Finnish Flight Attendants' Assn., which represents 2,000 Finnair's and Blue1's cabin crew, has warned it may strike Nov. 30 if it fails to reach a deal over shifts and other employment issues. Finnair said the strike would bring most of its flights to a halt. The SLSY's previous collective agreement ended in April and negotiations on a new agreement have been under way since February.
The US Dept. of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that US airlines carried 66.2 million scheduled system domestic and international passengers in August, up 1.8% from 65 million in August 2009. Traffic rose 2.9% to 75.7 billion RPMs on a 2.4% rise in capacity to 88.7 billion ASMs, producing a load factor of 85.3%, up 0.4% from 84.9% in August 2009. Load factors for domestic and international flights were 85.1% and 85.6%, respectively, for August.
Pratt & Whitney has been granted approval to enter its Global Material Solution parts into revenue service in China, with the receipt of a Validation of Supplemental Type Certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Approval covers its GMS life-limited parts for the CFM56-3 engine. "The Pratt & Whitney GMS program offers competitive choices for airlines to reduce maintenance costs with technology from a respected OEM," CAAC Deputy DG-Airworthiness Dept. Xu Chaoqun said.
Boeing said it has begun certification testing for a package of 737NG performance improvements intended to reduce fuel consumption by 2%. Testing is being conducted on a 737-800 painted in the new United Airlines 737-800 that completed its first test flight last week. One percent of the savings comes from a package of aerodynamic improvements the airframe and 1% through the CFM56-7BE engine enhancement program offering LPT and HPT modifications. Other changes will cause the engine to run cooler leading to up to a 4% reduction in maintenance costs, Boeing said.
International Aero Engines announced Wednesday it has won an order valued at more than $300 million with TAM Airlines for V2500 engines to power seven Airbus A321 and three A319 aircraft.
Copa Airlines announced Wednesday it has signed lease agreements for 10 Boeing 737-800s, five for delivery in 2011 and five in 2012. Aircraft will be leased from GECAS (5), BOC Aviation (3) and Aviation Capital Group (2). Including these leases, Copa said it now has “firm orders and delivery commitments for 33 aircraft, all of which are 737-800s.”
Air France KLM Group reported a consolidated net profit of €1.03 billion ($1.39 billion) for its fiscal first half ended Sept. 30, reversing a loss of €573 million in the year-ago period.
CFM International had a busy day at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai Tuesday. In addition to launching the LEAP-X1C on the C919, the company said that Air China finalized its order for CFM56-5Bs to power 20 firm Airbus A320 aircraft which will be delivered in 2011. The engine order, originally announced at the Farnborough International Air Show in July, is valued at approximately $300 million at list prices ( ATW Daily News, July 21).
The European Commission on Monday approved a €52 million ($71 million) loan from the Maltese government to Air Malta to keep the struggling airline afloat while it works on its restructuring plan ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 11).
Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways placed a firm order with Airbus for two A330-300s and six A321s. The aircraft will be used primarily on direct services between Taiwan and mainland China, as well as on new regional routes. The A330s will become the first widebody aircraft to join the airline's fleet. Engine selections for both the A330s and the A321s will be made in the near future, the carrier said.
The US Air Transport Assn. said the actual cost of FAA's proposed rule governing flightcrew duty and rest requirements issued two months ago could cost $19.6 billion—15 times more money than the $1.25 billion the government projects—as it submitted final public comments calling for significant revisions to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 13).
Navtech won a contract to provide cargo carrier Southern Air with its Navtech Flight Plan system. "Using Navtech’s flight planning system allows us to execute flawless flight releases with relative ease," said Southern Air Director-Systems Operations Paul Chase. Lufthansa Systems said Croatia Airlines renewed a contract for its Lido/Flight planning solution for an additional eight years.
Air Canada announced it will begin charging economy passengers $20 for a second checked bag on domestic flights and flights to the Caribbean and Mexico, effective on travel booked from Nov. 11 on flights beginning Jan. 19. AC economy passengers will still be able to check one bag for free in addition to a permitted carry-on baggage.
Flybe graduated its first pilot candidates under the ICAO Multi Crew Pilot License program in a ceremony at the airline's headquarters in Exeter. Flybe said that the completion of the course by the six candidates, "under the supervision of the [UK] Civil Aviation Authority, marks the culmination of a successful relationship between Flybe, Flight Training Europe Jerez and the CAA and is an historic milestone not only for Flybe’s pilot training but also for the development of professional pilot training throughout the UK aviation industry."
The Air Line Pilots Assn. announced Friday it formalized an alliance with US Airways Express pilots that “promotes and maintains the highest level of safety…, improved pilot contract standards, and protects pilot jobs at ‘express-level’ airlines.” ALPA represents approximately 3,000 US Airways Express pilots. ALPA President Capt. John Prater said, “ALPA pilots are not competitors and we will not be whipsawed against one another by undercutting our peers.
Flight crew are calling on the TSA and Dept. of Homeland Security to revise their “enhanced security screening” procedures requiring all persons to be subject to screening by intimate pat-down searches or advanced imaging technology machines now in place at many US airports ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 4).
The European Low Fares Airline Assn. said it sent a “strongly worded” letter to European Commission VP-Competition Joaquin Almunia urging him to carry out a swift and full investigation into what the organization’s Secretary General John Hanlon described as “recent unchecked infusions of funding to airlines in Europe [which] represent flagrant breaches of European legislation with respect to competition and state aid.”
Colombia and the US officially signed an open skies agreement Nov. 11, which is scheduled to take effect in late 2012, US Dept. of Transportation announced Friday, making Colombia the 100th US open skies partner.
S7 Airlines announced Monday it officially joined oneworld (ATW Daily News, Sept. 24), making it the second Russian airline to join an alliance behind Aeroflot, which became a member of SkyTeam in 2006. S7 subsidiary Globus also joined as an affiliate member.
The nine largest US airlines posted collective net income of $1.91 billion in the third quarter, reversing a $578 million net deficit in the prior-year period, ATW has calculated.
American Airlines will offer 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Java City coffee on its flights. The coffee is grown only on sustainably managed farms in Central America that meet comprehensive and rigorous standards covering social, labor and environmental conservation issues. AA VP-Marketing Rob Friedman said the airline is committed to exploring greener options “for all of our products, both inflight and on the ground, to enhance the travel experience for our customers."
US FAA awarded its largest Voluntary Airport Low Emission grant for an $18.3 million project at Seattle-Tacoma International to improve air quality and reduce the use of conventional fuels at the airport. With the VALE grant, Sea-Tac will install a centralized pre-conditioned air plant that will enable aircraft arriving at gates to shut off their APUs and connect to a cleaner central heating and cooling system, greatly reducing aircraft emissions on the ground.
FedEx Express has joined with Cologne Bonn Airport to inaugurate the FedEx Central and Eastern Europe hub, the second FedEx Express hub to be solar-powered and the fifth solar facility in operation within FedEx Corp.
The Austrian government intends to move forward on its own"ecological air travel levy" that will begin March 30, 2011, for all departing flights. It is similar to the tax introduced in Germany last month for air travel from Jan. 1, 2011. Passengers boarding in Austria will be charged €8 for European flights, €20 for medium-haul flights and €35 for long-haul flights. Austrian Airlines Executive Board member Peter Malanik said the new tax could cost OS a "high double-digit million of euros" and affect its restructuring process.
