Airlines & Lessors

LAN Airlines has ordered an additional 10 Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) Blended Winglet systems for Boeing 767-300ER passenger and freighter aircraft.

US carriers reported 18 tarmac delays of more than 3 hr. on domestic flights and one tarmac delay of more than 4 hr. on international flights in July.

Thai Airways (TG) has acknowledged it faces major challenges in its struggle to cut costs and stem losses.

Southern Air Holdings, parent of Southern Air (9S), has filed Chapter 11, citing the impact of major spending cuts by the US Dept. of Defense and an uncertain economy.

Aerostar Airport Holdings (AAH) and partners Highstar Capital and Aeroportario del Sureste are seeking US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of a pending application for the 40-year lease of San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU).

Thai Airways (TG) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380, which today flew from the Airbus plant in Toulouse to Bangkok.

Transaero Airlines is acquiring Rockwell Collins PAVES high definition media server (HDMS) and entertainment control panel (ECP) for retrofit on eight Boeing 767s.

Venezuela’s Conviasa Airlines (VO) has taken delivery of its first of six Embraer E-190s ordered in July, in a deal that includes 14 options.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) said that 40,000 seat reservations were cancelled on flights between Japan and China from September to November, due to escalating political tension between the two countries over a chain of disputed islands in the East, Reuters reported.

West Africa’s newest carrier, Gambia Bird (3G), plans to launch operations Oct. 15, CCO Karsten Balke confirmed to ATW.

The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has issued antitrust immunity to Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines, allowing All Nippon Airways (ANA) to add both to its Japan-Europe joint venture with Lufthansa (LH).

Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. (HAECO) and Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) have formed joint venture (JV) company, HAECO Item Limited (HXITM).

TAP Portugal is moving toward an expected full privatization by year end following president Cavaco Silva’s approval placing the carrier and its subsidiaries up for sale.

China Southern Airlines (CZ) has entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with government-owned Henan Civil Aviation Investment to launch a subsidiary, China Southern Henan Airlines Co.

JetBlue (B6) has reaffirmed the previously announced agreement with ViaSat to launch high speed ka-band Wi-Fi onboard its fleet of more than170 Embraer E-190s and Airbus A320s.

Sabre Travel Network has inked a multi-year full-content agreement with Air France (AF) to sell its seats and ancillary products through travel agents connected to its global distribution system (GDS).

Thai Airways has launched Panasonic Avionics/AeroMobile exPhone service onboard 14 Boeing 777-300ER and 747-400 aircraft.

Myanma Airways (8M), the flag carrier of Myanmar, has acquired two Embraer E-190s under a lease agreement with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS).

Air France (AF) is looking for new investors in its Irish CityJet (WX) subsidiary and a deal could be concluded by early 2013.

Virgin America (VX) reported a second-quarter net loss of $31.8 million, widened from a $21.7 million loss in the year-ago period.

Sector Aviation Holdings (SAH), which acquired UK carrier bmi Regional (BM), has detailed its network and branding plans after acquiring the company from International Airlines Group in June.

Ghana's Africa World Airlines (AWA)—the Hainan Airlines’ (HU) joint venture (JV) with the China-Africa Development Fund, Ghana SAS Financial Group and Ghana Social Security and National Insurance Trust—launched operations last weekend.

Air New Zealand (ANZ) will invest more than $100 million to upgrade the interiors and inflight entertainment (IFE) on eight Boeing 777-200ER aircraft beginning in the second quarter 2014.

Grupo Aeromexico posted a slight 0.6% increase in RPKs for August, against a 6.1% growth in ASKs. Load factor decreased 4.5 points to 75.4%.

United Airlines (UA), the North American launch customer for the Boeing 787, has taken delivery of its first of 50 Dreamliners.