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.
SAS Group, which is endeavoring to simplify and narrow its business to focus on its "core" activity of transporting passengers in northern Europe, conceded yesterday that it has been unable to reach a consensus on the future of its noncore subsidiaries. Decisions on the "future structure" of SAS Ground Services, SAS Technical Services and Spirit (terminal management within SAS Cargo) were postponed until at least Feb. 5, the next time SAS's board is scheduled to meet.
As Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines' stake sale to Singapore Airlines draws near completion, Shanghai Airlines is planning to introduce a strategic investor of its own in order to boost its competitiveness.
EasyJet will establish a base at Manchester, building on the presence of GB Airways, which currently has two aircraft based at MAN operating on six routes. The LCC intends to add another three aircraft by 2010, although final plans will depend on the regulatory approval of its acquisition of GB ( ATWOnline, Oct. 26), which it expects by the end of January. It also plans to develop its base at Liverpool with an additional two aircraft by 2010.
China Eastern Airlines applied to the Chinese government to be allocated 40 of the 110 A320 family aircraft Beijing recently agreed to purchase from Airbus and is contemplating ordering a similar number of 737s. It also plans to give Singapore Airlines executives significant management roles following next month's expected closing of SIA's and parent Temasek's 24% stake purchase, according to Chairman Li Fenghua.
News from Travel Technology Update: Amadeus will provide Virgin Blue with distribution, e-ticketing and interline solutions that work alongside the carrier's existing passenger services system, Navitaire's OpenSkies, while in addition, V Australia, Virgin Blue's new long-haul airline, will adopt the Amadeus Altea Customer Management System. The standalone solutions for the company's short-haul operations will manage connectivity on behalf of Virgin Blue's interline and GDS partners.
Virgin America lost $34.8 million during the third quarter, its first full quarter of operation, according to statistics released by the US Dept. of Transportation and cited by Dow Jones. Operating revenues totaled $16.2 million against $51.6 million in expenses.
In anticipation of the decision of the Alitalia board expected today on the bidder with which AZ will enter exclusive talks for sale of the government's 49.9% stake, Air France KLM and Air One each outlined their plans for the loss-making flag carrier.
Republic Airways Holdings board authorized the purchase of up to $100 million of the company's common stock over the next 12 months. "Our business model is structured to provide Republic with long-term, secure and predictable earnings and cash flows regardless of whether or not the major airlines undertake consolidation," Chairman, President and CEO Bryan Bedford said. RAH is scheduled to take delivery of 31 aircraft by the end of the 2009 first quarter.
Asiana Airlines will reach "a final decision soon" on fleet expansion, a spokesperson confirmed to ATWOnline. The airline is considering 787s, 747-8s, A350 XWBs and A380s. The order could be for as many as 20 long-haul aircraft. It is unclear if it will be mixed or will focus on one type.
AWAS Friday announced an order for 31 firm 737NGs plus 19 purchase rights, raising to 39 the number of aircraft the lessor has on order with Boeing. The order is worth $2.3 billion at list prices. President and CEO Franklin Pray called the deal "an appropriate way for AWAS to finish off what has been a very exciting and redefining year for the company . . .This time a year ago AWAS would not have been in a position to place an order of this magnitude." Based in Dublin, it currently owns and manages 315 aircraft.
Norwegian flew 459 million RPKs in November, up 45% from the year-ago month, against a 31% rise in ASKs to 604 million. Load factor rose 7 points to 76%.
Engine Alliance GP7200-powered A380 received type certification from US FAA and EASA, the GE Aviation/Pratt & Whitney joint venture announced. The GP7200 accumulated 2,855 engine flight hr. along with extensive ground testing and is scheduled to enter service next year with Emirates.
While JetBlue Airways executives continued to insist that Lufthansa's eye-opening $309.6 million investment in the New York-based LCC was nothing but a financial transaction, Lufthansa revealed Friday that it may have more strategic goals in mind. "They're a premium product supplier. They have a stronghold along the East Coast that we wouldn't find elsewhere, and they're very complementary to our routes and our alliance partners," LH CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber was quoted as saying at a Friday news conference.
The grounding and disposal of its 27 Q400s continues to be a major issue at SAS Group, which is faced with choosing a replacement while pursuing compensation from Bombardier and deciding what to do with the employees charged with operating the turboprops, CEO Mats Jansson said during last week's Star Alliance meeting in Beijing.
Airbus reached a historic milestone Friday, delivering its 5000th aircraft (an A330-200 to Qantas) at a special, although low-key, ceremony in Toulouse. Its first aircraft, an A300B2, was delivered to Air France in May 1974 and nine years passed before it delivered its 1,000th. With growing acceptance of its expanding product line, the 2000th was delivered in 1999, the 3000th in 2002 and the 4000th in 2005. Since 2001, Airbus has secured at least 50% of the market for airliners over 100 seats.
Qantas yesterday said it now expects its pre-tax profit for the fiscal year ending next June 30 will increase approximately 40% year-over-year, rather than the 30% forecast last August. It posted a A$1.03 billion ($907.8 million) pre-tax profit in the 12 months ended June 30, 2007. "Since then, Qantas's operating businesses have continued to perform strongly, with the results for the first five months of 2007-08 above forecast and the forward booking profile also remaining robust," CEO Geoff Dixon said.
China Eastern Airlines said yesterday that it formally has established a "strategic cooperation partnership" with Singapore Airlines and parent Temasek ahead of next month's shareholder vote on SIA/Tamasek's 24% stake purchase, and Chairman Li Fenghua insisted the deal is final, pointing out that minority shareholder Air China would be defying the Chinese government if it voted to block the sale.
Babcock & Brown announced the acquisition of seven aircraft currently on lease with four carriers. The planes, worth a combined $250 million, will increase the lessor's portfolio to 54 aircraft, it said. The purchase comprises four A319-100s on lease to US Airways, one A320-200 on lease to Clickair, one 737-900ER on lease to SpiceJet and one 747-400 on lease to United Airlines. B&B CEO Colm Barrington said, "Market conditions remain robust, with strong demand from airlines for new aircraft and insufficient capacity from manufacturers to meet this demand."
Reluctant to pursue acquisition opportunities currently available in Europe, Lufthansa instead opted to invest approximately $300 million in a recently loss-making carrier based in one of the world's most saturated and volatile markets. The German giant yesterday announced the acquisition of 19% of the equity of JetBlue Airways, a move that Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber said marked "a compelling opportunity to invest in the US point-to-point carrier market as the industry continues to evolve."
GE Commercial Aviation Services yesterday announced that it has ordered 53 737-800s and two 777-300ERs collectively valued at $4.5 billion. The massive order includes an exercise of existing options and was listed last week by Boeing as placed by an unidentified customer. "This additional order with Boeing will allow GECAS to help our customers around the world benefit from. . .leading-edge operational efficiency," President and CEO Henry Hubschman said.
