News from Travel Technology Update: Behind the rancor and noise surrounding American Airlines’ attempts to change the current distribution model, Travelport president and CEO Gordon Wilson sees something quite different going on.
Members of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) must act as “one body” to secure the continuation of the unprecedented growth, AACO chairman and Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan said.
Expedia buys Renren’s eLong stake Vayant, Everbread settle dispute Finnair implements Amadeus’ Dynamic Website Manager ATPCo rolls out Baggage Calculators Alitalia adopts Lufthansa Systems’ SIS-compatible platform In Focus: Limos.com plans to drive ground transport out of the Dark Ages World news briefing
Behind the rancor and noise surrounding American Airlines’ attempts to change the current distribution model, Gordon Wilson, Travelport president and chief executive officer, sees something quite different going on. “Call me ‘glass half full,’ but the airline dialogue has changed,” he said. Rather than focusing on segment fees, many airlines are talking with GDS companies about how they can work together to sell more of their new optional products and services. “And we have started to listen better,” he said.
The FAA has proposed a civil penalty of $180,000 against Evergreen International Airlines, of McMinnville, Ore., for allegedly operating aircraft on seven flights from Aug. 23 to Sept. 19, 2009, when the pilots on those flights had not been trained in familiarization flights in both Class I and Class II airspace. The FAA alleged Evergreen provided only the Class I familiarization flights on seven flights. Evergreen has 30 days to respond to the agency.
Significant delays are feared Wednesday at UK airports, particularly London Heathrow (LHR), with UK Border Agency immigration officers expected to join a massive, one-day public sector strike protesting austerity measures.
Jet Aviation is to expand its FBO services at Dubai to include dispatch services to support aircraft owners and operators with their day-to-day operational needs.
Scottish company Gael Ltd - in conjunction with the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) - has set a new global standard for aircraft safety regulators by using an iPad based system to help drive improvements in aviation safety.
US Dept. of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) said the nation’s largest carriers reported three tarmac delays longer than 3 hr. in September, compared to four flights in September 2010.
The US Dept. of Transportation (DOT) has fined Spirit Airlines $50,000 for advertising fares that did not include or disclose details on taxes and fees.
Elbit Systems of America has opened an avionics repair facility on the Logistics Center Woensdrecht Avionics Depot in the Netherlands, which will broaden regional MRO activities with other OEMs to support military and commercialaircraft in Europe.
Alaska Airlines’ (AS) 626 aircraft technicians, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. (AMFA), ratified a new five-year contract. The agreement includes annual pay raises, additional job protection provisions, a long-term contract bonus, and a shared commitment to work on minimizing health-care cost increases. "This contract recognizes the professionalism and skill of our technicians and provides long-term security for our employees, the union and the airline," AS VP-maintenance and engineering Fred Mohr said.
Air New Zealand (ANZ) has launched a new Airpoints frequent flyer membership initiative designed to transform its loyalty card into what it terms the “ultimate travel companion.”
This year's fuel price spike prevented US major airlines from improving profitability year-over-year in the third quarter, but the country's seven largest airline companies still earned $1.09 billion in combined net income for the three months ended Sept. 30, ATW calculated.
News from Travel Technology Update: After 10 months of operating solely as a search engine and “room concierge,” Room 77 is getting into the business of taking hotel bookings.
Smartlynx Airlines has signed a base maintenance services agreement and paint services agreement with Turkish Technic, for one C check on Airbus A320 registered YL-LCE. Maintenance and paint works will be carried at Turkish Technic's facilities in Istanbul, during November 2011.
Paul Fabrications signed a two-year extension contract with Rolls-Royce to continue to supply fabricated components to the end of 2015. Dublin Aerospace has opened a40,000 sq. ft., €4.5 million ($6.1 million) landing gear center at Dublin Airport. The company said its new center will more than double the capacity available and result in complete coverage for the overhaul of landing gears for the Airbus A320 series and the Boeing 737 series.
Fair Work Australia (FWA) will resolve the long-running between Qantas (QF) and three labor unions with binding arbitration after negotiations broke down over the weekend.
Aviaso was selected by Pratt & Whitney to provide data analysis software for EcoFlight Solutions, a fuel conservation program designed to help airlines save fuel and reduce emissions. The software will offer customers a suite of customizable reports, alerts and dashboards. Abacus International has an order from Air China to upgrade its reservation inventory participation system to direct connect availability.
Air China 737-800. Courtesy, Boeing Beijing-based Air China (CA) launched its first live trial of Gogo’s inflight entertainment system and intra-cabin connection service on a Boeing 737-800 Beijing-Chengdu route Tuesday, becoming the first Chinese airline to provide passengers with free inflight entertainment.
The push against non-EU airlines' inclusion in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) continued Thursday at the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Assn. (ALTA) Airline Leaders Forum in Rio de Janeiro, where a US official accused EU governments of "undermining" global efforts to control aviation carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Thai Airways International (TG) president Piyasvasti Amranand described the European Union’s regulation to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) as a “policy folly,” which will never work and misses its goal of reducing emissions.
SkyWest, parent of US regionals Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines, received US FAA approval Thursday for a single operating certificate.
Latin America will require 2,028 new passenger aircraft of more than 100 seats through 2030, according to the Airbus’ latest Global Market Forecast (GMF).
