Thai Airways' board will decide next month on a fleet expansion plan that could include as many as 65 new aircraft, with eight 747-8Is likely to be among the orders. President Apinan Sumanaseni told media in Bangkok yesterday that the board is looking at two options, one for 61 aircraft and the other for 65. Other aircraft mentioned were the 787, 737-900, A350 and A321. According to an airline source, the aircraft would be delivered over 10 years and likely would be valued at THB390 billion ($12.1 billion).
Lufthansa Systems launched Lido electronic Aircraft Performance Monitoring, a Web-based tool for determination of inflight performance levels of an aircraft and especially its propulsion and flight control efficiency. Separately, LHS said Condor chose it to support the airline's scheduling, operational flight planning and crew planning processes.
JetBlue Airways appointed Glenn Hipp to the position of VP-supply chain and fuel. He will be responsible for companywide sourcing efforts and corporate purchasing as well as JetBlue's fuel procurement strategy. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, named Jason Grant senior VP and CFO succeeding Michael Barna, who resigned from the post he has held since 2005 "to pursue other interests." Grant, 35, has been with the company since 2002 and most recently served as senior VP-network planning and business development.
Aloha Airlines, which has been battling for market share in the competitive Hawaiian Islands, posted a net loss of $18.7 million for the second quarter ended June 30, widened from a $2.8 million loss in the year-ago period, according to data it filed with the US Dept. of Transportation. Operating revenue declined 6.1% to $96.3 million.
AirAsia X's first 396-seat A330 is due to arrive in Kuala Lumpur today for the carrier's service launch later this month. The A330 will be the first of three leased by the long-haul LCC to arrive with another 10 on firm order to be delivered next year. Air Asia X initially will launch flights from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne Avalon and London Stansted.
Northwest Airlines yesterday announced a reshuffled executive management team that it said better reflects its post-bankruptcy objectives. Among the most significant changes, which will take effect Oct. 1, were NWA Cargo President Jim Friedel's appointment to the newly created position of senior VP-strategic planning and VP-Network Planning and Revenue Management Tom Bach's promotion to president-NWA Cargo. VP-Fleet Planning Dan McDonald was named VP-strategy and fleet planning and will report to Friedel.
Air France KLM is studying a potential merger with either Alitalia or Iberia, Chairman and CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta said. In an interview with Financial Times, Spinetta confirmed that the group is exploring merger opportunities. He said AF KLM has held "informal" talks with potential Spanish financial partners, though it is not yet in official discussions with Iberia.
US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters yesterday named United Airlines VP-Flight Operations Henry Krakowski chief operating officer of FAA's Air Traffic Organization effective Oct. 1. Krakowski will lead the ATO's 35,000 controllers, technicians, engineers and support personnel, overseeing the operational and financial performance of the ATC system and FAA's research and acquisition programs. "Hank is the right person to help implement the next generation of aviation technology," Peters said.
Swiss Aviation Software said CSA Czech Airlines is implementing its AMOS integrated information system to help streamline MRO administration and management.
A J Walter (Leasing) Ltd. said it is taking delivery of the second of two A320s purchased from British Airways last year for parting out. The first was delivered last November.
Horizon Air, which grounded its fleet of Q400s following the collapse of landing gear on two separate SAS flights ( ATWOnline, Sept. 13), inspected 16 of its 33 affected aircraft by Friday and plans to begin placing them back in service today. The regional carrier canceled 89 flights Friday and expected additional cancellations over the weekend because of the grounding. By Tuesday it intends to introduce a "modified schedule" as aircraft are returned to service.
AeroMexico said Friday that a group of Mexican investors represented by Banamex, the Mexican arm of Citigroup, has made a formal bid valued at more than $150 million to take a controlling stake in the airline, which currently is controlled by government holding company Consorcio Aeromexico. The takeover offer, first revealed last Thursday ( ATWOnline, Sept. 14), is open through Oct. 15 with an option to extend it until Nov. 30. AM's board said it will make an initial judgment on the offer within 10 business days.
Midwest Airlines, which accepted a cash buyout offer of $17 per share from TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines last month, entered into a codeshare agreement last week with NWA for tickets purchased beginning Nov. 3 for travel starting Nov. 17.
Continental Airlines will expand capacity at its Cleveland Hopkins International Airport hub by 40% over the next two years, starting with 50 new flights operated primarily by regional jets and the addition of 20 new nonstop destinations by next summer. Cleveland is CO's No. 3 hub behind Newark and Houston Intercontinental. Many of the RJs will be reallocated to Cleveland from the Newark hub; new 70-seat Q400s operated under an agreement with Colgan Air will take over some of the Newark service.
SunExpress, the Lufthansa/Turkish Airlines joint venture, said it will operate more than 100 daily flights from 20 German airports to its bases in Antalya and Izmir starting at the end of October. The carrier operates a fleet of 10 737-800s and four 757-200s and employs 800. It said it will transport 3 million passengers this year.
Embraer opened an E-Jets training services center in the Alteon training facility at Singapore Changi. The center has the capacity to train an average of 300 pilots annually, offering both ground school and simulator training. In 2008 it will be expanded to include flight attendant training.
Babcock & Brown filed last week with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to spin off part of its commercial aircraft leasing business in an IPO that could raise more than $440 million. The newly created lessor will be known as Babcock & Brown Air. Shares are being offered at $22-$24 each and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FLY, B&B said in a statement.
While Air China charted an ambitious international expansion plan that includes opening 12 new routes to the US and Europe in 2008 and 2009, China Eastern Airlines is taking a more cautious approach, with only one new international route planned in the next two years. According to the 2008-09 long-haul routes distribution program released by CAAC, CEA will start Shanghai-Los Angeles service next year but will stay away from further international expansion.
US and Japan yesterday reached an expanded air services agreement, according to UPS, which said it won authority under the deal to operate six daily freighter flights between the US and Nagoya.
KLM appointed Barbara van Koppen general counsel. She has been company secretary since September 2005 and will retain that title. FAA Deputy Administrator Robert Sturgell will assume the role of acting administrator today following the departure of Marion Blakey, whose fixed five-year term heading the agency ended yesterday. It is unknown how long it will take for US President George Bush to nominate a permanent replacement.
Alitalia posted a consolidated net loss of €211.1 million ($292.7 million) for the first half of 2007, slightly narrowed from a €220.2 million loss in the year-ago period. The carrier's board last week outlined financial and performance targets for its "survival/transition" plan that aims to keep AZ viable through 2010 as it continues to seek a sale to private investors ( ATWOnline, Sept. 10).
Ryanair said it will base 12 aircraft at Milan Malpensa and launch 50 international and 10 domestic routes from the airport in response to Alitalia's plan to nearly halve its 340 daily flights from MPX ( ATWOnline, Sept. 5). In a statement dubbed "Ryanair's Manifesto for Malpensa," the Irish LCC said it is willing to commit up to $1 billion between 2008 and 2012 at two airports, MPX and Orio al Serio near Bergamo, where it currently has a base.
Nigeria's Arik Air increased its commitment to Boeing airplanes, placing an order for 10 737-800s, four 787-9s and one 777-300ER worth a combined $1.8 billion at list prices.
European Commission launched a formal investigation into support that would have been granted by the Sardinia Region and SOGEAAL, the publicly owned company operating Alghero Airport, to various air carriers and by the Sardinia Region to SOGEAAL itself.
JetBlue Airways added the title of president to COO Russ Chew, who joined the carrier from US FAA in the wake of the February operational difficulties at New York JFK. "Since Russ joined our team, we have established the right foundation for continuous improvement," CEO Dave Barger said.
