Thai Airways Executive Chairman Wallop Bhukkanasut resigned Tuesday after several weeks of accusations and negative coverage regarding his avoidance of some $5,600 in excess baggage charges on a November flight from Tokyo Narita to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.
Aer Lingus and Aer Arann are negotiating franchise arrangements on routes between Ireland and the UK, EI confirmed yesterday. It said a "further announcement will be made as appropriate."
Slovak Border and Immigration Police confirmed that one of its officers "forgot about" 90 grams of research development explosive placed into the luggage of a passenger without his knowledge as part of a security exercise. The explosives were planted prior to Sunday's Danube Wings flight from Poprad-Tatry to Dublin. One sample reportedly was detected by sniffer dogs at TAT but the second was undiscovered. The police told Bloomberg News that the officer "forgot about the second sample" that eventually made its way into Ireland. The RDX was not a threat to detonate.
Unite union and British Airways agreed to restart negotiations regarding the dispute over the airline's imposed conditions on flight attendants that resulted in an invalid strike vote before Christmas ( ATWOnline, De. 18, 2009).
United Airlines flew 9.21 billion consolidated RPMs in December, flat compared to the year-ago month. Capacity fell 3.1% to 11.24 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 2.5 points to 81.9%. Allegiant Air flew 406.2 million RPMs in December, up 18.6% year-over-year. Capacity rose 16.1% to 448.4 million ASMs and load factor increased 1.9 points to 90.6%.
SR Technics signed a 10-year contract with Air Berlin covering comprehensive maintenance of its CF56-7B, CF56-5B and PW4168 engines. Work will be performed at SRT's Zurich engine maintenance center. Deal includes a financing agreement for up to 12 spare engines worth some $100 million between AB and SRT parent Mubadala Development Co.
Qantas decided not to renew its membership in the Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines, a move that analysts predict may spell the end of an organization with a history spanning more than four decades. The carrier's decision is expected to be emulated by a number of other member airlines canvassed by ATWOnline, some of whom suggested that the industry is better off uniting behind one voice, IATA.
US FAA said it has heightened its oversight of American Airlines following three difficult landings in December. In the most serious of those, a 737-800 was destroyed when it overran the runway at Kingston on Dec. 22 and skidded onto a nearby beach. There were no serious injuries in that accident ( ATWOnline, Dec. 24, 2009). The agency said AA had two other poor landings last month involving MD-80 wingtips hitting the runway in Charlotte and Austin.
News from Travel Technology Update: Several of Carnival Corp.'s cruise lines adopted new policies that prohibit online travel agencies or cruise sellers from bidding on the lines' trademarked search-engine keywords. The similar policies, adopted by Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruises, went into effect Jan. 1.
US President Barack Obama yesterday announced increased airline security measures following a meeting with top national security aides to discuss a response to the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253.
Etihad Airways took delivery of the first of five new A330-300s it plans to add over the next two years. Aircraft seats 12 passengers in a new first class cabin, 40 in business and 151 in economy and will operate between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow. EY said two A340-600s already have been configured with the new first class product, with nine more to be retrofitted by December.
GE Aviation completed the acquisition of BMB Fuel Consulting Services of Ottawa, which identifies and tracks operational improvements for airlines that will reduce fuel consumption, according to GE.
TAM announced the promotion of VP-Finance, Management and IT Libano Mirando Barroso to president. Barroso joined the airline in 2004. Republic Airways Holdings named Frontier Airlines Director-Supply Chain Drew Skaff as Republic Airways VP-supply chain.
IATA said that Sunday's US Transportation Security Administration announcement concerning more random screening of US-bound passengers not connected with 14 specific countries considered to be security threats "is a welcome step in the right direction" toward a long-term model that is "globally harmonized, risk-based and [which has] efficient process for passengers." TSA now is requiring all passengers who are citizens of or traveled from/through Iran, Sudan, Syria, Cuba, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen to undergo "enhanced
FlightSafety International will open a learning center in Johannesburg and begin training pilots and technicians working on Q300, Dash 8 and Beechcraft 1900 aircraft in March. SIM AeroTraining of France will manage the facility and maintain the training devices.
Delta Air Lines and subsidiary Northwest Airlines were granted a single operating certificate by US FAA on Dec. 31, an expected move that clears the way for full integration to be completed by late first quarter/early second quarter.
AirTran Airways will open pilot and flight attendant bases in Milwaukee in April. It will station 50 737 pilots and a minimum of 50 717 and 737 flight attendants in the city, where it will employ more than 300 people in all positions. Hawaiian Airlines announced a tentative five-year labor agreement with 418 pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. The airline said the deal, reached prior to the holidays, provides both increased compensation for the pilots and operational improvements for HA.
Ryanair will suspend operation of domestic routes to/from its 10 Italian bases on Jan. 23 in protest of a November ENAC decision to accept forms of passenger identification that the airline considers unsecure. Ryanair requires passengers to present either a passport or an EU/EEA national ID card at the gate.
EasyJet announced the following new routes: London Stansted to Bodrum, Dubrovnik (each thrice-weekly from May 15), Split and Dalaman (each four-times-weekly from May 14); Paris Charles de Gaulle to Palma (five-times-weekly from July 10), Split (thrice-weekly from July 10), Prague (daily from March 28), Malaga (daily from May 14) and Toulouse (twice-daily from March 28); Geneva to Faro, Brindisi (each twice-weekly from April 3) and Heraklion (twice-weekly from June 19); Bristol to Dalaman (thrice-weekly from July 16), Bodrum (thrice-weekly from July 17) and Heraklion (twice-weekly from J
The US Transportation Security Administration implemented a new security directive on Jan. 4 mandating that every passenger flying into the country who is a citizen of or whose trip included a stop in 14 "nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest" will be subject to "enhanced screening." The move came 10 days after a Nigerian national attempted to detonate an explosive onboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. His trip started in Lagos.
