Gol launched five-times-weekly Sao Paulo Congonhas-Bauru flights. Qatar Airways will launch daily Doha-Bangalore flights on Feb. 22 aboard an A320. Continental Airlines will operate daily Portland, Ore.-Anchorage service June 10-Sept. 6 aboard a 737-800. Air China will increase its daily Beijing-Vancouver A330-200 service to 10-times-weekly from June.
Airports in the US Mid-Atlantic region, including Washington Dulles and National, Baltimore and Philadelphia, were open yesterday following the weekend's heavy snowfall but continued to suffer cancellations and were bracing for another storm scheduled to begin later Tuesday. United Airlines canceled 628 flights on Saturday and 270 on Sunday, according to The Wall Street Journal, while AirTran Airways canceled 374 flights at eight airports over the weekend, according to The Baltimore Sun.
UK airports handled 206.6 million passengers in the January-November 2009 period, down 7.6% from the year-ago period, according to RDC Aviation's UK Passenger and Cargo Monitor. Scheduled passengers decreased 6.2% to 183.2 million while charter traffic fell 17.2% to 23.4 million, RDC reported based on CAA data. London Heathrow maintained its leadership, handling 60.7 million, down just 1.7%, while Stansted saw passenger numbers slip 11.3% to 21 million. Gatwick boardings declined 5.7% to 32.1 million.
Russian Ministry of Transport extended traffic rights for Austrian Airlines until March 31, after which it may banish OS from its airspace owing to a dispute over the carrier's nationality. Russian authorities argue that based on current bilateral agreements with Austria, OS no longer is considered a domestic airline following its acquisition by Lufthansa. OS operates 48 weekly flights to/from six Russian destinations as well as flights through Russian airspace to Beijing and Tokyo Narita ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Wizz Air will launch service to Belgrade with thrice-weekly flights from Dortmund (June 12) and London Luton (July 24). It also will base a fourth A320 at Bucharest Baneasa from June 26 and launch new twice-weekly service to Turin, Dusseldorf Weeze and Zaragoza while increasing frequencies to Barcelona, London Luton, Rome Ciampino and Treviso.
Ukraine International Airlines' (UIA) has begun additional weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Kiev, with the carrier now flying five times per week.
Air Berlin will launch weekly Munich-Erbil service Saturday aboard a 737-800. Flight initially will alternate between Erbil International and Sulaimaniyah International, AB said, adding that it plans to increase frequency beginning this summer. RwandAir launched service from Kigali to Johannesburg (four-times-weekly) and Dar Es Salaam via Bujumbura (thrice-weekly). The airline said it expects to acquire one 767 and one 737-800 next month. Iberia increased its twice-daily Madrid-Buenos Aires A340 service to 17-times-weekly.
Durham Tees Valley released plans to divide its terminal building into a "premium" area for scheduled service and business travelers and a second area for leisure, charter and low-cost passengers. It said the move will help "deliver a significant increase in passenger numbers in the coming year." MME handled 654,192 passengers in 2008, down 12% from 2007. Statistics were not available for 2009. Airport Director Kerry Quinn said the premium area will include dedicated lounge facilities, faster security lanes and wireless Internet.
Republic Airways Holdings will dissolve its Lynx Aviation subsidiary by September, removing the former Frontier Airlines subsidiary's Q400s from operation and eliminating approximately 175 jobs. "After extensive analysis and months of efforts to grow the business, we concluded we could not efficiently operate a fleet of 11 Q400 aircraft," Republic Executive VP and COO Wayne Heller said. "Converting. . .to jet service allows us to better utilize our existing aircraft resources and lower our cost of operating and maintaining multiple fleet types."
Delta Air Lines plans to transfer 225 Cincinnati-based pilots to other airports as it continues to downsize its operation there, according to company and Air Line Pilots Assn. memos obtained by The Cincinnati Enquirer. The pilots slated to move fly DL's 767s. "Unfortunately we have simply run out of time," VP-Flight Operations Jim Graham wrote to pilots. "Barring a change in network strategy. .
Biman Bangladesh Airlines took delivery of one 777-200ER and one 737-800 this week and introduced a new logo and livery. MD and CEO Muhammad Zakiul Islam told reporters that Biman intends to resume suspended service to Delhi, Bangkok, Mumbai and New York JFK by March and to launch new flights to Tripoli, Colombo and Guangzhou. A second -200ER, one A310-300 and one 737-800 are expected to arrive next month. All aircraft are on lease; the two newest from EuroAtlantic Airways and GECAS, according to Reuters.
