EasyJet recently took delivery of a new Boeing 737-700, taking the current fleet size up to 31 aircraft. The new arrival is the 13th 737-700 in the fleet and will be based at Liverpool.
FAA this week proposed a $247,500 civil penalty against American for offering an unmarked oxygen generator to FedEx to be flown from New York Kennedy to Tulsa, Okla., a violation of federal hazardous material regulations. FAA alleges that a package containing the generator was not properly classed, described, packed, marked, labeled and in condition for shipment when it was offered to FedEx on Aug. 21, 2001. The shipment was carried onboard a FedEx flight from JFK to AA's Tulsa maintenance center, where the violation was discovered by AA personnel.
German regional carrier Eurowings has named Peter Kranich to serve as Senior Vice President Flight Operations. Kranich directly reports to President and CEO Friedrich-Wilhelm Weitholz. Kranich most recently was chief operating officer of Deutsche BA and previously worked for Lufthansa CityLine, German Cargo and the German armed forces.
A Chicago O'Hare watchdog group, Aviation Integrity Project, formed at the behest of Chicago's suburban mayors "to investigate waste and corruption" at the airport, is accusing Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) of taking $140,752 in campaign funds from contributors with contracts or economic interest in the airport. Durbin introduced the National Aviation Capacity Expansion Act to expand O'Hare, which is strongly opposed by Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.).
LanChile, through its code share with American, has introduced service from five U.S. West Coast cities through its hub in Los Angeles to a number of destinations in South America with just one ticket and through-check to final destinations. The new gateways are San Jose, Oakland and San Diego, Calif.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Las Vegas, Nev.
The de facto ban on flight training of new foreign-national students in U.S. schools could drag on for months as the Department of Justice goes through a formal rulemaking process to set up an approval procedure for flight students, according to industry officials. U.S. schools stopped training foreign nationals in November after Congress included a measure in the Aviation Transportation and Security Act that requires up to a 45-day DOJ review of prospective non-U.S. students who seek training on aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more.
CCAIR, in an expedited ratification vote, yesterday accepted a contract proposed by management. A tentative agreement was reached between the Air Line Pilots Association's CCAIR Master Executive Council and the airline on April 17. In a statement, CCAIR MEC Chairman Brian Billups said the vote indicates that CCAIR pilots "are willing to make sacrifices to keep CCAIR alive."
United yesterday reduced preflight arrival time of passengers not checking bags to 60 minutes. Customers who have baggage to check should still get to the airport at least 90 minutes before they fly, and customers who are flying to an international destination should arrive at least two hours before departure.
American will finish April with an approximately 99% completion factor despite poor weather in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago and St. Louis. As of yesterday, the airline completed 99.1% of flights, and 85% arrived on time. "Given the weather challenges, those are quite good numbers," CEO Don Carty said to employees.
Air Anatolia will lease two Boeing 757-200s from IEM Airfinance. Teams of the lease were not disclosed. The Turkish charter carrier also operates two 737s and three Airbus A300B4s.
Delta Hub Profile Dallas/Fort Worth Origin and Destinations, Segment Summary and Top Nonstop Markets Origination and Destination Data 12 Months 12 Months Ended June Ended June % 2001 1997 Change Dallas/Fort Worth Total (All Carriers) O&D Passengers 19,752,820 17,739,210 11.4%
American yesterday told officials from Long Beach, Calif., that JetBlue's current slot agreement with the city violates federal law it is "prepared to vindicate our rights," if the issue is not resolved.
Flughafen Wien, the operator of Vienna International Airport, announced that it was leading an international consortium aiming at purchasing 40% of Malta International Airport from the Maltese State. The other partners of the consortium, which will have a 65-year concession for the operation of the airport, are Canadian engineering and construction group SNC-Lavalin and Maltese firm Bianchi&Co. (1916) Ltd. The transaction is expected to take effect at the end of May 2002 pending approval from the Maltese Parliament.
Flughafen Wien, the operator of Vienna International Airport, announced that it was leading an international consortium aiming at purchasing 40% of Malta International Airport from the Maltese State. The other partners of the consortium, which will have a 65-year concession for the operation of the airport, are Canadian engineering and construction group SNC-Lavalin and Maltese firm Bianchi & Co. (1916) Ltd. The transaction is expected to take effect at the end of May 2002 pending approval from the Maltese Parliament.
