Spirit Airlines named Tony Lefebvre senior VP and COO, effective immediately. Lefebvre, who previously served as senior VP-Airports, Customer Service and Inflight, replaces Kevin McKenzie, who is joining Airbus North America as senior VP-Customer Services, effective Sept. 1.
Kenya Airways received compensation from Boeing for the delay of its Dreamliners, although the amount does not fully cover the expenses associated with the delay, Group Finance Director Alex Mbugua told ATW on the sidelines of an investors briefing in Nairobi earlier this month.
Tibet Air is scheduled to start formal operations in July, according to CAAC, which will soon grant an operating certificate to the Lhasa-based carrier.
US Airways is planning two offerings of enhanced equipment trust certificates totaling $471 million, with proceeds of both generally intended for aircraft financing. One will offer approximately $388 million in Class A and Class B enhanced equipment trust certificates. The second offering is for Class C enhanced equipment trust certificates in the amount of approximately $83 million.
Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance confirmed it will expand its service offering to include the 787, adding the Dreamliner to a Boeing aircraft MRO portfolio that currently includes 737 Classics/737NGs, 747s, 757s, 767s, 777s and MD-11s.
Boeing and American Airlines announced a partnership at the Paris Air Show Wednesday to bring an "evolutionary ecoDemonstrator program" to reality next year.
China Eastern Airlines and subsidiary Shanghai Airlines formally joined SkyTeam in Beijing this week, making the alliance the first global airline grouping to have two major Chinese member carriers; China Southern Airlines joined SkyTeam in November 2007.
Bombardier's CSeries program achieved two milestones as Korean Air signed a letter of intent to purchase 10 CS300s, becoming the first Asian airline to commit to the aircraft, and Pratt & Whitney test flew for the first time the PW1500G geared turbofan engine designated to power the aircraft.
EasyJet will set up a base at London Southend from April 2012 with three Airbus A319s operating some 70 flights per week to about 10 European destinations including Barcelona, Faro and Ibiza. The carrier signed a 10-year partnership agreement with SEN owner Stobart Group, which is building a new passenger terminal due to be opened in the fall. It also invested in a new control tower and a runway extension.
Barcelona-based LCC Vueling Airlines CEO Alex Cruz predicted that the ongoing transformation of the intra-European market will include a further shift toward "lower cost" operators and closer cooperation between legacy carriers and LCCs.
ATR landed its first-ever order from GECAS, which committed to taking 15 ATR 72-600s, plus 15 options. The deal, announced Monday at the Paris Air Show, is valued at approximately $680 million at list prices, including options.
Air Canada’s 3,800 customer service and sales workers, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union, returned to work Friday following tentative agreement on a new labor pact ( ATW Daily News, June 16).
GoAir, the Wadia Group-owned airline based in Mumbai, announced at a Thursday press conference that it has ordered 72 Airbus A320neos. According to media reports from Mumbai, MD Jeh Wadia told reporters that former Air One Chief Revenue Officer Giorgio De Roni will take over as GoAir CEO and also revealed that the carrier has placed 72 "firm" A320neo orders. He added that deliveries will start in 2015 and the carrier will then receive 15 A320neos per year.
Flydubai expects to announce its first annual profit in 2012. "With 21 aircraft [by the end of 2012] we will have the right size to" operate sustainably, CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith told ATW in Dubai recently.
US Air Transport Assn. named Sean Kennedy, a special assistant to President Barack Obama for legislative affairs, senior VP-global government affairs. He will join ATA July 15. Intrepid Aviation named leasing industry veteran Frank Pray president and CEO. He was formerly president and CEO of AWAS from 2006-2010. Prior to that, he was with CIT Aerospace for nine years.
Saudi Arabian Airlines said an IPO of its catering unit, estimated to be worth up to $540 million, is expected to be delayed for the second time, Reuters reported. The IPO was initially planned for the third quarter of 2010 and was later delayed to the second quarter of 2011. "We have submitted our file to the Capital Market Authority and haven't been given a date yet but most likely it will be delayed," DG Khalid Almolhem told Reuters.
About 700 Frontier Airlines pilots voted this week on whether to ratify a tentative agreement that would give them an equity stake in the airline in exchange for reductions in pay and benefits. Ratification would potentially drop parent Republic Airways Holdings' stake in the carrier to below 50% while allowing it to raise $70 million. It would also clear the way for a restructuring plan aimed at cutting more than $100 million from Frontier's annual costs.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said it signed an MOU with ANI Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based lessor that places aircraft with Indonesian airlines, for five MRJs.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said it signed an MOU with ANI Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based lessor that places aircraft with Indonesian airlines, for five MRJs.
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organization elected Paul Riemens chairman of its executive committee in Bangkok Tuesday. Riemens is the CEO of the Netherlands’ air traffic control organization LVNL. He succeeds interim Chairman Eamonn Brennan, effective immediately, said CANSO.
Air Arabia decided to delay the launch of a base in Amman owing to the social and political unrest in the region and high fuel prices. “With the current environment, we have delayed the Jordan plans ... we will review the situation and take a decision,” said CEO Adel Ali. “Jordan is stable but countries like Syria, Egypt and Tunisia are still facing political instability. There is a lot going on in the region and with the current fuel prices, we thought this was not the right time.”
