Spring Airlines reported a half-year net profit of CNY160 million ($23.6 million), a fourfold year-over-year improvement, allowing the Shanghai-based carrier to maintain a profit streak that goes back five years. Spring credited “robust growth of the domestic market” stimulated by the Chinese Spring Festival in February and the Shanghai World Expo for the result, a spokesperson told ATW. Operating revenue climbed 64.4% to CNY1.47 billion.
Continental Airlines continued the trend of US majors reporting strong financial results, posting second-quarter net income of $233 million, reversed from a $213 loss in the year-ago period.
EgyptAir is seeking to extend its network in Africa and is looking for partners in the central or western regions of the continent with which it can cooperate, Chairman and CEO Hussein Massoud told ATW.
American Airlines’ parent AMR Corp. posted a second-quarter net loss of $11 million, narrowed from a $390 million deficit in the year-ago quarter, and announced yesterday that it has exercised options for 35 additional 737-800s.
US Airways reported second-quarter net income of $279 million, a nearly fivefold increase over a $58 million profit in the year-ago period, and joined the industry chorus in promising no capacity growth despite the strong financial performance.
Porter Airlines confirmed that CEO Robert Deluce personally filed a lawsuit against Air Canada for breach of contract. He is seeking up to $5 million in damages. The dispute traces back to 1986 when the Deluce family sold Air Ontario and Austin Airways to AC. Under terms of the sale, AC agreed to provide Deluce and his spouse with a free travel pass for life. It honored the contract for 23 years, but Deluce claims that in the fall of 2009 AC “unilaterally, and without warning, stopped honoring the arrangements.”
Finnair went live with the Amadeus electronic miscellaneous document, the fulfillment solution that will allow airlines and travel agencies to sell and track the usage of ancillary charges, on its website. Such charges may be linked to the flight coupon, such as for excess baggage and seat selection, or standalone charges such as lounge access and rebooking fees. Finnair's EMD capability will be extended to Amadeus travel agencies in Europe in September following a pilot with agents in the Finnish market.
United Airlines parent UAL Corp. reported second-quarter net income of $273 million, significantly widened from a $28 million profit in the year-ago period and its best second-quarter result since 1999.
Finnair went live with the Amadeus electronic miscellaneous document, the fulfillment solution that will allow airlines and travel agencies to sell and track the usage of ancillary charges, on its website. Such charges may be linked to the flight coupon, such as for excess baggage and seat selection, or standalone charges such as lounge access and rebooking fees. Finnair's EMD capability will be extended to Amadeus travel agencies in Europe in September following a pilot with agents in the Finnish market.
Air Berlin and Air Lease Corp., a new leasing company led by former ILFC Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy, signed a sale/leaseback agreement for one A320-200, one A321-200, two 737-800s and one used A320-200. All are equipped with CFM engines. The first delivery, which took place May 19, was for the A320-200. Delivery of an A321 and a used A320 took place in June. Delivery of the two 737-800s is scheduled for later in the year and early 2011.
Delta Air Lines got the US airline industry's second-quarter financial reporting season off to an optimistic start yesterday, posting net income of $467 million, reversed from a $257 million loss in the year-ago period.
China Eastern Air Holding Co. posted a net profit of CNY2.21 billion ($326.7 million) in the first half, more than tripling its profit of CNY600 million reported in the prior-year period.
Royal Jordanian transported 268,000 passengers in June, a 13% increase on the year-ago month. Load factor reached 70% while number of flights lifted 10% to 3,465. RJ expects to reach a record number of passengers in July, estimating the figure to surpass 330,000. JetBlue Airways flew 2.47 billion RPMs in June, up 10.9% year-over-year, while capacity rose 5.8% to 2.93 billion ASMs. Load factor was up 3.9 points to 84.2%.
Continental Airlines completed upgrading 11 777s and 14 757-200s used on long-haul international routes with its BusinessFirst flat-bed seats manufactured by BE Aerospace. The seats also will be installed on "many" of its 767-400s beginning in 2011, on two 777s to be delivered at the end of the month and on 787s yet to be delivered.
Lufthansa said Friday that closing much of Europe's airspace for six days in April "caused unprecedented chaos" and "utter pandemonium" that must be avoided in the future, stating that airspace closure decisions need to be based on "reliable measuring data and internationally coordinated threshold levels."
Air China plans to renew its fleet by introducing more widebody aircraft, a move it said will improve its overall operational efficiency. The Beijing-based carrier said in a statement that it is holding talks with Boeing and Airbus for new aircraft orders. It is interested in both the 787 and the A350. MD-International Affairs and Cooperation Lou Yongfeng told ATW last month that the carrier's international ambitions currently are curtailed by a shortage of long-haul aircraft.
