After a year and a half of intermittent negotiations, mutual threats, costly wildcat strikes with thousands of angry stranded passengers, management and pilots and flight engineers unions at Aerolineas Argentinas (DAILY, May 12) finally reached agreement on outstanding issues with prodding from government monitors.
Irish regional carrier Aer Arann ordered 10 new 72-seat ATR72-500 turboprops in deal valued at $180 million. Aer Arann plans to replace and supplement its current fleet of 14 ATR 42s and ATR 72s, bringing its fleet count to 20 by the end of 2009. The airline plans to take delivery of two aircraft in 2007, five in 2008 and three in 2009. ATR has logged orders for 136 new planes since January 2005.
Both proposals for auctioning off Brazilian carrier Varig as part of its restructuring ignore the risks for investors (DAILY, May 12), a senior official at Brazil's treasury attorney general's office (PGFN) said; he was particularly concerned about the risks of transferring liabilities. The officer told O Globo this means that Varig's buyer would be responsible for future debts with public agencies.
Shareholders of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano last week ratified Ernesto Asbun as president of the carrier with his own votes as major equity stockholder and those of the company pension fund (AFP). Asbun had stepped down last week awaiting sale of his equity to the workers (DAILY, May 2,) but as the agreement is still subject to unmet conditions, such as a government guarantee on a loan to the workers, he decided to continue exercising his rights over the airline.
Atlanta Airport on Tuesday will hold a ceremony to commission Runway 10-28. The 9,000-foot runway is the airport's fifth and has been "in the making for 20 years," the airport said. When 10-28 becomes operational later this month it is expected to cut departure delays by half. The $1.28 billion runway project is the centerpiece of a $6.2 billion development program at the airport.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) last week signed a bill that will make it much easier for the City of Chicago to privatize the operation of Midway Airport. The bill allows the airport to retain its property tax exemption if it is transferred to a private contractor. This is only "one of many" steps in the city's examination of whether to contract out the airport operation, but the new legislation makes the privatization option more feasible, a city spokeswoman told The DAILY.
30 Years Ago May 17, 1976 - Congress is looking at increased U.S.-European talks on joint ventures, may come up with changes in antitrust laws to allow U.S. companies to join together to protect U.S. lead in aviation. Some concern expressed about giving away technology "paid for by U.S. taxpayers" through joint ventures. 20 Years Ago May 19, 1986 - U.K. wants guaranteed 40% marketshare at U.S. gateways, with aircraft equivalencies - instead of frequencies - used as the criteria, which could penalize carriers using larger aircraft.
Families of the victims of American Flight 587, which crashed in November 2001, are allowed to sue the airline under maritime law instead of New York law, according to a ruling by the U.S. District Court for Southern New York. This broadens the range of categories under which plaintiffs can recover losses, attorneys for the plaintiffs say.
SITA completed testing -- with Continental and Orlando airport -- on a pilot version of its new integrated passenger processing system. The system, called AirportConnect Open, allows airlines to use their common-use or proprietary terminal equipment "in a shared, secure and manageable environment," Continental said. The carrier said that by using the SITA system, it no longer has to certify and maintain two different applications. Orlando is the only site where the new system is being trialed.
Idaho-based Empire Airlines is concerned about the confusion that could result if the U.S. Transportation Dept. approves Empire Airways for commuter carrier operations, and wants the DOT to deny the New York-based carrier the right to use Empire's name for its operations.
Virgin America next month plans to return its manuals to FAA with the corrections and changes that the agency requested earlier this year. CEO Fred Reid tells The DAILY that FAA "liked the sampling" of manuals provided, and everything is "largely in order." After the manuals are approved, the airline starts focusing on proving runs, mini-evacuations and other requirements. The airline's first Airbus A320 (N623VA) was spotted in Mississippi earlier this month in its new livery.
Promoted David McKay to president and COO; named Victor D'Avanzo senior VP and general aviation underwriting manager, Dennis Doody as senior VP and claims division manager and William Lichte as CFO; and tapped senior VP Russell Mirabile to become associate general counsel of legal/regulatory.
MAC which owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and six other airports in the region, reports that Chairwoman Vicki Tigwell will resign from her position effective May 31.
JetBlue CEO David Neeleman shook up the airline's finance office last week when he moved CFO John Owen to a newly created senior position and promoted Treasurer John Harvey to be Owen's successor.
Las Vegas Airport's Administrator of Air Service Development Harry Kassap resigned from his position last week. Kassap served at the airport for 10 years and led an international expansion effort for the airport, which led to the additional 18 new international destinations from Las Vegas.
Named Goh Choon Phong, senior VP-finance, to succeed Hwang Teng Aun as president of SIA Cargo as Hwang becomes senior VP-marketing at SIA. SIA also promoted Chan Hon Chew, divisional VP-finance, to senior VP-finance for the airline.
Virgin Blue's code shares and interlining with other airlines is in the "embryonic" stage, says Managing Director Brett Godfrey. He notes Virgin Blue has partnerships with Virgin Atlantic and United, but is having "fairly serious discussions," with one or two more potential partners that might start interlining or code sharing with the Australian low-cost carrier by the end of the year.
Boeing plans to deliver its first 787-9 to Air New Zealand in December 2010, after ANZ last week converted its order of four 787-8s to the -9. ANZ last year indicated that the -8 order was effectively a place-holder for the -9s it really wanted. ANZ said it planned to transfer its -8 orders once the -9's configuration was finalized (DAILY, Oct. 28). Being launch customer for the -9 "is a most desirable position for us to be in" given the popularity of the 787 family, said CEO Rob Fyfe.
Seven months after the Transportation Security Administration started letting business aviation flights back into Washington National Airport, the agency last week added three airports to the list of those from which such flights can originate.
