KLM yesterday operated the first biofuel demonstration flight in which passengers were aboard, flying a 747-400 partially powered by camelina-derived fuel from Amsterdam Schiphol. The flight, carrying 40 select passengers including KLM President & CEO Peter Hartman and a number of Dutch officials, stayed in the air for about 1 hr. before returning to AMS. One of the aircraft's engines was powered by a 50/50 mixture of traditional jet fuel and camelina-based fuel. Honeywell subsidiary UOP converted the plant-based crude oil to biofuel and then blended it with jet fuel.
Boeing Commercial Airplane's Training & Flight Services unit (formerly Alteon) signed an agreement with ANA to update the visual systems on ANA's three 767-300 full-flight simulators in Tokyo.
Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng called for airlines in the Asia/Pacific region to line up in support of the Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines in order to counter the regulatory strength of the EU and US.
Ascent Aviation announced the launch of its commercial aircraft MRO operation at Tucson International. It will specialize in 737 Classics, 737NGs and MD-80s, performing heavy and line maintenance, modifications, transition services, storage, paint, disassembly and consignment parts sales. It recently purchased the assets of Hamilton Aerospace Technologies and World Jet Corp. and "has retained a substantial base of skills and experience from those two firms," it said.
Air Works, a third-party MRO company based in India, received EASA repair station certification for its maintenance facilities in Hosur, marking the first time EASA has awarded repair station approval to an airframe MRO company in India, it said. The approval will cover airframe and component maintenance on ATR 42/72-500s and 737 Classics.
China's cargo industry appears to be moving toward consolidation as airfreight players look to mitigate damage from continuing losses that have resulted from the global economic downturn.
Air Berlin officials yesterday touted their strong third-quarter results, first reported Wednesday ( ATWOnline, Nov. 18), with CFO Ulf Huettmayer telling analysts and reporters that the more than doubling of its net income to €95.2 million ($142.4 million) "distances ourselves from other carriers" struggling through the economic downturn. CEO Joachim Hunold said AB's results "would be better by €10 million. .
Air Canada said it has begun trials of onboard Wi-Fi on select flights to Los Angeles from Toronto and Montreal using Aircell's Gogo Inflight Internet service. Initially the system will be available only while flights are over the continental US. AC said it plans eventually to extend it to other routes in North America, pointing out that development of appropriate infrastructure in Canada is required to allow air-to-ground wireless communications in that country.
GECAS delivered one new 737-700 to Aerolineas Argentinas and one new A320-200 to Tiger Airways as part of sale/leaseback deals. Avia Solutions Group received one ex-British Airways 737-300; it plans to acquire three more this year. BOC Aviation delivered one new 737-800 on long-term lease to Skymark Airlines of Japan, its first delivery to a Japanese carrier.
Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines' Assembly of Presidents started on a sober note yesterday with DG Andrew Herdman telling media that the group of 17 Asia/Pacific carriers is expected to lose $4.8 billion this year owing mainly to the global economic downturn.
ARINC renewed its contract with Korean Air to continue to provide GLOBALink data and voice communications and AviNet wide-area network service. Terms were not disclosed. Lufthansa Systems won a five-year contract extension with Germanwings to continue to provide its Lido RouteManual navigation charts and will begin providing its electronic version, Lido eRouteManual.
Delta Air Lines revealed yesterday that it has made a comprehensive offer to Japan Airlines to switch from oneworld to SkyTeam that includes financial assistance and guarantees totaling $1 billion, saying it wants JAL to be "the face of Asia" for DL.
Aer Lingus yesterday threatened to "proceed to implement an alternative means" of delivering the required €97 million ($144.7 million) in cost savings if it cannot reach an agreement with unions by Nov. 30 ( ATWOnline, Nov. 10). It said it accepted an invitation from Ireland's National Implementation Body to mediate negotiations.
AirTran Airways said it will outfit its entire 138-aircraft fleet with 2.5-by-9-in. seatback advertisements over the next two weeks. Ads will be "easily changeable" and the first advertising partner is Mother Nature Network. Atlanta-based OnBoard Media Group provides the FAA-approved, patent-pending system, AirTran said, adding that it will be the first US airline to use it.
