Chinese airlines reported an aggregate net income of CNY12.78 billion ($1.98 billion) for the first half of 2011, up 26% over a net profit of CNY10.14 billion reported in the year-ago period. Passenger boardings climbed 9.8% to 139 million. Passenger traffic on domestic routes rose 10% and international boardings increased 8.2%. Average load factor improved 2.5 points to 81.3%.
Kenya Airways signed a letter of intent with GECAS for the lease of two new Boeing 777-300ERs as part of its long-term expansion plan, Group MD Titus Naikuni revealed to ATW on the sidelines of the Connectivity in Africa conference organized by Embraer in Nairobi.
Major US airlines reporting second-quarter earnings Thursday were able to point to profitable results, though net income declined sharply year-over-year, owing mostly to high fuel prices and a sluggish economic rebound. "2011 could easily break 2008's record for highest fuel prices ever," US Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker told analysts and reporters.
Negotiations between Air Algerie and its flights attendants, who engaged in a four-day strike last week, will resume Thursday, a union representative told Agence France-Presse. After being grounded by the work action, AH flights resumed last Friday following intervention by Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia. The Algerian government recently appointed Mohamed Salah Boultif president and DG of Air Algerie, succeeding Waheed Bu Abdullah ( ATW Daily News, July 13).
Qantas declared that its future is in China, the world’s second biggest and fastest growing aviation market, but the airline needs its staff to embrace the radical change to succeed.
American Airlines made one of the largest aircraft order announcements in commercial aviation history Wednesday, signing up for 130 Airbus A320 family aircraft, 130 re-engined A320neos, 100 CFM56-7B-powered Boeing 737NGs and also committing to order 100 of a new variant 737 with CFM Leap-X engines. Boeing and Airbus will help finance the aircraft, AA said.
American Airlines announced one of the largest aircraft orders in commercial aviation history Wednesday, signing up for 130 Airbus A320 family aircraft, 130 re-engined A320neos, 100 CFM56-7B-powered 737NGs and also committing to order 100 of a new variant 737 with CFM Leap-X engines. Boeing and Airbus will help finance the aircraft, AA said.
Singapore Airlines said it will increase frequencies to a variety of destinations during the northern hemisphere's winter operating season in response to growing demand. An additional daily service will be introduced on the Singapore-Bangkok route, increasing flight frequency to five per day from four, while services between SIN and Tokyo Haneda will return to twice-daily from daily. Frequency on the SIN-Osaka route will increase to 11 flights per week from 10.
AirBaltic announced it will retire its Fokker 50 fleet this winter season to speed up its fleet modernization process. The Fokker 50s originally were scheduled to operate until 2013. Last year, the carrier introduced Bombardier Q400s to its fleet.
Air Southwest will cease operations at the end of September, owing partly to the planned closure of its home base, Plymouth City Airport, in December. The small UK regional carrier had anticipated keeping its Newquay base, but ultimately decided those flights are "not viable on their own without the association with Plymouth."
Qantas will fast-track modifications of Rolls-Royce RB211 engines powering its Boeing 747-400 fleet to stem failures caused by cracked high-pressure compressor blades, of which the airline has suffered three this year and two late last year.
Lufthansa's recent labor agreement with the Vereinigung Cockpit union, increasing wages for 4,500 LH pilots, is valid until April 30, 2012. SkyWest Inc., the Utah-based parent of regionals SkyWest Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet, said financial results for the June quarter will be "breakeven," lower than it "previously anticipated."
News from ATW’s Eco-Aviation Today: Virgin Australia announced that it is partnering with Sydney-based Renewable Oil Corp., Vancouver-based Dynamotive Energy Systems Corp. and Australia’s Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that benefits the Australian farming community and the environment.
Southwest Airlines, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn. union representing SWA pilots and the Air Line Pilots Assn. representing AirTran Airways' cockpit crew said over the weekend that an "agreement in principle" was reached to integrate the two pilot groups' seniority lists.
Hainan Airlines Group is considering investing in financially troubled Malev Hungarian Airlines, according to an industry insider in China who said the Haikou-based carrier is in negotiations with the state-owned airline.
Southwest Airlines, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn. union representing SWA pilots and the Air Line Pilots Assn. representing AirTran Airways' cockpit crew said over the weekend that an "agreement in principle" has been reached to integrate the two pilot groups' seniority lists.
AerCap Holdings entered into a purchase-leaseback transaction with American Airlines to finance up to 35 Boeing 737-800s, including 29 firm deliveries—26 of which were previously ordered—plus three new orders. The deal also covers six optional 737-800s, which, if exercised by the carrier, would be delivered in 2013-2014.
