Air China appointed former CA President Cai Jianjiang chairman of Shenzhen Airlines, signaling that its plan to take control of Shenzhen is coming to fruition.
Investigators examining the Afriqiyah Airways A330-200 crash are expected to focus on faulty landing aids and the pilots being blinded by the sun as possible causes.
Asiana Airlines reported first-quarter net income of KRW958 billion ($83.8 million), reversed from a KRW2.62 trillion net loss in the year-ago period, on a 27.4% rise in revenue to KRW11.76 trillion.
Emirates Group reported net income of AED4.2 billion ($1.14 billion) for its fiscal year ended March 31, a substantial increase over a AED1.49 billion profit in 2008-09, marking its 22nd consecutive profitable year despite what it described as "a year fraught with worldwide market instability and economic uncertainty."
A nearly new A330-200 operated by Afriqiyah Airways crashed on final approach to Tripoli early Wednesday, killing 103 of the 104 people aboard, including 11 crewmembers. The accident was the deadliest so far in 2010. A boy from the Netherlands reportedly was the lone survivor. The crash occurred as Flight 8U771, en route from Johannesburg, was attempting to land at Tripoli International at about 6 a.m. local time. All but 11 of the passengers were continuing onward to European destinations, according to a statement from the airline.
China Eastern Airlines signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the Henan provincial government under which it agreed to launch more international routes from Henan's capital Zhengzhou, boost flight frequencies of domestic routes to/from Zhengzhou and start air shuttle service between Zhengzhou and Shanghai. It earlier launched a daily Zhengzhou-Shanghai-Kuala Lumpur routing aboard an A320 and plans to start Zhengzhou-Shanghai-Nagoya service later this year. Henan lies in the middle part of China.
Embraer announced that LOT Polish Airlines converted orders for four E-175s into the larger E-195 with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2011. Aircraft are part of a follow-on order for a dozen E-175s placed in late 2007 at a time when the carrier already operated six E-170s and four E-175s. Four E-170s from the 2007 order were delivered in 2009 and four more will be delivered this year. LOT holds two options and 10 purchase rights for the E-175 as well. It took its first E-170 in March 2004, becoming the first European airline to operate a member of the E-Jet family.
EasyJet narrowed its net loss for its fiscal year first half ended March 31 to £58.9 million ($87.9 million), a 31.4% improvement over an £85.9 million deficit in the year-ago period, but lowered its profit expectations for the full year ending Sept. 30 owing to volcanic ash-related airspace closures.
As 2010 opened, airlines in the Philippines had reason to look to the future with some measure of optimism amid the first signs of recovery appearing on the radar. This is a country where the geography and demographics are ideal for the growth of air transportation. In fact, it consists of 7,107 islands that are home to the world’s 12th largest population, 90 million, with a growth rate of 2%.
US Export-Import Bank and Turkish airline SunExpress reached a $220 million financing deal to support the carrier's purchase of "several" CFM56-powered 737-800s. It will be the airline's first collaboration with Ex-Im.
AerCap Holdings reported net income of $34.4 million for the first quarter ended March 31, up 14.8% compared to income of $30 million in the year-ago period. Excluding the impact of mark-to-market interest rate caps, net income jumped 48.2% to $46.7 million from $31.5 million last year. During the quarter, the Amsterdam-based operating lessor completed its acquisition of Genesis Lease in an all-stock transaction.
China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines are seeking to launch a JV cargo carrier with Air France KLM, according to KLM Senior VP-Route Network Pieter Elbers.
