Airlines & Lessors

Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) has received government approval to sell 48.4% of its shares in Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC) to VEB bank.

Air France-KLM is looking to further expand its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways.

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Alitalia has canceled its order for 12 Airbus A350-800s.

Flydubai is progressing with the roll-out of business class across its Boeing 737 fleet, although seven of its aircraft will not be equipped with the new 12/162 configuration ahead of their retirement in two to three years.

HNA Group’s cargo subsidiary Yangtze River Express has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to enter the passenger market.

Kazakhstan-based Air Astana will increase frequencies on existing European routes and add new destinations to Paris and Prague after the European Union (EU) Air Safety Committee (ASC) lifted restrictions.

Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling has implemented several measures to reduce seasonal fleet overcapacity, but CEO Alex Cruz told ATW that managing seasonal fluctuations is getting harder as its fleet grows.

Aeroflot’s new low-cost (LCC) subsidiary Dobrolet has unveiled the livery on its first Boeing 737-800, ahead of its official delivery date by the end of the month.

Lhasa-based Tibet Airlines has taken delivery of its first sharklet-equipped Airbus A319.

* Ranked by reports per 1,000 passengers. Source: US DOT Aviation Consumer Protection

Ranked by complaints per 100,000 passengers. Source: US DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Division Air Tavel Consumer Report.

American Airlines Group said in a government filing it has exercised its option to purchase 62 Airbus A320 family aircraft scheduled for delivery starting in 2015.

FedEx chairman and CEO Fred Smith has praised IATA for moving swiftly to establish a task force on aircraft tracking improvements in the wake of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Search teams for the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 have detected another possible signal in the vicinity of the Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield, Australian air chief marshal Angus Houston, head of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), has confirmed.

African budget carrier Fastjet has detailed plans to raise at least another £11 million ($18.4 million) through the issue of 687.5 million new shares by April 15, as it struggles to gain momentum and stem losses from its legacy Fly540 regional operations.

Air Seychelles reported a full-year net profit of $3 million for 2013, nearly tripling the carrier’s $1.1 million net profit for 2012.

Australia’s Regional Express (Rex) has completed the purchase of 25 Saab 340B Plus aircraft, comprising 18 aircraft that came off lease March 25 and seven that were purchased when their leases expired July 1, 2013.

Ryanair has detailed plans to add Cologne as its fifth German base and open two more Polish bases at Warsaw-Modlin and Gdansk.

Cathay Pacific Airways will begin 4X-weekly Boeing 777-300ER service to the UK’s Manchester International Airport.

Chinese startup Qingdao Airlines has taken delivery of its first sharklet-equipped Airbus A320, on lease from Hong Kong-based China Aircraft Leasing Co.

Russia’s S7 Airlines has taken delivery of its first sharklet-equipped Airbus A320.

Moscow-based VIM Avia has taken delivery of its first leased Airbus A319.

Piedmont Airlines’ flight attendants at Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, have ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that was reached on March 6.

Alaska Airlines’ clerical, office and passenger service employees have ratified a new five-year contract.