Megadata Corp. said Newark Liberty selected its PASSUR Portal and inSight software technologies offering Web-based operational information and flight following capabilities.
Exclusive negotiations between Air France KLM and Alitalia on a possible merger were scheduled to start yesterday following the official approval of Italian Minister of Finance Tommaso Padoa-Schoppia last Friday, according to widespread press reports.
Wizz Air and GECAS announced a sale and leaseback transaction covering six A320s scheduled for delivery in 2009 and set to be leased for 11 years each. The companies have similar deals covering eight additional A320s to be delivered over the next two years. Separately, Wizz announced summer schedule enhancements including 15 new weekly flights from Budapest (with new service to Gothenburg, Oslo Torp and Treviso) and a fifth A320 based at Katowice that will contribute to an expanded program scheduled to include new flights to Varna.
Alitalia announced the sale of three of its 13 slot pairs at London Heathrow for €92 million ($134.2 million). It called the slots "nonstrategic" and said it will report a €54 million gain on its 2007 balance sheet and a €38 million gain in 2008.
ABX Air, the Wilmington, Ohio-based airline primarily focused on transporting DHL cargo around the US, said it completed the previously announced $332 million purchase of Cargo Holdings International, the Orlando-based outsourced air cargo services provider that counts global logistics firm BAX/Schenker as its main client ( ATWOnline, Nov. 5). ABX created a new holding company, ABX Holdings, of which ABX Air and CHI are now separate wholly owned subsidiaries.
Vinci, a French construction and services company, confirmed the purchase of a 3.3% stake in Aeroports de Paris. ADP initiated an IPO in June 2006 but the French state still holds 68.4%.
Fischer Advanced Composite Components announced delivery of the passenger cabin for the ARJ21. Components include ceiling and sidewall panels, hat racks, cockpit dividers and other equipment. Final assembly will take place in Shanghai later this year.
Air China parent China National Aviation Holding Co. said Monday that China Eastern Airlines needs to renew discussions with Singapore Airlines on the high-profile stake sale, arguing that the HK$3.80 price set for each of the additional shares tailored for SIA is inadequate.
Commport Aerospace Services Ltd. displayed its fuel administration software, realTimeFuel, at IATA's fuel forum in Istanbul. Compatible with most hardware and management systems, the technology offers hands-on, real-time access to the fueling operation, eliminating costs associated with printed tickets, fuel sheets and data handling in reconciliation systems.
ACTS Aero Technical Support & Services, formerly Air Canada Technical Services, signed long-term material and repair contracts from GE and CFM valued at an estimated $2.5 billion. "This is the biggest contract we've ever signed with a supplier," ACTS told Airline Procurement. "It goes beyond the typical customer and supplier relationship. It is an alliance."
The fares will increase by €15 for one-way flights and €30 for roundtrips. Lufthansa will continue to offer its pre-hike fares, which it has dubbed "Lufthansa Preferred Rates," after July 1 for direct sales through its Web site, call center, ticket counter and its dedicated travel agent Web site, lufthansa-agent.com. Travel agents can book Preferred Rates through a GDS if they agree to pay a fee of €4.90 plus VAT per coupon. Otherwise, they will have access only to the higher fares in the GDS.
China Airlines said in December that its board approved the signing of a letter of intent with Airbus to purchase 14 A350-900s plus six options valued at $4.2 billion if all options are exercised. The aircraft will be delivered from 2015 to 2020, replacing the carrier's A340-300 fleet and expanding its mid- and long-haul capacity. The A350-900s will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWBs. Rolls placed the value of the engine deal at $800 million if all options are exercised.
Air Berlin said CEO Joachim Hunold added the title of LTU chairman and named Helmut Weixier LTU MD-flight operations and accountable manager. Alaska Air Group promoted Ginny Carruthers to dir.-government affairs. American Assn. of Airport Executives welcomed Alexsis Horowitz as dir.-communications. Astraeus Flystar introduced Shaun Monnery as dir.-aircraft leasing. Atlantic Southeast Airlines appointed Bradford Holt COO replacing Bryan LaBreque, who retired. AWAS tapped Ruben Sanchez as VP-sales.
LLamasoft released Version 4.0 of its Supply Chain Guru network design software featuring data importation and modeling options, a new simulation engine, multitime period optimization and production process and transportation modeling.
Air France KLM's nonbinding bid for Alitalia received unanimous approval from the Italian airline's board Friday, setting up an intriguing debate next month when the government will have to decide whether to turn over ownership and management of its flag carrier to a foreign company.
CSA Czech Airlines approved the sale of its Air Czech Catering subsidiary to Italian company Alpha Overseas Holdings. Sale is subject so shareholder approval at a meeting scheduled for next month. "By selling the catering service we will succeed in disengaging ourselves from past debts and freeing up funds for the further development of the company without the help of the owner," President Radomir Lasak said. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Iberia said it will not open its books to a Spanish consortium led by Gala Capital, which approached the airline last month with a suggested offer of €3.60-€3.90 ($5.17-$5.60) per share ( ATWOnline, Nov. 28). "For the board of directors it is essential to maintain a framework of stability and certainty, which is being compromised by the excessive delay in the analysis of the company undertaken by interested third parties who, to date, have not submitted any binding offer," IB said.
Bmi is looking for additional capacity, possibly 757s or 767-200s, to support growth on several former BMED routes, Chairman Michael Bishop told ATWOnline at the recent Star Alliance meeting in Beijing. "We are looking for interim aircraft to improve the competitive element of our operation to certain destinations, which I can't disclose at the moment. But I can say that three of the routes that we inherited [from former British Airways franchise operator BMED] look to us as if they are capable of almost immediate development and expansion into bigger aircraft," he said.
China Eastern Airlines is confident that its stake sale deal with Singapore Airlines and parent Temasek will be approved at the shareholders conference scheduled for Jan. 8 despite Air China's calling the move "a wrong step." CEA President Li Fenghua said, "So far we haven't got any indication that it will be vetoed in January. Air China, one of our stakeholders, should have little chance of rejecting it." But Air China VP Fan Cheng holds a different view ( ATWOnline, Dec. 5).
Workers at BAA airports represented by Unite voted to conduct 24-hr. strikes at all seven facilities from 6 a.m. on Jan. 7, 14, 17 and 18 in protest of BAA's decision to close the final salary pension scheme to new members. BAA said in a statement that it would "work hard to resolve this issue."
Vietnam Airlines and its leasing arm Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Co. firmed up commitments for 10 A350 XWB-900s and 20 A321s worth a combined $3.8 billion at list prices ( ATWOnline, Oct. 2). Contracts were signed in Hanoi by Vietnam Airlines CEO Pham Ngoc Minh and Airbus COO-Customers John Leahy. The A321s will be delivered from 2012 and the A350s from 2016. VN will take the A350s and 10 A321s while VALC will acquire the remaining A321s.
FedEx reported net income for its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30 of $479 million, down 6% from $511 million last year despite a 6% boost in revenue to $9.45 billion. Chairman, President and CEO Frederick Smith cited "high fuel prices and weak US economic growth" in explaining the profit drop. He added that "challenging near-term economic trends" likely will affect earnings for the remainder of the fiscal year, but said long-term confidence remains high, particularly in its international express business.
