Finnair yesterday said its fourth quarter has "developed more favorably than anticipated" and that it is raising its expected full-year operating profit. The carrier now expects a result in excess of €90 million ($132.5 million) compared to the €70 million-plus forecast when it announced its third-quarter results ( ATWOnline, Nov. 2). It expects the fourth quarter "to be clearly profitable."
Mesa Air Group was ordered by a US Bankruptcy Court judge Monday to post a $90 million bond while it appeals its case against Hawaiian Airlines, the Honolulu Star Bulletin reported. In a ruling issued Oct. 30, Judge Robert Faris ordered Mesa to pay Hawaiian $80 million in damages for using confidential information to establish its go! subsidiary ( ATWOnline, Nov. 1). Mesa CEO Jonathan Ornstein told the paper that posting the bond would not be a problem.
Alitalia announced that Aeroflot "has decided not to take part in the project regarding the privatization of Alitalia." Late last month SU said it would make a decision shortly ( ATWOnline, Oct. 23). Air One/Intesa Sanpaolo, Lufthansa and Air France KLM remain interested in AZ, according to Reuters, which reported that Chairman Maurizio Prato would delay the board's meeting with adviser Citigroup by about a week to the end of this month.
Vueling Airlines appointed Lars Nygaard as its new CEO, taking over from Carlos Munoz. Nygaard joined SAS Group in 1991 and joined its Spanish subsidiary, Spanair, 10 years later. He became Spanair CEO in October 2005 but resigned the position last week ( ATWOnline, Nov.
United Airlines flew 9.61 billion system RPMs in October, a 0.6% slip from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 1.1% to 11.85 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 0.5 point to 81.1%. Delta Air Lines flew 10.16 billion consolidated RPMs in October, a 6.2% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity was up 2.9% to 12.76 billion ASMs and load factor rose 2.5 points to 79.6%. US Airways flew 5.06 billion consolidated RPMs in October, down 1.8% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 5.8% to 6.33 billion ASMs and load factor rose 3.3 points to 80%.
US Dept. of Transportation fined Delta Air Lines $115,000 "for failing to provide information on the ontime arrival performance of its flights when asked by consumers," it announced yesterday. It is the third such sanction this year, following fines levied last month against Hawaiian Airlines ($50,000) and JetBlue Airways ($30,000).
Alpha Aviation Group and Air Arabia signed a JV agreement to launch the International Aviation Training Academy in Sharjah modeled on the existing academy, Clark Aviation, in the Philippines. The parties said the academy will begin operating early next year and will satisfy Air Arabia's own pilot training needs in addition to training ab initio pilots under the ICAO Multi Crew Pilot License for other carriers in the region.
WestJet yesterday confirmed to ATWOnline that it is in discussions with Air France regarding an expansive interline agreement that it hopes to launch "at some point in 2008."
HNA Group's Grand China Air, designed to be the country's fourth-largest commercial carrier, is scheduled to be launched on Nov. 29 in Haikou, capital of Hainan Province, according to HNA Chairman Chen Feng. Hainan Development Holding Co. holds 40.65% of GCA with an investment of CNY1.5 billion while HNA's Hainan Airlines invested CNY900 million in a 24.08% stake. Other investors include Starstep, Yangtze River Investment, Pan American Aviation Holdings, Qiye Industrial Investment, Union Trans-Atlantic and Perfect Star Investment.
South African Airways posted a net profit of ZAR136 million ($20.1 million) for the fiscal first half ended Sept. 30, reversed from a loss of ZAR650 million in the year-ago period, and said it is making substantive progress on its restructuring program, citing the grounding of its six 747-400s and positive labor talks.
Aer Lingus Group lodged a formal appeal with the EU Court of First Instance in Luxembourg as part of what it called "the legal process towards removing Ryanair from its shareholder register."
