Porter Airlines (PD) on Tuesday conducted Canada’s first biofuel-powered revenue flight, operating a Bombardier Q400 between Toronto City Centre and Ottawa using a 50:50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1fuel in one of its engines.
Qantas (QF) and SkyNRG operated Australia’s first commercial biofuel flight April 13 between Sydney and Adelaide. The flight, using an Airbus A330, used a 50:50 blend of biofuel derived from used cooking oil and conventional jet fuel, QF said in a statement. The fuel, supplied by SkyNRG, has been fully certified for use in commercial aviation. Its life cycle carbon footprint is around 60% smaller than that of conventional jet fuel.
Panama-based Copa Airlines (CM) will introduce Iquitos (IQT) into its route network July 14, with two nonstop weekly services out of its Panama City (PTY) hub.
Finnair (AY) said last week it will cut 280 maintenance jobs as it outsources engine and component services to Swiss SR Technics in a further move to cut costs.
Chengdu-based Sichuan Airlines (3U) is accelerating the pace of its international expansion as Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU) moves forward with plans to become China’s fourth busiest international hub.
Qantas (QF) launched Australia’s first commercial biofuel flight Friday, operating an Airbus A330 between Sydney and Adelaide using a 50:50 blend derived from used cooking oil and conventional jet fuel.
Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS) will appeal the European Commission’s (EC) decision to allow British Airways’ (BA) parent International Airlines Group (IAG) to take over debt-racked British Midland International (bmi).
Transaero Airlines (UN) signed an agreement with the Russian Development Bank’s VEB-leasing to finance four Airbus A380s from an October 2011 memorandum of understanding.
China Southern Airlines (CZ) expects its first-quarter net profit to drop by more than half compared to the CNY1.24 billion ($190 million) reported in the year-ago quarter.
EgyptAir (MS) has reported a 2011 decrease in profit to $12 million, down 75% year-over-year. The carrier, which had been in the middle of an expansion year, cited the civil unrest in Cairo and other parts of Egypt as reasons for the results.
The Indian government said Thursday it will invest INR300 billion ($5.76 billion) through 2020 to restructure struggling Air India (AI), including an immediate INR67.5 billion ($1.3 billion) injection.
AFI KLM E&M has promoted Ron de Bos head of sales in North America. De Bos joined KLM E&M in 1995 as a purchasing unit manager, and from 2008-2012 served as director-integrated services. AirVault named former TIMCO chairman, president, and co-CEO Ronald Utecht to the AirVault Advisory Board. It also named former Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services VP and CEO James Brunke to the advisory board.
Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes said its maintenance center at Tancredo Neves International in Belo Horizonte has been approved by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
The International Air Cargo Assn. (TIACA) said a German court’s decision earlier this month to uphold a night-flight ban at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) will likely result in “economic and environmental damage” and reduced investment in FRA by cargo airlines.
Chinese carriers reported a net loss of almost CNY200 million ($31.6 million) in March, reversed from a collective net profit of CNY1.71 billion in the year-ago month, due to high fuel prices and a decline in cargo traffic.
Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair (FR) has scrapped a further batch of flights from Edinburgh airport (EDI) in Scotland, in an ongoing dispute over costs with airport owner BAA.
Volga-Dnepr Group said it intends to order 20 Antonov An-124s, plus options for 20 more, from United Aircraft Corp. (UAC), according to group executive president Valery Gabriel.
Silver Airways has taken delivery of its fourth Saab 340Bplus. The Fort Lauderdale., Fla.-based carrier, which received FAA approval to operate the Saab 340Bplus aircraft type last month, has agreed to purchase 12 of the turboprops from Saab Aircraft Leasing, according to a company statement.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has moved to distance itself from reports that it would create child-free zones on new Airbus A380 aircraft when it enters the fleet in July (ATW Daily News, March 12).
[UPDATED] Garuda Indonesia (GA) has placed a firm order for 11 Airbus A330-300s. It is the carrier’s third A330 order since July 2010, bringing its total on firm order to 21 aircraft.
