All Nippon Airways, the launch customer for the Boeing 787 with two in service, said its third Dreamliner won't be delivered this month as scheduled owing to a Boeing "productivity" issue.
Air New Zealand (NZ) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) will establish a closer partnership from March 25 providing passengers on both airlines with improved access to destinations in Japan and New Zealand. The partnership, subject to regulatory approval, will give NZ passengers access beyond the gateways of Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai through ANA’s network of 700 flights a day to 48 domestic destinations.
Etihad Airways (EY) will increase its shareholding in Air Berlin Plc (AB) to 29.21% for €72.9 million ($95 million) as part of an agreement that includes far-reaching commercial cooperation and debt financing.
Qantas (QF) and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Assn. (ALAEA) have reached an agreement, bringing to a close one of the most bitter disputes in Australian aviation history.
Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has unveiled its new premium economy class and upgraded economy class seats on its long-haul flights from March 2012( ATW Daily News, Aug. 25). The first aircraft featuring the seats will be a Boeing 777-300ER, which will enter service in March on the Hong Kong-Toronto route.
Malaysia Airlines (MH) will cut routes to Europe, Africa and the Middle East starting in January to stem losses and return to profitability ( ATW Daily News, Dec. 12).
Turkish Airlines (TK) will focus on increasing feed to its long-haul network as it takes delivery of mainly narrowbody aircraft over the next years, CEO Temel Kotil told ATW in an interview at the Arab Air Carriers Organization’s (AACO) annual general meeting in Abu Dhabi.
Even though American Airlines (AA) is in a relatively strong position for a bankrupt airline—with $4.1 billion in cash on hand, more than $6 billion in revenue generated quarterly and an expansive network underpinned by oneworld membership and other international partnerships—chairman, president and CEO Tom Horton acknowledged last week that the Chapter 11 process will be "complex."
Egyptair Group chairman and CEO Hussein Massoud has been named Egypt’s new minister of aviation. Airlines for America (A4A) named Elizabeth Shaver as director of cargo services. She will join A4A in January from Delta Air Lines.
Qatar Airways (QR) has secured another slot pair at London Heathrow (LHR) and will add a fifth daily flight between Doha and LHR from March 25, lifting capacity on the route from 28 to 35 flights each week. The Doha-based carrier will deploy a Boeing 777 configured with 42 seats in business class and 217 seats in economy.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Gulfstream International Airlines has rebranded under the new name of Silver Airways. Gulfstream was founded in May when Victory Park Capital, a Chicago-based investment firm, acquired assets from the former Gulfstream International Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in November 2010 ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 8, 2010).
Computer rendering of A320neo in JetBlue livery. Courtesy, Airbus JetBlue Airways has selected Pratt & Whitney engines to power its recently ordered fleet of Airbus A320neo aircraft, becoming the first US customer for PurePower engines ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 28).
FedEx revealed Thursday it has placed a firm order for 27 Boeing 767-300 freighters valued at $4.74 billion at list prices, but also has deferred delivery of 11 777Fs.
Air New Zealand (NZ) has signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Australia-based Licella Pty Ltd to examine developing and marketing a process to convert woody biomass into sustainable aviation biofuel in New Zealand. Licella has developed a process that uses a Catalytic Hydro Thermal Reactor (Cat-HTR), which converts woody materials and other biomass into a high-quality, bio-crude oil in a one-step process.
Star Alliance has appointed former United Airlines (UA) SVP Mark Schwab to head the alliance’s central organization, based in Frankfurt. He succeeds Jaan Albrecht, who was appointed as CEO of Austrian Airlines Nov. 1 ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 1).
Taiwan-based China Airlines (CI) plans to replace its 13 Boeing 747-400s from 2015/16 and will decide by 2013 which aircraft to order. It is considering the 747-8, Airbus A380, 777-300ER and the A350-1000.
Hainan Airlines Investment Holding Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hainan Airlines (HU), has purchased a 19.02% stake in Hong Kong Airlines (HX) for CNY842 million ($132.4 million) in a move to strengthen the carrier’s financial position.
Emirates Airline (EK) has begun to outfit its Airbus A380 aircraft with OnAir Wi-Fi Internet connectivity. The new Wi-Fi service will initially launch on 11 of its 19 A380s in service, though the system is scheduled to be installed across its entire fleet of 71 A380s on order. The airline began trialing the service on certain A380 flights last year ( ATW Daily News, July 21, 2010).