Alitalia announced organizational changes comprising elimination of the Business & Corporate Coordination Dept., establishment of a new Passenger & Cargo Division to be headed by former BCC head Giancarlo Schisano and the immediate departure of Marketing & Business Strategies chief Giancarlo Zeni, who is replaced by Andrea Stolfa. In addition, the Administration, Finance & Control Dept. now will report directly to the president.
Lufthansa is examining the opportunities created by the transatlantic open skies agreement scheduled to take effect at the end of March, yet remains unsure about the economic viability of launching flights from outside its home market to the US.
Embraer reported more than $1.1 billion worth of firm orders from nine customers at last week's Dubai Air Show, with commercial aircraft commitments coming from NAS (five E-190s) ( ATWOnline, Nov. 13) and Virgin Nigeria (seven 170s and three 190s) ( ATWOnline, Nov.
Southwest Airlines reached agreement last week with the City of Chicago that Mayor Richard Daley's office said is "a very big first step" toward its planned privatization of Midway Airport. US legislation enacted in 1996 created a pilot program for five airport privatizations, but under the law a city needs the approval of 65% of an airport's airline tenants in order to use proceeds from a privatization for nonaviation-related purposes, which has been a historical stumbling block.
British Airways flew 9.63 billion RPKs in October, up 2.2% from the year-ago month, against a 1.3% increase in ASKs to 12.68 billion. Load factor rose 0.6 point to 75.9%.
ABX Air posted third-quarter net income of $2.4 million, down 63.4% from a net profit of $6.6 million in the year-ago quarter, and said it has agreed to arbitration to resolve its dispute with DHL over reimbursement of expenses related to its contract flying for the express delivery giant.
Copa Airlines and AeroRepublica parent Copa Holdings reported net earnings of $46.8 million in the third quarter, a 25.7% increase over the $37.2 million posted in the year-ago period. The result was boosted, however, by an $8 million pre-tax gain related to insurance proceeds stemming from the July runway overrun that destroyed an AeroRepublica E-190 in Santa Marta. Company revenue during the quarter climbed 14.7% year-over-year to $264.6 million, but operating income rose just 3.3% to $46.7 million from $45.2 million in the third quarter of 2006.
Philippine Airlines suffered an $11.8 million loss in its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, widened from a $6.2 million deficit in the year-ago period. PAL said the increase was due principally to higher maintenance and fuel expenses. Revenue rose 13% to $354.1 million as yields climbed, it said. Fuel accounted for $108.2 million of the $365.9 million in expenses. Despite the result, PAL reached the halfway point of its fiscal year a record $22.7 million in the black compared to a surplus of $10.9 million in the year-ago semester.
Lufthansa Flight Training will place a new A320 Level B simulator in Berlin. The 5000 Series simulator manufactured by CAE was ordered last spring and will be operational from March. It is LHT Berlin's ninth simulator.
Despite falling passenger traffic revenue and continuing labor unrest, Alitalia managed to narrow its third-quarter deficit. Its pre-tax loss of €57.6 million ($84.3 million) was an improvement over the €66.4 million suffered in the year-ago period, while its operating loss narrowed to €19.1 million from €42 million in the third quarter of 2006.
Spatial Composite Solutions of Dubai won an $8.8 million contract from Emirates to design and install 13 cabin service trainers for assorted Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including the A380.
UK Office of Fair Trading is seeking comments on easyJet'acquisition of GB Airways ( ATWOnline, Oct. 26). The LCC announced last month that it agreed to acquire the British Airways franchise partner, excluding its London Heathrow slots, from Bland Group for £103.5 million ($214.4 million) in cash.
Air France Industries was contracted by Nouvelair to provide CFM56-5A/5B engine support for its fleet of A320/A321 aircraft. Contract gives access to AFI's engine and component pools.
Lufthansa added 350 flight attendants in the first nine months of this year at its Munich base, 25% more than in 2006. LH now employs 2,700 cabin staff at MUC. Next year it will add three long-haul aircraft to the base.
