Florida-based Spirit Airlines, which has led the US airline industry in charging passengers fees for anything other than their low base airfares, has added another to its stable. Beginning Nov. 1, Spirit said it will institute a new $5 charge for passengers asking agents to print their boarding pass at the airport. Passengers who check in on-line or at an airport kiosk will not be charged the $5 fee, although next summer, even those checking in at kiosks will be charged $1.
Spirit Airlines named Tony Lefebvre senior VP and COO, effective immediately. Lefebvre, who previously served as senior VP-Airports, Customer Service and Inflight, replaces Kevin McKenzie, who is joining Airbus North America as senior VP-Customer Services, effective Sept. 1.
US FAA is proposing a $250,000 civil penalty against Orlando-based AirTran Airways for allegedly operating a Boeing 737 on four passenger flights without properly repairing or testing an angle-of-attack sensor on the aircraft, which warns if there is a potential loss of lift, after it was struck by lightning during a flight March 20, 2009. FAA also alleges the airline “misused the Minimum Equipment List when it decided to defer the repair and continued to operate the aircraft.” AirTran, a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, has 30 days to respond to the agency.
Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance confirmed it will expand its service offering to include the 787, adding the Dreamliner to a Boeing aircraft MRO portfolio that currently includes 737 Classics/737NGs, 747s, 757s, 767s, 777s and MD-11s.
Boeing and American Airlines announced a partnership at the Paris Air Show Wednesday to bring an "evolutionary ecoDemonstrator program" to reality next year.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack encouraged development and production of biofuels to power commercial aircraft, telling a Paris Air Show audience Wednesday there has been "extraordinary progress in the last 12 months" in understanding how biofuel blends can power flights.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack encouraged development and production of biofuels to power commercial aircraft, telling a Paris Air Show audience there has been "extraordinary progress in the last 12 months" in understanding how biofuel blends can power flights.
After a brief respite, the ash cloud from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Volcano again is playing havoc in Australia with air service to Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne impacted ( ATW Daily News, June 17). Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways canceled flights to those cities at various times Monday and cancellations were expected to flow into Tuesday. Tiger Airways, which has it main bases in Melbourne and Adelaide, temporarily grounded its fleet.
A group of 10 airlines—eight based in the US, plus Air Canada and Lufthansa—have signed letters of intent with Washington-based Solena Fuels to acquire a future supply of jet fuel derived exclusively from waste biomass.
Air Canada’s 3,800 customer service and sales workers, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union, returned to work Friday following tentative agreement on a new labor pact ( ATW Daily News, June 16).
Boeing's 747-8 freighter is scheduled to land at the Paris Air Show Monday after crossing the Atlantic Ocean partially powered by biofuel. Boeing pilots Capt. Keith Otsuka and Capt. Rick Braun and Cargolux Capt. Sten Rossby were slated to fly the aircraft with each of its GE GEnx-2B engines powered by a blend of 15% camelina-based biofuel and 85% traditional kerosene fuel (Jet-A).
Etihad Airways has appointed Jettainer, the Unit Load Device (ULD) Management Company to supply, manage and maintain its ULD fleet at Etihad destinations across the world through to 2016.
US FAA said it is proposing a $425,000 civil penalty against Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a SkyWest Inc. subsidiary, for allegedly operating two Bombardier CRJ regional jets when they were not in compliance with FAA regulations.
About 700 Frontier Airlines pilots voted this week on whether to ratify a tentative agreement that would give them an equity stake in the airline in exchange for reductions in pay and benefits. Ratification would potentially drop parent Republic Airways Holdings' stake in the carrier to below 50% while allowing it to raise $70 million. It would also clear the way for a restructuring plan aimed at cutting more than $100 million from Frontier's annual costs.
Airline service in Australia returned to normal Thursday as the ash cloud from Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Volcano, which has played havoc with the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers, cleared the continent ( ATW Daily News, June 16).
European Commission officially closed its infringement procedure against the Republic of Ireland for levying what it called “discriminatory aspects of its air travel tax,” following the Irish government’s modification of the tax to a single rate of €3 ($4.30) per passenger on all European routes.
The debate and lobbying on the controversial Air Passenger Duty in the UK intensified this week with the government’s consultation on ADP reform due to close Friday.
European pilots and their unions will demonstrate Thursday in Luxembourg outside an EU transport ministers meeting to rally against a regulatory proposal on pilot fatigue drafted by EASA in December. Pilots claim the EASA proposal does not take into account scientific evidence on pilot fatigue and that the planned proposal will reduce safety standards currently in place in many EU countries.
Air Canada customer services and sales members, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union, set up picket lines at AC-serviced airports across the country Wednesday to rally against threatened back-to-work legislation by Federal Labor Minister Lisa Raitt. CAW’s 3,800 AC members went on strike Tuesday after the two sides could not reach a tentative agreement regarding the existing pension plan. AC says it is maintaining its schedule with the help of supervisory staff.
The ATW Mobile App is now available for the iPhone and iPad. The app features articles from commercial aviation’s leading global airline industry magazine, Air Transport World, plus breaking news, a daily airline industry news feed, and newsletter content covering airports, the environment and route developments.
Australian and New Zealand air travelers faced another day of travel disruptions as Perth Airport on the west coast was affected by the ash cloud from Chile’s Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Volcano.
Virgin America, which operates a fleet of CFM56-5B-powered A319s and A320s, selected CFM's next generation Leap-X engine to power 30 Airbus A320neo aircraft it has on order with deliveries beginning in 2016, becoming the first to choose the CFM offering for the re-engined narrowbody.
Concur to acquire U.K. competitor Cendyn buys meetings technology firm Expedia to provide Groupon Getaways Jetsetter offers its travel writers for help in trip planning Western Union, eGlobalfares to create payment solution In Focus: VIA Rail poised to launch interline deals with airlines World news briefing
Rail companies and airlines compete. But they also can complement each other. That is a concept that VIA Rail Canada has taken to heart. Working with airlines to create relationships much like the carriers’ code-sharing agreements is an integral part of VIA Rail’s intermodal strategy. Mohamed Bhanji, director of marketing technologies for the rail company, would like to take it a step further: He envisions a network of partnerships similar to that of the Star Alliance.
