EU and Georgia signed a comprehensive air services agreement that will "open up and integrate the respective markets, strengthen cooperation and offer new opportunities for consumers and operators" and transition to open skies within two years. The EC said passenger traffic between the EU and Georgia has increased by an average of 10% per year over the past five years. There currently are direct flights to Georgia from nine EU nations.
Wizz Air introduced Wizz Flex, a €10 ($13.59) supplement available for purchase during the booking process that will allow the customer to alter the date, time and routing of a flight up to 3 hr. prior to departure with no change fee (although any difference in fare must be paid.)
Aer Lingus Group reported a loss before taxes and exceptional items of €66.2 million ($90.4 million) in 2009, reversed from an €18.8 million profit in 2008, and a quadrupling of its operating loss to €81 million from €20 million.
Air India parent National Aviation Co. of India is expected to lose approximately INR54 billion ($1.18 billion) in its fiscal year ending March 31, similar to the INR55.48 billion deficit suffered in 2008-09, with losses "likely to continue for [a] few more years," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told parliament. The carrier's restructuring plan, a condition of its government bailout, "envisages benefits" of INR19.11 billion in 2009-10, although NACIL has implemented just INR7.53 billion ( ATWOnline, Feb.
US airlines presenting at yesterday's JP Morgan Aviation, Transportation & Defense Conference in New York (presentations available via webcast) agreed that they see signs of a nascent industry recovery but that they will maintain cost and capacity discipline for now. "We're clearly seeing signs of economic recovery and premium and corporate travelers returning," UAL Corp.
Emirates plans to hire 2,000 flight attendants this year, according to a statement cited by press reports from Dubai. It has added some 660 cabin staff and more than 60 pilots in the past 12 months, during which it increased its fleet by 14 aircraft to 145. It will launch service to its 106th destination, Dakar, on Sept. 1 when it begins five-times-weekly flights from Dubai on an A340-300.
Allegiant Air parent Allegiant Travel Co. will add six 757-200s to a fleet currently comprised entirely of MD-80s in order to "expand its leisure travel strategy" with nonstop flights to Hawaii.
Shenzhen Airlines CEO Li Kun was arrested Saturday for alleged financial irregularities, allowing Air China to deepen its involvement in the country's fifth-largest carrier through the appointment of Shenzhen vice chairman and former CA VP Fan Cheng as acting CEO.
United Airlines and AirTran Airways yesterday revealed the amount of revenue lost as a result of last month's record-breaking snowstorms in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US. UA said the storms cost it $40 million in foregone revenue as consolidated February RASM rose 17%-19% year-over-year as system capacity dropped 5.3%. It would have been down just 1.8% without cancellations resulting from the winter weather. UA flew 7.82 billion RPMs during the month, up 2.1%, while ASMs were down to 9.93 billion. Load factor rose 5.7 points to 78.7%.
China Southern Airlines announced the private placement of CNY10 billion ($1.46 billion) in new A shares to a minimum 10 investors, including parent China Southern Air Holding Co., along with new H shares to CSAHC's Hong Kong subsidiary Nan Lung worth a reported CNY750 million. CZ said the funds "will help reduce the company's gearing ratio, improve its capital structure and enhance its ability to mitigate risk." CSAHC is investing the CNY1.5 billion it received from the Chinese government last month, the airline said
US Airways was fined $40,000 by the US Dept. of Transportation "for violating rules that require airline price advertisements to disclose the full price consumers must pay for air transportation." DOT said its Aviation Enforcement Office found that US listed fares on its website "that did not include additional applicable taxes and fees, or any notice on that page that these additional charges would be required," on certain lists generated by customer searches for one-way flights.
Air Jamaica said it has "targeted" April 12 for beginning "the transition to Caribbean Airlines." The troubled carrier appears to be settled on an arrangement whereby its assets would be taken over by the Trinidad & Tobago airline, although no final agreement has been reached between the Jamaican government, which controls JM, and Caribbean. Finance Minister Audley Shaw previously said the government is "seeking to divest Air Jamaica on the best terms available" and to ensure that there is adequate air services to/from the island nation
Includes: 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
Includes: 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
Includes: 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
Alaska Airlines flew 1.35 billion RPMs in February, a 5.9% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity was cut 2.4% to 1.69 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 6.3 points to 79.8%. AirTran Airways flew 1.29 billion RPMs in February, up 5.4% year-over-year, against a 4.2% lift in capacity to 1.72 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 0.9 point to 75.1%. Allegiant Air flew 414.2 million system RPMs in February, an 18% increase year-over-year. Capacity was up 17% to 469.8 million ASMs and load factor rose 0.8 point to 88.2%.
Aer Lingus received mixed news from the Impact trade union Friday as pilot members agreed to accept the carrier's cost savings package but cabin crew defeated a series of "extremely unpalatable" proposals from the airline.
Lufthansa pilots represented by Vereinigung Cockpit will not strike after the March 8 deadline to reach a settlement with the airline providing discussions continue, a union spokesperson told Bloomberg News. "As long as negotiations remain constructive, there is no reason to strike," the spokesperson said ( ATWOnline, Feb. 24).
Southwest Airlines said the February snowstorms cost it an estimated $15 million in lost revenue but boosted passenger RASM by 16%-17% year-over-year as a result of the reduced capacity. SWA flew 4.99 billion RPMs in February, down 2.3% year-over-year, and capacity was down 8.7% to 6.75 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 4.8 points to 73.9%.
Turkish Airlines was asked by the Polish government to make a major investment in LOT Polish Airlines, a source close to the THY board told ATWOnline, but the carrier rejected the offer because it is focused on its own expansion plans. Last week, THY responded to press speculation that it was pursuing the Polish airline, saying, "There is no board of directors' decision taken regarding the acquisition. . .However, our [company] is open to consider any possible opportunities as part of our growth strategy and [we have] no specific motivation for this matter."