Embraer, GE, Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras and Amyris, a US/Brazilian biotechnology company, signed an MOU to evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris's renewable jet fuel developed from existing sugar cane feedstock. The group is targeting a demonstration flight by early 2012 aboard an Azul E-190. The fuel already has been tested by the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, GE Aviation and others, the companies said. The Brazilian government contributes funding to Amyris's renewable jet fuel production.
Adria Airways posted an €800,000 ($1.2 million) profit in the third quarter, its first surplus in 2009, but expects a full year in the red despite another profit in the current quarter, the Slovenian Press Agency reported yesterday. Adria also confirmed in a statement that it will become a full member of Star Alliance in January. The group announced elimination of the regional member designation (Blue1 and Croatia Airlines are the others) in June ( ATWOnline, June 9).
ARINC announced that its vMUSE passenger system qualified as a CUPPS Certified Platform. ARINC installed vMUSE technology as a CUPPS platform at Las Vegas McCarran in "a live operational environment" in cooperation with WestJet on Jan. 15. It now has checked in "more than 70,000 passengers" for WS and Continental Airlines and handled as many as 20 flights per day, ARINC said.
Claiming that the downturn "has led to behavioral changes among our customers which are likely to persist beyond the recovery," Air France KLM yesterday proposed an enlarged voluntary redundancy program affecting 1,700 jobs next year as it announced a €147 million ($219.3 million) loss in its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, reversed from a €27 million surplus last year.
United Airlines announced the issue of $810 million in enhanced equipment trust certificates comprising two classes due in 2016 and 2017 respectively that it said will generate $290 million in new liquidity. It will use remaining proceeds to repay at par $493 million in equipment notes related to its 2000-02 trust certificates. It said principal payment obligations will be reduced by some $225 million next year and by $175 million in 2011.
Gulfstream International Airlines reported a $3.5 million third-quarter loss, a 13.5% improvement from the $4.1 million deficit posted in the year-ago quarter. The Fort Lauderdale-based regional suffered a 7.3% year-over-year decline in revenue to $19.5 million but its operating loss narrowed to $2.9 million from $4.4 million last year. Nine-month loss of $567,000 compared to an $8.9 million deficit in the year-ago period.
Bombardier's CSeries program took another step forward this week when construction began on a wing manufacturing facility in Belfast. The 600,000-sq.-ft. factory will be built in two phases, incorporating an existing structure. First test wing is expected in 2011. The first test fuselage barrel arrived at Bombardier's Saint-Laurent facility in August ( ATWOnline, Aug.
SAS Group Airlines flew 2.32 billion RPKs in October, down 13.5% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 18.6% to 3.11 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 4.3 points to 74.3%. SAS Scandinavian Airlines flew 2.13 billion RPKs, down 14.6%, while capacity was cut 20.1% to 2.83 billion ASKs. Load factor rose 4.8 points to 75.4%. Turkish Airlines flew 33.08 billion RPKs through the first 10 months of 2009, up 15.1% year-over-year. Capacity rose 20.9% to 46.28 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 3.6 points to 71.5%.
Embraer yesterday announced Oman Air and Air Astana as new customers. Oman Air signed a contract for five E-175s plus five purchase rights, with four of the five firm aircraft slated to fly in WY colors and the fifth to be used by the Royal Omani Police. Deal is worth $177.5 million at list prices and could double if all five purchase rights are converted. First delivery is scheduled for the 2011 first quarter, Embraer said, adding that WY will be the Gulf region's first E-Jet operator. It will configure the aircraft with 12 business class and 60 economy seats.
Finnair was scheduled to resume "a little less than half" of its flight program today after pilots represented by the Finnish Airline Pilots' Assn. agreed to a settlement proposal submitted yesterday by a government mediator. AY was forced to cancel two full days of flying after pilots went on strike late Sunday/early Monday ( ATWOnline, Nov. 17). "In addition to structural changes, we achieved through this agreement significant short-term cost savings.
Jazeera Airways reported a KWD762,745 ($2.7 million) third-quarter profit, down 53.2% from the KWD1.6 million earned in the year-ago period, according to a filing with the Kuwait Stock Exchange cited by several press reports. Revenue rose 4% year-over-year to KWD15.9 million on a 65% lift in passenger numbers to 582,490.
