Primaris Airlines recently inked a deal with TNT Vacations to operate charter flights for the winter season while it works to raise money in preparation of the launch of scheduled service next year.
Techspace Aero plans to design and build the low-pressure compressor stators in the General Electric GEnx engine set to power Boeing's 7E7 and the Airbus A350. Techspace has to finish building the five stators by March 2006 for the first test-engine run. Engine certification is scheduled in mid-2007. Snecma controls 51% of Techspace. -LR
Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard will move up next year to become Co-CEO of EADS in an expected decision made public on Friday. Forgeard will replace Philippe Camus in July, when the five-year-term of current Co-CEOs, Camus and Rainer Hertrich, ends. Contrary to his own ambitions, Forgeard will share powers at the Airbus parent with Thomas Enders, currently heading the group's military business.
KLM will add three new Boeing 777-200ER aircraft to its fleet over the next 15 months. One will be delivered in January 2005, one in January 2006 and one in March 2006, bringing the total to 12. "Arrival of the new aircraft is in keeping with the joint fleet strategy pursued by Air France and KLM," said the Dutch carrier. KLM also explained that it was taking advantage of favorable financing conditions, while "the transport market is recovering after three years of stagnation." -MT
Etihad firmed up orders for five Boeing 777-300ERs announced earlier this year (DAILY, Sept. 13). The all-Airbus operator is scheduled to take delivery of its Boeing planes October-December of 2005. The carrier signed a memorandum of understanding for 24 Airbus planes, including A380s, A340s and A330s, earlier this year at the Farnborough Air Show. -LR
United's pilots will take a 14.7% pay cut, on top of the 30% reduction they agreed to last year, as part of the tentative agreement that will be subject to a vote in the coming weeks.
America West will add flights from Boise to Las Vegas to its schedule next year, continuing its expansion at Las Vegas. The flights will begin March 1, operated by America West Express carrier Mesa. Boise will be America West's 56th nonstop destination from its Las Vegas hub, and the carrier has added 15 routes at Las Vegas this year. -AS
The Bush Administration last week approved a policy that greatly expands the role of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation in the management and development of the Global Positioning System. The new rule establishes a permanent National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee, to be co-chaired by the deputy secretaries of the Defense and Transportation departments. A full-time office will be created, headed by a director, to support the committee.
World Airways named George Wilson, director-flight standards and flight operations training, to VP and director-flight operations; he replaces Gary Goodpaster, who returned to flying for World.
Three Taiwanese airlines -- China Airlines, EVA Air, and domestic carrier Far East Air Transport -- and Taiwan Airport Service (TAS) have acquired a combined 49% stake in Xiamen International Airport Air Cargo Terminal in China's Fujian Province. The three airlines each hold a 12%, stake while TAS acquired 13%. The Xiamen city government holds the remaining 51%. China Airlines also holds 25% equity in Shanghai-based China Cargo Airlines, which is controlled by China Eastern Airlines. -WD
A newly hatched government plan to help struggling Brazilian airlines like Varig may be in doubt, after Defense Minister Jose Alencar, whose office sponsored the plan, backed away from it in recent remarks. In the plan, the government would create a process for the out-of-court liquidation of financially troubled airlines (DAILY, Dec. 13). A decree would establish a Special Temporary Administrative Regime on Civil Aviation (Raetac) and empower key government agencies to intervene in operational and financial matters to ensure the sector's success.
Northwest last week reported that the majority of its cargo customers are now booking their shipments electronically using a web-based system. In November, more than 50% of Northwest's cargo bookings came through Cargo Portal Services (CPS), the first time that milestone was reached since CPS was launched 22 months ago. NWA Cargo saw an increase in its cargo e-booking percentage after CPS introduced a "template booking" feature in October. The service allows Northwest's largest freight forwarder customers to manage an entire month of recurrent bookings.
American last week said it will sell meals on domestic routes next year, after a trial of the meals in September proved successful. The meals will be sold in the main cabin on 660 domestic flights on all routes with flight times longer than three hours. They will be offered on 500 transcontinental flights and will replace the existing meal service on 120 transcontinental and 40 Hawaii flights.
Malaysia's regional budget carrier Air Asia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to acquire 40 A320s with an option for another 40 aircraft. According to the MOU, delivery is planned to start late next year and continue through 2011. Air Asia currently operates a fleet of 24 Boeing 737-300s -- 19 are leased, while five are owned by the airline. Air Asia's network covers 17 domestic and 10 regional destinations. -WD
Hawaiian Airlines last week reached a deal with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) District Lodge 141, which represents the carrier's largest and most diverse labor group, giving a boost to the airline's efforts to emerge from bankruptcy.
Qantas-backed low-fare carrier Jetstar Asia Airways last week launched service from Singapore Changi Airport to Hong Kong, making it the third Singapore-based LCC to launch operations this year.
Cendant Corp. last week signed a deal to acquire privately held, U.K.-based Gullivers Travel Associates for about $1.1 billion in cash, becoming the latest in a series of acquisitions by the company in recent months.
FAA predicts that 20 additional airports will be handling more than 500,000 annual departures and arrivals within 20 years, about the size of Detroit Airport's operations. Eight metro areas will need more airport capacity by 2020, FAA says.
IATA reported that 85 member airlines, carrying more than 80% of all passengers, are prepared or getting prepared to meet the group's goal of having complete electronic ticketing by the end of 2007. That still leaves about 200 other airlines "who need to catch up," says CEO Giovanni Bisignani.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ron Brown at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing in PDF format.) JAN. 9-13, 2005 -- American Association of Airport Executives, Aviation Issues Conference, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Kona, Hawaii, 703-824-0504, www.airportnet.org JAN. 13-14 -- Airports Council International-North America, Insurance/Risk Management Seminar, The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, New Orleans, 202-293-8500, e-mail [email protected], www.aci-na.aero
