Singapore Airlines named SilkAir Chairman Goh Choon Phong its new CEO, effective Jan. 1 following the year-end retirement of CEO Chew Choon Seng, who has held the post since June 2003.
United Airlines and Continental Airlines have agreed on a path to obtain a single operating certificate from FAA that will see the merged carriers retain the "legacy Continental operating certificate and the legacy United repair station certificate," according to UA VP-Corporate Safety, Security, Quality & Environment Michael Quiello.
Emirates successfully completed migration to SITA's Airfare Insight platform, SITA announced. EK implemented the software tool across its global network of sales offices. Air Berlin extended its agreement with Lufthansa Flight Training to train its pilots exclusively on LFT flight simulators through 2015. Training involves the use of simulators for A320, A330, 737NG and Q400 aircraft. Most of the required simulator training takes place at AB's Berlin base.
Kingfisher Airlines said its board this week approved share sales aimed at raising more than $350 million. The carrier said it will "immediately" attempt to raise $250 million by selling global depository receipts. The rest will be raised via an equity offering in India. "The financials of Kingfisher Airlines are expected to be significantly strengthened by these initiatives," the company said.
Troubled Malev received a HUF5.7 billion ($25.5 million) loan from the Hungarian government Thursday, according to multiple news reports. Hungary's National Development Ministry, which officially extended the loan, told Reuters that "Malev's situation would have become almost unsustainable" without the financial help.
The European Commission Wednesday amended its list of airlines banned from the EU for safety reasons to include Ghana's Meridian Airways. It also placed restrictions on another Ghanaian carrier, Airlift International, banning it from operating three of its aircraft to EU airspace.
SuperJet International and US lessor Willis Lease Finance Corporation signed an MOU for the purchase of six Sukhoi SuperJet 100s plus four options. The deal has an estimated value of up to $300 million, Superjet International said.
Boeing forecast Thursday that North American airlines will take delivery of about 7,200 new aircraft valued at $700 billion over the next 20 years. Around 75% of new deliveries will be narrowbodies, it said.
Lufthansa said it reached an agreement with subsidiary Germanwings to cooperate more closely, in particular to offer benefits for the airlines' frequent flyers. LH's Miles & More members will be able to not only exchange miles but also collect award miles on all GWI flights. Since December 2009, Miles & More members have been able to redeem their miles for flights across the entire GWI network.
Management teams at Air Berlin and LTU reached a framework agreement with the Vereinigung Cockpit pilot union concerning working conditions for cockpit crew, ending the threat of strike in a collective bargaining process that has been ongoing since the beginning of the year ( ATW Daily News, Aug. 17).
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn. representing the LCC's pilots was scheduled to meet Wednesday with airline management to discuss the prospect that the carrier may convert some of its future 737-700 deliveries to -800s ( ATW Daily News, Aug. 17).
Air China announced Wednesday that it has changed its order for 15 787-800s to 15 -900s valued at $3.19 billion at list prices, according to a CZ filing with Hong Kong regulators cited by multiple media outlets. The original order was placed in 2005 ( ATW Daily News, Aug. 9, 2005). Boeing last week delayed the 787 program for the seventh time ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 1).
CAAC ordered China Express Air to suspend operations Wednesday after the right wing of one of its CRJ200's scraped the runway on landing at Guiyang Airport in southwest China Saturday. No one was injured in the incident.
Delta Air Lines regional subsidiary Comair said Wednesday it will retire 49 50-seat CRJs by the end of 2012 and also "realign our staffing over the next two years to support the new, smaller size of the airline."
Air New Zealand is adding more than 9,500 seats per week across its regional network and main jet routes, significantly increasing capacity on its domestic operations. Key increases will include: Tauranga to Christchurch, up 120%; Invercargill to Wellington, up 63%; New Plymouth to Christchurch, up 20%; Palmerston North to Christchurch, up 11.3%; and Napier to Auckland, up 4.5%. According to ANZ Group GM Australasia Bruce Parton, the additional capacity is being introduced as signs emerge of the anticipated recovery in demand for domestic travel within New Zealand.
Ryanair said it will close its Belfast City base at the end of the current summer schedule on Oct. 31, citing the airport's confirmation that a public inquiry into a planned runway extension will be further delayed. The runway extension was originally scheduled to be delivered in 2008. Runway 04/22 is just 1,829 m. long.
Hainan Airlines reported net income of CNY557 million ($82 million) for the six months ended June 30, more than tripling a CNY175 million profit posted in the year-ago period, on a 42.3% lift in operating revenue to CNY9.6 billion. Operating expenses increased 35.2% to CNY7.4 billion.
Japan Airlines on Tuesday unveiled a more radical restructuring plan than expected, calling for the retirement or layoff of more than 16,000 staff by March 31, 2011, as well as the disposal of 103 aircraft and the scrapping of 49 loss-making routes.
A combined United Airlines and Continental Airlines would have earned $223 million more in the six months ended June 30 than they achieved operating independently, according to a pro forma statement of operations included in a recent proxy statement by the carriers. United earned $191 million for the period, while Continental netted $87 million. But had the merger occurred on Jan. 1, 2009, they would have reported income of $501 million for the 2010 half-year, according to the filing.
CSA Czech Airlines released its 2010-11 winter flight schedule, signaling a change in its network philosophy to focus on offering passengers an East-West air bridge rather than operating to the highest number of destinations throughout Europe. The airline said the new network will take shape gradually, reaching a final form in 2012.Significantly, from Oct. 31 Brno, Munich, Cologne/Bonn, London Heathrow and Manchester will all be dropped from CSA's network.
