Tuesday's four-hour general strike at airports in Italy, in protest of government policies, cost Alitalia EUR2 million (US$2.66 million), said Alitalia Human Resources Director Massimo Chieli. In addition, the company's monthly fuel bill grew by EUR20 million (US$26.6 million), while the Italian air transport market is "almost in recession," he said. Alitalia posted a massive EUR620 million loss in the first half of 2004 and is currently awaiting the European Commission's opinion on its rescue plan. -MT
Chances are looking good for a more liberalized U.S.-Mexico air services agreement soon, U.S. Dept. of Transportation official said yesterday, as negotiating teams from the two countries prepare to meet for formal talks next week in Washington.
Airservices Australia CEO Bernie Smith has brought forward his retirement date from December 2005 to January 2005. Smith has been CEO since 2000 and has been at Airservices for six years. He said he decided to advance his retirement date "to allow the incoming chairman and ... board of directors the greatest flexibility in determining the corporation's future directions, strategy and structure." Smith is very well known in the international ATM arena, and is chairman of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization.
Just days before its initial public offering, state-owned Turkish Airlines reported a net profit of TRL113 trillion (US$79 million) for the third quarter of 2004. The airline's sales totaled TRL846 trillion (US$590 million) in the period. Passenger numbers were up 16% at 9.1 million.
A U.K. company has won major contracts to supply Drake voice communications systems (VCS) to Vietnam and Morocco. Vitec Group Communications, the U.K.-based supplier of Drake systems, will provide a Drake VCS for the Hanoi ATC center under a contract with Vietnam Air Traffic Management. The Hanoi system will have nine touch-screen operator positions, 22 radio interfaces and 50 telephone interfaces. A similar Drake VCS was installed in the Ho Chi Minh City ATC center earlier this year.
Airbus parent company EADS yesterday gave a strong signal that Boeing's 7E7 will soon have a direct competitor as the Seattle airframer continues its attempt to meet a yearend target of 200 orders. Speaking to reporters yesterday in New York, EADS CEO Philippe Camus said, "We are very supportive of the A350. We have already taken it into account in our plan."
Eurocontrol has extended the reach of its Link 2000+ controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) program, with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) committing to take part in the effort. This will help bridge the core area of Link 2000+ with the Oceanic Transition airspace. Ireland's en route airspace is strategically placed on the main air routes between Europe and North America. The number of aircraft equipped under the Link 2000+ program has now reached 152 as more airlines join.
Title: Global Remote Access. Contact: Sophie Altan, [email protected], +32 2 729 3234. Expires: Dec. 15 (documents won't be sent after Dec. 6). Posting: Eurocontrol wants to establish worldwide remote access from laptop computers to Eurocontrol IT resources through telephone lines. Who should tender: Companies that can provide a worldwide data network that can be accessed in different countries.
Embraer could emerge as the biggest winner of current airline restructuring if the revamped carriers opt to depend more on aircraft in the 70- to 110-seat range, leaving Bombardier to enter the market in 2010 with its 110- to 135-seat C Series jet family and allowing Airbus and Boeing enough time to prepare to lash out at the Canadian airframer's new plane.
Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB), with eight aircraft recently added to its fleet, has immediate plans to increase domestic and international flights and upgrade passenger services. The carrier took delivery of five 170-passenger Boeing 727-200s; one 190-passenger 757-200 and two 120-passenger 737-200s, all acquired through financial leasing with options to buy. LAB's goal for 2005 is increasing its fleet to 18 or 20 aircraft and to expand within and beyond Bolivia. -LZ
President Bush will nominate former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik to replace Tom Ridge as secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, according to wire reports. Kerik, a close associate of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, headed the city's police on Sept. 11, 2001. He emerged on top of a list that included DHS Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson and White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend.
Title: ADS Waypoint Reporting Services. Contact: Osita Umeh, 202-385-8449, [email protected]. Expires: Dec. 14. Posting: FAA's Oceanic and Offshore Integrated Product Team is in need of a provider for automatic dependent surveillance (ADS) waypoint reporting (WPR) Services in the New York Oceanic Flight Information Region (KZWY). This service is currently provided at a fixed price by ARINC Inc. in a contractual arrangement that will expire at the end of February 2005.
UPS will take over direct control of its express deliveries in major Chinese cities, buying out its partner Sinotrans in a $100 million deal. In January, UPS will take control of operations in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzen, Tianjin and Qingdao. By the end of the year, UPS will take over operations in 18 other Chinese cities, which will give it control over 1,700 employees. UPS has partnered with Sinotrans in the Chinese market since 1988. The two companies will continue their relationship in areas not covered by the latest deal.
Air New Zealand will increase its equity in the Christchurch Engine Center's (CEC) V2500 MRO facility from the current 10% to 49% in a deal worth US$7.8 million. CEC was established in April 2001 as a joint venture between Air NZ and Pratt & Whitney for maintenance, repair and overhaul services for JT8D and Rolls-Royce Dart engines. The airline retains its 49% stake in this venture.
US Airways yesterday reached a tentative concession deal with its airport and reservation employees, represented by the Communications Workers of America.
The Italian government this week appointed Carlo Rinaldini as the administrator for leisure carrier Volare and tasked him with saving the airline and its 1,400 jobs. Volare ceased flight operations almost two weeks ago after it found itself unable to make lease payments; it left thousands of passengers stranded (DAILY, Nov. 29). Volare has since filed for insolvency. The airline operates 24 aircraft, 21 of them in a low-fare European network. -JF
FAA COO Russ Chew has named Michael Cirillo as VP-system operations for the agency's Air Traffic Organization. Cirillo replaces Linda Schuessler, who retired earlier this month. Cirillo was most recently FAA's director-terminal safety and operations support.
FAA is mandating that operators of certain Boeing 737 models replace parts in the aircraft's fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS) and inspect the system's wire bundles to prevent arcing in the center wing fuel tank that could cause an explosion.
Delta's massive service scale-back at Dallas/Fort Worth will cost the airport $35 million a year from lost concession revenues, landing fees and gate rents, as well as 3,600 jobs, an economic study revealed.
Bombardier yesterday attempted to deflect attention away from its plummeting profits in the third quarter and recent downgrades by two major ratings agencies by touting its strong liquidity, but it also said production rates of its 50-seat regional jets would fall further than previously forecast.
Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Trading Co., co-owners of the JAL headquarters building in Tokyo, yesterday signed a contract with Nomura Real Estate to sell the building and give the airline a boost in liquidity.
United plans to cut $150 million in annual costs by the end of 2007 thanks to a new project aimed at boosting airport efficiency, which is being tested at Denver International. The project is called FIT or "Fix, Improve and Transform" and aims to fine-tune every process to redesign the way United works at its airports. In a message to employees, Larry De Shon, senior VP-airport operations, described what is happening in Denver to make changes both inside and outside the terminal.
Malaysian cargo carrier Transmile hopes to launch flights to Los Angeles in March. Transmile CEO Gan Boon Aun said the airline is still awaiting FAA approval to plan its launch date. The flights would be operated five times weekly with MD-11s via Hong Kong. The airline is acquiring three MD-11s, with delivery slated for February, June and December next year. Transmile currently operates 13 aircraft -- eight Boeing 727s and five 737-200s to 14 regional destinations. -WD
