Airlines & Lessors

Air France is preparing to roll out a fresh wave of restructuring measures, including further voluntary redundancies, to combat continued weakness in its cargo, short- and medium-haul flying.

A surge in orders for commercial E-Jets is fueling a rebound in Embraer's backlog after a painful downturn, but the top executive at the Brazilian aircraft builder says there are no plans to raise production levels anytime soon.

Flybe has completed the entire revamp of Flybe’s senior management following the Sept. 13 departure of UK managing director Andrew Strong, outsourcing solutions managing director Mike Rutter and director of corporate strategy Mark Chown.

Chengdu Airlines and the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) have signed a cooperation framework agreement for the 150-seat trunk liner C919 aircraft.

Guernsey-based regional carrier Aurigny has appointed Mark Darby as CEO of the Channel Islands airline.

US airlines (passenger and cargo) collectively employed 484,877 full-time workers in July, slipping 1.8% from July 2012, according to the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

People

Oneworld member Finnair continues to have a very sharp focus on Asian traffic, especially to secondary destinations.

Kenya Airways will take delivery of its first of three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft—the largest in the airline’s fleet—in mid-October.

Air Canada has completed the transfer of all 15 Embraer E-175 aircraft to Sky Regional Airlines.

First flight of the Bombardier CSeries jet is expected to happen mid-morning Sept. 16, weather permitting, from Mirabel Airport close to Montreal.

Irish regional Aer Lingus has adopted a more cautionary note in its short-term outlook, partly blaming Western Europe’s unusually good summer weather.

Thai Airways has removed its Airbus A330-300 from runway 19L at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Air France-KLM leisure carrier Transavia France has struck a seasonal lease deal with Canada’s Air Transat, covering the use of up to nine Boeing 737-800s by 2019.

Source: Airports Council International

Source: Airports Council International

US bankruptcy judge Sean Lane has approved American Airlines parent AMR Corp.’s plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Jetstar Hong Kong chairman Pansy Ho has defended the carrier’s license application in response to objections from local carriers, including Cathay Pacific Airways, on grounds it is not a Hong Kong-based airline.

Kenya Airways has appointed Willem Alexander Hondius as CEO of Jambo Jet, the airline’s new low-cost carrier (LCC) subsidiary.

South African Airways’ (SAA) has presented its long-term turnaround strategy to the National Assembly in Cape Town following ongoing financial difficulties and a management exodus.

Finnair has entered into a 12-year agreement with Japanese aircraft leasing company NBB for the sale and leaseback of two new Airbus A321 sharklet-equipped aircraft.

Hungary-based low-cost carrier Wizz Air will base an eighth aircraft at its Budapest Airport main operating base in 2014.

Etihad Airways has reportedly increased its shareholding in Virgin Australia by at least 1.4%, taking its holding to a minimum of 12%, ATW understands.

Airberlin, which set a €200 million ($265.1 million) cost-cutting goal for 2013, is 80% there, CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer told ATW on the sidelines of the International Symposium of the Austrian Aviation Association in Vienna.