Airlines & Lessors

By Linda Blachly
Embraer reported first-quarter net income of $106.3 million under IFRS accounting standards, an almost fourfold increase from a $27 million profit in the year-ago period.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
WestJet reported first-quarter net income of C$48.2 million ($50.8 million), a big increase over a C$2.4 million profit in the year-ago period, as revenue jumped 24.7% year-over-year to C$772.4 million. The period marked the Calgary-based LCC's 24th straight quarter in the black.

Christine Boynton
Alaska Airlines will begin a major renovation project of its facilities at Los Angeles International this year, moving from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 in late 2011 and integrating its "Airport of the Future" check-in process and "modernized" gate facilities. The new location will open for operations in spring 2012.
Airports & Networks

The Professional Aviation Maintenance Assn. Board of Directors said it named Dale Forton president. UPS Airlines named 34-year veteran UPS executive Matt Capozzoli VP of flight operations, replacing Capt. Rick Barr, who is retiring after 23 years.

Geoffrey Thomas
The Virgin Blue Group will expand its codeshare agreement with Delta Air Lines to include more destinations in the US and within Australia and New Zealand. This will allow V Australia passengers to connect from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Detroit as well as the current New York and Orlando. DL will codeshare on flights from Sydney to Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Auckland and Christchurch.
Airports & Networks

Geoffrey Thomas
Cebu Pacific, now the Philippines’ largest airline, flew more than 2.8 million passengers in the first quarter to March 2011, up 12% over the year-ago quarter ( ATW Daily News, June 10, 2010). According to CEB VP Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog, the airline is on track to achieve its 12 million-passenger target for 2011, up 14% from the 10.5 million passengers carried last year.

Cathy Buyck
Turkish Airlines said that changes made by the Turkish government will allow citizens from 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to be granted visas at Istanbul Ataturk if they also have valid Schengen, UK or US visas in their passports and possess a round-trip THY ticket.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Linda Blachly
Air India on Sunday said that nearly 90% of its domestic flights have been disrupted as the pilot strike wears on, forcing the carrier to “substantially curtail” its domestic flights through May 6.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Katie Cantle
China Eastern Airlines reported first-quarter net income of CNY1.01 billion ($155.8 million), up 31.5% over a CNY770 million net profit posted in the year-ago period.

Aaron Karp
Southwest Airlines on Monday completed its acquisition of AirTran Airways, a move that combines the world's largest LCC with the third largest LCC in North America and further accelerates the US industry's consolidation.

Katie Cantle
China Eastern Airlines reported first-quarter net income of CNY1.01 billion ($155.8 million), up 31.5% over a CNY770 million net profit posted in the year-ago period.

By Linda Blachly
US Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that US airlines employed 1% more workers in February compared to the same month last year. BTS said three network airlines (American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines) decreased employment. Delta Air Lines reported 4.2 % more workers in February 2011 than in February 2010. Continental Airlines, which now includes employees who formerly worked for Continental Micronesia, reported a 1.1% increase, according to the report.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Cathy Buyck
Transaero Airlines last week strongly denied a Kommersant Daily report that it had approached the Russian government about buying state-owned Orenburg Airlines. Privately-held Transaero, however, conceded that it is assessing the "idea of participating in other carriers' equity" but insisted its interest "lies outside Russia." Transaero General Director Olga Pleshakova said he has "never considered Orenburg Airlines as [Transaero's] competitor due to completely different business models."

Kurt Hofmann
Kazakhstan's Air Astana is in talks with Boeing to order up to six new 767-300ERs for a 2013-2014 delivery, President Peter Foster told ATW in Almaty. Foster said the aircraft could serve as an interim solution as it awaits the 787, the first of which it now does not expect to receive until 2019 owing to the program's multiple delays ( ATW Daily News, Jan. 19).
Aircraft & Propulsion

Perry Flint
Allegiant Travel Company, parent of the airline, reported earnings of $17.2 million for the first quarter, down 24.1% compared to income of $22.6 million in the year-ago period in large part owing to a 38% rise in fuel costs.

By Linda Blachly
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Aaron Karp
All Nippon Airways posted a ¥23.3 billion ($284.4 million) net profit for its fiscal year ended March 31, reversed from a ¥57.3 billion net loss in the prior fiscal year.

Cathy Buyck
Norwegian Air Shuttle said that high oil prices “strongly contributed” to a first-quarter net loss NOK293.2 million ($55.3 million), widened from a NOK199.1 million deficit in the year-ago period.

Perry Flint
Finnair Group reported a loss of €33.8 million ($49.6 million) for the first quarter ended March 31, widened from a deficit of €21.7 million in the year-ago period. CEO Mika Vehvilainen cited the impact of events in Japan, as well as rising fuel prices and excess industry capacity for the lower results.

Katie Cantle
Chinese airlines continue to post large profits, but Air China and China Southern Airlines both saw earnings dip in the 2011 first-quarter compared to the year-ago period, despite strong revenue growth.

Aaron Karp
All Nippon Airways posted a ¥23.3 billion ($284.4 million) net profit for its fiscal year ended March 31, reversed from a ¥57.3 billion net loss in the prior fiscal year.

By Linda Blachly
Hawaiian Holdings, parent of Hawaiian Airlines, reported net income of $855,000 in the three months ended March 31, an almost fourfold improvement over a profit of $216,000 in the year-ago period as $8.4 million in gains on fuel derivative contracts offset a 56% rise in fuel costs between the two quarters.

Perry Flint
LAN Airlines overcame a 32 % rise in fuel prices to post a net profit of $97.2 million in the first quarter ended March 31, up 10.1% compared to income of $88.3 million in the year-ago period.

Perry Flint
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney on Wednesday all but eliminated any possibility that Boeing will make an announcement at the upcoming Paris Air Show (June 20-26) regarding a successor plan for the 737NG.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Perry Flint
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney on Wednesday all but eliminated any possibility that Boeing will make an announcement at June's Paris Air Show regarding a successor plan for the 737NG.
Safety, Ops & Regulation