China Eastern Airlines (MU) reported a net profit of CNY4.58 billion ($722 million) in 2011, down 7.7% from CNY4. 96 billion in 2010, due to rising fuel prices and competition from China’s high speed rail system.
Aer Lingus (EI) sees an opportunity in Lufthansa’s divestment of British Midland International (bmi) to expand its slot portfolio at London Heathrow [LHR], EI CEO Christoph Mueller told ATW.
Tensions are rising at Cargolux International Airlines (CV) over the increased influence of Qatar Airways (QR), which is reportedly willing to increase its shareholding to 49% from 35% via a capital increase.
Japan Airlines (JAL) took delivery Monday of its first two Boeing 787-8s, the second airline to add the Dreamliner to its fleet and the first to take GE GEnx-powered aircraft.
British Airways (BA) received approval Friday to fly a Boeing 747 on its London (LHR)-Moscow Domodedovo (DME) route, just two days before the first scheduled flight began Sunday.
China Eastern Airlines (MU) chairman Liu Shaoyong has called on the Chinese government to make an $18 billion-$20 billion capital injection into China’s big three state-owned carriers to alleviate increasing financial pressure.
EVA Airways (BR) will begin serving two more gateways with its Hello Kitty jets May 23. The airline will use two of its new cartoon character-themed Airbus 330-300s on its Taipei Songshan-Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Songshan-Shanghai Hongqiao routes. The flights (BR192/BR191 and BR 190/191) will be 2X daily. BR is also working to give two A330-200s Hello Kitty jet makeovers.
US carriers’ on-time arrival performance in January improved 7.4% over the year-ago period. According to the US Dept. of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the 16 carriers reporting on-time performance data posted an overall on-time arrival rate of 83.7% in January, up from 76.3% in January 2011, but down slightly from December’s 84.4% ( ATW Daily News, Feb. 24).
KLM and Ukraine International Airlines are increasing capacity between Amsterdam and Kiev and expanding their codeshare agreement, partly in response to an anticipated rise in demand owing to the upcoming 2012 UEFA European Football Championship in Ukraine.
International Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh, speaking to ATW on the sidelines of Air Berlin's oneworld joining ceremony last week, said he is awaiting word from European Union regulators on the status of IAG's acquisition of British Midland International (bmi).
Iberia Express (I2), Iberia's (IB) new subsidiary for short and medium-haul flights, started scheduled flights Sunday with four A320s operating from Madrid (MAD) to four destinations in Spain, despite opposition from IB mainline pilots and unions representing cabin crew.
Air France (AF) will start operating an Airbus A380 on the Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)-Singapore (SIN) route April 1. Frequencies will be 3X-weekly from June to the end of October.
El Al Israel Airlines incurred a $49.4 million net loss for 2011, reversed from a $57.1 million net profit in 2010, and said it will take a series of measures to restore profitability.
Chinese carriers reported a collective net loss of CNY540 million ($85.3 million) in February, reversed from a net income of CNY1.34 billion in the year-ago period.
Air France (AF) has reached agreements with most unions representing ground staff, cabin crew and pilots to renegotiate working conditions to improve the company’s overall productivity and bottom line.
Taiwanese carrier TransAsia Airways is planning to spend $200 million on new aircraft and set up a subsidiary in Japan to expand operations in Northeast Asia, business.asiaone.com website has reported.
US Airways (US) continues to explore whether a merger with American Airlines (AA) would be a good move, but consolidation is not a strategic necessity, US chairman and CEO Doug Parker said Wednesday.
Air Berlin (AB) became a member of the oneworld alliance in a Tuesday joining ceremony at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which will serve as AB’s home base and be Europe’s newest hub when it opens June 3.
China’s opposition to the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), has prevented Lufthansa (LH) from obtaining rights to operate an Airbus A380 to Shanghai, LH chairman and CEO Christoph Franz said.
