Jade Cargo International named Lufthansa Cargo Head of Transport Management and Flight Operations Kay Kratky as its new GM. Claus Richter, who had been head of operational support and acting leader of flight operations at LH's passenger division, will succeed Kratky.
Air France announced yesterday that passengers onboard an A318 operating in Europe now can send and receive SMS and MMS messages and e-mails via mobile phones with Internet access using the Mobile OnAir system. The capability is similar to the one JetBlue Airways launched last week on an A320 ( ATWOnline, Dec. 12). First flight occurred Monday between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Warsaw.
Iberia flew 4.42 billion RPKs in November, up 5.2% on the year-ago month. Capacity rose 3.3% to 5.55 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 1.4 points to 79.5%.
Kingfisher Airlines and Deccan Aviation boards have decided to merge the companies, according to widespread press reports from India, paving the way for Kingfisher to gain clearance to operate internationally next year ( ATWOnline, Oct. 15). Kingfisher parent UB Group holds 46% of Deccan and recently renamed its low-cost airline Simplifly Deccan, repainting its aircraft in red-and-white Kingfisher livery. The two brands will remain after the merger, with Kingfisher the full-service carrier.
Big Sky Airlines, a subsidiary of MAIR Holdings, will shutter its US East Coast operations as a Delta Connection partner on Jan. 7. MAIR plans to sell seven Big Sky Beech 1900s and will attempt to offload its operating certificate as well, President Paul Foley said. Big Sky has been operating the 19-seat turboprops under codeshare with DL since April.
TAP Portugal expects to report positive results for 2007, its second straight year in the black, despite increasing competition from low-cost carriers. "All parameters are good, even very good, and they would have been a lot better if we did not face these very high fuel prices," CEO Fernando Pinto told ATWOnline during the Star Alliance meeting last week in Beijing. The carrier made €7.3 million ($11.4 million) in 2006 ( ATWOnline, March 14).
GE Aviation reached a 10-year material management deal with Evergreen Aviation Technologies covering CF6-80C2s for EGAT third-party customers. GE's OnPoint Solution contract includes overhaul, on-wing support, new and used serviceable parts, component repair, technology upgrades and engine leasing and diagnostics.
Qantas and MAS Aerospace Engineering, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, signed an MOU to form a joint venture to provide aircraft maintenance services from Malaysia. Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon said the new company will target the rapidly growing Asia/Pacific MRO market, which is expected to reach $15 billion by 2016. It also will perform overflow airframe maintenance for QF and its subsidiary airlines. Dixon said he was confident the companies would create a world-class yet cost-competitive MRO.
United Airlines expects fourth-quarter mainline passenger RASM to increase 11.5%-12.5% year-over-year and consolidated PRASM to rise 11%-12% from the year-ago quarter, it said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Mainline RPMs are expected to decline 1.25%-1.75% against a 0.8% drop in capacity, while consolidated RPMs will fall at the same rate but against a 0.5% ASM decline. "North American PRASM has strengthened supported by capacity reductions while international PRASM remains strong," UA said.
Finnair said FL Group, the second-largest shareholder in the carrier behind the Finnish government, reduced its stake to 12.7% from 24.4% by selling 15 million shares. The Icelandic investor said the move "is in line with FL Group's strategy to lower exposure to the aviation sector" and would result in a ISK2.8 billion ($44.4 million) loss. FLG said it remains the second-largest shareholder and "continues to support Finnair's ambitious growth strategy."
Grupo Marsans said yesterday that it has made a formal offer for SAS subsidiary Spanair and that it expects a reply in early 2008, according to press reports from Madrid ( ATWOnline, Oct. 5). Marsans' business plan reportedly includes the opening of a hub in Barcelona.
Delta Air Lines named United Airlines Cargo VP-Sales and Marketing Neel Shah as VP-cargo effective Jan. 14. He replaces MD-Cargo Ben Darnell, who is leaving the company.
Skybus Airlines lost $16 million in the third quarter, according to statistics the startup LCC provided to the US Dept. of Transportation and cited by several press reports. Revenue was $22 million as the carrier achieved a 79% load factor. Yield was just 5.08 cents. The Ohio-based airline told media that the results were "in line" with expectations.
Airbus and parent EADS yesterday selected "preferred bidders" for the partial divestiture of six industrial plants to "partners," tabbing GKN, Latecoere and MT Aerospace.
