Airlines & Lessors

United Parcel Service (UPS) said Friday it has put in place financing to complete the acquisition of Amsterdam-based TNT Express.

International Airlines Group (IAG), parent company of British Airways (BA) and Iberia (IB), has sold British Midland International’s bmi regional to a group of Scottish investors for £8 million ($12.9 million).

Kenya Airways (KQ) recorded a 5.2% year-over-year increase in passengers carried to 832,366 during its fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31.

Copa Holdings, parent of Panama's Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia, posted first-quarter net income of $95.9 million, up 1.6% over a net profit of $94.4 million in the prior-year period.

Air Berlin (AB), the biggest airline customer at Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL), has asked officials to reduce its night curfew as it scrambles with other German airlines to deal with the logistical dilemma caused by the delayed opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

FedEx said Thursday it has signed an agreement to acquire French express delivery company TATEX.

EasyJet (U2) has reduced pre-tax losses for the half year ended March 31 by £41 million ($66 million) to £112 million, despite an £87 million increase in unit fuel costs.

Dubai-based Emirates Airline (EK) reported a 72.1% drop in net profit of AED1.5 billion ($409 million) in the 2011-12 financial year, compared to last year’s net profit of AED5.4 billion.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (AAWH), parent of ACMI cargo carriers Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, posted a first-quarter net income of $12.8 million, up 21.9% from $10.5 million in the year-ago period.

Cyprus Airways (CY) has affirmed that Canadian conglomerate Triple Five is interested in acquiring a majority stake in the Cypriot airline.

Singapore Airlines Group (SIA) reported net income of S$336 million ($269.5 million) for its fiscal year ended March 31, a 69% drop from a S$1.09 billion net profit in the prior year.

Turkish Airlines (TK), which has been in negotiations with LOT Polish Airlines about buying a stake in the airline, is close to finalizing a decision.

The Qantas Group (QF) will increase capacity on QF, Jetstar and QantasLink domestic routes in 2012-13 to strengthen its network in the business and leisure markets, the company said in a statement.

Brazil’s GOL reported a first-quarter net loss of BRL$41.4 million ($21.4 million), reversed from a BRL$69.4 million net profit in the year-ago period.

Tianjin-based Okay Airways (OKA) has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to launch a regional airline and plans to place a firm order for 20 AVIC-produced MA60 turboprops, according to OKA EVP Liu Jieyin.

Etihad (EY) has canceled seven Airbus A350-1000s from an original order of 25 aircraft, Airbus has confirmed.

EVA Air has finalized an order for three Boeing 777-300ERs, including purchase rights for four aircraft, the two companies announced.

Southwest Airlines (SWA) and United Airlines (UA) squared off Tuesday in front of the Houston City Council over whether SWA should be allowed to launch international service from Houston Hobby (HOU) in 2015.

Bogota-based AviancaTaca Holding, parent of Avianca, TACA, Aerogal and Tampa Cargo, reported passenger boardings were up 16% to 5.5 million in the first quarter.

Lufthansa Group (LH) said Monday it has reached a “mutual agreement” with CFO Stephan Gemkow under which he will leave the German airline company June 30.

Air France KLM Group reported a first-quarter loss of €368 million ($481.3 million), widened from a €367 million loss in the year-ago period.

Hainan Airlines (HU) reported a net profit of CNY175.6 million ($27.8 million) in the first quarter, down 35.7% compared to CNY272.3 million reported in the year-ago quarter.

Lufthansa Group has been named the Gold Eco-Airline winner in Air Transport World’s inaugural 2012 Eco-Aviation Awards.

Hungarian-based Wizz Air (W6) has doubled its fleet at Budapest Ferihegy International (BUD) to six Airbus A320s in less than three months.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (AAWH), parent of ACMI cargo carriers Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, announced Thursday that its Atlas Air unit has inked an agreement with Etihad Airways to provide Boeing 747-400 freighter service for Etihad Cargo.