Singapore-based low-fare airline Tiger Airways was fined PHP720,000 (US$14,000) by the Philippines' Civil Aviation Board for advertising its fares on the Clark Field-Macau route before its application for a permanent permit was approved. Tiger Airways had a temporary permit to operate flights between the two points until Jan. 26, said CAB Deputy Director Carmelo Arcilla. The carrier has since been granted an extension for another 30 days. Arcilla said the airline must pay the fine before its application for a permanent permit is approved.
Air Canada has been hit with some of the same hiccups as JetBlue in operating its new Embraer 190s and 175s, reports CEO Montie Brewer. "Things come up when you have a brand-new plane," he tells analysts. The airline has taken delivery of three 190s and has 15 175s. Brewer said the problems with the plane are minor and have had little effect on its operation. The carrier is working closely with Embraer to find a fix, he says.
SkyWest CFO Brad Rich says the timing of a comment letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission on a registration statement that SkyWest filed in November "made it impossible to complete the offering by yearend." SkyWest didn't receive the letter until Dec. 22, and now the airline "has no choice" but to wait to issue the offering until its quarterly filing is completed, Rich notes.
American says it can add four seats per aircraft to its extensive MD-80 fleet by removing the planes' galleys. The carrier intends to begin taking out galleys from the MD-80 fleet in September, an airline spokesman said. This will boost seats from 136 to 140 in these aircraft. Across American's fleet of more than 320 MD-80s, the change will add 1,280 seats a day, potentially increasing revenue by $34 million a year. -AS
The Transportation Security Administration is suspending work on Secure Flight, its long-delayed computerized air passenger screening program pending an audit of information technology systems, TSA Administrator Kip Hawley said yesterday.
Peruvian carrier Tans, its operating certificate suspended in January (DAILY, Jan. 17), is considering legal action against former civil aviation department (DGCA) CEO Roberto Rodriguez for alleged abuse of authority and functions in "arbitrarily suspending" the carrier's operations. DGCA countered by ordering a technical and economic audit of the state-owned airline, which may well confirm or revoke its current suspension.
FAA yesterday adopted a new airworthiness directive requiring inspections of Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent 500s high-pressure and intermediate-pressure turbine oil vent tubes and bearing chambers for coking and carbon buildup, and replacement of the vent tubes, if necessary. No U.S. aircraft are affected by the directive. The U.K. CAA issued a similar directive on Oct. 4, 2005 [FAA-2005-23279]. -SL
Aer Lingus yesterday agreed to buy two Airbus A330 aircraft to take advantage of anticipated long-haul opportunities. The airline signed a letter of intent with Airbus and expects to complete detailed contractual discussions soon. The aircraft would be powered by General Electric CF6 engines. The A330s are scheduled for delivery in mid-2007 and would be based at Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus said it expects that "the two new aircraft will service new long haul destinations, in anticipation of bilateral [aviation treaty] changes."
Emirates SkyCargo recently signed two partnership agreements for access to Africa and Russia. An agreement with Nairobi-based Astral Aviation Ltd., will give Emirates access to 13 African destinations by using space on Astral's Antonov An-12s. Some of new destinations include Mwanza and Zanzibar in Tanzania and Bujumbura in Burundi, as well as Rumbek and Juba in Sudan. The new partnership will allow Emirates to offer the ability to transport odd-sized machinery and other equipement.
SkyEurope posted a loss for the first quarter despite cutting its unit costs by 10.5%. The EUR$12 million (US$14.3 million) loss was slightly lower than the EUR$12.4 million loss the carrier posted a year ago. Costs per available seat kilometer fell from 6.59 cents to 5.90 cents. The largest expense for the carrier was aircraft and traffic servicing at EUR$12.3 million. SkyEurope is planning to take delivery of its first Boeing 737-700 in March. -LR
Utah-based Wencor last week became the 18th affiliate member of the Latin American Airline Association. Wencor is a world leader in aircraft parts distribution and PMA development, as well as producer of thousands of FAA-PMA parts for maintenance of commercial airline systems.
FAA yesterday ordered inspections of certain wire bundles above center fuel tanks and nearby vapor barriers and installation of new wire clamps and sleeves on all Boeing 737 Classics through -500s. Carriers have to comply by March 16, 2011. FAA estimated that it would cost up to $1,700 per aircraft [FAA-2005-20354].
Spain's Marsans Group last week sent a stockholding partner to Buenos Aires to talk with government officials about some of Aerolineas Argentina's problems.
Nav Canada recently reached a deal with Denmark's Naviair that will see the Danish air navigation service provider install ATC automation technology developed by Nav Canada. The Nav Canada system is known as the Integrated Information Display System/Extended Computer Display System (IIDS/E-
Mesaba expects to burn through a significant amount of the $37 million in cash it hand on hand during the current quarter, warned executives of the airline's parent company MAIR Holdings, as the airline seeks the labor concessions it claims are necessary through the bankruptcy court. MAIR CEO Paul Foley told analysts yesterday he expects the court to rule in mid March on $35 million debtor-in-possession financing MAIR is offering to its Mesaba subsidiary.
Four months after freezing CRJ-200 production, Bombardier said it's re-opening the assembly line because of demand for the Challenger 850 business jet that's built on the same platform. Bombardier stopped building the 50-seat CRJ-200s in October, citing sluggish demand. Production will restart in mid-April at the company's Dorval facility.
SR Technics signed a five-year maintenance deal with China United Airlines, covering CFM International CFM56-7B engines powering the carrier's Boeing 737s. The airline currently flies one plane but plans to fly eight aircraft by 2008. SR Technics plans to perform the work at its engine service center at Zurich Airport. It is the MRO's first engine maintenance contract from a Chinese carrier. -LR
Delta yesterday named Shirley Bridges the new chief information officer, the third person to hold the job in the past year. Bridges also will be CEO of wholly owned subsidiary Delta Technology. Most recently, she was chief operating officer of DT, where she was responsible for overseeing business processes, maintenance and operation of technology systems and existing architecture. Previously, she was VP-airline operations systems, with responsibility for managing all software applications at various Delta facilities.
U.K. airport operator BAA has reached an agreement with airlines to share London Heathrow's limited fuel supplies more evenly for long-haul flights, although the major U.S. airline group says the accord is still only a Band-Aid solution that leaves room for discrimination against non-U.K. carriers.
