Japan Asia Airways, JAL Express, J-Air and Japan Transocean Air will join the alliance as associate members.
