ANA said it is considering establishing Tokyo Narita and Haneda as dual international hubs as it looks to expand its international network in coming years with the expected shrinking of the domestic market.
Ryanair said it will not operate to Maastricht from Jan. 8, saying that "the Dutch government's ecotax [imposed during winter months] hinders the sustainability of the operations." It said it is in negotiations with the airport to return in the 2009 summer.
Mexicana has been hit by the current industry downturn like many carriers, but it remains in "adequate" financial health and is focused on a long-term plan that includes oneworld entry and the launch of its first European services early next year, CEO Manuel Borja said yesterday at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Cancun.
Air France KLM reported a 96.2% drop in consolidated net income for its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30 to €28 million ($35.4 million) from €736 million earned in the year-ago period. The net profit was dragged down by a €373 million charge for potential future losses from its fuel and currency hedging programs. Adjusted for nonrecurrent and noncash items (including a €212 million gain from the Amadeus sale last year), net income fell 49.1% to €244 million.
American Airlines and the US Transportation Security Administration yesterday launched a paperless boarding pass pilot program at Los Angeles International. "It will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs, which will then be scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint," AA said. The airline and TSA last week began allowing paperless boarding passes at Chicago O'Hare. Continental Airlines has been conducting electronic boarding pass trials at a number of US airports in conjunction with TSA since last November.
Ethiopian Airlines ordered eight Q400 NextGens plus four options. The deal is valued at $242 million, a figure that could rise to $366 million if all options are exercised. CEO Girma Wake said, "The aircraft's excellent range and payload capability will allow us to deploy it on domestic routes within Ethiopia, as well as on regional routes up to 1,000 nm. (1,850 km.) from Addis Ababa." Delivery dates were not disclosed. Bombardier said it has sold 330 Q400s with 210 delivered as of July 31.
Skyways Aviation, acting on behalf of Largus Aviation, concluded five lease transactions with Air Baltic of Latvia. Largus purchased three F50s currently operating with the Latvian airline on an existing lease agreement with nine months remaining. As part of the deal, Largus signed a new lease agreement with Air Baltic for 4.5 years. Air Baltic also is taking two F50s operated by Skyways of Sweden, also owned by Largus. The first will be released this month and the second in April 2009. Skyways also arranged the sale of an F50 from Crescent air Cargo of India to Largus.
Malaysia Airlines and Air Mauritius strengthened their codesharing partnership yesterday with the signing of a new agreement that expands the previous accord covering the Kuala Lumpur-Mauritius route to beyond destinations in Australia and Asia. In a second stage, MAS will have the opportunity to add its code to Air Mauritius flights connecting in Mauritius to selected destinations in the Indian Ocean.
Southwest Airlines said yesterday that it has submitted a $7.5 million bid to gain the rights to 14 New York LaGuardia slots--seven roundtrips--formerly used by ATA Airlines, which declared bankruptcy and shut down in April.
Ryanair is threatening to close all of its routes to/from Fuerteventura from Jan. 31 unless local tourism group AIE honors the commercial agreement it entered into with the LCC to promote Fuerteventura as a tourist destination. The airline confirmed ongoing legal action against AIE and its individual members for breach of agreement. Ryanair began flying to FUE in 2006 and currently serves nine international destinations from the airport: Birmingham, Bremen, Dublin, Dusseldorf Weeze, East Midlands, Frankfurt Hahn, Liverpool, London Stansted and Shannon.
Lion Air signed an MOU with ATR for 10 firm ATR 72-500s with options for 10 more. The deal is valued at more than $380 million including options. Deliveries are slated to start in 2009. The 72-seat turboprops will be operated by Lion Air subsidiary Wings Air, which is aiming to develop a low-cost network to feed Lion Air's major hubs.
BAE Systems announced a lease deal for three BAe 146-200s for operation with Air Congo Ltd., bringing to eight the number of 146-200s the Brazzaville-based airline will be operating.
