Mexicana has been hit by the current industry downturn like many carriers, but it remains in "adequate" financial health and is focused on a long-term plan that includes oneworld entry and the launch of its first European services early next year, CEO Manuel Borja said yesterday at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Cancun.
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals won a deal with Star Airlines Macedonia to provide ground handling at Hong Kong International. The carrier offers once-weekly charter service between Istanbul, Almaty, Hong Kong, Sharjah and Lagos.
Japan Airlines will launch daily 767 Osaka Kansai-Seoul Gimpo flights from Jan. 10 as it lowers from 21 to 14 the number of weekly flights it operates between KIX and Seoul Incheon. It additionally will add its code to daily A300 KIX-GMP Korean Air flights from Dec. 1.
Qantas's A380 flights into Los Angeles International are going well, Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsay said yesterday in Washington. "We can handle the A380 now," she told the International Aviation Club. However, LAX has made certain adjustments owing to the size of the aircraft: "We do basically shut down [other] operations to have a takeoff or landing of the A380," she said, adding that each arriving and departing A380 flight also receives a ground escort to and from the gate.
United Airlines will launch daily Washington Dulles-Geneva flights April 19 aboard a 767 and will operate daily Denver-London Heathrow service March 29-Oct. 23 aboard a 777. Ryanair will launch flights from London Gatwick to Girona (daily) and Alicante (twice-daily) on Dec. 18.
Los Angeles International Airport will modernize its Bradley International Terminal in a $2 billion project that will replace existing remote gates with new terminal gates capable of handling A380s and 787s. The Bradley West development will feature two new concourses, a central core and taxiway, with the first set of new gates to be in service in 2012 and completion expected in 2013.
FedEx said yesterday that it has pushed back the opening of its new Asia/Pacific hub at Guangzhou Baiyun from next month to "the first half of 2009," adding, "The revised operations date provides FedEx with the necessary time to fully test all systems and processes, as well as work closely with the Guangzhou authorities to ensure all necessary approvals are in place." The $150 million, 82,000-sq.-ft. facility will replace the express operator's Subic Bay hub ( ATWOnline, July 14, 2005).
Delta Air Lines and Alaska Air Group, parent of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, expanded their marketing services agreement to give AS passengers more access to DL's international flights and DL passengers more access to AS and Horizon's western US network.
Wizz Air will launch twice-weekly Kiev Boryspil-Oslo Torp service on Jan. 5. AirAsia X launched four-times-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne Avalon aboard an A330-300. Service will be operated daily Dec. 18-Jan. 16 and from March. Iceland Express will launch eight-times-weekly Keflavik-London Gatwick on May 1. It will cease flying to Stansted on April 30. Air Berlin will operate weekly Dusseldorf-Jersey service May 16-Sept. 12 aboard a Q400.
