British Airways will reduce the number of aircraft based at London Gatwick to 37 from 41 next summer and cut more than 100 ground operations positions. "We have briefed our staff and their trade unions that the number of departures at Gatwick will reduce by 15% next summer compared to this summer. We aim to have a voluntary severance program in place by the end of the year," BA said in a statement cited by Bloomberg News.
Virgin America will add Boston Logan to its network and has canceled plans to serve Chicago O'Hare. It will launch A320 flights to BOS, its eighth destination, from San Francisco (twice-daily) and Los Angeles (thrice-daily) on Feb. 12. ORD service ( ATW, Nov. 10) was tabled after VX failed to secure gate leases. "Chicago remains at the top of our list and we look forward to launching our service when a gate solution has been found at O'Hare," it said in a statement.
The Brazilian Air Force is set to release a final report on the Sept. 29, 2006, midair collision between a Gol 737-800 and an ExcelAire Legacy 600 that led to the deaths of all 154 aboard the 737, and reportedly it will cite as primary causes the ExcelAire pilots' negligence in inadvertently turning off the aircraft's transponder and a series of mistakes by air traffic controllers. The report is expected to be released officially tomorrow after victims' families have been given an opportunity to review it. Brazilian media reported the findings over the weekend.
Dart Group PLC (“the Group”), the aviation and distribution group, announces its interim results for the half year ended 30 September 2008. These results are presented under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Dallas-Fort Worth International Thursday opened the first quadrant of a new perimeter taxiway system it said will eliminate hundreds of the up-to-1,500 daily runway crossings. Testing and research on the concept in conjunction with US FAA and NASA began in 2003. FAA paid for 75% of the $67 million cost of the first section on DFW's southeast side. Data from use of this quadrant on the airport's busiest side will be collected and analyzed before planning for the other three sections is completed.
Deutsche Post's DHL Exel Supply Chain unit won a 10-year, multimillion-dollar deal with British Airways to provide inflight catering services for domestic and short-haul flights from London Heathrow. Contract takes effect in April 2010 and calls for up to 13 million meals annually, inflight retail, media and comfort items as well as waste management and wash-up responsibilities. Northern Foods will prepare the meals under a subcontract with DHL.
Bmibaby announced the following route suspensions: Service from Birmingham to Rome Fiumicino, Milan Orio al Serio, Lisbon, Madrid and Birmingham from March 29 to Oct. 24; Manchester-Madrid from March 29 to Oct. 22; Nottingham East Midlands-Prague from March 29 to Oct. 23. Changes are "in response to a weakening of demand, which is being impacted upon by the current economic climate," it said. It will operate a new thrice-weekly EMA-Menorca service May 22-Oct. 24.
UK government delayed its decision on building a third runway at London Heathrow until January. The consultation process closed Nov. 9 and a decision was expected this month.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi will be "open for full services including check-in and immigration" today, Airports of Thailand said yesterday, but foreign governments and airlines warned that the airport may not be ready to resume operations safely. After a one-week siege by antigovernment protesters shut down BKK ( ATWOnline, Dec. 4), leaving more than 200,000 foreign passengers stranded in Bangkok and stalling international cargo transport, Thailand is eager to get the capital's main airport up and running.
Thai Airways flight from Phuket landed at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi yesterday, marking the resumption of service at the capital's international airport following a one-week closure caused by a siege by antigovernment protesters ( ATWOnline, Dec. 3). BKK is expected to reopen slowly over the coming days. Normal service still may be some time away as the first order of business is arranging flights to ferry more than 200,000 foreign passengers still stranded in Bangkok.
South African Airways and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union reached an agreement under which the carrier cancelled plans to outsource call centers to Dimension Data on Dec. 1 pending further discussions with the union. SATAWU engaged in industrial action last weekend. Separately, SAA said it will launch twice-weekly Johannesburg-Buenos Aires flights on April 8 aboard an A340-200. A third weekly flight begins in July. EZE is SAA's second South American destination after Sao Paulo Guarulhos.
Norwegian announced an expansion at its recently opened Copenhagen base comprising six additional 737-800s that will operate 12 new routes beginning in April. On April 2 it will launch flights from CPH to Amsterdam, Budapest, Krakow, Paris Orly and Palma. The following day service will begin to Edinburgh and Prague, with Faro and Pisa flights beginning April 4. Service to Heraklion and Split will launch May 2, bringing to 17 the number of routes Norwegian operates from CPH. It said it plans to fly to Barcelona, Rome and London as well.
