German court approved a €4 billion expansion of Frankfurt International, which will include a fourth runway and third terminal and a cargo maintenance center. The new runway could be opened for operation by 2011.
Airports are not the major cause of the economic woes of the airline industry, Airports Council International World Director Angela Gittens told ATW's Airports Today. In recent months, IATA and the Assn. of European Airlines, as well as individual carriers like Ryanair, have complained about airport fees and charges in vocal and sometimes harsh terms. IATA even erected a metaphorical "Wall of Shame" with the names of airports it believes are guilty of overcharging airlines.
JetBlue Airways and Lufthansa, which owns 15.6% of the New York JFK-based LCC, yesterday announced a codeshare agreement. Subject to US Dept. of Transportation approval, LH initially will place its code on connecting flights from JFK and/or Boston to Austin, Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham, Rochester, San Juan, Syracuse, Tampa and West Palm Beach.
Oman Air will launch flights from Muscat to Frankfurt (four-times-weekly from Sept. 30) and Munich (thrice-weekly from Oct. 1) aboard A330-200s. Routes will be operated with A330-300s from December. Eastern Airways will launch five-times-weekly flights to Bergen from both Newcastle and Aberdeen on Oct. 5.
CAAC last week approved China Eastern Airlines' acquisition of Shanghai Airlines, according to CEA GM Ma Xulun. The merger still requires the approval of both carriers' shareholders, but CEA said it has started the merger process and expects the transaction to be completed by year end ( ATWOnline, Aug. 10). A shareholders conference is planned for Oct. 9 to consider and vote on the merger and approval is expected.
Air France and China Southern Airlines announced an expansion of their codeshare agreement covering CZ's flights from Guangzhou to Kunming, Xiamen and Wenzhou and AF's service from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Madrid, Milan Malpensa and London Heathrow. Air Canada will launch summer seasonal service to Athens and Barcelona from Toronto and Montreal next year. Subject to government approval, service will be operated June 3-Oct. 18 using 244-seat 767-300ERs. Both routes will be operated six days per week, with half the flights originating in Toronto and half in Montreal.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is simplifying check-in by installing SITA's CUSS (common use self-service) kiosks at Abu Dhabi International Airport
Kuwait's US$40 million executive/general aviation (GA) terminal was designed by Mott McDonald in co-operation with Jet Aviation of Switzerland, which was originally contracted to operate it.
Kuwait has long wanted to update its airport facilities, but the 1990 Iraqi invasion and the cost of rebuilding the country scuppered its plans. So, in 2005, it launched the largest development project in Kuwait International Airport's 80-year history – its ambitious new $3.5 billion master plan.
Thales said it completed "phase four" of Mexico's nationwide air traffic modernization program for air navigation services provider SENEAM. The phase involved the upgrade of the sites at Mazatlan, Hermosillo, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose and Tijuana airports. Mexican ATC centers "are now operating exclusively with the Thales Eurocat ATM system," the company said.
The Sultanate of Oman is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. Rich in natural resources – petroleum, natural gas, copper, fishery and agriculture – it is also a cultural hub with breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches and a traditional approach to tourism. Marcelle Nethersole reports.
AirTran Airways applied for authority to serve both Nassau and Montego Bay from Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando International and to fly to Aruba from ATL and MCO. It said service, if approved, will start "later this year and early in 2010." Alaska Airlines will launch six-times-weekly Portland-San Jose service on Sept. 2, increasing to daily March 14 aboard a 737-700. Air Canada will offer daily Montreal-Houston Intercontinental service beginning Nov. 30 aboard Jazz Air CRJ700s.
Airport International Group, the Jordanian company in charge of Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), has announced an increase in of 14.14% in aircraft movements for July.
