British Airways cabin crew represented by the Unite union on Tuesday started voting on whether to take fresh industrial action in their long-running dispute with the airline ( ATW Daily News, Dec. 15). Ballot papers were sent to more than 10,000 cabin crew at BA as the confrontation between the parties “deepens,” according to Unite.
WestJet said Tuesday it will wet lease a Boeing 757-200 from North American Airlines to be used on Calgary-Honolulu-Maui and Edmonton-Maui routings from Feb. 12-April 30, 2011, subject to Canadian government approval. NAA will operate the aircraft on behalf of WS, providing pilots, flight attendants and maintenance personnel. WS operates an all 737NG fleet comprising 91 aircraft.
Airbus said Tuesday that LAN Airlines finalized a previously-announced order for 50 new A320 family aircraft. The order was initially announced as an MOU at the Farnborough International Airshow in July ( ATW Daily News, July 21). It represents the largest single airline order for Airbus in Latin America and brings LAN's total Airbus orders to 152 aircraft.
The New Zealand Ministry of Transport followed the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, giving the green light to the alliance between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand.
United Airlines rescinded a policy that restricted access of some travel agencies to the United merchant account. The carrier also waived retroactively any penalties that the agencies had accrued under the policy. “We have elected to rescind a policy that required a relative handful of the thousands of travel agencies that sell tickets for United to pay their own credit card merchant fees,” United said in a statement.
News from Travel Technology Update: United Airlines rescinded a policy that restricted access of some travel agencies to the United merchant account. The carrier also waived retroactively any penalties that the agencies had accrued under the policy. “We have elected to rescind a policy that required a relative handful of the thousands of travel agencies that sell tickets for United to pay their own credit card merchant fees,” United said in a statement.
The New Zealand Ministry of Transport followed the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, giving the green light to the alliance between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand.
China's airlines reported collective net income of CNY880 million ($132.4 million) for the month of November, a big reversal from a net loss of CNY1 million in the year-ago period, on a 23% increase in total operating revenue to CNY24.4 billion. Operating expenses rose 18.1% to CNY23.17 billion.
Lufthansa said its fifth Airbus A380 will commence twice-weekly service Feb. 18 from Frankfurt to New York JFK, the fourth A380 destination the carrier has announced and its first US destination for the aircraft type. Initially operating on Mondays and Fridays, LH said it plans to increase the route's frequency to daily by mid-April. LH has ordered 15 A380s, all scheduled for delivery by 2015.
US airline passenger revenue rose 14.5% in November compared to November 2009, marking the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases, Air Transport Assn. reported. RPMs rose 6.5% while yield climbed 7.5%. Domestic passenger revenues climbed 11% while international revenues jumped 23% for the month. Data is based on reports from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, US Airways and their affiliated regional airlines, but not Southwest Airlines.
Aeromexico said Friday it has reached agreement with its pilots on a new labor pact that will allow for growth and increases in productivity. Though details were not released, Chairman Jose Luis Barraza said, "This agreement with the pilots is the most important structural change the company has made in terms of labor agreements and will allow the airline a sustainable growth in the immediate future."
Delta Air Lines announced it will expand the first-class cabin on approximately 350 aircraft, adding 1,200 Weber Aircraft first-class seats to domestic MD-88, MD-90, Boeing 757-200 and 767-300 aircraft by summer 2013, in response to business customers' requests for more premium cabin seating.
Swiss International Air Lines CEO Harry Hohmeister told ATW at the Star Alliance meeting in Queenstown that “2011 will be the year of consolidation for us,” noting, “We will not add new long-haul routes [but will] consolidate against the current trend in the industry.”
Ryanair on Friday dismissed speculation that it might bid for Virgin Atlantic Airways, saying that while it is interested in a low fares transatlantic service, it has “no intention of bidding for a high fares airline.”
Horizon Air announced that its technicians ratified a new four-year contract. Of the 72% of Horizon's mechanics who voted, more than 65% were in favor of the agreement, according to the IBT, which represents Horizon’s 337 mechanics. The new contract took effect immediately. As part of the agreement, Horizon's 337 mechanics will gain participation in the airline's performance-based incentive plan.
Ethiopian Airlines and Air China signed an agreement under which the carriers will codeshare on their 14 weekly services between Addis Ababa on the one hand and Guangzhou and Beijing on the other. Air China announced its intent to reach an agreement with ET back in June. Air China is a member of Star Alliance and Ethiopian is in the process of joining.
Bmi, a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary, continues to target an annual cost reduction of £100 million ($156.9 million) and hopes to bring the carrier back to profit in 2012.
Airbus said Dublin-based leasing company Avolon ordered eight A320s, which will be equipped with "Sharklet" winglets. Avolon will make an engine selection for the aircraft in the near future.
According to AirAsia, the new carrier "will leverage on AirAsia's strength to forge into markets in China, Korea and Japan from the Philippines, AirAsia intends to launch a Philippines-based low-cost airline joint venture in which
Virgin Atlantic Airways said it has been contacted by a number of companies regarding potential tie-ups after its 51% owner, Virgin Group, contracted Deutsche Bank to assess the airline's position and growth opportunities in the rapidly consolidating European airline industry.
Southwest Airlines Chairman, President and CEO Gary Kelly told the Wings Club in New York City that SWA has notified Boeing that it will “substitute 20 of its 737-700 orders for -800s,” with the first delivery scheduled for March 2012. The airline had made known its desire to add the larger type into its fleet of 737-700s, -300s and -500s but needed to get approval from its pilot and cabin crew unions first.
TAM Airlines together with Airbus on Nov. 22 conducted the first jatropha-based biofuel flight in Latin America using an A320. The biofuel, processed by UOP LLC, a Honeywell group, was a 50:50 blend of locally sourced Brazilian jatropha-based bio-kerosene and conventional aviation kerosene. On board the CFM56-powered A320 were 20 employees from TAM and Airbus.
