SAS was forced to cancel nearly all its European services from Copenhagen yesterday because of a wildcat strike by pilots. Late in the afternoon, some 270 flights, both inbound and outbound, were scrapped, a company spokesman said. SAS said the strike was illegal and unacceptable and would cost the company between DKK15 million-DKK20 million (US$2.5 million-US$3.3 million). Union sources said that some 150 Danish pilots went on strike.
Delta's code will appear on Air France flights to Pisa, as runway construction will temporarily close the airport at Florence. The carriers want the U.S. Transportation Dept. to waive the 30-day advance notice requirement for added code sharing because they plan to enact the code share on Feb. 2, when the construction is expected to start [OST-200-6939]. Airport operator Aeroporto di Firenze expects the runway work will be completed before the end of May, in time for the high tourist season. Air France, Alitalia and Lufthansa (DAILY, Jan.
Argentinean startup Sudamerica Air won authority to operate two daily long-haul frequencies between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, in southern Argentina. The flights will launch in July and will be operated with 200-passenger Boeing 757s.
DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead announced his resignation yesterday, effective Feb. 11. Mead is the longest-serving DOT IG, serving both the Clinton and Bush administrations since he was appointed in May 1997. Deputy Inspector General Todd Zinser will serve as Acting Inspector General until a successor is appointed. In his resignation letter to President Bush, Mead paid tribute to the transportation secretaries under whom has served.
Mexico City International Airport reported handling 24.1 million passengers in 2005 for 4.9% growth from 2004. Annual revenues in 2005 were $231 million, compared with $167 million in operating costs. Peruvian Tourism Minister Ramiro Salas said foreign arrivals in 2005 at Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport totaled 838,720 passengers, up 14.7% from 2004. If other international airports in Peru are included, the total number of arrivals exceeded 1 million in 2005. -LZ
Spain's Marsans group postponed plans to invest some $80 million in its Peruvian operations -- Aerolineas del Peru and the construction of several four-star hotels -- until the presidential election on April 9 is over. The move will let the company ascertain the new government's economic policies. Meanwhile, Marsans is going ahead with its new international airline, which will use the Dominican Republic (DAILY, Nov. 30) as a hub serving destinations in the Caribbean and Central America, where the group has extensive resort holdings. -LZ
Alitalia was expected to cancel up to 250 flights on Jan. 23 in its fifth consecutive day of labor unrest from protests against the airline's restructuring plan. A string of industrial action, workers' general meetings and wildcat strikes by cockpit, cabin and ground staff disrupted operations as a large number of employees are refusing to follow their unions' instruction to resume work. Italian Labor Minister Roberto Maroni warned that opposition to the company's rescue plan "will only lead Alitalia towards bankruptcy."
Nine members airlines of the Latin American Airlines Association (AITAL) saved millions of dollars in 2005 through making combined bulk fuel purchases at Miami International airport, AITAL CEO Alex de Gunten told DAILY affiliate AvNews Latin America & Caribbean. While unable to provide specifics about participating airlines or actual fuel savings, De Gunten was upbeat about this program, which launched last year, and anticipates expanding it to other airports and additional member airlines in 2006. -LZ
The U.S. nominated former FAA senior official William Voss to become the next ICAO secretary general. Voss left FAA to work for ICAO in 2004 and is now director of ICAO's Air Navigation Bureau. ICAO members will likely vote on the secretary general nominees at the organization's council meeting next month. Incumbent Taieb Cherif is also believed to be seeking re-election. ICAO is not commenting on who is on the nominee list.
ATA Airlines' aggressive expansion into Hawaii with code-share partner Southwest will comprise the bulk of the airline's capacity for scheduled service this year, but charter and military fights will fuel most of the airline's revenue in 2006.
SAS recently used a four-dimensional trajectory navigation system on a Boeing 737 revenue flight from shortly after takeoff at one airport in Sweden to landing at Stockholm Arlanda Airport within two seconds of its required time of arrival.
Transport Canada yesterday grounded International Express Aircharter Ltd. which did business as Regency Express Flight Operations and Sonicblue Airways.
Brazil's domestic air traffic jumped 17.9% in 2005 from 2004 for the record number of 43,130, 559 passengers, show official statistics. July and December, when traditional holidays are celebrated, topped traffic figures for all other months.
United on Jan. 20 joined a growing list of carriers to win government approval to delay service to the Cancun-Cozumel area, which is still recovering from last year's Hurricane Wilma. The carrier will have to introduce service in the Denver-Cozumel market no later than Dec. 16, as required by a U.S. Transportation Dept. dormancy waiver [OST-2005-21162].
Malaysia Airlines, starting Feb. 1, will raise the fuel surcharge for flights from Malaysia to several Asian destinations as it seeks to defray ticketing-related costs. The fuel surcharge on flights to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives will jump US$30 per sector to US$50, while the fee on flights to China, Hong Kong and Korea will increase from US$32 to US$50. The fuel surcharge for flights from China to Malaysia will remain at US$20 per sector.
Dubai-based RAK Airlines received an air operating certificate from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government to start operations next month. The carrier, which will be based at the Ras Al Khaimah Airport, will initially use two Airbus A320s. It will be the fourth airline in the UAE, aside from Emirates, Etihad Airways and low-fare carrier Air Arabia. Although the UAE is a fast-growing market, one analyst warns that four airlines trying to serve a population of some 4.32 million will crowd the sector.
American plans in the next two months to add more flights into New Orleans, which will bring its New Orleans service almost back to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels.
The Transportation Security Administration has extended the deadline for response to a request for information (RFI) regarding the Registered Traveler (RT) program, the American Association of Airport Executives reports.
AirTran plans to launch service from White Plains, N.Y. later this year, at a time when the airport has seen service drop more than 15% in the past 12 months.
Spain's Air Europa and Venezuelan flag carrier Conviasa replaced Aeropostal as the Spanish carrier's Venezuelan code-share partner as part of a strategic agreement inked last week. Air Europa will increase its Madrid-Caracas frequencies initially to six per week and later to a daily service. Conviasa will code share with Air Europa on the flights.
Europe's efforts to accommodate long-term traffic growth will be stymied irrespective of progress in overhauling its air traffic management infrastructure, if it fails to adequately address airport expansion, European aviation officials warned last week. While there has been palpable success in improving air traffic management, airport capacity is becoming the choke point, Eurocontrol Director General Victor Aguado and Airports Council International-Europe Director Gen- eral Roy Griffins said during a joint presentation in London.
EasyJet says its revenue from intra-European flights jumped 78% in 2005 from GBP138 million to GBP247 million. Fourteen new routes are slated for debut, starting in March, including three new points from Milan.
