World Air Holdings last week said it will appeal the decision of a Nasdaq panel to delist World's stock. The delisting, effective today, results from World's failure to file 2005 and first-quarter 2006 financial statements on time. The Nasdaq panel decided not to grant further extensions. World said it would appeal the decision and will trade on Pink Sheets under the symbol OTC: WLDA.P
Alaska Airlines plans to add a third daily nonstop flight between Dallas/Fort Worth and Seattle, starting June 4. The airline also will add a second daily flight connecting DFW and Anchorage with same-plane service through Seattle. "DFW has been a successful addition to our route structure as it's a market that many of our Pacific Northwest and Alaska travelers already frequent," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska's executive VP-marketing and planning. Alaska operates the DFW route with a Boeing 737. The airline launched the service to DFW in September 2005. -SL
Canadian carrier Cargojet this week said changes to agreements with its major contractors will increase annual revenue by C$1.6 million (US$1.4 million). The deals result in extra cargo carried on the existing Cargojet domestic overnight network.
The Transportation Security Administration will screen 100% of packages delivered directly to airport ticket counters for particular flights, the agency's chief said yesterday. "We have in place significantly upgraded security screening for packages that go on passenger planes," said TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. "From a risk basis, we'll say 'Yes, we're going to do 100% screening of any package that's targeted to a specific flight."
American this week received approval from its executive committee to buy the high-speed tractors it has been testing to reduce jet engine use during taxiing, one of several new initiatives the airline believes will help it achieve this year's fuel-savings goal.
Boeing this week named another supplier for its new 747-8 program, selecting London-based Smiths Aerospace for the thrust reverser actuator system (TRAS). Smiths already provides a TRAS for the 777 program, and will use similar technology for the 747-8, Boeing said. The TRAS will be designed and manufactured at Smiths' Los Angeles facility. The TRAS will power the thrust reverser system that is being developed by Middle River Aircraft Systems. -AS
Taipei-based China Airlines will launch flights to Sapporo, Japan, on July 1, offering six services a week using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. On the same day flights to Osaka will be resumed with five weekly services using Airbus A330-300s. Twice-weekly flights on the Kaohsiung-Nagoya route will be introduced the following day.
JetBlue CEO David Neeleman says the merger of US Airways and America West has the "aura" of success. "It's early in the game," he notes, but "they've done a great job so far of putting those two airlines together." He cautions, however, that "there's a lot of sand in the desert that they still have to cross."
The Indonesian government has banned airlines in the country from acquiring or leasing more Boeing 737-200s for transport of passengers or cargo, effective immediately. Indonesia's Minister of Transport Hatta Radjasa said the decision was made following two accidents involving the 737-200 within the past eight months.
CAE's fourth-quarter profits sagged 91% to C$9.4 million (US$8.4 million) as the company completes the final phases of restructuring launched last year. The training and simulation equipment supplier managed to reverse a C$199 million (US$178 million) loss for fiscal 2005 by posting a profit of C$65 million (US$58 million) for the year ending in March.
EasyJet continues to devise a distribution strategy to secure business from large corporate customers, acknowledging challenges exist in capturing those bookings. Recently, EasyJet executives said the airline is working on a number of initiatives to combat the technical barriers to offering booking tools to large corporations, noting it would comment on those tactics "at the appropriate time."
India's Jet Airways this week ordered Boeing's Class 3 Electronic Flight Bags for the 777-300ERs the airline has bought. Delivery of these aircraft is scheduled to begin early next year. Jet Airways will be the first Indian carrier to use the Class 3 EFB, Boeing said.
Austrian VIP charter operator Jetalliance yesterday said it will buy the A318 Elite version of Airbus' corporate jet line, following an order placed earlier in May for the A320-based Airbus Corporate Jet. Cabin outfitting will be completed by Lufthansa Technik, and the aircraft will be powered by CFM56-5 engines. Jetalliance has 37 aircraft and is certified to operate in Europe and North America. -AS
Waco Regional Airport has partnered with Houston-based Advanced Digital Imaging Research (ADIR) in a research project to collect 3-D images of passengers to develop and test face recognition software. ADIR is collecting 10,000 images for its database for the biometric test, said Aviation Director Richard Howell. "The Waco database will be used to determine which biometrics are the most reliable in terms of false positives or a bad guy getting through," he explained. "The bad guys in the test will be faces of ADIR staff."
Facing intense demand and limited supply, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation yesterday initiated carrier selection proceedings for several in-demand U.S.-Mexico all cargo exemptions.
Air France-KLM yesterday reported a 30% drop in its fiscal fourth quarter net profit to EUR7 million due to high fuel prices, but the airline said the full-year profit jumped about 29%.
Air Atlanta Icelandic recently secured a one-year wet lease agreement with Yangtze River Express in China, representing Air Atlanta Icelandic's first wet-lease deal in mainland China.
Airlines scheduled to move into Miami Airport's new South Terminal are up in arms over a U.S. Customs plan to staff passport control booths only eight hours each day. A spokesman for the Customs Dept. said, however, that final staffing plans at the South Terminal -- scheduled to open in March 2007 -- are far from complete.
