Royal Jordanian launches online check-in today. Service is available 24 hr. prior to departure for passengers leaving Amman for all international destinations except those in the US. The remainder of the network will be added "at a later stage," RJ said.
Skyservice Airlines, a charter and business aviation carrier based at Toronto Pearson, shut down yesterday and went into receivership. It said, "Recent changes in the Canadian vacation tour market combined with Skyservice Airlines' debt level have rendered the company unable to maintain profitable operations." Thomas Cook Canada filed the application for receivership, claiming that Skyservice owed C$8.6 million ($8.4 million) due March 30.
Air Canada and Asiana Airlines said they signed an MOU to create "a strategic partnership," building on their existing Star Alliance partnership and codeshare agreement. AC operates daily year-round nonstop service between Vancouver and Incheon with same-plane service from Toronto Pearson and codeshares on eight Asian routes operated by OZ. Asiana codeshares on seven routes operated by AC including YVR-ICN, as well as several domestic Canada routes. Canada and South Korea signed an open skies agreement in 2009.
Malaysia Airlines firmed a December MOU for 15 A330-300s and added two A330-200 freighters to the order, Airbus announced yesterday ( ATWOnline, Dec. 23, 2009). Passenger aircraft deliveries will begin in the first half of next year while the first freighter will join the MASkargo fleet later in 2011. MAS's A330s will seat 283 passengers across two classes. The freighters will be able to carry nearly 70 tonnes up to 3,200 nm., according to the manufacturer.
British Airways and Iberia failed to sign a definitive merger agreement by yesterday's self-imposed target date. A BA spokesperson told Dow Jones the delay "is due to technical issues that need to be resolved and we anticipate that the agreement will be signed in due course." The spokesperson added that those issues are not related to BA's pension fund deficit.
TAM returned to profit in 2009, reporting a BRL435.7 million ($241.9 million) surplus under IFRS that compared to a BRL1.43 billion loss in 2008 fueled by nonoperating items.
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways yesterday announced a slot swap agreement at New York area and Washington National airports as well as a limited interlining deal at JFK and Boston Logan, which will bolster both carriers' competitive positions in the face of Delta Air Lines' growing strength in New York.
Top 20 Airlines World Airline Traffic Jet Fuel Prices World Airport Traffic IATA Fuel Prices Exchange Rates Aircraft Data Aircraft Values Aircraft Deliveries US Major and National Airline Traffic US Ontime Performance U.S. Fuel Cost and Consumption US Mishandled Baggage US Consumer Complaints
Gol launched a new fare structure featuring four categories--Comfort, Flexible, Scheduled and Promotional--with varying features and prices. Comfort is available on Varig-branded flights to Bogota, Caracas and Aruba and includes more comfortable seating, a mileage bonus, check-in and boarding priority and lounge access. Flexible allows for flight changes and offers boarding priority, lounge access and a mileage bonus, Scheduled "offers the best prices for those booking in advance" and Promotional is for those "seeking to take advantage of offers and obtain the lowest prices," Gol said.
SAS Group expects a first-quarter loss before taxes and nonrecurring items of approximately SEK1 billion ($137.7 million). It reported an SEK889 million loss on a similar basis in the first quarter of 2009. The company said its pre-tax loss through the first two months of 2010 was SEK960 million, widened from SEK420 million in the year-ago period. It lost SEK719 million on currency fluctuations year-over-year. Revenue dropped 15.3% to SEK5.89 billion as yield was down 12.2% when adjusted for foreign exchange fluctuations.
Air China plans to deepen its cooperation with Shenzhen Airlines, in which it plans to acquire a majority stake, through the April 8 launch of a shuttle service between Beijing and Shenzhen. CA's CNY682.1 million bid to increase its share in Shenzhen to 51% still awaits government approval
Aer Lingus released its full 2009 financial results yesterday, three weeks after a preliminary announcement, and reported a €130.1 million ($175.2 million) loss that represented an 18.4% deterioration from the €109.9 million deficit suffered in 2008.
Serbian government is looking at ways to make money-losing flag carrier Jat Airways more attractive to investors, such as assuming debt or funding redundancies, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said. The government intends to launch a tender next month in an attempt to revive the airline, Reuters reported. It is hoping to sell a 51% stake. Jat lost €23.5 million ($31.5 million) last year ( ATWOnline, March 23).
Wataniya Airways took delivery of its fifth 122-seat A320 Sunday and will use it launch thrice-weekly Kuwait City-Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen service on May 2. Istanbul will be Wataniya's ninth destination overall and first in Europe. The sixth A320 is scheduled to arrive in June.
Jazeera Airways reported a net loss of KWD8.2 million ($28.2 million) in 2009, reversed from a KWD4.5 million surplus in 2008, as it navigated what Chairman Marwan Boodai called "a year of contradictions." Revenue slipped 5.5% to KWD46 million. Boodai said the LCC "chose to stay the course" last year as it negotiated the economic downturn and increasing capacity in the region by focusing on boosting its market share. He claimed that by the third quarter it was the largest operator in Kuwait.
OnAir yesterday announced its intent to terminate its inflight phone service contract with Ryanair following 13 months of a "proving period of service operation" on 50 737s. "The two companies did not reach a mutual agreement on the process and timing leading to the full deployment" onboard Ryanair's fleet of more than 230 aircraft, OnAir said, calling the inability to reach an agreement "disappointing." It did not provide a timeline for termination of the service.
El Al reported a $76.3 million net loss for 2009, widened from a $41.9 million net loss in 2008, and new President and CEO Elyezer Shkedy vowed to "ensure" this year is "a turning point" by focusing on cutting costs and developing new revenue sources. VP-Finance Nissim Malki blamed "many factors" for the company's lackluster performance last year, including "the influence of the war in the southern border" in December 2008/January 2009, the global financial crisis and "a severe slowdown in cargo markets."
Viva Macau's air operator's certificate was revoked by the Macau Civil Aviation Authority Sunday owing to continuing flight delays and cancellations resulting from the carrier's inability to handle its fuel expenses. The LCC suffered at least 10 delays or cancellations Friday and Saturday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Macau International.
British Airways said yesterday that the second flight attendants' strike, scheduled to run through Tuesday, cost the carrier £11 million ($16.4 million) over the weekend but will have no impact on its full-year earnings. BA estimated that the Unite union's March 20-22 walkout had a £21 million impact on its bottom line ( ATWOnline, March 23).
