Condor Airlines, a German leisure carrier, will renew its short- and medium-haul fleet by 30 Airbus A320 family aircraft, the dpa news agency reported. The new A320 fleet should replace 25 aircraft with an average age of 11 years, including 13 757-300s and 12 A320s older versions. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between 2012 and 2017.
Turkish Technic announced it has signed maintenance services agreements for one base maintenance C check on B737NG (VQ-BEO) and one base maintenance A check on B737NG (VQ-BOY) with Yakutia Airlines. Maintenance activities will be carried at Turkish Technic’s facilities in Istanbul, Turkey; during December 2010.
Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air announced Wednesday its pilots, represented by International Brotherhood of Teamsters, ratified a new five-year contract ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 20). Nearly 77% of Horizon's pilots voted, and more than 59% of those voted in favor of the agreement.
Lufthansa this week outlined its vision to reporters in Frankfurt on "a new way to handle irregularity" in travel for its passengers, particularly regarding delays and managing flight transfers. "Our vision is [a] mobile companion" for the passenger, an LH spokesperson said. In the future, the airline hopes to introduce an indoor navigation application for airports that customers will be able to access on mobile phones. "With the mobilization of the world, this is really important," LH said.
Southwest Airlines' pilots ratified a tentative agreement to amend their collective bargaining accord to allow the carrier to add the Boeing 737-800 to its fleet. "With this positive vote, the pilots' current contract will also be extended by one year, becoming amendable August 2012, and will include the potential for wage rate increases based on the company's financial performance," the Dallas-based LCC said in a statement. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn. represents more than 5,600 SWA pilots.
AirBridgeCargo Airlines told ATW it “hopes” that Boeing will not announce further delays to its 747-8 Freighter program and that it is in discussion with the manufacturer on compensation for the first set of delays. The Russian cargo carrier placed orders for five firm 747-8Fs in 2007 with purchase rights for a further five ( ATW Daily News, March 13, 2007).
Ryanair announced Wednesday it will open three new bases in the Canary Islands next year as part of the LCC’s Spain expansion plan, bringing the number of bases in the country to 11.
The Finnish Cabin Crew Union, which represents Finnair's and Blue1's cabin service personnel, began its open-ended strike Tuesday at 1 p.m. local time after it failed to reach a deal over shifts and other employment issues ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 18). SLSY Chairwoman Thelma Akers said the union would be on strike for "as long as it takes."
Lufthansa Cargo, which is forecasting a 5% annual gain in its airfreight traffic from 2012 to 2015, said it will add the equivalent of six MD-11 widebodies by 2015, according to LHC Executive Board Member-Product and Sales Andreas Otto. He said the growth is driven by Asian demand.
Austrian Airlines is expected to announce Wednesday that Lufthansa Board Member and Executive VP-Marketing and Sales Thierry Antinori will become CEO of Austrian Airlines, a source close to the Lufthansa management confirmed to ATW. OS Executive Board Members Andreas Bierwirth and Peter Malanik, who currently lead OS, will remain with the company.
Flybe confirmed Tuesday it will proceed with its long-awaited IPO and said its base offer is about £60 million ($93.5 million) in new shares. Flybe said it intends to use the new shares to fund its planned fleet expansion and to further strengthen its cash position “providing strategic flexibility to pursue additional growth opportunities (such as the expansion of codeshare arrangements, strategic arrangements with other European airlines and targeted acquisitions) should such opportunities present themselves.”
Boeing and Copa Airlines announced an order for 22 737-800NGs plus 10 options at a signing ceremony Tuesday at the US Dept. of Commerce in Washington. The order, valued at approximately $1.7 billion at list prices, was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing's orders and deliveries website.
Aerolineas Argentinas signed a formal agreement Tuesday to join SkyTeam, setting the stage for it to become the alliance's first South American member in 2012.
Lufthansa relaunched its FlyNet inflight Internet service after a four-year suspension Tuesday, becoming the first airline to offer passengers broadband Internet access on intercontinental routes.
The Tokyo court handling Japan Airlines' bankruptcy on Tuesday approved the company's restructuring plan calling for the retirement or layoff of more than 16,000 staff by March 31, 2011, the disposal of 103 aircraft and the scrapping of 49 loss-making routes.
Lufthansa relaunched its FlyNet inflight Internet service after a four-year suspension Tuesday, becoming the first airline to offer passengers broadband Internet access on intercontinental routes. Initially, it will be available on select North Atlantic routes, with LH planning to deploy it throughout its intercontinental network by the end of 2011.
United Continental Holdings announced Monday that Continental Airlines has reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents 7,000 CO fleet service employees. The IBT is expected to hold a ratification vote in the coming weeks.
The Supervisory Board of Lufthansa Cargo AG announced Friday that Karl Ulrich Garnadt will succeed Carsten Spohr as Lufthansa Cargo Chairman and CEO, effective Jan.1, 2011. Garnadt, who is currently in charge of Hub Management and Passenger Services on the LH German Airlines Board, will serve for three years. He has been a member of the Board of LH German Airlines since Jan. 15, 2007. The board also announced that Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht will succeed Karl-Heinz Kopfle as board member-operations at LH Cargo.
Lufthansa is launching the world’s first scheduled commercial passenger flights using biofuel in the first half of 2011, with an IAE-V2500-powered Airbus A321. In April 2011, LH will begin a six-month trial with an A321 on scheduled commercial flights on the Hamburg-Frankfurt-Hamburg route. Pending certification, one of the aircraft’s engines will use a 50-50 mix of biofuel and traditional kerosene. The primary purpose of the project is to conduct a long-term trial to study the effect of biofuel on engine maintenance and engine life.
Qantas returned two of its six Airbus A380sto service on the Sydney to London route after some engine changes. The airline is limiting take-off thrust to 70,000 lb. instead of the 72,000 lb. for which the engine is certified.
Malaysia Airlines has returned to the black after recording a MYR233 million ($74.2 million) net profit for third quarter ended Sept 30 on the back of a 15% lift in revenue to MYR3.39 billion from both passengers and cargo.
The AirAsia Group has posted what it terms an "outstanding" result of a net profit of MYR447 million ($141 million) for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 on revenue of MYR1.54 billion.
