The European Parliament, voting on European Commission proposals to launch multilateral air talks with Moscow and Beijing (DAILY, March 15, 2005), said it would reject a multilateral air agreement between the European Union and Russia that did not include "the immediate and complete abolition of Russian overflight charges." "A comprehensive aviation agreement between the European Union and China, however, is considered desirable," the parliament said.
Worldspan and KLM reached a multi-year agreement for the airline to offer the GDS company the same fares and content available through its direct sales channels -- its web site and reservations agents -- without surcharges. KLM already uses a Worldspan product called Airline Source that gives Worldspan travel retailers and online users access to its reservations to book flights in real time and with last-seat availability. -LR
The multi-agency task force known as the Joint Program Development Office (JPDO) plans this spring to release the first detailed blueprints of what the future U.S. ATC system will look like, which will be the most significant products so far from this two-year-old office.
After experiencing serious problems last year due to high fuel prices, Aerolineas del Sur and Sky Airlines are poised to concentrate on growth in 2006. Santiago's El Mercurio reports ADS will close 2006 with eight aircraft, or double the current number, as it expands domestically to Copiapo, Temuco and Balmaceda in Chile and internationally to Buenos Ares and Lima. In the long term, the carrier plans to fly to Polynesia via Chile's Easter Island. ADS will also start code sharing with Air Plus Comet on the Santiago/Madrid route.
Frontier Airlines is in talks with two to three potential partners to forge code-sharing relationships in an effort to reach markets where the airline has limited or no exposure. The carrier has been focusing more attention on partnerships after a code share with Midwest Airlines ended in mid-2005, followed by a code-share deal with Virgin Atlantic that expired at the end of the year.
Continental today kicks off the fourth quarter financial reports with an expected loss, but the carrier will likely do better than the analysts' average estimate "because, well, that's what they do," says JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker. "The fourth-quarter reporting season is expected to contain few, if any, surprises." Airlines will likely be wary of fuel but should have "upbeat" outlooks on capacity and demand.
The change in judges overseeing Delta's bankruptcy case will be permanent, but Delta believes the switch will be a "seamless transition." Earlier in the week, Judge Prudence Carter Beatty said she was going to take a medical leave for an unspecified length of time but it was going to be temporary (DAILY, Jan. 10). The court assigned Judge Adlai Hardin to replace Beatty. Several days later, the court announced that Hardin would permanently replace Beatty in administering the Delta bankruptcy case.
The European Low Fares Airline Association plans to push for several amendments to the European Union's rules for passenger compensation when the laws come under review in 2007, including "calling on the [European] Commission to pass legislation that makes the air traffic service providers responsible for compensation to passengers for the vast number of delays due to ATC inefficiencies, failures and strikes."
One day after the U.S. Army axed plans for its Aerial Common Sensor program, Embraer said plans to build ERJ-145s at a facility in Jacksonville are "on hold." Program lead Lockheed Martin originally selected the -145 for the ACS, but the army issued a stop-work order in September after the Embraer jet proved too small to carry the necessary payloads. Embraer said the -145 "met all the requirements at the time of the contract award, but system issues were identified during the development program that pointed to moving to a larger platform." -LR
EasyJet had stern words for the authorities at Paris airports after the French government approved a 5% increase in airport charges. The airline argues the hike in charges is funding investments at Paris airports that won't benefit its operations at Orly or Charles de Gaulle. "Not a Euro spent by Aeroports de Paris (ADP) will go toward the facilities used by easyJet and its passengers," the carrier said.
You can now register online for Aviation Week events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or contact Lydia Janow, 212-904-3225 or 800-240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada only) APR. 5-6 -- U.S. Defense Budgets and Programs Conference, Arlington, Va. APR. 25-26 -- MRO Military Conference, Phoenix APR. 25-26 -- MRO USA Conference & Exhibition 2006, Phoenix MAY 17-18 -- MRO Military Europe, Berlin SEPT. 19-21 -- MRO Asia, Xiamen, China OCT. 24-26 -- MRO Europe, Amsterdam
Union opposition to stock-based compensation being paid to American managers highlights a larger problem for the airline industry, Merrill Lynch analyst Michael Linenberg says. It is becoming harder for carriers "to retain and attract high-quality leaders," he believes. CEOs and senior managers "are not falling all over each other to seek major airline jobs," due to issues like comparatively low pay, poor stock performance, difficult labor relations, and cumbersome regulations.
Venezuela in a short time has adapted to the problems unleashed by the temporary closure of the expressway that links Caracas with Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport, and only a few carriers have adjusted their schedules. Venezuela's civil aviation institute (Inac) reports that so far only about 3% of 1,700 daily operations nation-wide have been canceled because of this predicament.
Seat manufacturer Weber Aircraft last week promoted Adri Ruiter to president from his post as VP and general manager in charge of engineering and marketing. Michel Labarre, former president of Weber Aircraft, moves to C&D Zodiac, an aircraft cabin interiors company that was known as C&D Aerospace until it was acquired by Zodiac last year. Weber Aircraft also announced that Alain Peraudeau was appointed director-European and Middle East operations. -SL
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing in PDF format.) JAN. 18 -- World Airline Entertainment Association Technology Committee Meeting, Sheraton Gateway LAX, Los Angeles, www.waea.org JAN. 18 -- Wings Club Luncheon featuring Martin Broughton, chairman, British Airways, Yale Club, New York, 212-867-1770, email [email protected]
Airports Council International-North America appointed Eileen Denne VP-communications and marketing, Jessica Steinhilber senior manager- environmental affairs and Elle Han manager-economic affairs.
