L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems received an order to provide Narita Airport Corp. with the eXaminer 3DX 6500, its next-generation explosives detection system that will be used to screen baggage for international flights at Tokyo Narita. The EDS machines will be integrated into the automated baggage handling system at the airport. Japan Aerospace Corp., L-3's exclusive distributor in the transaction, will provide installation, maintenance, service and training for the systems.
Lithuanian Airlines will launch two weekly flights to Barcelona April 24, increasing to thrice-weekly May 22. The carrier also will begin three weekly flights to Pulkovo Airport. In addition, Lithuanian will boost its flights to Dublin, Paris and Kiev from three to five weekly and to Brussels from five to six per week. It will increase capacity on its flights to Brussels, Milan and Moscow by using 737s on the routes.
FKI Logsitex won a $14.5 million contract from American Airlines to integrate an inline 100% hold baggage screening system at the carrier's hub at Chicago O'Hare. The project includes the integration of 10 CTX 9000 DSi explosives detection machines as well as relocation and installation of three existing eXaminer 3DX 3000 EDS machines from L-3 Communications.
Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost airline, will end its Warsaw-Dortmund service by March 31. The carrier, which had planned to add two more A320s to its fleet early this year, has not taken up the aircraft.
Lockheed Martin and Covenant Aviation Security have teamed in hopes of winning contracts to provide private security screening services at US airports as part of the US Transportation Security Administration-developed Screening Partnership Program. Following 9/11, TSA was given responsibility for handling all screening at US airports, but under the new program airport operators may apply to have security screening carried out by a qualified private company.
America West Airlines will boost frequencies in June from Las Vegas to Monterey, Colorado Springs, Denver, Houston, Ontario, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Tucson. With the additions, the carrier will operate 154 daily departures and serve 62 nonstop destinations from Las Vegas.
Northwest Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Lexington June 9. The new flights will be operated by Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines with 50-seat CRJs.
AirTran Airways will add one new daily nonstop flight from Atlanta to both Los Angeles and Las Vegas May 4 and one new daily nonstop from Dallas/Ft. Worth to both Los Angeles and Las Vegas June 7.
Swiss International Air Lines' new hub system at Zurich went into operation with the start of the carrier's summer season Sunday. Swiss said the hub enhancements aim to "further improve the product for the customer, making Swiss at Zurich Airport a swift, smooth and comfortable air travel experience." According to the airline, one of the cornerstones of the new arrangement is a clearer assignment of flights to the airport's various areas.
Air France Cargo increased 747-400ERF flights to Mexico from three to four per week, with the fourth flight making a stop in Guadalajara on its return to Paris, as part of its new 2005 summer schedule. In addition, AF Cargo began new service to Algiers using an A300-600F and opened Guangzhou, which currently is served by passenger flights, as a cargo destination with two weekly 747-400ERF services. However, cargo flights to Doha, Karachi and Bombay were suspended.
China Airlines will start three weekly services from Taipei to Vienna via Bangkok May 4. It also will increase weekly frequencies from Taipei to Frankfurt to six from May 8.
Air Canada plans to increase its cargo service to China and boost its freight capacity within Canada. The carrier signed a two-year agreement with World Airways for an MD-11 freighter and will use it to launch thrice-weekly service between Canada and Shanghai in May. In addition, the airline has extended by two years a lease agreement with Gemini Air Cargo through which AC offers five-times-weekly all-cargo service between Toronto and Frankfurt. It also boosted capacity on its four weekly Toronto-Calgary-Vancouver cargo flights by using a 727F on the route.
US Transportation Security Administration will deploy explosives detection trace portal machines by the end of May at Miami International, San Francisco International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Boston Logan International and Los Angeles International airports as part of its pilot program to test the machines. During Phase I of the program, TSA began field testing GE trace portals at five other US airports. The agency also said it will purchase nine explosives detection trace portal machines, four of which have been on loan, from GE Ion Trak for $1.5 million.
SilkAir will increase network capacity by 14% for its summer season that runs from March 27 to Oct. 29. Frequencies to Phuket will increase from 14 to 21 per week while flights to Davao will jump from four weekly to daily. Flights to Kochi will climb from four to five weekly and to Manado from three to four weekly. From July 1, SilkAir will add another weekly flight to Yangon for a total of 11 and its twice-weekly services to Padang will resume from May 3. In total, the airline will operate 127 weekly flights to 25 regional destinations this summer.
Centralwings, the low-cost subsidiary of LOT Polish Airlines, will start a thrice-weekly service to Cologne/Bonn from Katowice today. During the summer, the carrier will offer direct flights from Katowice to Hanover and Cologne/Bonn and from Warsaw to Nuremberg, Hanover, London Gatwick, Prague, Lisbon, Bologna, Barcelona Girona, Rome Ciampino and Catania. From Krakow, routes will include London Gatwick and Ciampino.
CSA Czech Airlines will add five weekly flights from Prague to Sarajevo at the end of March. It will start service to Minsk (four flights a week) and Skopje (three weekly flights) in May. In addition to the new destinations, it plans to increase frequencies to 30 others significantly. In the summer, CSA will offer seven direct connections a week from Prague to Montreal and Toronto. By June, a first A321 will operate charter flights. CSA transported more than 586,000 passengers in the first two months of 2005, up 17.6% over the year-ago period.
Northwest Airlines continues to turn up the pressure on struggling Midwest Airlines with seven new services from the latter's Milwaukee base including two flights to Denver and additional flights to Boston, Detroit, Kansas City and New York. With these services, NWA will offer up to 38 daily flights to 13 nonstop destinations by mid-year. Under its new schedule, on June 9 it will begin twice-daily service from MKE to Denver, increase daily flights to Boston from two to three and add another flight to Detroit.
Qatar Airways will increase its flights between Doha and Frankfurt from six a week to daily in the summer season, which begins March 27. The flights will be operated using A300s in a three-class configuration. In addition, the Doha-Munich-Vienna route, currently operated five times per week, will be de-linked and replaced by dedicated nonstop services to both cities. Munich will be served fives times per week with an A300 in a three-class configuration, while Vienna will have four flights a week using an A319 in a two-class configuration.
Thales announced that LFV Group has deployed its new air traffic management system, Eurocat, at the Stockholm and Malmo control centers and has connected 13 control towers to the centers. The new System 2000 is part of the LFV Group MATS program and will equip Sweden with a state-of-the-art en route and approach ATM system to improve operational efficiency and safety. It includes a fully integrated training system with standby capabilities that allows "real situation" testing.
British Airways said it will "strengthen its position as Britain's leading short-haul airline" and is adding 13 new European services to its summer schedule. This will lift total daily BA flights between Britain and the continent to an average of 631, "well in excess of any other operator," the carrier said in a statement, noting that according to published website timetables, Ryanair operates about 300 flights a day on the routes and easyJet 410. In addition, BA will schedule an average of 372 daily flights within the UK and across the Irish Sea covering 60 routes.
