Delta TechOps won a $7 million, four-year contract from Canadian charter airline CanJet to provide component and inventory logistics support for its 737-800 fleet, including avionics, pneumatics and hydraulics. SR Technics said Edelweiss Air, a Swiss International Air Lines subsidiary, extended its existing full-support contract covering the carrier's fleet of A320s for an additional 39 months.
Boeing Friday confirmed to ATWOnline that it "determined that there were microscopic wrinkles in the skin plies of [787] fuselage sections produced by Alenia [Aeronautica]. . .We determined that a simple patch at two locations is required to restore full structural margins.
JetBlue Airways announced last week that it will sell "all-you-can-jet" passes through Aug. 21 for "unlimited" travel aboard the LCC between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8. The passes cost $599 each and "will allow [holders] to visit any of the airline's 56 international and domestic destinations as often as they like" if seats are available during the month-long period, the airline said in a statement.
Bahrain's flag carrier, Gulf Air, said it has improved its safety systems by upgrading to an integrated FDM (Flight Data Monitoring) system from US-based Austin Digital.
Air France KLM reported a 3.3% drop in July traffic on a 4.1% capacity cut. Load factor increased 0.7 point to 85.1%. Lufthansa Group posted a 6.2% increase in July traffic to 15.48 billion RPKs on a 5.7% lift in capacity to 18.63 billion ASKs, producing a load factor of 83.1%, up 0.4 point.
US FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. announced that an independent team of arbitrators released its decision on controller compensation yesterday, concluding "a challenging mediation process that has produced a landmark labor agreement." NATCA's 14,000 controller members will have 45 days to ratify the "many agreed upon issues." The five issues decided by arbitrators, including pay and benefits, are not subject to ratification.
Iberia's board asked the airline's new chairman and CEO, Antonio Vazquez, to look into alternatives to its merger with British Airways, elEconomista reported.
Southwest Airlines said late yesterday that its $170 million bid to acquire Frontier Airlines was "deemed unacceptable" by a US Bankruptcy Court after the two carriers' pilot unions were unable to reach an agreement on joint work rules and seniority, paving the way for Republic Airways Holdings to purchase Denver-based Frontier.
International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said it asked the US National Mediation Board to declare that Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are operating as a single carrier with respect to the 12,700 fleet service, flight simulator technician and plant protection employees at the combined airline. Such a declaration would clear the way for IAM to launch an organizing campaign among those workers.
China Southern Airlines yesterday became the first Chinese mainland carrier to gain regulatory approval to launch a branch company in Taipei that will be allowed to sell tickets for cross-strait flights.
Airline ticket sales through Arlington, Va.-based Airlines Reporting Corp. continued to be well down in July compared to the year-ago period, but the number of transactions was off less than 1% year-over-year and credit card sales transactions actually rose 2.6%. Total sales including airfares, taxes and fees were $5.65 billion, down 16.7% compared to July 2008, following a 20.3% year-over-year decline in June. Total fares sank 17.7% to $4.81 billion, slightly improved over the 21.3% decline in June.
US Air Transport Assn. earlier this week called on FAA to withdraw its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking overhauling airline training programs for aircraft crewmembers and flight dispatchers.
CAE announced that President and CEO Robert Brown will retire Sept. 30 to be succeeded by Marc Parent, currently executive VP and COO. Brown will continue as an adviser until the end of December. He became president and CEO in August 2004.
Delta Air Lines and US Airways yesterday announced a massive slot swapping deal that, if approved by regulators, will greatly enhance US's presence at Washington National and enable DL to "create a domestic hub" at New York LaGuardia.
Goodrich and Xi'an Aircraft International Corp. signed agreements to form two 50/50 joint venture companies that will manufacture landing gear and engine nacelle components "focused on the fast-growing Chinese aerospace market," including competing to be selected on Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China's C919 single-aisle transport currently under development. The two JVs will be between XAIC on the one hand and Goodrich Landing Gear and Goodrich Aerostructures on the other.
News from Travel Technology Update: Air Canada suspended activity related to the implementation of a new reservations system under development with ITA Software. The carrier recorded a second-quarter impairment charge of C$67 million (US$61.9 million) related to the development of the system, dubbed Polaris.
Premium Aerotec, the largest aerostructures supplier for the A350, last week began construction of a 25,000-sq.-m. hangar in Augsburg that will serve as the manufacturing plant for the new aircraft's fiber composite components, especially the large side shells of the rear fuselage section. The facility's shell is expected to be completed in November, with production set to begin in the 2010 first quarter, according to Airbus parent EADS.
US Dept. of Transportation announced civil penalties against Continental Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and US Airways for consumer regulation violations. DOT said CO was fined $75,000 for "violating the Department's requirement that airfare ads must state the full price to be paid by the consumer" on its website. HA and US "failed to disclose to consumers when flights sold by the carriers were being operated under a codesharing arrangement" and were fined $50,000 and $70,000 respectively.
Air France KLM flew 19.45 billion RPKs in July, down 3.3% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 4.1% to 22.86 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 0.7 point to 85.1%. Alaska Airlines flew 1.79 billion RPMs in July, up 0.1% year-over-year. Capacity fell 5.4% to 2.12 billion ASMs and load factor rose 4.6 points to 84.3%. Hawaiian Airlines flew 745.4 million RPMs in July, a 10.4% increase year-over-year, while capacity rose 1.9% to 874.7 million ASMs. Load factor surged 6.5 points to 85.2%.
Turkish Airlines said it has decided to lease an A321-200. It revealed no further details. Belavia Belarusian Airlines acquired one ex-Flylal 737-500 from ILFC. It now operates five 737-500s, three 737-300s, three CRJ-100/200s, four Tu-154Ms and one Tu-134.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said yesterday that he has asked the Dept. of Transportation's general counsel to determine whether Continental Airlines or ExpressJet Holdings "violated any laws" when 47 passengers were held overnight last week onboard an ERJ-145.
US Airways said July consolidated passenger RASM fell approximately 15% year-over-year while total unit revenue was down around 12%. It flew 5.86 billion consolidated RPMs, down 4.1%, against a 5.6% cut in capacity to 6.83 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 1.3 points to 85.9%. American Airlines flew 11.66 billion system RPMs in July, down 6.4% year-over-year. Capacity fell 8% to 13.36 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 1.4 points to 87.3%.
Hahn Air announced the launch of a redesigned website allowing greater functionality for travel agents seeking to access fares available on Hahn's partner carriers.
