Moscow-based VIM Avia (NN) reported 11.8% passenger traffic growth in 2011, with 1.2 million passengers carried. NN’s scheduled flights grew to 79% in 2011 from 51% in 2010, due to the opening of domestic and CIS routes, including Siberia, Russian Far East, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. NN flies to 27 destinations in Russia, CIS and some European countries including Spain, Greece, Italy and Switzerland, as well as charter flights to leisure destinations. Its fleet comprises 11 Boeing 757-200s.
Air Seychelles (HM) has appointed Cramer Ball as CEO, effective Feb. 1. Ball was formerly Etihad Airways (EY) regional general manager of Asia Pacific South and Australasia. The move follows the strategic partnership between EY and the Seychelles government in which EY will acquire a 40% stake in HM ( ATW Daily News, Jan. 30). Former EY regional finance manager-Asia Pacific Shelley Cole has been named CFO.
Brazil-based TAM Linhas Aéreas said it reached a record passenger load factor of 81.4% on international routes last year, resulting from a 12.7% growth in RPKs and a 10% growth in ASKs.
Chile's LAN Airlines posted 2011 net income of $320.2 million, down 23.7% from a net profit of $419.7 million in 2010. Operating income decreased by 13.4% to $539.7 million while operating margin slid 4.3 points to 9.4%.
Hawaiian Holdings, parent of Hawaiian Airlines (HA), reported fourth-quarter net income of $20.9 million, down 70% from a $70.6 million profit in the year-ago period.
American Airlines (AA) chairman, president and CEO Tom Horton outlined the bankrupt carrier's plan for emerging from Chapter 11 protection in a Wednesday letter to company employees, calling for $1.25 billion in annual labor cost cuts.
The Hungarian government has put state-owned Malev Hungarian Airlines (MA) into bankruptcy protection. CEO Lorant Limburger said in a Monday statement that the company was running out of money. Board chairman János Berényi has requested management to draw up a liquidity plan by the end of the week.
Flight attendants from Southwest Airlines (SWA), represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), and AirTran Airways, represented by the Assn. of Flight Attendants (AFA) voted to ratify their seniority integration agreement. The tentative agreement, reached late last year, integrates the two groups' seniority lists ( ATW Daily News, Dec. 27, 2011).
Etihad Airways (EY) carried 8.3 million passengers in 2011, a 17% increase on the previous year. Etihad Crystal Cargo carried 310, 000 tonnes, up 18% on 2010. EY president and CEO James Hogan said the results “reflect our commitment to sensible, strategic expansion, which is why we launched eight new routes last year.”
All Nippon Airways (ANA) parent ANA Group reported net income of ¥33.7 billion ($440 million) for the first nine months of its April 1-March 31 fiscal year, down 10.1% from a ¥37.5 billion net profit the prior-year period. Revenue for the nine months increased by 3% year-over-year to ¥1.07 trillion while operating income rose 17.3% to ¥91.1 billion.
United Parcel Service (UPS) posted 2011 net income of $3.8 billion, up 14% over a net profit of $3.34 billion in 2010, and projected that it will do well in 2012 despite uncertainty about the global economy.
Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe plans to step down by the end of 2012, it was widely reported by New Zealand media Monday. The New Zealand Herald quoted a statement from Fyfe saying that his decision was made partly to create the space for the airline’s talented and capable executives to realize their full potential. Fyfe, who has been ANZ CEO since 2005, is credited with introducing many of the changes that transformed the airline.
Germania Fluggesellschaft has named Andreas Wobig as CEO, replacing Axel Trampnau, who left the company for personal reasons. Wobig has served as CTO for Germania since early 2011. Turkish Technic has signed an agreement with 328 Design GmbH to work together on “design projects.” The 328 group has over 200 supplementary TC’s on various aircraft types, including the Airbus A320.
Kenya Airways (KQ) carried 956,742 passengers in its third fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31, a 15.4% increase on the year-ago period. RPKs rose 9.9% on a systemwide 6.4% lift in ASKs as a result of increased frequencies to several destinations and the launch of Jeddah operations ( ATW Daily News, July 22, 2011). Load factor gained 2.2 points to 72%. The amount of cargo carried was up 6.2% to 16,131 tonnes, on a 6.5% capacity increase.
Transaero Airlines (UN) carried 8.453 million passengers in 2011, up 27.2% compared to 2010, the carrier said in a statement. RPKs increased to 33,180 million, up 26.2% over 2010. The Moscow-based carrier opened 22 routes from Sheremetyevo (SVO) and Domodedovo (DME) airports and Pulkovo (LED) in St. Petersburg. It launched 23 flights from regional airports in Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Ufa. Domestic boardings rose 30% and international boardings increased 26.8%.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) pilot unions have threatened a 24-hr. strike Wednesday but the airline said it is continuing negotiations to try stave off the planned industrial action and disruption to passenger services.
Ryanair (FR) reported a net profit of €14.9 million ($19.7 million) in the third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011, a complete turnaround from a €10.3 million deficit in the year-ago period.
