Heathrow’s Spanish owner Ferrovial is reducing its stake in the airport group—which owns Heathrow, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports—but remains the group’s main investor.
Swiss International Air Lines has reached an agreement with its two pilot unions that will ultimately integrate the cockpit crew at the short-haul arm of Swiss European and long-haul operator Swiss International.
German-based MHS Aviation has taken a 40% stake in Swiss regional carrier SkyWork Airlines—which completed a management buyout in April and has been seeking a new investor—allowing it to continue operations.
Delta Air Lines reported net income of $1.37 billion for the third quarter, up 31% over a net profit of $1.05 billion in the 2012 September period, on a 6% year-over-year rise in revenue to $10.49 billion.
Rapidly expanding Eastern European budget carrier Wizz Air has converted 26 of its Airbus A320 orders to the larger A321, which will be its first of the larger variant type.
The proposed alliance between Etihad Airways and India’s Jet Airways remains unsealed, almost three months after it was approved by India’s foreign investment regulator.
Finnair has received the green light to be included in British Airways and Finnair’s Japanese joint venture after announcing plans to join the partnership in July.
Lufthansa Group has projected a full-year operating profit of €600 to €700 million ($820 million to $960 million), up from €524 million in 2012, due to restructuring costs, volatile exchange rates and tough market conditions.
Budapest startup Solyom Hungarian Airways, which was due to launch Boeing 737-500 charter flights from early September and scheduled flights from early October, went to insolvency before it was able to start operations.
Austrian Airlines CEO Jaan Albrecht, FlyNiki CEO Christian Lesjak, Vienna airport CEO Julian Jaeger and Linz Regional Airport CEO Gerhard Kunesch joined forces in Vienna to urge the Austrian government to axe local aviation taxes, which have become a burden for the industry.
Premium air travel growth improved in August, with overall international premium traffic increasing 8.6% year-over-year, markedly better than July’s 1.4% growth, according to IATA’s August Premium Traffic Monitor.
Fastjet has finally flown its first international flight between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Johannesburg in South Africa, which was originally planned for Sept. 27.
Qatar Airways plans to launch four weekly Boeing 777-200 flights between Doha International Airport (DOH) and Miami International Airport (MIA) starting June 10, 2014.
Hainan Airlines Group (HNA) is accelerating the consolidation of its subsidiaries with the transfer of a 14% stake in Tianjin Airlines to Hainan Airlines worth CNY1.09 billion ($178 million).
Irish airlines have welcomed the decision by the country’s government to scrap the Air Travel Tax (ATT), which levied a €3 ($4.10) charge on departing travelers.
