Air New Zealand officially opened its new pilot training facility, which houses a 777 simulator, classrooms and computerized training equipment. The design of the complex allows for additional simulator halls in the future, one of which is already under construction to house Air Nelson's Q300 simulator. ANZ currently operates four flight simulators within a nearby facility that are used for pilot training on 737-300s/400s/500s, 767-200s, 747-400s and A320s.
Aerosim-Mechtronix in partnership with Clairis Technologies signed an MOU with Airbus covering a license agreement allowing Aerosim-Mechtronix to integrate Airbus simulation software from the A320, A330 and A340 families into elements of its Integrated Training Architecture. Clairis will provide local support and engineering skills.
Eurowings and its low-cost subsidiary Germanwings said results after tax for 2004 grew to €6.4 million ($8.1 million) from €900,000 the year before, while operating results totaled €14.8 million. Combined passenger traffic for the carriers increased around 23% to €6.5 million. CEO Friedrich-Wilhelm Weitholz told ATWOnline that Eurowings is in the middle of its biggest fleet transformation. "All 16 ATR turboprops will leave our fleet during 2005," he said, adding that most of them will be sold to FedEx.
EasyJet's after-tax loss worsened to £22.3 million ($40.7 million) in the six months ended March 31 from a £19.7 million net loss in the year-ago period. The carrier, which traditionally reports a loss in the first half owing to seasonal factors, said its net loss was reduced by a tax credit of £8.9 million but its fuel bill was £18 million higher than last year. In contrast to Europe's full-service carriers, the London Luton-based LCC has not implemented a fuel surcharge.
Malev has taken the first step toward joining oneworld by signing an MOU with the alliance that provides "a framework for continued discussions" aimed at inviting the Hungarian carrier to become a full member in 2006, oneworld said yesterday. The agreement is subject to Malev's meeting a number of requirements, including confirmation that it can comply with the full service delivery specifications of the alliance, full quality and safety audits, and delivery of its new business plan.
Northwest Airlines wants to lay off 2,840 of its 5,294 mechanics and related workers under a new contract proposal designed to achieve $176.2 million in annual savings, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. said in a message to members on its website. According to the union, the airline's latest proposal also calls for pay cuts ranging from 25.7% to 26.1% and reductions in benefits for the remaining 2,454 AMFA-represented employees.
Air China Ltd. and Cathay Pacific Airways signed an MOU to "promote sales and marketing initiatives" between the two airlines, including a new codesharing arrangement. Under the MOU, Air China will codeshare on two Cathay Pacific services from Beijing to Hong Kong, one of which operates daily and the other three times a week. Cathay Pacific in turn will add its code to three of the daily Air China services to and from Beijing. Codeshare flights should begin in the fourth quarter, the airlines said. The partnership will include reciprocal frequent- flier benefits.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings released its preliminary unaudited estimates for the three months ended March 31 and also provided guidance for the current second quarter. The company cautioned that owing to the fact that it emerged from Chapter 11 in July 2004 and at that point applied the provisions of fresh-start accounting, year-over-year comparisons are difficult.
AirTran Airways flight attendants, represented by the Assn. of Flight Attendants, overwhelmingly ratified a new collective bargaining agreement reached in April. Terms of the 42-month accord were not released, but the carrier said it includes improved compensation and benefits.
Boeing and Air France reached an agreement to turn three 747-400 Combis into full freighters as part of the 747-400 Special Freighter program. According to Boeing, AF is the first carrier to announce plans to convert its former Combi aircraft, which are currently in all-passenger configuration. For the conversions ordered by AF, Boeing said the aircraft will receive a strengthened main-cabin floor, a full main-deck lining and provisions for a new cargo handling system with an upgraded flightdeck. AF expects to receive its first modified aircraft in June 2007.
US Bankruptcy Court Judge Eugene Wedoff late last week refused to rule on United Airlines' motion to abrogate contracts covering the carrier's International Assn. of Machinists-represented workers, deferring his decision until May 31. Wedoff urged the two sides to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a new deal.
