Styrian Spirit, a Regional carrier based in Austria, expects its shareholders to approve an increase in share capital of €840,000-€1.2 million ($1.1-$1.6 million) at an April 28 meeting. The airline will take delivery of a new CRJ700 by this summer, simultaneously withdrawing a CRJ200. "With the delivery of a second CRJ700 next year, our fleet will grow to a total of five aircraft," CEO Otmar Lenz told ATWOnline. The carrier, which also operates under the name Slovenian Spirit, plans to start services from Maribor in Slovenia to Dubrovnik.
Swiss International Air Lines flew 1.72 billion RPKs in March, down 4.8% from the year-ago period. Capacity decreased 8.9% to 2.2 billion ASKs and load factor rose 3.3 points to 78.1%. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs declined 7.7% to 4.7 billion, ASKs dropped 10.9% to 6.34 billion and load factor gained 2.6 points to 74.2%.
Gol flew 648.5 million domestic RPKs in March, up 56.3% over the year-ago period. Domestic capacity climbed 29.1% to 899.9 million ASKs and load factor gained 12.6 points to 72.1%. Internationally, the carrier flew 59 million RPKs during the month on capacity of 45.5 million ASKs. This resulted in a load factor of 77.1%.
US Customs and Border Protection made final a rule requiring airlines to submit advance information on all passengers and crewmembers prior to entry into or departure from the US. The rule requires that passenger manifest information be transmitted electronically.
The European Commission today is expected to propose targeting aviation as a revenue source to finance development aid even though it believes such measures will have a negative impact on demand.
Iberia will hold up to 11.7% of Amadeus after the €7.35 ($9.53) per share bid by Cinven Ltd. and BC Partners Ltd. is completed, the carrier said in a statement. The stake could be reduced to 11.4% if 100 directors of the travel distribution group take up their option to acquire a stake in the new company.
Cathay Pacific flew 5.33 billion RPKs in March, up 22.1% over the year-ago period. Capacity rose 14.4% to 6.78 billion ASKs and load factor gained 4.9 points to 78.5%. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 17.7% to 15.51 billion, ASKs jumped 12.8% to 19.75 billion and load factor rose 3.3 points to 78.5%.
LAN Airlines flew 1.51 billion RPKs in March, up 23% over the year-ago period. Capacity grew 17.2% to 1.98 billion ASKs and load factor improved 3.6 points to 76.3%. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 19.2% to 4.56 billion, ASKs rose 15.5% to 5.98 billion and load factor was ahead 2.4 points to 76.3%.
Market share of low-cost carriers worldwide has doubled since April 2001 and LCCs now account for 12% of all scheduled flight operations and 15% of all available seats, according to OAG data. In its latest Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics, OAG noted that in North America the low-cost sector now holds 17% of the total market, up 5 points since April 2001 and representing 147,000 of 838,000 total flights. In Europe LCCs represent 14% of the market. OAG also said the number of flights on offer worldwide this month is 5% higher than in April 2004.
Swiss International Air Lines pilots are threatening to strike over plans to cut jobs in the carrier's regional business. The union is demanding a guarantee that more pilots will remain than Swiss planned under a cost reduction program and that those made redundant will receive better financial packages. "The pilots union now has a mandate for strike action, because 93% of the pilots voted in favor for that.
Lufthansa flew 8.64 billion RPKs in March, up 3.1% over the year-ago period. Capacity climbed 4.4% to 11.62 billion ASKs and load factor fell 0.9 point to 74.4%. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 2.9% to 23.77 billion, ASKs rose 2.2% to 32.47 billion and load factor gained 0.5 point to 73.2%.
Gol filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission an amendment to its registration statement revising the size of its proposed offering to 14.7 million of its preferred shares, consisting of roughly 5.5 million shares offered by Gol and approximately 9.2 million by a selling shareholder, BSSF Air Holdings.
Alitalia is facing more social unrest as the Sult flight attendant union called for a 24-hr. strike on April 19. The union made the move after failing to make any progress in talks with management following several previous strikes earlier this year, the latest on March 16. Sult is the only Alitalia union that has not endorsed the carrier's restructuring plan, which includes the spinning off of ground activities from the airline operation and a €1.2 billion ($1.56 billion) recapitalization of the airline division.
JetBlue Airways flew 1.66 billion RPMs in March, up 33.7% over the year-ago period. Capacity climbed 24.1% to 1.84 billion ASMs and load factor gained 6.6 points to 90%. For the three months ended March 31, RPMs increased 31.5% to 4.34 billion, ASMs rose 22.5% to 5.17 billion and load factor jumped 5.9 points to 85.8%.
Singapore Technologies Aerospace subsidiary ST Aerospace Supplies will provide maintenance-by-the-hour component support to Chinese new entrant Okay Airways. The five-year agreement covers a complete range of components on Okay's fleet of six 737s and is worth approximately $12 million, according to STA.
JAT Airways continues to operate a much-reduced schedule as its mechanics' strike is in its fourth week. JAT has wet-leased a 737-300 from Islandsflug and an A320 from Jetclub. Its mechanics went on strike on March 17. The Serbian flag carrier operates on a day-to-day basis and said flight schedules can be checked on its website.
Iberia will implement four components from Sabre Airline Solutions' integrated planning and scheduling suite AirFlite beginning later this month. As part of the arrangement, the airline will utilize Sabre's consulting services to help improve its hub structure and transform its business to exploit the new technology solutions.
Pan Am International Flight Academy is closing its Career Pilot Development training campus in Ft. Pierce, Fla., and relocating equipment and aircraft to its CPD campus in Phoenix. The move will be completed by midsummer. The decision "was spurred primarily by the devastation caused by last year's hurricane season and the strong likelihood of future hurricanes," the company said.
Emirates launched three weekly flights from Dubai to Sydney via Bangkok last week. The services, which are operated using 777-300ERs, will increase to daily from May 1. The new flights will boost Emirates' service between Dubai and Bangkok from twice-daily to three per day and the current daily service between Dubai and Sydney to twice-daily from May.
Airbus Spares Support and Services and Mexmil signed an MOU that provides the basis for a future agreement under which Mexmil will manufacture, market and distribute specific Airbus proprietary spare parts for the thermoacoustic insulation blanket market.