Shenzhen Airlines plans to launch Kunming Airlines in January in the capital of Yunnan Province. Preparations for Kunming Airlines' launch have been underway since 2004 and the carrier gained CAAC approval in 2005. But for various reasons, the preparations were suspended for some time before being revived earlier this year when Shenzhen Airlines came forward to say it would be the controlling stakeholder. It also will provide aircraft and MRO support.
EasyJet's profit for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 dropped 45% to £83.2 million ($123.4 million) from £152.3 million the year before amid an escalating dispute between founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the LCC's board.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday said he "spoke about Alitalia" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Trieste and claimed they "very much agree in looking with favor on the possibility of collaboration between Alitalia and Lufthansa and we hope it will happen," the Associated Press reported. AZ reportedly is cancelling up to 100 flights per day as wildcat strikes continue in protest of Compagnia Aerea Italia's €1 billion ($1.25 billion) takeover ( ATWOnline, Nov. 14).
US federal court sided with United Airlines and imposed a preliminary injunction against UA pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. for "instigating a sickout among United's junior pilots in July" in violation of labor laws ( ATWOnline, July 31, 2007), ordering ALPA to cease similar activities.
Lufthansa will reduce the workforce, including management, at its CityLine subsidiary by 20% (500 positions) by 2010 and cull 14 CRJ200s from the regional's fleet of 72 aircraft, an LH spokesperson confirmed yesterday to ATWOnline. The company hopes to make the cuts without layoffs and will try to offer displaced workers positions elsewhere with Lufthansa Group.
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Assn. President Carl Kuwitzky last week told union members that he "cannot support" the carrier's new codeshare agreements with Mexico's Volaris and Canada's WestJet. In a letter obtained by the Dallas Morning News, he said that the alliances have "the potential to severely affect the career of all pilots on our seniority list." Regarding Volaris in particular ( ATWOnline, Nov.
CSA Czech Airlines reported a pre-tax profit through the first nine months of 2008 of $22.1 million, more than double the $9.8 million earned in the year-ago period. Operating profit increased one-third to $39.2 million, the carrier said. "We are in very good financial shape compared to comparable competitors," President Radomir Lasak said. "We expect a positive financial result at the end of the year." Revenue rose 28.3% year-over-year to $1.13 billion on a 4.9% increase in passengers to 4.4 million. CSA said it expects passenger growth "to level off in the future."
Compass Airlines, launched by Northwest Airlines last year and now a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, named NWA VP-Regional Airline Operations Tim Campbell as president. He succeeds John Bendoraitis, who will become president of Comair.
S7 Airlines reported a nine-month profit of RUB157 million ($5.7 million), nearly double the year-ago result, according to RIA Novosti. The carrier earned RUB109.7 million in 2007. Revenue through the first nine months of this year climbed 44% year-over-year to RUB31.93 billion.
ANA, whose fiscal-first-half profit fell 79.1% year-over-year to ¥22 billion ($227.4 million), is taking measures to stabilize itself as Japan officially slides into recession, and is considering launching a low-cost subsidiary.
Qantas outgoing CEO Geoff Dixon told The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney that the airline is fortunate that last year's A$11.1 billion ($7.19 billion) private equity bid by Airline Partners Australia failed ( ATWOnline, May 18, 2007). "I'm very pleased now it didn't happen," Dixon told the newspaper.
Pacific Coastal Airlines Grumman Goose crashed Sunday morning on an island approximately 50 km. north of Vancouver, killing seven of the eight onboard. Flight departed YVR on its way to Powell River, BC. It was PCA's second fatal Goose accident this year, according to press reports. The airline said it has suspended its floatplane operation until it has debriefs with all employees. Eight of its remaining 25 aircraft are amphibians. It also operates Saab 340As, Shorts 360s and Beech 1900Cs.
Kingfisher Airlines has "received several expressions of interest from foreign airlines," Chairman Vijay Mallya said in a statement cited by widespread press reports, and he pressed the government to allow foreign interests to acquire up to 25% of Indian carriers. "I believe aviation should be treated as per international norms and other industry sectors where strategic investors can invest," he said. "This will secure the future of Indian aviation."
