Kingfisher Airlines appears set to place a $2 billion Airbus order at this week's Dubai Air Show. The six-month-old carrier is likely to order 30 A320s and 20 ATR turboprops, according to media reports and at least two company executives, who confirmed the order to reporters. The startup placed a $3 billion order consisting of five A380s, five A350-800s and five A330-200s at the Paris Air Show last summer ( ATWOnline, June 16).
Southwest Airlines named Mike Van de Ven as its new executive VP-aircraft operations to replace Jim Wimberly, who will retire at year end. Van de Ven is a 12-year veteran of the airline and a member of its Executive Planning Committee.
Lufthansa Flight Training will provide a comprehensive training package for Martinair with the introduction of the 747-400 Freighter to the latter's fleet. Through 2007, 42 Martinair pilots will earn their type ratings from LFT for the 747-400F. Value of the deal is more than €2 million ($2.3 million). Separately, LFT announced that from Dec. 1, Florian Hamm will become chairman of its management board succeeding Dieter Harms, who is retiring after more than four decades at Lufthansa Group.
Delta Shuttle is introducing nine 142-seat MD-88s on its East Coast Shuttle between New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan and Reagan Washington National, replacing 120-seat 737s. The aircraft, which currently are flying in a two-class configuration, will be refitted to carry 134 in a roomier single-class arrangement. At the same time, Delta Connection carrier Comair announced it now is offering bi-hourly service between New York JFK and Logan and will begin "frequent" service between Boston and Baltimore-Washington International Dec. 1.
Air Berlin carried 1.4 million passengers in October, up 11.3% over October 2004. Year-to-date boardings were up 14.6% to 11.7 million. Turnover for the period was estimated at €1.09 billion ($1.3 billion), surpassing the year-end total for 2004 of €1.05 billion. MD Joachim Hunold continues to anticipate a positive result for 2005 despite high fuel costs.
Mesa Air Group reported net income of $15.0 million for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, a 40% increase over earnings of $10.7 million for the same period in 2004. An 18.9% rise in operating revenue to $309.1 million, attributed to growth in the regional jet fleet from 129 to 144 units, helped to fuel profits, the airline said. Mesa also completed permanent financing of 15 CRJ900s through a sale/leaseback transaction during the quarter, removing $400 million in debt.
Virgin Blue, coming off a quarter in which profits fell 33.1% ( ATWOnline, Nov. 17), will raise fares in an effort to capture a bigger share of the business class market. According to Australian Financial Review, the carrier said it lost more leisure traffic to Qantas LCC Jetstar than anticipated and would be offering sufficient product enhancements to justify the price hikes.
Qatar Airways yesterday denied reports that it had entered into a marketing agreement with Israel's Arkia Airlines ( ATWOnline, Nov. 17). A senior QR official said, "We deny this. . .we have not been in any discussions with this company and no agreement has been signed," Reuters reported. The reported agreement, which would have been the first between Israeli and Gulf Arab carriers, would allow Arkia passengers to fly from Tel Aviv to Amman before connecting on Qatar Airways to destinations in Asia and Africa via Doha.
Sibir Airlines is working toward a goal of having an all-Western fleet by 2008. It currently operates seven 737-500s and five A310-200s as well as 30 Tu-154Ms and nine Il-86s. Next year it hopes to operate 15-20 Western-made aircraft, possibly including some 737-300s. A sixth A310 could join the fleet by year end. It intends to phase out two relatively new Tu-204s that have not lived up to efficiency expectations. Sibir, the second-largest Russian airline, holds a 14% share of the Russian aviation market, rising to 20% for domestic operations.
CasaAero, a joint venture between Alteon and Royal Air Maroc, opened its pilot training facility at Aeroport Casa Anfa Tuesday. It will house two 737 simulators.
United Airlines will close its Denver reservations office, eliminating 235 jobs, according to a Denver councilman. The airline will offer severance packages and transfer opportunities to displaced employees, Councilman Michael Hancock told the Denver Business Journal.
Virgin Blue reported a net profit of A$105.2 million ($77.2 million) for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, down 33.1% compared to income of A$157 million in the previous year. The company also declared a A$0.25 per share dividend, or A$262 million, which will provide controlling shareholder Patrick Corp. with A$164 million in cash with which to fight a hostile takeover by Toll Holdings that is supported by Virgin Group's Richard Branson, Bloomberg reported.