Bmi is introducing at London Heathrow what it calls "Europe's first modular airline service," which will see the carrier switch to a single-class service with paid-for catering onboard and e-enabled ground services. Simultaneously, bmi will launch three fare types--tiny, standard and premium--giving three levels of flexibility and service.
Hawaiian Airlines last week received US Bankruptcy Court approval of its reorganization plan and as a result plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 1.
Swiss International Air Lines, which is due to be integrated into Lufthansa ( ATWOnline, March 23), reported a CHF44 million ($36 million) net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, an improvement over a CHF78 million net loss in the prior-year period.
Air Bosna, a state-owned carrier from the Balkan region, plans to resume flights next month after clinching a financing deal with Hypo Alpe Adria Bank in Austria. According to several media outlets in Austria, Air Bosna, which went bankrupt with a debt of around $13 million nearly two years ago, will be renamed BH Airlines and restart services to Switzerland, Turkey and Germany using two leased 66-seat ATR 72s. More destinations will follow.
"It's a bit strange when Regionals start investing in bankrupt [legacy] airlines," said James Parker, MD of Raymond James & Associates. Air Wisconsin and Republic Airways agreed to invest more than $100 million apiece in US Airways, while Mesa Air Group agreed to invest $30 million in Delta Air Lines and assume its leases on some 30 328JETs previously operated by Atlantic Coast Airlines. Speaking at the RAA conference last week in Cincinnati, Parker said even more changes are in store for the industry.
Virgin Blue warned of another challenging year ahead after announcing a 13.2% slide in earnings amid escalating competition from archrival Qantas, high fuel prices and slowing travel demand. CEO Brett Godfrey said the LCC has entered 2005-06 "behind the eight ball" after returning a net profit of A$138.1 million ($104.8 million) for the 12 months to March 31 compared to A$159 million for the previous year. While the result was consistent with market expectations, it represented the first profit fall in Virgin Blue's five-year history in the Australian market.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines President and CEO Joergen Lindegaard said he has no doubt that the spinoff of the multinational airline into four units--SAS Danmark, SAS Sverige, SAS Braathens and SAS International--last October was the right decision and in some parts there is already success to report. "On the operational side, it is important that we have now more speed to change and adapt new strategies. With the four airlines, everyone is more flexible," Lindegaard told ATWOnline in Stockholm.
British Airways CEO Rod Eddington watered down Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy's suggestion that it is "not a matter of if but of when" BA will order the A380.
Boosted by unexpectedly high gains from the merger of the two carriers, Air France-KLM Group--consolidating AF Group over 12 months and KLM Group over 11 months--reported net income of €351 million ($442.9 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, up 20.2% over net income of €292 million in the prior financial year. Operating income before aircraft disposals also improved, increasing 20% to €489 million from €405 million. "The first year of the merger between AF and KLM has been a complete success," Chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta said.
As was expected, US Airways Group and America West Holdings Corp. yesterday announced an agreement to merge and create what they described as the "first full-service nationwide airline with the consumer-friendly pricing structure of a low-fare carrier," which will operate under the US Airways brand. Annual synergies of $600 million are anticipated from the merger, resulting from route restructuring, revenue synergies and cost savings. Even with oil prices at $50 per barrel, it will be profitable, the two airlines said.
Delta Air Lines senior management "will pull out all the stops" to prevent a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the fourth quarter of 2005 or first quarter of 2006, JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker asserted in a report released yesterday. "We mistakenly underestimated management's resolve in avoiding a filing last year," Baker stated as he predicted that "a bankruptcy filing may be in Delta's future, but not this year."
America West Holdings Corp. stockholders during their annual meeting voted to elect the four directors nominated by the board--Matthew Hart, Robert Miller, Doug Parker and John Tierney--to three-year terms expiring at the 2008 annual meeting.
Farelogix appointed David Cerino as its chief marketing and product officer. Farelogix provides independent fare and multisource distribution technology to the global travel industry. Prior to joining Farelogix, Cerino spent four years with Orbitz as VP and GM and also served in senior positions with Amadeus.
