IATA and Russia's Ministry of Transport signed an MOU Friday to form "a strategic partnership" focusing on safety, security, technology, airport infrastructure, air navigation, ground handling and training. DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani, in Moscow for the signing, also met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "IATA's global standards can contribute significantly to the development of safe, efficient and environmentally responsible aviation in Russia," Bisignani said.
Lufthansa Technik signed a Total Component Support contract with Air Berlin Group covering component support of its entire fleet of 737s, A320/A300 family aircraft and Q400s. It additionally signed a three-year contract extension with Air Transat covering total engine support for CF6-80C2 turbofans powering the carrier's A310 fleet. Iberia Maintenance won a three-year contract to provide line maintenance for DHL in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Vitoria.
The Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines, which held its 53rd Presidents Assembly in Singapore last week, called for a fresh approach from governments and regulatory agencies to commercial aviation, pushing for greater freedom from taxation and increased ATC system efficiency.
Travelport announced a new multiyear full-content GDS agreement with JetBlue Airways. Deal includes an upgrade to e-ticketing, interactive sell and interactive seats during the first quarter of 2010.
US FAA yesterday issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making "to put limits on airlines and other operators hiring FAA safety inspectors and their managers for two years after those employees leave the agency." It said the proposed rule "would prohibit air carriers, flight schools, repair stations and other certificated organizations from employing or contracting with former FAA inspectors and managers to represent them in agency matters if the former employee had any direct oversight of the certificate holder in the preceding two years."
Air Canada said it has begun trials of onboard Wi-Fi on select flights to Los Angeles from Toronto and Montreal using Aircell's Gogo Inflight Internet service. Initially the system will be available only while flights are over the continental US. AC said it plans eventually to extend it to other routes in North America, pointing out that development of appropriate infrastructure in Canada is required to allow air-to-ground wireless communications in that country.
GECAS delivered one new 737-700 to Aerolineas Argentinas and one new A320-200 to Tiger Airways as part of sale/leaseback deals. Avia Solutions Group received one ex-British Airways 737-300; it plans to acquire three more this year. BOC Aviation delivered one new 737-800 on long-term lease to Skymark Airlines of Japan, its first delivery to a Japanese carrier.
Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines' Assembly of Presidents started on a sober note yesterday with DG Andrew Herdman telling media that the group of 17 Asia/Pacific carriers is expected to lose $4.8 billion this year owing mainly to the global economic downturn.
SR Technics' contract with Etihad Airways announced earlier this week in Dubai is worth up to $250 million. Under the 10-year Integrated Component Services contract, SRT will handle component exchange, MRO, engineering and logistics services, access to SRT's components pool and component management for Etihad's current Airbus fleet of more than 40 A320s, A330s and A340s as well as future deliveries. EY's separate agreement with International Aero Engines is potentially worth $200 million.
ARINC renewed its contract with Korean Air to continue to provide GLOBALink data and voice communications and AviNet wide-area network service. Terms were not disclosed. Lufthansa Systems won a five-year contract extension with Germanwings to continue to provide its Lido RouteManual navigation charts and will begin providing its electronic version, Lido eRouteManual.
The European Court of Justice ruled yesterday that passengers on flights delayed for more than 3 hr. have the same right to seek compensation from airlines as passengers on cancelled flights.
Lufthansa Technik signed a Total Component Support contract with Air Berlin Group and will manage component supply for AB's 737s, A320 family aircraft, A330s and Q400s. Germany's second-largest carrier will receive on-site service at its Berlin and Dusseldorf hubs and will have access to LHT's warehouses in Hamburg and Frankfurt. A significant portion of AB's inventory already has been transferred to LHT. LHT also announced a seven-year engine support contract with Yemen's Felix Airways.
ARC and American Airlines are developing what the pair described as "a revolutionary" revenue recovery tool that will enable participating airlines to identify duplicate bookings in virtually real time across multiple distribution channels. Although carriers do not disclose the amount of revenue lost through such activities, which typically occur when passengers deliberately make multiple bookings to cover more than one trip, the figure is very large, AA MD-Revenue Management Rick Elieson noted.