Aloha Airlines yesterday confirmed press reports of a $15.1 million loss in the third quarter, widened from a $9.9 million deficit in the year-ago period. The carrier now has suffered a loss in each of the past 16 quarters, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin calculated. Third-quarter revenue rose 4.6% to $104.4 million, but higher fuel prices and lower fares continued to plague Aloha, according to President and CEO David Banmiller. Expenses climbed 5.1% to $116.1 million and operating loss deepened to $11.7 million from $10.6 million in the third quarter of 2006.
Despite rising fuel prices, Chinese commercial airlines posted a collective profit of CNY9.1 billion ($1.23 billion) in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, up 65.4% over the CNY5.5 billion reported in the year-ago period, according to CAAC statistics. Operating revenue rose 12.5% year-over-year to CNY73.57 billion against an 8.3% increase in operating expenses to CNY65.07 billion.
ANA signed an MOU yesterday with Tokyo-based international freight forwarders Nippon Express and Kintetsu World Express to establish a joint venture global business-to-business express delivery company with operations to start April 1. ANA will own the largest share of the yet-to-be-named company at 34%, according to a joint statement. Nippon Express and KWE each will own 28% and smaller unidentified forwarders will hold the remaining 10%.
Alitalia board once again delayed its decision regarding a negotiating partner for the Italian government's 49.9% stake in the carrier, this time to Friday, by which time it said it expects to have a recommendation from its adviser Citigroup.
Tiger Airways converted 20 A320 options, completing the firming of its 50-aircraft order (30 firm and 20 options) announced at the Paris Air Show ( ATWOnline, June 22). Aircraft will seat 180 passengers in an all-economy configuration. Tiger currently flies 12 A320s and will take eight more through 2009. The final aircraft now will be delivered in 2016.
Cebu Pacific Air ordered four more ATR 72-500s, converting options from an earlier order and bringing its firm commitment to 10 of the type. It still holds four options ( ATWOnline, May 25). The carrier said only about one-third of the Philippines' 75 airports can accommodate its A319/A320 fleet. The first 72-seat turboprop will enter service to Caticlan Feb. 29. Cebu will take delivery of six ATRs next year and four in 2009. An additional four A320s added next year will lift its fleet to 25 aircraft by year end.
CAE won orders for full-flight simulators and related CAE Simfinity training devices valued at more than C$126 million ($124.1 million) from Continental Airlines, US Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Algerie and Alteon Training. CO purchased a CAE 7000 Series 787 FFS and a set of CAE Simfinity training devices. US ordered two CAE 7000 Series A320 FFSs, one CAE 7000 Series A330/A340 FFS, nine CAE Simfinity Integrated Procedures Trainers and CAE Simfinity VSIMs for A320 and A330/A340 platforms.
Austrian Airlines Group carriers flew 1.41 billion RPKs in November, down 15.4% from the year-ago month. Capacity dropped 16.3% to 1.92 billion ASKs and load factor rose 0.8 point to 73.4%. Alaska Airlines flew 1.51 billion RPMs in November, a 7.6% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 4.5% to 1.96 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 2.2 points to 76.7%. WestJet flew 923.5 million RPKs in November, an 18.3% increase from the year-ago month, against a 14.8% rise in ASKs to 1.2 billion. Load factor climbed 2.2 points to 75.6%.
Aviapartner Handling won a contract from Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines for provision of full handling services in Venice. The contract, effective Jan. 1, covers some 5,000 flights per year for both airlines combined.
Mesa Air Group will appeal to the US District Court in Hawaii after US Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert Faris denied last week's request for a new trial, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported. Faris had ordered Mesa to pay $80 million in damages to Hawaiian Airlines for using confidential information provided by Hawaiian when Mesa established its go! subsidiary ( ATWOnline, Nov. 21). In requesting a new trial, Mesa said it had discovered information that was not presented during the initial trial.
Lufthansa is considering placing two wet-leased PrivatAir A319LRs, which are outfitted with all-business-class cabins and fly out of Dusseldorf to Newark and Chicago O'Hare, on a new Beijing service beginning next summer, a source close to the carrier told ATWOnline. They would be the first all-business-class flights between Europe and China. Separately, LH will launch a weekly Frankfurt-Luanda service on April 1 aboard an A340-300. It will be LH's 15th African destination.
