Airlines & Lessors

Turkish Airlines and Air New Zealand signed a codeshare agreement on routes operated by both carriers connecting New Zealand and Turkey via Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Both are Star Alliance members.

Through an agreement with Estonian Air, Air Lituanica will begin selling tickets on more than 100 Estonian Air flights.

New Slovakian charter carrier Go2Sky is about to launch operations as it receives its first aircraft.

Singapore Airlines has selected the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine to power 30 Boeing 787-10s.

Alitalia’s top executives will see their pay drop by 20% and administrative staff has agreed to reduced salaries and working hours under the carrier’s latest turnaround drive.

China Eastern Airlines will introduce a local investor for Jetstar Hong Kong, paving the way for approval from the Hong Kong government.

Air France-KLM, which has a historically strong position in Africa, continues to expand services in Africa and Brazil.

Air Berlin CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said the carrier will operate from just one airport in Berlin, as delays continue for the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Airlines will base up to three Ilyushin Il-76TD-90VD freighters at Paris Vatry Airport.

UTair-Ukraine, Russia’s UTair Airlines subsidiary, has taken delivery of its third Boeing 737-800.

Ameco Beijing has completed cabin upgrades on 10 Air China Boeing 777-200s, marking the end of a 10-month project.

Kenya Airways is seeking eight Boeing 737-800s and is preparing for the arrival of its first 787 in March next year.

Ethiopian Airlines is weighing potential compensation for the Boeing 787 grounding, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told ATW this week on the sidelines of the IATA AGM in Cape Town.

Newly appointed Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo sees opportunities to grow the airline and expects passenger numbers to and from Asia to double by 2020.

Air New Zealand is further increasing its stake in Virgin Australia under an agreement to acquire a further 3% of the shares of the Australian carrier and take its interest to almost 23%.

Canada’s WestJet has taken delivery of its first of 20 Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprops, the two companies announced.

Russia’s UTair is looking for investors to develop a low-cost airport at Yermolino in the Kaluga region.

Alaska Airlines and its 1,480 pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year labor contract.

Turkey’s charter operator Sky Airlines ceased operations last weekend.

US Fuel Cost And Consumption March 2013 Cost/gallon (¢) Chg./month (¢) Chg./year (¢) Total Gallons (000) Operation Total Domestic 757,581 306 11.0 3.0

Jet Fuel Price Spot Cash Market $/gallon Price for Price for 4-Jun 4-Jun 2013 2012 US Gulf Coast $2.761 $2.673 Source: Thomson Reuters Ltd.

China Eastern Airlines’ subsidiary China Cargo Airlines officially joined SkyTeam Cargo alliance Wednesday as it aims to expand its international route network.

New Lithuanian start-up Air Lituanica has agreed to lease an Embraer E-170 from Estonian Air and an E-175 from ECC Leasing, as its launch date approaches.

Air France-KLM’s Transform 2015 restructuring plan is moving forward, but the airline is feeling the pressure.

All Nippon Airways (ANA), which currently operates 19 Boeing 787s, expects to have 27 of the type in service by the end of March 2014.