IATA reported "an interruption" in the recovery in premium airline travel evidenced in July and August as international premium traffic declined 13.9% year-over-year in September, marking "a deterioration from the 12% August fall." In its latest Premium Travel Monitor, the organization stated, "The question is whether this setback is just the usual volatility--upturns are never smooth--or a change in the previously improving trend." It added that "most analyses" of recent dips in world trade and US consumer confidence, key indicators of passengers' willingness to purchase first-
RDC Aviation said its fuel burn and emissions calculator "has been recognized by the UK Government as fulfil[ing] the approval requirements on specific emissions factors." According to the firm, "this is the first time that a standalone methodology has received such an approval in the UK, paving the way for RDC Aviation to offer its emissions calculator as an approved alternative to simple, generic calculators." RDC Aviation's flight emissions calculator is available at www.rdcaviation.com and on ATWOnline here.
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres opened its new Chinese retread and distribution facility in Jinjiang. The facility, operating as Dunlop Taikoo (Jinjiang) Aircraft Tyres Co., is a joint venture with Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (28%) and Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering (9%). It has full site and product approval from CAAC and repair station approval from EASA. In addition to retreading, it will support Asia/Pacific customers by distributing new tires manufactured at Dunlop's Birmingham site.
Aer Lingus yesterday threatened to "proceed to implement an alternative means" of delivering the required €97 million ($144.7 million) in cost savings if it cannot reach an agreement with unions by Nov. 30 ( ATWOnline, Nov. 10). It said it accepted an invitation from Ireland's National Implementation Body to mediate negotiations.
Embraer, GE, Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras and Amyris, a US/Brazilian biotechnology company, signed an MOU to evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris's renewable jet fuel developed from existing sugar cane feedstock. The group is targeting a demonstration flight by early 2012 aboard an Azul E-190. The fuel already has been tested by the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, GE Aviation and others, the companies said. The Brazilian government contributes funding to Amyris's renewable jet fuel production.
ARINC announced that its vMUSE passenger system qualified as a CUPPS Certified Platform. ARINC installed vMUSE technology as a CUPPS platform at Las Vegas McCarran in "a live operational environment" in cooperation with WestJet on Jan. 15. It now has checked in "more than 70,000 passengers" for WS and Continental Airlines and handled as many as 20 flights per day, ARINC said.
Norwegian yesterday revealed its new loyalty program, Norwegian Reward, under which members will receive cash points worth NOK1 each at a 10% rate on full flex tickets and 2% on low-fare tickets for use as full or partial payment on future fares or services. Points can be used at any time, although the airline said that law prohibits individual passengers from earning points on domestic flights. The program is independent from credit card promotions and other schemes.
Finnair was scheduled to resume "a little less than half" of its flight program today after pilots represented by the Finnish Airline Pilots' Assn. agreed to a settlement proposal submitted yesterday by a government mediator. AY was forced to cancel two full days of flying after pilots went on strike late Sunday/early Monday ( ATWOnline, Nov. 17). "In addition to structural changes, we achieved through this agreement significant short-term cost savings.
Jazeera Airways reported a KWD762,745 ($2.7 million) third-quarter profit, down 53.2% from the KWD1.6 million earned in the year-ago period, according to a filing with the Kuwait Stock Exchange cited by several press reports. Revenue rose 4% year-over-year to KWD15.9 million on a 65% lift in passenger numbers to 582,490.
LAN Airlines is "looking at all the possibilities around" for potential mergers or acquisitions, COO Ignacio Cueto told Bloomberg News. "We are window shopping," he said. "There is nothing concrete."
News from Travel Technology Update: OAG, which has played an integral role in the history of commercial aviation, is marking its 80th anniversary this year. For decades, the Official Airline Guide, its flagship product, was essential for travel agents, tour operators, interlining carriers anyone who needed to know which airline flew where and when. The OAG brand is venerable. That's a nice word for "old."
Indian government has "assured support" and promised a INR4 billion ($86.5 million) equity infusion to Air India by January, parent National Aviation Co. of India said yesterday. "Further installments would be tied up to the milestones of savings effected on account of cost-cutting exercise[s] adopted by the national carrier at various levels," NACIL said, adding that it plans to "aggressively rationalize its fleet size and network. . .in the coming months" ( ATWOnline, Nov. 13).