Northwest pilot leadership is expected to vote today on a tentative contract extension reached Saturday that includes two pay raises over the next 18 months. The deal also requires that negotiations for a new contract begin in January, with the goal of achieving agreement by September 2003. Pilot representatives say the agreement enables them to negotiate the new contract when the airline is in better shape financially.
The shareholders of Italian regional airline Volare voted in favor of flotation at the Milan stock market last week in an attempt to finance the development of new operations. The flotation, which was expected last year, is scheduled to take place in the next months, depending on market conditions. Italian entrepreneur Gino Zoccai owns 80% of Volare after purchasing a 49.9% stake held by Swissair Group. Last year, Volare intended to float some 35% of its capital.
American yesterday told officials from Long Beach, Calif., that JetBlue's current slot agreement with the city violates federal law it is "prepared to vindicate our rights," if the issue is not resolved.
SN Brussels Airlines flew to Africa for the first time on April 26, as the new Belgian airline attempts to re-enter a market lost by Sabena, the defunct Belgian flag carrier. SN Brussels Airlines Flight SN 471 served Entebbe, Uganda, and Nairobi, Kenya. In total, SN Brussels Airlines plans to serve 11 African destinations. The routes will be operated by Birdy Airlines, a new carrier created by the founders of bankrupt CityBird. Birdy, which obtained its operating certificate from Belgian authorities April 25, plans to operate three leased Airbus A330-300s.
Crossair's traffic rose 67% in the first quarter, the carrier's last three-month period as a regional airline. The airline carried 1.9 million passengers. Crossair said the increase is due mainly to the incorporation of former Swissair European routes from Zurich and Geneva. The load factor for the quarter improved to 50.9%, up from 46.2% in 2001.
Charles Keegan, who manages FAA's Operational Evolution Plan (OEP), has been appointed by FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to succeed Steven Zaidman as FAA associate administrator for research and acquisition. Keegan will continue managing OEP implementation while assuming responsibilities for modernizing the U.S. airspace system, including research, acquisition, integration, development and deployment of air traffic control systems.
Sabre, as part of a new "empowering agenda" for travel agents, unveiled several new products that will be available starting next month. Sabre developed the plan to "champion the travel agent in response to the rate of change" in the travel industry, such as airlines' decision to eliminate base commissions. "Agencies need to make the hard decisions and take the appropriate actions to ensure they control their own destiny," said Eric Speck, group president of travel marketing and distribution.
Air Canada has begun using wireless mobile IBM self-service kiosks in a trial program to speed passenger check-in at Toronto Pearson Airport. The mobile kiosks are the first jointly developed system from the partnership formed by IBM and Air Canada. The system comprises 142 kiosks at eight Canadian airports and cut check-in time by about 80% during peak periods. Air Canada agents wearing computer and mobile printers attached to their belts swipe the passenger's credit card or frequent flyer card through the printer, check the passenger in and print a boarding pass.
Air Canada has begun using wireless mobile IBM self-service kiosks in a trial program to speed passenger check-in at Toronto Pearson Airport. The mobile kiosks are the first jointly developed system from the partnership formed by IBM and Air Canada. The system comprises 142 kiosks at eight Canadian airports and cut check-in time by about 80% during peak periods. Air Canada agents wearing computer and mobile printers attached to their belts swipe the passenger's credit card or frequent flyer card through the printer, check the passenger in and print a boarding pass.
SN Brussels Airlines flew to Africa for the first time on April 26, as the new Belgian airline attempts to re-enter a market lost by Sabena, the defunct Belgian flag carrier. SN Brussels Airlines Flight SN 471 served Entebbe, Uganda, and Nairobi, Kenya. In total, SN Brussels Airlines plans to serve 11 African destinations. The routes will be operated by Birdy Airlines, a new carrier created by the founders of bankrupt CityBird. Birdy, which obtained its operating certificate from Belgian authorities April 25, plans to operate three leased Airbus A330-300s.
The European Commission is looking into a $90 million three-month credit facility for Fairchild Dornier, a Commission spokesman said yesterday. The rescue package includes state guarantees granted by Germany's Federal and Bavarian governments. The state guarantees could qualify as "rescue aid," which the EC authorizes, provided it has limited scope and duration and is subject to interest payments at financial market conditions. The commission has asked for additional information on the credit line, the EC spokesman said.
