Delta Air Lines flew 12.34 billion system RPMs in July, a 4.9% increase over the year-ago month, as domestic traffic rose 0.5% and international climbed 14.6%. Capacity grew 3.2% to 14.22 billion ASMs on a 2.1% domestic decline and a 15.5% international gain. System load factor rose 1.4 points to 86.8%, the highest single-month load factor in the carrier's history. Domestic load factor was up 2.2 points to 87.9% and international 0.1 point to 85%. British Airways flew 10.34 billion RPKs in July, a 2.9% decrease from the year-ago month.
Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair flew a combined 7.26 billion RPKs in July, up 2.2% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 0.8% to 8.59 billion ASKs and load factor improved 1.1 points to 84.6%.
Boeing will supply GoldCare lifecycle support services to Rolls-Royce for the UK company's Trent 1000 engine TotalCare program. The agreement covers repair and overhaul for 787 "underwing rotable airplane components as an option for Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TotalCare service agreements." Trent 1000 is the launch engine for the 787.
Ryanair will launch six new routes from its Madrid base in October and close four others. The LCC will start flying to Girona, Santander, Alghero, Cagliari, Frankfurt Hahn and Liverpool and cease service to Faro, Malmo, Bournemouth and Shannon. Frequencies will increase on several existing routes, including to Brussels Charleroi, which will move to twice-daily from four-times-weekly. LTU Airlines will open a third long-haul base at BerlinTegel in November. It will operate thrice-weekly flights to Bangkok and weekly flights to Punta Cana and Varadero.
CSA Czech Airlines announced that Vice Chairman and VP-Information Technology Jiri Devat was appointed to the SITA board. He will represent the members from Central and Eastern Europe.
Airbus announced yesterday that it will deliver the first A380 to Singapore Airlines on Oct. 15, with the carrier's first flight slated for Oct. 25 from Singapore to Sydney. The aircraft will be configured with 471 seats in three classes: Economy, business and "Singapore Airlines Suites." Seats on the first flight will be auctioned via eBay and SIA said it will donate the proceeds to charity. The return Sydney-Singapore flight is scheduled for Oct. 26.
Aer Lingus said it "hopes to operate a limited schedule of European flights" next week during a two-day pilot strike called in protest of its decision to open a Belfast base ( ATWOnline, Aug. 15). The airline said it has agreed to wet-lease "a number" of aircraft for Aug. 21-22.
A robust Australian economy fueled by resource demand from China helped propel Qantas Group to a record net profit of A$719.4 million ($595.4 million) for the fiscal year ended June 30 despite a 19.1 % increase in its fuel bill to A$3.3 billion.
El Al posted a net profit of $12.6 million in the second quarter, reversed from a loss of $10.4 million in the year-ago period, according to a financial release cited by press reports from Israel. A tax benefit of $5.8 million resulting from its accumulated losses boosted its final figure to $18.4 million, Globes reported. Revenue climbed 5.5% to $452.8 million while expenses fell 2.5%.
SR Technics promoted Marco Imboden to VP-marketing, effective Aug. 20. He currently is deputy head of corporate communications and head of Communications Switzerland.
Thai Airways reported a profit for its third fiscal quarter ended June 30 of THB405 million ($12.8 million), down 14.4% from the THB473 million earned in the year-ago period. Revenue growth of 5.7% to THB44.53 billion was outpaced by a 7.9% rise in expenses to THB44.42 billion. Operating profit plunged 88% to THB114 million from THB959 million. The carrier did not elaborate on the results. Nine-month net earnings of THB8.33 billion were down 20.6% from THB10.49 billion.
Lufthansa Technik signed a 12-year Total Component Support contract with LAN Airlines covering up to 129 A320s and up to eight A340s. The agreement expands a TCS agreement already in place and has an added value of more than $200 million, according to LHT.
TAM told a Brazilian congressional panel holding hearings on last month's A320 crash that it no longer allows aircraft to land at Sao Paulo Congonhas or Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont without both thrust reversers activated, a change in policy put in place after the accident.
China Southern Airlines reached a deal with majority investor China Southern Air Holding Co., a state enterprise owning 50.3% of the carrier, to purchase the entire equity interest in China Southern Airlines Group Air Catering Co., the assets of Guangzhou BiHuaYuan Training Centre and the assets of Hong Kong-based Nan Lung Travel & Express (including its 51% stake in Nan Lung International Freight) for a combined CNY269.5 million ($35.5 million). In turn, CSAHC will purchase CZ's 90% stake in the Guangzhou Aviation Hotel for CNY74.7 million.
China Southern Airlines flew 7.7 billion RPKs in July, up 14.7% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 13% to 10.05 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 1.1 points to 76.6%.
Midwest Air Group board said it will meet today to "consider alternatives" following the announcement of competing bids for the carrier from AirTran Holdings and TPG Capital/Northwest Airlines ( ATWOnline, Aug. 15).
Virgin Atlantic reported this week that its profit for its fiscal year ended Feb. 28 dropped 89% to £6.6 million ($13.2 million) from £60.3 million in the prior year. It blamed much of the fall on losses at Virgin Nigeria, in which it has a 49% stake. The African carrier posted a loss of £40 million for the year, widened from £33 million in the prior year. VA's revenue increased 15% to £2.2 billion.
Etihad Airways said its first A320 will commence operations Sept. 1, with two more set to arrive in September and October. A further three of the dual-class, 140-seat aircraft are expected in the 2008 first quarter ( ATWOnline, June 7). First A320 route will be Abu Dhabi-Tehran. Future cities include Beirut, Dammam, Karachi, Muscat, Bahrain, Cairo, Doha, Kuwait, Amman and Damascus.
Copa Holdings, parent of Panama's Copa Airlines and Colombia's Aero Republica, reported second-quarter net income of $30.9 million, up 34.9% over $22.9 million earned in the year-ago quarter, but said its rapid expansion will be slowed slightly.
WestJet, which this summer won authority to operate to four Mexican destinations ( ATWOnline, June 28), yesterday announced scheduled seasonal service to two, San Jose del Cabo and Mazatlan, from three Canadian cities starting in December. From its Calgary base, the LCC will operate twice-weekly to San Jose del Cabo from Dec. 20 and weekly to Mazatlan from Dec. 22. It will launch weekly flights from Edmonton to both destinations on Dec. 21-22 and from Vancouver to San Jose del Cabo on Dec. 21.
AirTran Holdings raised its bid for Midwest Air Group late yesterday, offering $16.25 per share in cash and stock, exceeding the $16 per share cash offer from TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines that was endorsed unanimously by the Midwest board Sunday ( ATWOnline, Aug. 14).
Shenzhen Airlines plans to raise as much as $1 billion in an initial share sale to fund fleet expansion next year, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. As a privately run airline, Shenzhen has found it increasingly difficult to reach loan deals with banks owing to its high asset liability rate, even though it has posted net profits for 10 consecutive years. The carrier remains committed to its "369" strategy of expanding its fleet to 70 aircraft in three years, 100 in six and 160 in nine.
Aer Lingus pilots are planning a two-day strike next week to protest the carrier's plan to set up a base at Belfast International Airport, where the Impact Trade Union claims the proposals for pay and work rules "are less favorable" than in the Republic.
Lufthansa and Air Astana signed a cooperation agreement in the Kazakh capital yesterday that will include codesharing and schedule coordination beginning next year and a linking of the carriers' loyalty programs that may begin as early as October. The deal is similar to the one LH signed with Russia's AiRUnion last month ( ATWOnline, July 12). LH operates a daily Frankfurt-Almaty service with twice-weekly ongoing service to Astana.
