Germanwings yesterday said it will increase ASKs by "double-digits" this year and will add four new A319s to its fleet. Lufthansa Group's low-cost subsidiary did not say where it will get the aircraft. By year end it will operate 30 A319s/A320s. It said it will focus on growing business traffic this year with initiatives that might appeal to travelers looking for cheaper tickets and travel solutions. The carrier expects to transport more than 8 million passengers in 2010; it carried 6.3 million in the first 11 months of 2009.
Mesa Air Group yesterday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a US court in New York, saying the process is needed for it to become a "leaner" entity able to compete in the future.
Etihad Airways took delivery of the first of five new A330-300s it plans to add over the next two years. Aircraft seats 12 passengers in a new first class cabin, 40 in business and 151 in economy and will operate between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow. EY said two A340-600s already have been configured with the new first class product, with nine more to be retrofitted by December.
IATA reported that international scheduled passenger traffic rose 2.1% year-over-year in November while global FTKs lifted 9.5% compared to November 2008, but it cautioned that the apparent improvement for both passengers and cargo is "exaggerated by the sharp fall in demand experienced during the second half of 2008." It said that November passenger demand was 6.4% better than the low point reached in the first quarter of 2009 but still 6% below peak levels seen in early 2008.
TAM announced the promotion of VP-Finance, Management and IT Libano Mirando Barroso to president. Barroso joined the airline in 2004. Republic Airways Holdings named Frontier Airlines Director-Supply Chain Drew Skaff as Republic Airways VP-supply chain.
China Eastern Airlines signed firm order late last month for 16 A330s worth CNY17.75 billion ($2.6 billion) at list prices as it plots its international expansion.
Japan Airlines President Haruka Nishimatsu suggested that the carrier may resist efforts by the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan to push it into a court-monitored bankruptcy restructuring process rather than a more straightforward government bailout, expressing concern that the "image of bankruptcy" could sour the public on the company and lead to adverse consequences.
FlightSafety International will open a learning center in Johannesburg and begin training pilots and technicians working on Q300, Dash 8 and Beechcraft 1900 aircraft in March. SIM AeroTraining of France will manage the facility and maintain the training devices.
Delta Air Lines and subsidiary Northwest Airlines were granted a single operating certificate by US FAA on Dec. 31, an expected move that clears the way for full integration to be completed by late first quarter/early second quarter.
Turkish Airlines chose Airbus for its narrowbody fleet expansion, yesterday announcing plans to purchase 14 A321-200s and six A319-100s with options for 10 additional A319 or A321 aircraft.
Ryanair will suspend operation of domestic routes to/from its 10 Italian bases on Jan. 23 in protest of a November ENAC decision to accept forms of passenger identification that the airline considers unsecure. Ryanair requires passengers to present either a passport or an EU/EEA national ID card at the gate.
Allegiant Air parent Allegiant Travel Co. signed an agreement to purchase 18 MD-80s from downsizing SAS Group and will take delivery during the first half of this year.
AirAsia and Jetstar Airways will announce a far-reaching joint venture Wednesday that will involve a host of backroom functions and joint purchasing, although it is unclear if codesharing will be included in the partnership. Sources in Malaysia confirmed the pending announcement to ATWOnline and said the cooperation between the region's two largest LCCs will be extensive and will help both carriers contain fares and benefit from economies of scale. The unveiling in Sydney will be the culmination of talks that started in late 2008.
EasyJet announced the following new routes: London Stansted to Bodrum, Dubrovnik (each thrice-weekly from May 15), Split and Dalaman (each four-times-weekly from May 14); Paris Charles de Gaulle to Palma (five-times-weekly from July 10), Split (thrice-weekly from July 10), Prague (daily from March 28), Malaga (daily from May 14) and Toulouse (twice-daily from March 28); Geneva to Faro, Brindisi (each twice-weekly from April 3) and Heraklion (twice-weekly from June 19); Bristol to Dalaman (thrice-weekly from July 16), Bodrum (thrice-weekly from July 17) and Heraklion (twice-weekly from J
Finavia, the state-owned operator of 25 of Finland's 27 commercial airports, has rebranded Helsinki-Vantaa as Helsinki Airport in a €30,000 ($43,200) marketing initiative in partnership with advertising agency TBWA/PHS. The rebranding is intended to reinforce the message that HEL is a modern hub ideal for connections to Asia from both Europe and the North American East Coast owing to its position directly over the shortest great-circle routes connecting the continents.
Meanwhile, airlines throughout the world are attempting to determine how the move will alter the shape of the market in Asia and on lucrative transpacific routes. ANA is one obvious potential beneficiary, though CEO Shinichiro Ito has expressed concern that "the market could be disrupted if discount tickets are offered as a result of JAL receiving public funds" ( ATWOnline, Jan. 21).
Grupo Mexicana Chief Executive Manuel Borja uses a captivating comparison to describe the turnaround of the Mexican carrier. "What we have been doing is educating Rita," he says philosophically. Rita was a tomboy, slightly "messed up" and suffering from a major lack of direction and guidance. "The government had Mexicana up for sale for almost 12 years," he explains to ATW in his office in Mexico City.
As expected, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and ANA filed an application with the US Dept. of Transportation for antitrust immunity across their combined transpacific network, which the carriers argued would generate "substantial service and pricing benefits for consumers." The application was made possible by the US-Japan open skies agreement reached two weeks ago, implementation of which is contingent upon ATI approval ( ATWOnline, Dec. 15).
Two of the world's largest carriers, American Airlines and Ryanair, suffered 737-800 runway mishaps, with AA's Tuesday night overrun in Jamaica resulting in destruction of the aircraft and dozens of injuries.
NCR Corp. announced the purchase of 40 TouchPort kiosks by China Southern Airlines for deployment in Beijing, Shenzhen, Urumqi and Dalian. CZ already had installed a combined 30 of the CUSS kiosks in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changchun and Zhengzhou.
