US Dept. of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that US airlines employed 0.4% fewer workers in October compared to the same month last year. BTS said five network carriers (American Airlines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines) decreased employment. The sixth network carrier, Delta Air Lines, reported 1% more workers in October than the combined totals of the former DL and Northwest Airlines in October 2009, according to the report.
China's airlines reported collective net income of CNY880 million ($132.4 million) for the month of November, a big reversal from a net loss of CNY1 million in the year-ago period, on a 23% increase in total operating revenue to CNY24.4 billion. Operating expenses rose 18.1% to CNY23.17 billion.
Boeing and information and communications solutions provider Fujitsu signed a strategic alliance aimed at helping airlines reduce errors regarding inventory and manual data entry without creating new processes. The two companies will jointly develop "a service to enable greater efficiency in aircraft maintenance operations," employing tools such as Radio Frequency Identification devices and Contact Memory buttons. It aims to launch the service in the first quarter of 2012.
Airbus and CAAC signed an MOU to cooperate on air traffic management solutions. The MOU states that Airbus will assist CAAC with the introduction and implementation of new ATM technologies and best practices, sharing its experience in Europe as CAAC develops future ATM systems in China.
US airline passenger revenue rose 14.5% in November compared to November 2009, marking the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases, Air Transport Assn. reported. RPMs rose 6.5% while yield climbed 7.5%. Domestic passenger revenues climbed 11% while international revenues jumped 23% for the month. Data is based on reports from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, US Airways and their affiliated regional airlines, but not Southwest Airlines.
US Air Transport Assn. urged the US government and other parties to the OECD to conclude a new Aircraft Sector Understanding on export credits so as to "begin neutralizing" what it argues is an unfair advantage enjoyed by non-US airlines that can access aircraft funding guaranteed by the US Export-Import Bank ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 14). According to the organization, OECD is "on the verge of concluding a new ASU.”
The American Aviation Institute was launched in Washington on Thursday. The organization, which is set-up as an LLC, is affiliated with the George Washington University and describes itself as "the commercial aviation industry's first independent business and policy-oriented think tank."
Horizon Air announced that its technicians ratified a new four-year contract. Of the 72% of Horizon's mechanics who voted, more than 65% were in favor of the agreement, according to the IBT, which represents Horizon’s 337 mechanics. The new contract took effect immediately. As part of the agreement, Horizon's 337 mechanics will gain participation in the airline's performance-based incentive plan.
IATA reported that international premium traffic in October increased 10.9% compared to the year-ago month. “Premium travel continues to grow at an annualized rate of 7%-8%, suggesting that the momentum behind business travel remained very healthy into the fourth quarter,” IATA said in its October Premium Traffic Monitor.
Airbus said Dublin-based leasing company Avolon ordered eight A320s, which will be equipped with "Sharklet" winglets. Avolon will make an engine selection for the aircraft in the near future.
Qantas’s market stranglehold in Australia is set for the most dramatic shakeup since the demise of Ansett in 2001 after the Australian competition regulator gave approval for Virgin Blue’s comprehensive alliance with Air New Zealand, reversing a draft decision rejecting the partnership and a draft tick for its tie-up with Etihad Airways.
Qantas’s market stranglehold in Australia is set for the most dramatic shakeup since the demise of Ansett in 2001 after the Australian competition regulator gave approval for Virgin Blue’s comprehensive alliance with Air New Zealand, reversing a draft decision rejecting the alliance and a draft tick for its tie-up with Etihad Airways
IATA announced that worldwide implementation of 2D barcode boarding passes has been completed, replacing the more expensive and less efficient magnetic stripe boarding passes, which have been in use since 1983.
The EU and Jordan on Wednesday signed a comprehensive air services agreement establishing a “Euro Mediterranean Aviation Area” also known as a Common Aviation Area. The ASA was expected and follows a similar accord signed earlier this month with Georgia ( ATW Daily News, Dec. 6).
European Commission VP-Transport Siim Kallas, who is highly critical of the recent air traffic controller strikes in several European countries—specifically in Spain, believes that the Single European Sky will eliminate these kinds of disruptions.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Wednesday received recommendations from DOT's Future of Aviation Advisory Committee for dealing with challenges faced by the aviation industry.
Virgin Atlantic Airways said it has been contacted by a number of companies regarding potential tie-ups after its 51% owner, Virgin Group, contracted Deutsche Bank to assess the airline's position and growth opportunities in the rapidly consolidating European airline industry.
European Commission is warning seven EU members Lufthansa will commence the world’s first revenue flights using biofuel Russia may start using biofuel made from sawdust to power aircraft Lufthansa Consulting was retained by Moskovia Airlines
TAM Airlines together with Airbus on Nov. 22 conducted the first jatropha-based biofuel flight in Latin America using an A320. The biofuel, processed by UOP LLC, a Honeywell group, was a 50:50 blend of locally sourced Brazilian jatropha-based bio-kerosene and conventional aviation kerosene. On board the CFM56-powered A320 were 20 employees from TAM and Airbus.
Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson believes that global industry should be able to remove 17 billion tons of projected CO2 emissions by 2020 and stabilize the climate if governments set the framework for business to go green with global taxes.
Single European Sky Committee agreed earlier this month on performance targets for the EU’s air navigation service providers for the period 2012-14 as proposed by the European Commission, which it claims will result in more than €1 billion ($1.32 billion) in savings over the three-year period and a reduction of about 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and 150,000 tonnes of fuel annually.
According to WWF Director Stephen Singer, the aviation industry should look to liquid hydrogen and not biofuels if it wants to reduce CO2 emissions. Addressing a roundtable on the environment at the European Parliament last month, Singer declared that liquid hydrogen and algae should be the sole focus because they do not interfere with food production.
The world air transport industry managed to come through the UNFCCC COP16 climate talks in Cancun unscathed and with ICAO's role as the proper forum to address aviation emissions firmly established. Although delegates agreed to create a Green Climate Fund to help developing nations cope with climate change, no determination was made on how to pay for it and aviation was not mentioned.
