Varig has invested another $14.5 million to pay immediate obligations for Uruguayan national carrier Pluna. Varig owns 49% of Pluna, with the majority owned by the Uruguay government and several small shareholders. The money was needed for aircraft maintenance and leasing and to stave off possible bankruptcy.
Expedia yesterday reported a $5.7 million net profit for the first quarter as its revenues doubled from a year ago. The company's results easily topped analyst expectations as its profit compares with a $17.6 million loss last year. Adjusting for one-time items, Expedia posted a $28.4 million profit. Expedia's gross bookings were $1.1 billion, an increase of more than $425 million over the year-ago quarter.
American has doubled the number of self-service check in kiosks at its St. Louis ticket counter to eight and added two more check in kiosks at the customer service center at a second service center on the C concourse. AA first introduced the self-service check in to St. Louis customers last December.
AeroMexico on May 6 will add another daily nonstop from Mexico City to Dallas/Fort Worth. At that time, the carrier will offer 21 weekly frequencies using MD-87 aircraft.
Lufthansa Technik Logistik (LTL) is providing parts logistics services to Asiana. Among the services provided by LTL are transporting components between the airline and Lufthansa Technik and keeping track of where parts are in the supply chain.
Khalifa Airways has signed a five-year "total technical support" contract with Lufthansa Technik (LHT) for maintenance of two Airbus A340s and one A320. The deal calls for 13 LHT mechanics to be stationed in Algiers for logistical support. The A340s, leased from Boeing Aircraft Trading, and the A320, leased from Lufthansa, join three Khalifa A319s already under LHT's care. Lufthansa also owns the A319s.
Delta is on track to sell 15% of its total tickets through its own web site, the company predicted yesterday. Delta said that its online ticket sales on its site for the first quarter grew 11% over the fourth quarter, and jumped 64% over the same period last year. Revenue from these ticket sales totaled $330 million, more than an 11% increase over the fourth quarter.
Khalifa Airways has signed a five-year "total technical support" contract with Lufthansa Technik (LHT) for maintenance of two Airbus A340s and one A320. The deal calls for 13 LHT mechanics to be stationed in Algiers for logistical support. The A340s, leased from Boeing Aircraft Trading, and the A320, leased from Lufthansa, join three Khalifa A319s already under LHT's care. Lufthansa also owns the A319s.
Sources in Lima report that Peruvian carrier AeroContinente has joined LanChile on the list of potential bidders for a block of shares in Ecuatoriana. The Ecuador carrier is now owned by Brazil's financially troubled VASP. A letter of intent was offered last week by AeroContinente to Ricardo Noboa Bejarano, president of Conamo, Ecuador's agency in charge of privatizations. Ecuador continues to hold majority control of Ecuatoriana.
US Airways late this year plans to start weekend service between Philadelphia and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. The new flights will start Dec. 7 and operate every Saturday with Airbus A319s. Located in the northern part of the Leeward Islands, St. Kitts becomes US Airways 17th Caribbean jet destination. US Airways claims to be the only airline offering jet service to St. Kitts from the U.S.
The Chinese airline merger plan, which was completed in May last year, is under threat of being rescheduled because of disputes recently came to the surface. Topping the list is a disagreement between the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the State Planning Development Commission (SPDC) about the specifics of the merger.
Southern Winds has suspended night flights from Buenos Aires to Catamarca in Argentina due to "lack of security at the airport," the airline said. The Argentine air force said only day flights will be allowed in Catamarca because "Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 has failed to construct a security wall to protect the runway."
Goodrich, which has about $10 million invested in the Fairchild Dornier 728 and 928 landing system development and inventory, is confident that a combination of bridge loans and a partner will keep the German manufacturer afloat. "Our intelligence indicates that they will have a partner before that $90 million [in bridge financing] runs out," Goodrich President Marshall Larsen told analysts during an earnings call yesterday.
Delta wants an exemption for U.S.-Algeria service so that it can launch code-share service with SkyTeam alliance partner Alitalia in the market while its certificate application in Docket OST-99-6246 is pending. While Delta plans to use the exemption initially to operate code-share service to Algiers "on flights operated by Alitalia's wet-lease subsidiaries via Rome," it would expect to use the authority via other gateways with other code-share partners. (Docket OST-02-12161)
Jinan, China-based Shandong Airlines has started a freighter carrier with the delivery of two Boeing 737-300Fs, each with a capacity of 15 tons. Named Shandong Airlines Cargo, the company has started services from Yantai to Seoul and Qingdao to Seoul. The airline plans to open more routes to Korea and introduce service to Japan and Mongolia this year. It is also investing $100 million to build an Air Logistics Center at Qingdao Airport.
Midwest Express flight attendants yesterday signaled their willingness to take strike action if a contract agreement is not reached soon by sending out strike ballots and picketing the airline's annual shareholder meeting. The National Mediation Board will hold a hearing April 30 to consider a request by the Association of Flight Attendants' Midwest Express Master Executive Council to be released from negotiations with management.
China will place a major order for 68 aircraft later in the year. A recent fleet evaluation exercise by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and independent regional Chinese carriers determined that 56 orders will be for Boeing and Airbus narrowbodies, the breakdown for which could not be ascertained. The widebody order will total 12 units, also to be shared by the two manufacturers. A separate order for 25 narrowbody Airbus aircraft carried forward from last year will be firmed up this year.
Jinan, China-based Shandong Airlines has started a freighter carrier with the delivery of two Boeing 737-300Fs, each with a capacity of 15 tons. Named Shandong Airlines Cargo, the company has started services from Yantai to Seoul and Qingdao to Seoul. The airline plans to open more routes to Korea and introduce service to Japan and Mongolia this year. It is also investing $100 million to build an Air Logistics Center at Qingdao Airport.
Delta Hub Profile Salt Lake City Origin and Destinations, Segment Summary and Top Nonstop Markets Origination and Destination Data 12 Months 12 Months Ended June Ended June 2001 1997 Salt Lake City Total (All Carriers) O&D Passengers 9,340,520 9,195,030 1.6% Passengers Per 12,795 12,596 Day Each Way
Sources in Lima report that Peruvian carrier AeroContinente has joined LanChile on the list of potential bidders for a block of shares in Ecuatoriana. The Ecuador carrier is now owned by Brazil's financially troubled VASP. A letter of intent was offered last week by AeroContinente to Ricardo Noboa Bejarano, president of Conamo, Ecuador's agency in charge of privatizations. Ecuador continues to hold majority control of Ecuatoriana. -LZ
DOT may be stepping back from consideration of the full range of aviation ownership and control issues that were raised last week by DOT Assistant Secretary Read Van de Water as policy issues DOT should review. DOT Secretary Norman Mineta, speaking yesterday to the German-American Business Council, responded negatively to the concept, according to attendees. The event was closed to the press.
FLS Aerospace will do C maintenance checks and other services for five Thomas Cook Airbus A320s, including two that will join the fleet temporarily. Heavy work will be done at FLS's Dublin facility, while FLS Stansted will handle component requirements. Thomas Cook subsidiary JMC Airlines, another FLS customer, owned the A320s.
Air Lib Express has operated at load factors of about 50% in the first week of April, according to Air Lib Chairman Jean-Charles Corbet. A week later, the load factor rose 65%. Air Lib Express began operations on French domestic routes as a no-frills competitor to Air France. Corbet said in an interview that he wanted to catch 10% of the 10 million annual TGV high-speed train passengers between Paris and Marseille. -JF