Ten largest US passenger airlines in aggregate lost $3.24 billion in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, a threefold increase over a loss of $1.04 billion in the third period of 2004. However, current-period results include more than $2.5 billion in bankruptcy-related charges at Northwest, Delta and United.
AIRUnion, the alliance of Russian airlines under a single management company, wants to move toward a full merger in 2006, an official said in Moscow ( ATWOnline, Sept. 21). Members of the group are Krasair, Domodedovo Airlines, Omskavia, Samara Airlines and Sibaviatrans. Should the combination take place, the resulting carrier will surpass Sibir to become the second-largest in Russia in terms of passengers. AIRUnion currently operates about 100 aircraft and has begun taking delivery of 10 737-200s, VP-Sales and Marketing/International Affairs Urs Herzig told ATWOnline.
Alitalia's unions warned they will stage multiple strikes totaling 72 hr. beginning Nov. 29 with a 24-hr. walkout by pilots and flight attendants. The financially troubled carrier on Monday launched its rights issue in an attempt to raise about €1 billion to finance its 2005-08 restructuring plan and avoid insolvency ( ATWOnline, Nov. 14). Unions claim it is not doing enough. "It's not just today that the industrial strategy is lacking," six unions said in a joint statement published in Italian media.
BCI Aircraft Leasing of Chicago acquired three 767-300ERs subject to operating leases with Germany's TUI. Valued at $90 million, the transaction was financed by BCI and a commercial lending syndicate.
Qatar Airways and Arkia Airlines reached an agreement that allows Arkia passengers to fly from Tel Aviv to Amman and then connect on Qatar Airways via Doha to destinations in Asia and Africa, according to media reports. It is the first such accord between Israeli and Persian Gulf airlines.
ANA will move into the new South Wing of Narita Airport Terminal 1 in June 2006, along with fellow Star Alliance members Air Canada, Asiana, Austrian, Lufthansa, Scandinavian, Singapore, Thai, United and Varig.
British Airways will invest £100 million ($173.8 million) in a major overhaul of its long-haul business class, including a revamp of all aspects of passenger services on the ground and in the air. The carrier contracted B/E Aerospace to design and manufacture "next generation" lie-flat seat-beds that will begin delivery in mid-2006. BA was the first airline to introduce a lie-flat business class seat. It said it also will make a major upgrade to its inflight entertainment system in all four cabins.
MAIR Holdings, parent of Mesaba Airlines, reported a net loss of $25.5 million for its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30. The loss was attributed to a pre-tax charge of $36.5 million for impairments and other charges related to the bankruptcy filing of Mesaba partner Northwest Airlines. The company earned a $4.7 million profit in the year-ago quarter. Operating revenue was up less than 1% to $114.9 million, while operating expenses increased 45.4% to $155 million.
SAS Ground Services announced that Britannia Airways AB is renewing its contract for ground handling services for three years. The deal covers more than 2,000 departures annually and will include automatic check-in for Britannia customers at Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. Meanwhile, SAS Ground Services Norway AS will be the first ground handler in Europe to test infrared deicing. A hangar currently is being set up at Oslo and testing is expected to begin early next year.
Thanks in no small part to a €635.1 million ($742.6 million) net capital gain earned through the sale of its 18% stake in Amadeus ( ATWOnline, April 15), Iberia Group reported yesterday a net profit of €372.5 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, a fourfold increase over the €87.8 million profit achieved in the 2004 third quarter.
United Airlines received more than 7,500 applications to fill 2,000 flight attendant positions on the first day its recruitment website went live Nov. 13, more than seven times the expected number, according to Senior VP-Onboard Service Jane Allen. The carrier said it already has identified more than 2,600 people who meet its criteria. It is conducting screening interviews and will begin final interviews Nov. 21 in Chicago. United announced last week its intent to hire attendants for the first time since 2001 ( ATWOnline, Nov. 14).
Air Horizons, formerly Euralair, has filed for bankruptcy, La Tribune reported. The French leisure airline operated flights for several French tour operators and posted revenue of approximately €100 million ($116.9 million) in 2004. Its losses amounted to more than €10 million. It has eight aircraft in its fleet, comprising five 737s and three 757s, and employs 267 staff.
