Sabre Travel Network was selected by AeroMexico to provide its SabreSonic Customer Sales and Service solution and "several" of Sabre's revenue management and accounting solutions from the Sabre AirVision Marketing and Planning suite including AirVision Competitive Revenue Management Service, Group Management and Revenue Manager and its Group e-Commerce portal.
GE Aviation said Gol Airlines became the launch customer for its OnPoint Fuel & Carbon Services through which "GE Aviation will work with Gol to identify and track operational improvements that could reduce the airline's fuel spend by up to 5%."
Honeywell said GoJet Airlines extended to 2023 its maintenance agreement, increasing aftermarket service and support on Honeywell products to include six recently delivered CRJ700s and bringing the total number of aircraft covered to 25. Contract is valued at $4.5 million. Honeywell equipment covered by the agreement includes EGPWS, start control valves and air turbine starters. Honeywell signed a 10-year contract with US Airways to provide inventory management and maintenance for 331-200 APUs on its fleet of 757s and 767s.
Continental Airlines said that its 111 dispatchers represented by the Transport Workers Union ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement.
A new ash cloud halted efforts to restore full air traffic operations in Europe yesterday, but UK regulator CAA announced plans to reopen airspace with some restrictions from 10 p.m. local time, enabling flight operations to resume into London airports this morning.
SR Technics yesterday confirmed its plans to consolidate its London Stansted component services organization to Zurich following a statutory consultation period with the representatives of its employees. It announced the plans in January ( ATWOnline, Jan. 14). The consolidation will affect 340 employees at the London facility, it said, adding that it will continue to operate its line maintenance business in the UK.
Two weeks after Spirit Airlines announced it will charge fees of up to $45 for carryon luggage, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and US Airways pledged not to follow suit. Spirit is not backing down. CEO Ben Baldanza told the Associated Press, "Our plan was never predicated on anyone matching us. The fact that other people are saying they won't has never changed our view that this is right."
Airlines busy assessing the toll of the volcanic-ash-induced airspace closure and figuring out how to resume operations to/from/within Europe were not shy in expressing dissatisfaction with EU governments' handling of the situation.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso announced yesterday that he has established an ad-hoc group to assess the economic fallout from the multiday closure of much of Europe's airspace, with a particular focus on how the air transport industry was affected.
European airspace began gradually reopening yesterday following more than four days of severe restrictions on civil flights owing to last week's Icelandic volcano eruption, but European Commission VP-Transport Siim Kallas cautioned there would be "no compromise on safety" despite economic pressure to return to business as usual. Eurocontrol said it would permit the "the progressive and coordinated opening of European airspace" and announced yesterday that airspace would be divided into three zones.
There have been 90 incidents over the last 30 years in which aircraft have encountered volcanic ash, invisible to weather radar and totally undetectable at night, and several of the encounters created very dangerous situations.
Volcanic ash from last week's eruption in Iceland continues to cause dramatic disruption to air traffic in Europe, with many airlines cancelling services for a fifth consecutive day Monday owing to airspace closures but questioning whether EU governments and ATC providers are overreacting.
Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair flew 8.08 billion RPKS in March, a 6.6% rise year-over-year. Capacity was cut 1.6% to 9.43 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 6.6 points to 85.7%. Germanwings transported 532,169 passengers in March, up 5.1% year-over-year. Load factor fell 3.1 points to 73.8%. Great Lakes Aviation operated 11.18 million RPMs in March, up 6.6% year-over year against a 3.6% cut in capacity to 32.16 million ASMs. Load factor rose 3.3 points to 34.8%.
IATA reported that the number of premium passengers traveling in first and business class seats on international flights grew 5.9% in February compared to the same month in 2009, marking the third consecutive month of year-over-year increases
The Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) is demanding Iraqi government intervention over a decision to allow a single company to hold a monopoly over access rights to the country.
Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance signed a one-year deal with Pegasus Airlines for maintenance of nine CFM56-7Bs on a turnkey basis.
Lufthansa Cargo said it no longer transports dogs or cats intended for use in animal experiments, a policy it implemented April 1. A self-imposed embargo for the transport of apes, whales and dolphins has been enforced by Lufthansa Cargo for "many years," it said, adding that "on principle" it does not transport any captured wild animals.
Saudi Arabia will begin construction of its own flight academy at Thumamah near Riyadh. The Saudi Aviation Flight Academy is being developed in cooperation with the Saudi Aviation Club and the Saudi Binladin Group, according to the Arab Air Carrier Org. It said the academy will aim to have the capacity is to train up to 200 cadets to international standards. Campus facilities will include all training, residential housing, recreational and administrative offices.
ANA President and CEO Shinichiro Ito questioned whether public aid for bankrupt Japan Airlines distorts Japan's competitive environment. Testifying before a government committee, Ito said JAL's turnaround program is progressing "haphazardly," according to a Nikkei report. JAL is receiving around ¥900 billion ($9.6 billion) in government support to ensure its survival as it navigates through a court-monitored bankruptcy restructuring.
Airlines cancelling or delaying flights at EU airports as a result of airborne ash from the Icelandic volcano are required to "provide assistance and care" to stranded passengers including "meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation [and] telephone calls," the European Commission appeared to say yesterday in a statement.
Volcanic ash from a Wednesday eruption in Iceland drifted over much of western and northern Europe, rendering airspace unfit for aircraft and forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights. At London Heathrow alone, 399 departures and 412 arrivals were cancelled Thursday, and UK airspace was expected to remain closed through all of Friday. Flybe said that all 71 of its aircraft were grounded by midday Thursday and Ryanair confirmed it cancelled more than 600 flights, approximately 40% of its scheduled services.
Etihad Airways said passenger numbers for the first quarter increased 11% year-over-year with a 5% rise in premium traffic. Load factor was 75%, up 2 points. RPKs climbed 25.4% to an undisclosed figure, growth it attributed to the "continued expansion" of its route network, addition of 10 aircraft to its fleet and "aggressive sales and marketing" of its services. ASKs lifted 22%. "Our 2010 performance is already showing positive results, with all major indicators showing strong improvements on January and February of last year," CEO James Hogan said.
Finnair signed a five-year deal with Champ Cargosystems to transition to automated cargo operations. It will implement the Cargospot Airline, Handling and Revenue modules to interface with global messaging solution GCCS as well as install Web booking, distribution and tracking solution CargoWEB as an ASP service.
US National Mediation Board told American Airlines to resume negotiations with its ground workers and flight attendants while NMB considers requests from the unions representing the labor groups to be released from federally mediated talks to begin 30-day countdowns toward possible strikes
