Jet Airways said it received shareholder approval to raise up to $400 million through private share placements, global depository receipts or foreign currency convertible bonds, according to a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange cited by numerous press reports.
Airlink Jetstream 41 on a repositioning flight from Durban to Pietermaritzburg crashed shortly after takeoff yesterday morning owing to what the airline called an "engine loss of power." The aircraft hit in a vacant lot and slid into the grounds of a school about 400 m. from the runway, causing substantial damage to the plane and injuring the two pilots, one flight attendant and a bystander. There no passengers. The Johannesburg-based carrier said the four were being treated at a local hospital.
Alitalia has sufficient funds to support its operations through next year and does not need new capital, CEO Rocco Sabelli told a parliamentary transport committee. "Alitalia has been stabilized. It has moved from the recovery room to another room where it will complete its rehabilitation," Chairman Roberto Colaninno said, according to Dow Jones. Sabelli reportedly said that AZ is focused on shoring up its Rome Fiumicino operation and solidifying its position at secondary and tertiary airports where LCCs have eaten into its market share.
Pratt & Whitney announced maintenance contracts with El Al and Martinair. El Al deal is a $70 million, five-year Fleet Management Program extension covering PW4060s on its 767s and 747-400s, plus a five-year option. Martinair signed a 10-year service agreement covering its PW4056, PW4060 and PW4462 engines. No value was announced. Lufthansa Technik signed a three-year contract with Vietnam Airlines for MRO on the PW124s powering seven ATR 72-200s and the PW127s on up to 16 ATR 72-500s. LHT also extended its deal with VN covering APU MRO on its A321s until mid-2010.
Japan Airlines President Haruka Nishimatsu yesterday asked Seiji Maehara, Japan's new transport minister, for a government bailout, conceding that even a cash infusion from a foreign investor likely won't be enough to keep the troubled carrier afloat.
Embraer said it plans to raise an unspecified amount of money through an offering of a series of notes due 2020 to global capital markets through its Embraer Overseas subsidiary. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes and repayment of short-term debt. Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley are book-running underwriters.
ACSS, an L-3 Communications and Thales joint venture, introduced a software enhancement that will enable aircraft operators with its TCAS 2000 and TCAS II to upgrade to "Change 7.1 capability," which it said "delivers two important safety enhancements: Reversal logic and new aural alerting for Adjust Vertical Speed." The upgrade will be available in the fourth quarter.
Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance extended its contract with Virgin Atlantic Airways for heavy airframe maintenance on 747-400s for one additional year through 2011. It also announced that its CRMA subsidiary was named a primary repair source on the Engine Alliance GP7200 TCF and combustion chambers by GE.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed a three-month extension of FAA funding to Dec. 31 and the Senate is expected to follow quickly, decreasing the possibility that a multiyear reauthorization bill will be passed this year.
United Airlines this week furloughed 290 pilots, part of its plan announced last year to radically "resize" itself ( ATW, November 2008). It plans to cut 7,000 jobs overall and already has let go more than 1,100 pilots. There are still more than 6,000 active UA pilots.
Jat Airways said it presented a business plan to the Serbian government outlining its program "to regain its position as the regional leader in air transport" and stated that it would need to transport 1.5 million passengers per year aboard its 16 aircraft to accomplish the goal. It carried 1.4 million in 2008. Jat said it planned to join an alliance, reconfigure its schedule to facilitate better connections, "upgrade the quality of service" and implement "intensive marketing" initiatives to boost traffic.
Helvetic Airways will continue to operate three F100s for Swiss International Air Lines through spring 2014 under an extended ACMI agreement announced this week. Helvetic operates a fourth F100 on charter flights.
Sensis said US FAA has introduced its wide-area multilateration surveillance system at four Colorado airports to enable ATC to track aircraft not covered by radar in the state's remote mountainous regions. FAA is sharing the cost of the system with the Colorado Dept. of Transportation. Initial operations began on Sept. 12 at Yampa Valley-Hayden, Craig-Moffat, Steamboat Springs and Garfield County Regional-Rifle. "The new system is comprised of a network of relatively small sensors deployed in remote areas," FAA said.
TAP Portugal pilots called a 48-hr. strike today and Friday over pay. The airline said it expected "some disruptions in its operations" but that it "has taken all measures to minimize its impact." Flights operated by its PGA Portugalia Airlines subsidiary will be unaffected and connections between Lisbon and the Azores, Madeira, Luanda and Luxembourg will be maintained, TAP said. It estimated that the stoppage will cost the company around €10 million ($14.8 million), according to the Associated Press.
Commercial Jet of Miami named M7 Aerospace VP-MRO Sales and Service John Schildroth as VP-business development and Leading Edge Aviation Services GM Dale Mullinax as VP-operations.
Nexcelle is the new name for the joint venture company created by GE's Middle River Aircraft Systems and Safran Group's Aircelle last year to develop engine nacelles for next-generation integrated propulsion systems. According to a statement from the companies, Nexcelle's responsibility covers complete nacelles and nacelle subsystems for CFM International engines in applications on both new and existing aircraft. The collaboration was announced at last year's Farnborough Airshow ( ATWOnline, July 16, 2008).
Japan Airlines President Haruka Nishimatsu is scheduled to meet with new Japanese Transport Minister Seiji Maehara Thursday for the first time to discuss the airline's restructuring plan, Nikkei reported. There is speculation in Japan that JAL's restructuring may be revised in the wake of the Democratic Party of Japan's recent election triumph.
US National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. elected Executive VP Paul Rinaldi as president for a three-year term beginning Oct. 17. Rinaldi works at Washington Dulles. Jazz Air promoted Senior VP-Employee Relations Colin Copp to CAO and Senior VP-Operations Support Jolene Mahody to COO.
Naverus said China Eastern Airlines, supported by CAAC, successfully completed an RNP-validation flight at Yushu Airport in the Himalayas using an A319 on Sept. 15.
Lufthansa Flight Training last week took delivery of an A380 cockpit simulator from Thales. Training sessions at its Frankfurt center will begin in January.
