KLM finally will become the sole owner of Martinair after the European Commission approved the Dutch flag carrier's proposal to acquire the 50% stake owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk Group.
Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority named Cathay Pacific Airways Senior Training Capt. John McCormick as director-aviation safety and CEO effective March 1. He formerly was with Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force.
Qantas took delivery of its second A380 Monday in Toulouse. The aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Sydney today and will enter service on flights to Los Angeles from Melbourne and Sydney on Dec. 22. "This second aircraft will allow us to increase frequency to Los Angeles to as many as six return services each week," QF Executive GM John Borghetti said, adding that the first A380 ( ATWOnline, Sept.
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh told reporters yesterday that his airline remains interested in Alitalia and that "What we are offering, under current conditions, is a credible collaboration that will leave the Italian company the possibility of deciding its own future in a flexible manner," according to Reuters. However, the offer "isn't complementary to others taking stakes," he said, according to Il Sole 24 Ore. The Compagnia Aerea Italia investor group took control of AZ on Dec. 12 ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Vietnamese LCC Jetstar Pacific parent State Capital Investment Corp., which holds 75.8%, was granted permission by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to raise money by issuing additional shares to existing holders and to reduce its holding to 51% by selling its right to buy additional shares to other domestic stakeholders, the state Vietnam News Agency reported. Qantas holds 18% of the carrier and is allowed to take up to 30% ( ATWOnline, May 26).
Airbus has no plans to provide loans to customers, contrary to published reports, a spokesperson told Dow Jones. "Backstop financing is standard industry practice and is agreed at the time of contract. This happens years in advance of aircraft deliveries and is not the same thing as providing customers with billions in loans, which Airbus does not go into," the spokesperson said.
Six major US network carriers (American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways) reported an aggregate third-quarter operating margin of -5.8%, the fourth consecutive quarterly loss and a reversal from the 8.8% achieved in the year-ago period, the US Dept. of Transportation said. Delta reported a positive operating margin of 2.2% while the rest were in the red.
Southwest Airlines yesterday added a link to WestJet's booking portal to southwest.com, which SWA called "an important first step forward in the relationship" between the LCCs that will include the announcement of codeshare flight schedules by late next year ( ATWOnline, July 9).
Malaysia Airlines is in talks with Qantas regarding some kind of partnership and intends to "pursue strategic partnerships to create additional value," CEO Idris Jala confirmed in a statement cited by widespread press reports. "We are in talks with a number of airlines, including Qantas. This ranges from joint ventures and codeshares to interlining partnerships. More details will be announced as and when we have finalized the terms of any of these partnerships," Jala said.
US Air Transport Assn. said American carriers will transport 9% fewer passengers during the Dec. 18-Jan. 7 holiday period than in the prior year, although a 9% year-over-year decline in seats will mean "full or near-full flights throughout the holiday." ATA is forecasting some 2 million passengers per day during the period and 90% loads on the busiest days (Dec. 19 and Dec. 27).
Aer Arann said that up to 30 positions, "primarily" flight and cabin crew, that were scheduled to be cut now will be retained with the creation of an Isle of Man base. RE will launch a twice-weekly London City-IOM service on Jan. 19. The carrier still plans to eliminate 70 jobs ( ATWOnline, Oct. 21). The IOM base, which will include one ATR 72-500, will focus on RE's contract lease business. It also announced the Jan.
Japan Airlines said yesterday that it will operate a 747-300 test flight from Tokyo Haneda on Jan. 30 in conjunction with Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell. It will use biofuel primarily derived from camelina plants. A blend of 50% biofuel and 50% traditional jet fuel will be tested in one of the aircraft's four JT9D engines. The biofuel will be a mixture of three second-generation feedstocks: Camelina (84%), jatropha (under 16%) and algae (under 1%). The flight will be the first using fuel derived from camelina and the first to use a combination of three feedstocks.
Delta Air Lines said it will offer in January a voluntary severance program in line with its recent decision to cut capacity 6%-8% next year ( ATWOnline, Dec. 3) "These capacity reductions will reduce the number of people needed to operate the airline," CEO Richard Anderson and President Ed Bastian told employees in a memo.
AeroTech Services said Brussels Airlines purchased its US FAA-verified modification aimed at reducing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions on 737s. Technology increases an aircraft's lift-to-drag ratio by expanding the wing area and camber and lengthening the chord.
CSA Czech Airlines said it has realized nearly CZK400 million ($20.5 million) in savings this year owing to nearly 700 new contracts with suppliers "primarily" related to navigation fees, aircraft handling and IT. It is seeking an additional CZK100 million in savings in 2009 related to MRO and has opened negotiations on new contracts with repair and maintenance parts and components suppliers.
Wataniya Airways, the all-premium Kuwaiti startup ( ATWOnline, Nov. 25), listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange under the symbol KNA, which stands for parent company Kuwait National Airways. It said KNA has authorized and fully paid capital of KWD50 million ($181.4 million) and distributed more than 500 million shares valued at KWD100 each. Its shareholders comprise 30% "strategic investors" and 70% "smaller investors."
Ryanair officially presented its €1.40 ($1.87) per share offer to Aer Lingus investors yesterday, giving them until Jan. 5 to decide whether to create "one leading, financially strong, Irish-run airline group."
Air New Zealand claimed yesterday that the New Zealand Commerce Commission is "grandstanding to justify its existence" after announcing plans to bring charges against ANZ and 12 other airlines relating to cargo price-fixing. ANZ General Counsel John Blair said the airline never has condoned anticompetitive conduct and has cooperated fully with NZCC's investigation, providing hundreds of thousands of documents and making many current and former employees available for interview.
SkyEurope Airlines was granted a €10 million ($13.4 million) bridge loan by Longstock SAPO, a joint venture between Athens-based luxury transport services provider and Longstock Financial of Lisbon. The LCC said the loan was "in light of a possible future equity injection" ( ATWOnline, Dec. 15). It also said that loans of €15 million and €10 million granted by York Global Finance and due for repayment yesterday have been extended to Jan. 15.
CAE won orders for full-flight simulators and related CAE Simfinity training devices valued at C$40 million ($32.3 million) from Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Hua Ou Aviation Training Centre. SV ordered two CAE 7000 Series A320 FFSs, a CAE Simfinity A320 Level 5 FTD and suite of CAE Simfinity APT trainers and ACT classrooms for the A320, A330 and A340. Hua Ou purchased a CAE 7000 Series A330/340 convertible FFS for the A330-200 with three different engines, the A340-300 and the A340-600.
Lufthansa Technik yesterday opened a 15,000-sq.-m. MRO shop in Hamburg focused on CFM56 overhaul. LHT expects the facility to increase the region's annual engine overhaul capacity from 320 to more than 400 and generate some 2,000 maintenance contracts in the long term. Investment in the site since late last year is put at nearly €50 million ($68.3 million).
SAPO International, an Athens-based luxury transport services provider, and Lisbon-based Longstock Financial Group, announced formation of a holding company that "intends to acquire a controlling interest" in SkyEurope Airlines parent SkyEurope Holding. The Gibraltar-based JV, Longstock SAPO, said it does not intend to launch a mandatory takeover bid and plans to "apply for the restructuring privilege under the Austrian Takeover Act." SkyEurope is based in Vienna. The LCC lost €59.4 million ($78.1 million) in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
