US Airways announced yesterday that it will cut 1,000 jobs in the first half of 2010 and implement a "realignment" of its flight network to focus on its "core network strengths," resulting in nearly all of its capacity operating to/from three hubs, one focus city and on its Northeast US shuttle service by the end of next year. US said the job cuts will include 600 airport passenger and ramp service workers, 200 pilots and 150 flight attendants. It will close crew bases at Las Vegas and New York LaGuardia on Jan. 31 and at Boston on May 2.
Continental Airlines yesterday signed codeshare agreements with two more Star Alliance members, ANA and Asiana Airlines. CO officially joined Star Tuesday and inked codesharing pacts with United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada and bmi ( ATWOnline, Oct. 28). It said yesterday that it will start codesharing with Asiana in December and with ANA next year.
Etihad Airways will launch service from Abu Dhabi to Nagoya (via Beijing, four-times-weekly from Feb. 1 increasing to five-times-weekly on March 27) and Tokyo Narita (five-times-weekly on March 27) aboard A330s. They will be its first Japanese destinations. Air New Zealand and South African Airways reached a codeshare deal under which SAA will place its code on ANZ's daily Auckland-Perth flight and ANZ will put its code on SAA's daily Perth-Johannesburg service. Agreement also covers internal flights to principal cities.
Science Applications International Corp. of Virginia said it was awarded a $106 million contract by US FAA "to provide program management and technical services" in support of the NextGen transition. SAIC said its involvement will include work on safety management, aeronautical communications and weather programs.
The European Commission will require oneworld partners British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia to surrender slots in order to gain clearance for their transatlantic alliance, the Financial Times reported, citing documents saying the joint venture is "likely to result in appreciable competitive harm" on seven Europe-US routes.
Delta Air Lines announced the following new routes: Five-times-weekly Seattle-Beijing beginning June 4 aboard a 767-300, daily SEA-Osaka Kansai on June 7 aboard a 767-300, five-times-weekly Detroit-Hong Kong on June 2 aboard a 777-200, five-times-weekly DTW-Incheon on June 1 aboard a 777-200, daily flights from New York JFK to both Copenhagen and Stockholm Arlanda on May 27 aboard 757-200s, thrice-weekly Atlanta-Accra on June 1 aboard a 767-300, thrice-weekly JFK-Abuja on June 1 aboard a 767-300.
Ryanair said it notified Shannon Airport that it will reduce the number of based aircraft to one from three if the Irish government does not repeal its €10 ($15) passenger tax by Feb. 1 or if the airport does not extend the LCC's cost base "on a competitive basis for a further five-year period." Ryanair said it has lost money in each of the five years it has operated at SNN and it announced a cutback over the summer ( ATWOnline, June 18).
Qatar Airways continued its expansion into India with the launch of its second route within two weeks – to the idyllic beach holiday destination of Goa.
Garuda Indonesia will reinstate daily Jakarta-Amsterdam service via Dubai June 1 aboard an A330-200 following "much improved business and economic relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands," it said. Garuda was removed from the EU's list of banned airlines in July ( ATWOnline, July 27). United Airlines will launch twice-daily Washington Dulles-Pensacola flights on Feb. 11 aboard a Mesa Airlines CRJ. It also will operate twice-weekly PNS-Chicago O'Hare service Feb. 13-June 6.
Seagle Air of Bratislava suspended operations Friday after failing to receive funds from partner SkyOne Italy Airlines, Seagle CEO Peter Hanak said in a statement. Seagle's charter and cargo operations could restart if financing is secured. It operated three 737-300s and two A320s. The CTK Czech news agency reported that Bratislava's Milan Rastislav Stefanik Airport lost 34% of its traffic when SkyEurope Airlines folded last month and could lose an additional 25% with the loss of Seagle. Ryanair now is BTS's largest carrier.
A top-level panel of aviation industry chief executives confirmed the Middle East was leading the way out of a downturn but warned the industry should not be complacent.
