Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority has completed its investigation of Tiger Airways Australia and issued a list of conditions to be met before allowing the low cost airline to resume operations.
Frontier Airlines and the Assn. of Flight Attendants representing 1,000 of the carrier's cabin crew reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. Frontier said that concessions agreed to by AFA will save it $16 million in labor costs over a four-year period.
The Serbian government launched a tender Monday to find investors to create a new airline to replace loss-making Jat Airways ( ATW Daily News, June 16, 2010). A previous tender for the sale of a 51% stake in Jat, priced at €51 million ($73 million), failed in 2008 ( ATW Daily News, June 30, 2008).
The proposed acquisition of Finnish Commuter Airlines by Flybe Nordic, a new joint venture between Flybe Group and Finnair, received the necessary competition clearances from relevant authorities in Finland, Flybe said in a statement. It expects to complete the transaction "within the next two to three weeks."
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings reported a net profit of $34.4 million for the 2011 first half, down 48.2% from $66.4 million in net income posted in the first six months of 2010.
Alitalia Group reported a net loss of €94 million ($134.9 million) in the 2011 first half, a 43% improvement from the €164 million deficit incurred in the year-ago period.
Tianjin-based Okay Airways signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Heilongjiang provincial government to launch two routes to Mudanjiang and Jiamusi from Harbin, part of the carrier's plan to further explore the regional air transport market in North China.
Korean Air placed a firm order for two additional Boeing 737-900ERs valued at $171.6 million at list prices. KE currently operates two 737-900ERs. Boeing Flight Services said it will partner with KE to provide 737NG training for KE pilots at the airline's Seoul Incheon flight training facility. The 737-900ER is designed to carry up to 180 passengers in a two-class layout.
Star Alliance suspended the induction of Air India into the global airline grouping after India's national airline failed to meet the minimum joining conditions agreed upon in December 2007.
The Kuwaiti government launched the privatization of struggling flag carrier Kuwait Airways, putting up for sale 35% of the carrier's KWD220 million ($806.8 million) share capital.
Star Alliance suspended the induction of Air India into the global airline grouping after India's national airline failed to meet the minimum joining conditions agreed upon in December 2007.
US airlines carried 60.5 million scheduled domestic and international passengers in April, the most recent month for which data is available. Passengers carried for the month rose 1.4% year-over-year but was still 4.3% below pre-recession April 2008 figures, the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics noted. April scheduled domestic and international traffic for US airlines rose 4.2% over April 2010 to 66.7 billion RPMs on a 5.4% rise in capacity to 82.7 billion ASMs. Load factor was 80.7%, up 0.97 point.
International Airlines Group, parent of British Airways and Iberia, distinguished itself from rivals suffering losses or significantly reduced earnings ( ATW Daily News, July 29) by posting a net profit of €71 million ($101.8 million) for the 2011 first half, reversed from a pro-forma BA/IB €352 million net deficit in the first six months of 2010.
Investigators are expected to focus on the flammability of cargo carried by an Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter that crashed Thursday off the coast of South Korea in the East China Sea, killing both pilots.
Still reeling from the aftereffects of March's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan, All Nippon Airways incurred an ¥8.4 billion ($107.9 million) net loss for its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, widened from an ¥5.2 billion net deficit in the prior-year period.
Investigators are expected to focus on the flammability of cargo carried by an Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter that crashed Thursday off the coast of South Korea in the East China Sea, killing both pilots.
US Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that US airlines employed 2.1% more workers in May compared to the same month last year. BTS said only one network airline, Alaska Airlines, decreased employment. Delta Air Lines reported 4.9% more full-time employees for the month compared to May 2010, the largest increase among the network carriers. Continental Airlines, which now includes employees that formerly worked for Continental Micronesia, followed DL with a 2.1% increase.
Jetstar Asia will add five Airbus A320s and two A330s to its Singapore hub by year end, resulting in an additional 40 weekly flights. Among the extra services are flights to new destinations, including three-times-weekly A320 SIN-Ningbo service from Sept. 9 and four-times-weekly A320 SIN-Hanoi service from Dec. 15, as well as the new daily flight to Beijing announced earlier this month ( ATW Daily News, July 14).
American Airlines' blockbuster split order last week for up to 460 aircraft, including 130 A320neos and 100 re-engined 737NGs, appeared to be the carrier's answer to critics who say that its current fleet and business strategy are not sufficient for it to emerge from a long string of unprofitability.
Air China invested CNY86.8 million ($13.5 million) to take a 31% stake in Lhasa-based startup Tibet Airlines, which officially launched operations this week.
Lackluster earnings results reported by airlines worldwide demonstrate how difficult the operating environment for the industry was in the first half of 2011.
American Airlines' blockbuster split order last week for up to 460 aircraft, including 130 A320neos and 100 re-engined 737NGs, appeared to be the carrier's answer to critics who say that its current fleet and business strategy are not sufficient for it to emerge from a long string of unprofitability.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation announced Wednesday that Garuda Indonesia pilots will hold a 24-hr. strike "for pay parity" Thursday. "Unions have accused Garuda management of imposing regulations, intimidating union members and refusing to implement a collective bargaining agreement since 2009," ITF said in a statement. ITF accused the Indonesian government of turning "a deaf ear" to appeals to get involved in the labor dispute between the pilots and the state-owned carrier.
