ST Aerospace won a three-year contract to provide A320 and 767 airframe MRO to an unidentified "major US airline." Contract is valued at $90 million, which could increase to $170 million if two option years are utilized. Work will begin in the 2010 first quarter in Mobile, Ala.
US Air Transport Assn. said it expects 41 million passengers to travel on US airlines over the Dec. 17-Jan. 6 winter holiday period, down 2.5% year-over-year. "We are continuing to see fewer air travelers over the holidays, a trend that has been apparent throughout 2009," President and CEO James May said. "Capacity reductions will likely mean fuller flights on many days." ATA said it expects the US government to make military airspace in congested areas available for commercial use during business days.
US Transportation Security Administration admitted this week that it inadvertently posted sensitive airport passenger screening procedures online. A 93-page manual detailing a variety of nonpublic information including methods for screening passengers, technical settings for explosive detection system machines and pictures of identification cards used by members of Congress and federal air marshals was posted on a federal procurement website last spring with sensitive portions supposedly redacted.
EasyJet CEO Andy Harrison will step down at the end of June 2010 in order "to seek new challenges," the carrier announced yesterday, adding that Michael Rake will take over from David Michels as the group's chairman effective Jan. 1, at which point Michels will resume the role of senior independent director. Rake, who also is chairman of telecommunications company BT Group, joined the LCC's board in June as deputy chairman and senior independent director. Harrison joined easyJet from motoring group RAC in December 2005.
Contact Air, a regional partner of Lufthansa Group, is cutting 40 pilot and 40 flight attendant positions as LH reduces the number of flights operated by 50-seat aircraft, a Contact spokesperson told Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. Contact flies several ATR 42-500s and employs 370 people.
American Airlines and Gol announced a codeshare arrangement under which AA will place its code across Gol's domestic network of 49 airports. Launch is pending government approval. The airlines began linking their loyalty programs in August. AA serves five Brazilian destinations.
AerData, the Amsterdam-based provider of software and back office services for aircraft asset managers, acquired EFPAC Ltd. from TES Aviation Group. According to AerData, UK-based EFPAC develops and supplies asset management software for aircraft engines that combines technical aspects of engine management with financial reporting on maintenance costs.
Arlington, Va.-based ARC reported that ticket sales through participating travel agencies totaled $5.12 billion in November, up 6.7% over the year-ago month and the strongest performance in more than a year.
Airlink, South African Airways' regional partner, faces possible grounding by the Civil Aviation Authority following Monday's E-135 runway overrun in George ( ATWOnline, Dec. 8). Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele asked for the results of a CAA audit by Friday, which he will use to make a decision, according to press reports from South Africa.
Malev Hungarian Airlines expects to lose HUF5-HUF7 billion ($27.1-$38 million) this year, reduced from HUF10 billion in 2008, CEO Martin Gauss told Pester Lloyd this week. The carrier is shooting for a profitable 2012.
Continental Airlines said the overallotment option has been exercised on the convertible note offering announced this week and that it will issue $230 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.5% convertible notes due 2015 ( ATWOnline, Dec. 8). Net proceeds are expected to be around $224 million.
Aer Lingus announced the resignation of CFO and Head of Short-haul Operations Sean Coyle. He will leave EI at year end. Meanwhile, CEO Christoph Mueller warned that the airline remains at risk of a Ryanair takeover. He told The Financial Times, "If Aer Lingus isn't capable of mastering its own destiny, then of course the likelihood that some form of non-independence might occur is more likely." Ryanair is permitted to make a third bid for EI after late January.
Delta TechOps signed a five-year agreement with Skymark Airlines of Japan to provide CFM56-7B maintenance in partnership with Evergreen Aviation Technologies.
Thales signed a five-year repair-by-the-hr. agreement with EVA Air for support and maintenance of a selection of avionics equipment aboard its 11 A330s.
Commercial aviation's carbon footprint in 2009 will fall 7% from the "just under" 670 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced in 2008, IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The global recession is responsible for a 5% reduction, while strategies employed by airlines resulted in a further 2% cut. "Shortening routes, spreading best practice in fuel management and using more efficient ways to land are among the measures that we are implementing to reduce emissions. Since 2004, our. .
CSA Czech Airlines next month will merge all handling activities under an independent subsidiary called CSA Support. Approximately 800 CSA employees will be transferred to the new operation.
US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said that "any number of options have been explored" to determine how to finance equipage of commercial aircraft with NextGen ATC technology such as ADS-B, including consideration of the government's providing airlines with money for early equipage that would be "subject to repayment."
Malaysia Airlines and SITA Lab announced the launch of MHmobile, a mobile phone and PDA application allowing users to book, pay for, check in and board their flights. It also connects to social networking sites, features geolocation capabilities and offers access to SITA WorldTracer so passengers can check the status of delayed or mishandled baggage.
RwandAir signed a financing deal with the Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank for $13.5 million in loans to cover the acquisition of two CRJ200s. In addition, the carrier said that talks with "large aircraft suppliers are at advanced stages for the acquisition of mid- to long-range aircraft beginning 2010. The airline intends to expand its fleet considerably over the next five years."
Baltic Aviation Academy, a unit of Vilnius-based Avia Solutions Group, said it received its Flight Training Organization License from the Lithuanian CAA and is offering ab initio pilot training from private pilot license and instrument rating courses to commercial pilot license, multiengine pilot license and airline transport pilot license courses. Ab initio classes start in January.
The UK House of Commons Transport Committee issued a report yesterday endorsing a third runway at London Heathrow "subject to the effective application of tough environmental conditions," while suggesting that Gatwick, rather than Stansted, would be a better choice for a second runway after 2019.
KLM completed installation of its new Economy Comfort premium economy product on 61 long-haul aircraft and officially launched the offering yesterday. Seats offer 35 in. pitch instead of the standard 31 in. An average of 34-40 Comfort seats will be offered, depending on the aircraft type ( ATWOnline, Sept. 17).
The US Environmental Protection Agency yesterday issued a formal finding that greenhouse gasses including carbon dioxide emissions "threaten the public health and welfare of the American people," clearing the way for the agency to regulate a wide range of CO2-emitting industries under provisions of the Clean Air Act.
AirBaltic concluded one-year agreements with the Austrian and Swiss governments for provision of flights for government employees to/from more than 60 destinations. It signed similar deals with the Danish, Finnish and German governments this year.
