Cargolux (CV) said it "reached a tentative agreement with Boeing" clearing the way for it to take delivery of the first two 747-8 freighters that it rejected last month and will spell out the details of the accord following an Oct. 7 board of directors' meeting.
Latvian national airline AirBaltic (BT) CEO Bertolt Flick announced Tuesday he will step down as part an agreement reached last week between the carrier’s two main shareholders.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced it will supply all 6,000 cabin attendants with iPads, technology it said will “improve the quality of the passenger service offered and raise cabin attendant productivity.”
Philippine Airlines (PAL) told AFP it would temporarily slash flight frequencies over the next two months as part of a cost-saving program that would also eliminate 2,600 jobs. According to AFP, 11 flights to Hong Kong, Bangkok, New Delhi, Macau, Singapore, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Guam, Sydney, Melbourne and Incheon would be affected from Oct. 1, or 12% of the international network. Locally, 30% of flights would be suspended as catering, ground-handling and call center reservations are farmed out to third-party service providers.
Dubai-based Emirates Airline (EK) will add daily flights into the US to Dallas/Ft. Worth and Seattle. The new service, to begin from Feb. 2 and March 1, 2012, respectively, will be with Boeing 777-300ERs. EK President Tim Clark said passengers flying from Seattle and DFW will be able to connect seamlessly to points across the Far and Middle East, Indian sub-continent and Africa via the airline's hub in Dubai. He also said the Seattle route “will help to further strengthen the airline's links with Boeing.”
Chile’s LAN Airlines said Wednesday the company is “confident” it will complete the merger process with TAM during the first quarter of 2012. Chile's antitrust tribunal (TDLC) last week gave conditional approval for the merger ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 22).
Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECAir), a new national carrier of the Republic of Congo, has begun with an inaugural Brazzaville-Point Noire flight. ECAir will operate the route 3X-daily with a 120-seat, two-class Boeing 737-300, and plans to open further routes to international destinations as it acquires additional aircraft. The Brazzaville-based carrier’s operations will be “accompanied by” private jet operator, Swiss’ PrivatAir.
Shareholders of Slovenia-based Adria Airways (JP) approved a cash injection of €50 million ($68.4 million) and a debt-to-equity conversion of €19.7 million against the financially troubled airline’s total debt of nearly €70 million.
Taiwan’s China Airlines (CI) on Wednesday officially joined SkyTeam, becoming the first Taiwanese airline to join the alliance (ATW Daily News, Sept. 15, 2010).
Alaska Airlines named Daniel Chun its new regional manager of sales and community marketing for Hawaii. Chun, who is based in Honolulu, will lead Alaska Airlines' marketing and community outreach efforts to the four Hawaiian Islands. Air Seychelles appointed Bram Steller as CEO. Steller previously served as COO of Kenya Airways since 2008 and was in charge of flight operations, ground operations, technical, commercial and network planning, revenue management, operations control and cargo.
Latvian national airline AirBaltic (BT) will receive €153.7 million ($201.9 million) in new capital financed by its two main shareholders, the Latvian government and Baltic Aviation Systems (BAS), Latvian media reported.
A new row has erupted between the easyJet board and the airline’s founder and largest shareholder after Stelios Haji-Ioannou revealed plans to launch a new airline.
