The Latvian government has acquired the 47.2% stake in airBaltic (BT) previously held by Baltijas Aviacijas Sistemas (BAS), the company controlled by former BT president and CEO Bertolt Flick.
Thai Airways International (TG) acquired an additional 10% in Nok Air, lifting its stake in the low-cost carrier to 49%, it said in a statement to Thailand’s stock exchange. With a 49% share, TG has five directors out of nine on Nok Air's board, compared to four previously, giving it greater control over Nok’s strategy.
United Airlines' (UA) and Continental Airlines' (CO) professional engineers and related employees rejected representation sought by the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE). The IFPTE filed a representation application with the National Mediation Board June 30. There were 346 engineers and related employees eligible to participate in the election.
Singapore Airlines’ new long-haul, low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, has chosen Sydney (SYD) as its first international destination ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 1). Scoot will fly daily between SYD to Singapore (SIN) from mid-2012 on a Boeing 777-200ER. More destinations are expected to be announced shortly. Scoot will commence operations with four 777-200ERs with fares up to 40% below legacy carriers. It will operate from SIN Terminal 2, not the low-cost terminal.
American Airlines (AA), which will launch its first biofuels flight next summer, has signed a purchase agreement for renewable diesel and an MOU with two suppliers for alternative jet fuels, it was announced Wednesday at the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) Expo in Washington. AA MD-corporate environmental Jim Walsh said that AA’s approach is for “collaborative, industry-wide plans,” which spreads the financial risk for both airlines and potential suppliers, and identifies various sources while remaining feedstock neutral.
Transaero Airlines (UN) has accused Rosaviatsia—Russia’s Dept. of Aviation/Ministry of Transport—of restricting competition and supporting a monopoly after it said the regulator withdrew permission for the carrier to operate charter flights from Moscow to Rome, Milan and Venice in the winter season.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has approved the comprehensive integrated network alliance between Virgin Australia (VA) and Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Finnair (AY) will return four Airbus A320s at the end of their lease periods in the fall of 2012 as part of its €140 million ($186.6 million) cost-savings program, to be completed by 2014 ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 10). As a result of this move, AY said it “expects to realize a boost in narrowbody aircraft utilization.” The move will not impact personnel.
Air Berlin (AB) is looking for strategic investors and has contacted Etihad Airways and Haikou-based HNA Group, parent of Hainan Airlines, the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung has reported. The financially troubled AB operates a codeshare agreement with HNA.
Brussels Airlines (SN) will add three frequencies on its Brussels-Moscow route, nearly doubling the number of flights between the two capitals to 13 weekly flights by the summer schedule 2012.
From the moment in 2003 when he took over as American Airlines (AA) chairman and CEO, replacing Don Carty just as the Dallas-based carrier was narrowly avoiding a Chapter 11 filing, Gerard Arpey spent eight years trying to prove that a major US legacy airline could both avoid bankruptcy and achieve sustained profitability.
Citing an "untenable" cost disadvantage compared to its primary competitors, American Airlines (AA) parent AMR Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court Tuesday and announced the resignation of chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey.
Regional Airline Assn. has appointed Republic Airways VP-safety and regulatory compliance Brad Elstad as chairman, and Atlantic Southeast Airlines director-safety Brad Sheehan as vice chairman, for a two-year term, effective Jan. 1, 2012. Gulf Air named Rick Saggar country manager-UK and Ireland. Saggar joins Gulf Air from Hahn Air, where he served as director-airline business group.
South African Airways has announced an expansion of its African routes into the Congo as well as a new international route to China. The airline will launch services to Pointe Noire in the Congo from Jan. 26 and Beijing from Jan. 31. Pointe Noire is the fourth new African destination this financial year. It joins Ndola, in Zambia; Kigali, in Rwanda; and Bujumbura, in Burundi.
Air France (AF) will commence 3X-weekly scheduled service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Wuhan Tianhe April 11, 2012. AF will use a Boeing 777-200ER configured with 309 seats, comprising 35 in business, 24 in premium economy and 250 in economy.
Atlantic Airways (RC), the national carrier of the Faroe Islands, posted a profit before tax of DKK27.4 million ($5 million) in the first nine months of 2011, up 166% from a DKK 10.3 million pre-tax profit earned in the year-ago period.
US Dept. of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) said the nation’s largest carriers reported three tarmac delays longer than 3 hr. in September, compared to four flights in September 2010.
Lufthansa Cargo (LHC) is predicting flat to 5% traffic growth in 2012, LHC executive board member-product and sales Andreas Otto told the German News agency dpa.
Barcelona-based LCC Vueling Airlines (VY) reported a third-quarter net profit of €41 million ($55.3 million), slightly down from a €43.3 million net profit earned in the year-ago period. It expects to obtain a positive result for the full year despite high fuel prices and a difficult macroeconomic and operating environment.
EasyJet (U2) nearly doubled its net profit for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 to £225 million ($353.4 million) from £121 million in net income earned in the prior year and decided to return £195 million to shareholders, the company’s first dividend since its IPO in November 2000.
