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.
Air India, Star Alliance and senior officials from the Indian government and the Civil Aviation Authority are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the progress of the carrier’s induction into the alliance.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines told ATW’s Eco-Aviation Today that the first Amsterdam-Paris Charles de Gaulle return flight on June 29 th using a Boeing 737-800 partially powered by biofuel operated "exactly the same—as expected—as flights on traditional kerosene."
Lufthansa and the Jülich Research Centre (FZJ) have launched an innovative climate research project for the long-term observation of the Earth’s atmosphere using scheduled LH services. Specially developed measurement devices on board a Lufthansa A340-300 “Viersen” will routinely record atmospheric trace substances, and in the future, aerosols and cloud particles as well, while in flight. This shall occur all over the world and on a broad basis. The generated data will be digitally sampled, processed and analyzed after every landing.
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. In a world first, the consortium will use innovative fast pyrolysis technology developed by Dynamotive to process mallees, a eucalypt tree that can be grown sustainably in many parts of Australia.
AerCap Holdings had a busy second quarter in which it signed new lease agreements for 16 aircraft, delivered seven, purchased one Airbus A330 and one A320, and sold one A321 and one Boeing 737-400. It also inked contracts for the sale of another four aircraft from its owned portfolio (two A320s, one 737-300, one 757-200), and four aircraft from its managed portfolio (one 737-400, three 737-500s).
Norwegian Air Shuttle, which is not leaving any doubt about its long-haul ambitions, signed a LOI Thursday with International Lease Finance Corp. for one more new Boeing 787-8 to increase its future fleet of the type to six.
Finnair said it will operate a scheduled flight partially powered by biofuel between Amsterdam and Helsinki next week, and will ultimately operate at least three biofuel flights on the route.
Finnair said it will operate a scheduled flight partially powered by biofuel between Amsterdam and Helsinki next week, and will ultimately operate at least three biofuel flights on the route.
Ukraine International Airlines and oneworld member S7 Airlines signed a partnership agreement under which UIA will launch thrice daily Kiev-Moscow Domodedovo service next week, giving its passengers access to S7's network via DME. "S7 Airlines [has] the largest network of domestic routes in Russia," UIA Corporate Press Secretary Evgeniya Satska said. "Cooperation with such a powerful carrier will provide our passengers with more opportunities." UIA operates a fleet of 19 Boeing 737 aircraft.
Hawaiian Airlines gave an indication that the Japanese market may be on the path to recovery following March's devastating earthquake and tsunami( ATW, May 1). The carrier raised capacity on its daily Honolulu-Tokyo Haneda service last week, switching from a 264-seat Boeing 767-300 to a newly delivered 294-seat Airbus A330-200.
Etihad Airways reported a 28% year-over-year rise in first-half revenue to $1.72 billion and reiterated it is on course to reach its goals of breaking even this year and achieving profitability in 2012.
Ryanair will establish a base at Manchester Airport Oct. 2, initially with two Boeing 737-800s operating on 17 routes, and has plans to grow to four aircraft and 26 routes by summer 2012. MAN will be the LCC’s 45th base.
Former Australia Civil Aviation Safety Authority chairman Dick Smith—also one of the country's most controversial and outspoken entrepreneurs—has infuriated airline unions by predicting that Qantas International will go bankrupt unless it moves its operating base to Asia.
Former Australia Civil Aviation Safety Authority chairman Dick Smith—also one of the country's most controversial and outspoken entrepreneurs—has infuriated airline unions by predicting that Qantas International will go bankrupt unless it moves its operations to Asia.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Senior VP, General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer Adam Kokas was named chairman of the Cargo Airline Assn., succeeding ABX Air VP-Flight Operations Robert Gray, who held the position for five years. Pinnacle Airlines Corp. named former Frontier Airlines CFO Ted Christie VP and CFO. He is expected to join Memphis-based Pinnacle by July 25.
Romania's Tarom incurred a net loss of €80 million ($113 million) in 2010, 41.6% worse than its 2009 deficit, Romanian media outlets reported. According to Bucharest's The Diplomat, the SkyTeam member's full-year revenue totaled €306 million. Passengers carried heightened 23.6% year-over-year to nearly 2.2 million. CEO Gabriela Bordea told the newspaper the airline did not meet its revenue forecast because it was forced to keep fares low, owing to a lack of pricing power with passengers.
Shenzhen Airlines subsidiary Henan Airlines, which has been grounded since a fatal Embraer 190 crash in August 2010, is expected to resume operations soon, ATW has learned.
US Airways recorded an "all-time record" of 87.1% for its average mainline June load factor, up 0.2 point over June 2010. It operated 5.73 billion mainline RPMs for the month, up 2.5% year-over-year, against a 2.3% lift in capacity to 6.58 billion ASMs. US expects 2011 system capacity to be 1% higher than 2010; mainline capacity is projected at 1.5% higher. It is scheduled to take delivery of 12 Airbus A321s in the second half of 2011 and 12 A320 family aircraft in 2012 (to replace Boeing 737-300s/400s).
