Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA said that 1,550 United Airlines flight attendants accepted voluntary furloughs in increments of six, nine, 12, 18 and 21 months beginning Oct. 31, eliminating the need for involuntary furloughs ( ATWOnline, Aug. 29).
US FAA yesterday announced that Croatia has been designated Category 2 and "does not comply with international safety standards" set by ICAO. FAA assessed Croatia's civil aviation authority in January. It said the Croatian government is "working diligently to correct all areas of concern," without elaborating.
Gol and VRG parent Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes said yesterday that Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency has approved its request to integrate Gol and VRG into a single airline company ( ATWOnline, Aug. 1). "The reorganization aims at improving operational structure," Gol said.
Continental Airlines expects to record a $50 million hit on its third-quarter operating results owing to the impact of Hurricane Ike on its operation at its Houston Intercontinental hub. It reported the "preliminary estimate" in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday. CO suspended service at IAH beginning midday Sept. 12 and recommenced Sept.15. It noted that much of Houston was without power the following week.
Hainan Airlines Chairman Zhu Yimin was promoted to VP of parent HNA Group and will be succeeded by HNA Hotel Co. executive Li Xiaoming, who also will be chairman of Grand China Air, an insider told ATWOnline yesterday. HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng relinquished the Grand China role but will remain head of the parent company.
Alitalia, described by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi last week as being "on the edge of an abyss," yesterday gained new life when the airline's largest labor union reversed course and agreed to concessions contained in the rescue plan proposed by investment group CAI, which now may include Air France KLM.
American Airlines flew 12.16 system RPMs in August, down 2.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity slipped 1.1% to 14.57 billion ASMs and load factor fell 1.5 points to 83.5%. American Eagle flew 704.2 million RPMs, down 13.6%, against a 4.5% fall in capacity to 1.01 billion ASMs. Load factor dropped 7.3 points to 69.7%. Northwest Airlines flew 7.27 billion consolidated RPMs in August, up 1.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 3.1% to 8.4 billion ASMs and load factor dropped 1 point to 86.6%.
Air New Zealand Chairman John Palmer warned shareholders at this week's annual general meeting that more network restructuring may be required as market volatility can change "on a dime." To deal with that environment, ANZ now reviews its route structure every two weeks rather than the customary six months.
Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines shareholders yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favor the carriers' planned merger, leaving US Dept. of Justice approval as the only remaining significant potential obstacle to the combination. The shareholder votes came on the heels of US FAA's acceptance of the airlines' merger plan earlier this week ( ATWOnline, Sept. 23).
US House of Representatives Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved language that would withhold funding for the Dept. of Homeland Security's US-Visit Exit program, which would employ a system using airline-collected biometrics to determine when foreigners leave US airports, the Air Transport Assn. said. The measure still must be approved by the Senate. ATA has argued that DHS rather than airlines should collect the data.
ANA announced yesterday that it reached agreement with Boeing on a revised 787 delivery schedule that will see the launch customer take its first aircraft next August, 15 months later than originally planned but sooner than might have been expected given that the aircraft has yet to make its first flight.
Qantas cited market volatility for its decision to defer the previously announced minority IPO of its Qantas Frequent Flyer business. The board said preparations would continue for a flotation in the first half of next year.
Lufthansa supervisory board approved the company's strategic investment in Brussels Airlines parent SN Airholding announced last week ( ATWOnline, Sept. 16). LH will acquire a 45% stake in SN for €65 million and in 2011 will have an option to purchase the remaining 55%, at which point Brussels will be integrated fully into the group.
Clickair is launching a new Internet portal designed for companies and travel agents as it expects a 42% increase in revenue from this sector in 2009. Clickair Professional provides users with access to exclusive benefits, including discounts on certain routes, triple loyalty program points for companies, special promotions for travel agents and a unique tariff enabling cancellations and modifications to be made to reservations without charge, according to CEO Alex Cruz.
Iberia Maintenance announced deals with GE Aviation, SR Technics and Gestair. It signed an MOU with GE to become the preferred regional fulfillment center for CFM56-5A MRO in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. IB will enter into an OnPoint solution agreement with GE for material and services. Under the agreement with SRT, Iberia will repair and overhaul SRT components from various aircraft fleets in Madrid while SRT provides MRO on CFM56-5Cs powering IB's A340-300s. It is the first deal between the companies.
Austrian Airlines last week inaugurated the third training center at its Vienna Aviation Campus. Designed by ARGE BWM Architects and Partners, the center will enable OS to train staff at a single location.
Airports Council International's North American and European arms called for negotiators in the US, EU and Canada to move forward on a fully liberalized transatlantic regime, including relaxing remaining restrictions on airline ownership and control. "Additional flexibility would provide greater opportunities for airlines in Europe, the US and Canada to obtain access to capital to the ultimate benefit of consumers.
Ryanair will reduce its presence at London Stansted this winter from 42 aircraft to 28, the LCC confirmed, although it remains confident it can meet its target of growing passenger numbers in the year ending March 31, 2009, by 14% to 58 million.
Air France KLM flew 19.89 billion RPKs in August, up 2.8% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 4.7% to 23.77 billion ASKs, reducing load factor 1.6 points to 83.7%. Delta Air Lines flew 11.84 billion system RPMs in August, down 0.5% year-over-year. Capacity dropped 1.6% to 13.89 billion ASMs and load factor rose 0.9 point to 85.2%. Air Canada and Jazz flew 5.18 billion RPMs in August, down 1.5% year-over-year. Capacity fell 2.2% to 6.14 billion ASMs and load factor rose 0.6 point to 84.4%.
Saudi Arabian LCC Sama announced a reduction in its domestic schedule and the possibility of suspension of all domestic service, saying that "it is impossible. . .to make money on domestic routes despite high passenger demand and full aircraft" because of a fixed economy fare cap that prevents the airline from adding fuel surcharges.
British Airways said yesterday that it has cancelled its six-times-weekly London Heathrow-Islamabad service in response to the Sept. 20 Marriott hotel bombing in the Pakistani capital that killed at least 50 people. "In light of the security situation in Pakistan, British Airways has cancelled its flights from Islamabad to Heathrow indefinitely," it said. "The safety and security of our customers, our staff and our operation is always our absolute priority."
US Dept. of Transportation yesterday tentatively granted Oregon-based Evergreen International Airlines authority to operate six weekly roundtrip cargo flights between New York JFK and Shanghai from March 25. Flights would make stops at Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth and Columbus. Evergreen is scheduled to take delivery of three 747-400BCFs next year. FedEx, Northwest Airlines, Polar Air Cargo and UPS are the four US carriers that currently have US-China freighter rights.
Spanish civil aviation authority suspended the operating license of Futura International Airways, according to press reports. The license could be reactivated if Futura finds an investor to finance its restructuring plan before Jan. 1. The charter carrier suspended operations two weeks ago and filed for bankruptcy protection ( ATWOnline, Sept. 9).
SAS Chairman Fritz Schur said the airline company has had "loose talks with different parties" regarding its future but rejected persistent speculation in European media that Lufthansa is negotiating a takeover ( ATWOnline, Sept. 15).
