EgyptAir and Lufthansa launched their first codeshare flights, introduced on EgyptAir's daily services from Cairo to Frankfurt and Munich and LH's from Frankfurt to Cairo (twice-daily) and Alexandria (thrice-weekly). Commercial cooperation between the carriers is planned to cover additional domestic and international destinations.
EasyJet is basing a sixth aircraft at Belfast International and yesterday launched service to Gdansk. It will begin flying from BFS to Prague and Venice Nov. 1 and to Barcelona Nov. 3, bringing to 23 the number of routes it operates from the airport. Also this week, the LCC launched service from Bristol to Funchal, Gdansk and Lisbon as well as Bournemouth-Krakow, Edinburgh-Gdansk, Edinburgh-Krakow, Glasgow International-Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Gatwick-Bucharest, London Stansted-Funchal and London Luton-Vienna flights. Liverpool-Lisbon will start Nov. 2, LTN-Hamburg begins Nov.
Air Berlin will launch its first long-haul route May 1, a five-times-weekly Dusseldorf-Beijing-Shanghai Pudong service aboard A330s. Aer Lingus and British Airways signed a codeshare agreement covering all EI flights between its new Belfast base and London Heathrow. EI will launch thrice-daily BFS-LHR service on Jan. 14 and add a fourth daily flight at the end of March.
Sensis was selected by CAAC's Air Traffic Management Bureau to deploy ADS-B at Chengdu Shuangliu International and Jiuzhai Huanglong. Timing of installation at the two central China airports was not revealed and financial terms were not disclosed. It will mark the first formal trial of ADS-B technology in China for use by commercial aircraft.
Swiss International Air Lines will increase its commitment to its Geneva hub with an additional based A319, a new daily service to Rome Fiumicino, a new thrice-weekly flight to Bucharest Otopeni and a second daily Moscow Domodedovo service pending the rights award. On Nov. 16 Swiss will open a new first class lounge at the airport in addition to a new facility for Miles & More members. Separately, Swiss will take delivery of a second former Austrian Airlines A340-300 this quarter.
Wuhan-based East Star Airlines will become the first Chinese low-cost carrier to fly outside the country, announcing the launch of services to Hong Kong and Macau from Wuhan beginning Nov. 6 that will be followed by planned flights to Singapore and Thailand early next year.
Panama City-Bay County International Airport, the first US greenfield commercial airport project this century, will break ground on Nov. 1 in Florida. The airport will be built on 1,300 of the 4,000 acres donated by St. Joe Co., which will develop nearby commercial and industrial projects. It is expected to open in late 2009 or early 2010 with an 8,400-ft. primary runway and a 5,000-ft. crosswind runway, a 100,000-sq.-ft., seven gate terminal and aviation support facilities. The main runway can be extended to 12,000 ft. at a later date and a third 9,000-ft.
Caribbean transport ministers signed the San Juan Accord this week in Puerto Rico, committing to "liberalize air transport services and harmonize aviation safety and security measures" with the ultimate goal of creating "an umbrella policy for air transport" and "a single regional airspace." A forum of tourism and air transport ministers will be convened no later than Feb. 15 to discuss security and other issues pertaining to liberalization of civil aviation in the region.
ASC announced an expansion of its aviation recording solutions to three airports in Argentina. Under the project, to be completed in 2008, ASC will install its primary communications recording system Marathon Evolution for Administracion Aeronautica Argentina for Cordoba, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza and Buenos Aires-Cipe airports.
Hochtief AirPort, the airport investment and management unit of the global construction services firm, expects to put in a bid for Chicago Midway if, as is expected, the city moves forward with plans to privatize the airport proposed by Mayor Richard Daley last year. Hochtief AirPort MD and CFO Reiner Schrankler told ATWOnline yesterday that the company intends to partner with a US investor and anticipates that the qualification round of bidding could take place as early as January. Expectations are that Chicago will sell a leasehold in the airport for 25-100 years.
The US Dept. of Transportation released "target figures" for the number of flights it believes can be handled "safely" at New York JFK ahead of meetings between the government and airlines serving the airport ( ATWOnline, Oct. 17), scheduled for today and Wednesday in Washington.
US FAA officials were forced to spend much of yesterday's briefing on runway safety (see story above) responding to questions concerning reports that NASA conducted a comprehensive pilot survey revealing that near midair collisions and runway incursions occur twice as often as FAA data show. According to an Associated Press report, NASA spent $8.5 million commissioning telephone interviews with about 24,000 commercial and GA pilots in 2002-05.
CAE delivered 777-300ER and A330/A340 full flight simulators to Jet Airways, which has received Directorate General of Civil Aviation approval to conduct training. Jet's simulator training center in Mumbai now has four FFSs. Separately, Jet last week launched daily Mumbai-Chandigarh service aboard a newly introduced 737-700 and increased frequency from BOM to Kochi and Bhopal.
Hainan Airlines began construction of a new base at its Urumqi hub that will feature a hangar, warehouses, catering facility, flight crew and office building and a maintenance facility. First phase of construction on the 153-acre site is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008. Hainan operates 13 routes within and from the Xinjiang region in northwest China. The carrier said it intends to operate routes to Central Asia and Eastern Europe from the airport. Separately, Hainan launched four-times-weekly Tianjin-Ningbo service aboard 737s.
Air Arabia last week launched four-times-weekly Sharjah-Bangalore service, becoming daily Oct. 29. It also will increase twice-weekly flights to Coimbatore to thrice-weekly next month.
The European Commission is seeking comments from interested parties on commitments proposed by SkyTeam members hoping to obtain antitrust immunity, including the ceding of slots at certain EU airports to competitors.
Air Canada will launch four-times-weekly Toronto-Caracas service on April 6 and thrice-weekly Toronto-Port of Spain flights on April 8, both aboard 120-seat A319s.
American Airlines, which has seen significant growth at Miami International Airport, said it is working with local officials to speed up construction of a new North Terminal. In September, AA reported a 14.4% year-over-year increase in passengers at MIA. As the project progresses, the airport will close Concourse A and American will operate out of C, D and E.
In a deal clearly inspired by the KLM-Northwest Airlines transatlantic joint venture, Air France and Delta Air Lines yesterday confirmed the creation of 50-50 JV to share revenues and costs on their transatlantic operations.
FKI Logistex won a $123 million baggage handling system contract and a $67 million, five-year, full service and maintenance contract for New Doha International Airport.
Skybus Airlines will add a second daily Columbus-Greensboro flight from Jan. 6 and will operate a third daily CMH-Punta Gorda/Fort Myers service Jan. 6-March 31. Flights from CMH to Bellingham and one of two daily Burbank flights will be discontinued Jan. 6 and the startup's San Diego service will end March 7. CEO Bill Diffenderffer said the adjustments were "based primarily on the sharp increase in the cost of jet fuel" and the need to "find ways to use our fleet more effectively to serve more passengers in more cities." From Dec. 17 Skybus will operate flights to St.
