China Equity Group plans to re-launch Wuhan-based East Star Airlines, which is going through bankruptcy reorganization, with a CNY200 million ($29.2 million)-CNY300 million investment, according to CEG Chairman Wang Chaoyong. Wang revealed that the group plans to raise the money to restart the troubled carrier in conjunction with seven other companies, including Shanghai YuField. He said CEG has "submitted the reorganization application" to the appropriate court. "Hopefully we can get the result in the next two or three weeks," he commented.
SkyEurope Airlines is still banned from Vienna International, but the airport and the troubled carrier have started talks again. "No solution" has been found thus far, VIE CEO Herbert Kaufmann told Austrian media. SkyEurope was forced to suspend all operations from VIE after missing an Aug. 14 deadline to pay outstanding fees believed to total around €4 million ($5.7 million) ( ATWOnline, Aug. 17).
Alaska Airlines in a filing Friday with the US Dept. of Transportation renewed its request for the US government to review "Virgin America's current and prospective citizenship status." VX has insisted it is in compliance with US ownership and control laws, which require that US airlines be 75%-owned by US citizens.
Southwest Airlines announced Friday that it plans to begin a fleetwide rollout of Wi-Fi Internet connectivity in conjunction with Row 44 in the 2010 first quarter. The LCC said it "has received fantastic customer feedback" from passengers who have used the Row 44 satellite-enabled service on four 737s on which it has been tested since February. "We have concluded our testing for inflight Wi-Fi and are very happy with both the technical performance of the system and the response of customers who have used it," Senior VP-Marketing and Revenue Management Dave Ridley said.
American Airlines said Friday that it will start charging economy-class passengers a $50 fee for a second checked bag on flights to/from or through India and to/from Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. First checked bags will remain free. The policy takes effect for tickets purchased on or after Sept. 14. On flights within the US, the carrier already charges $20 for a first checked bag and $30 for a second checked bag.
GECAS delivered one new A320-200 to Wizz Air. The aircraft, acquired through a purchase and leaseback transaction with the airline, is part of an existing order agreement. Separately, Wizz Air will launch twice-weekly Gdansk-Bergen service Dec. 18.
Japan Airlines and Nippon Cargo Airlines parent Nippon Yusen said Friday that the carriers are in talks to merge JAL's cargo operations with NCA, according to widespread press reports. The two cargo operations reportedly could operate as a merged entity as early as April 1, 2010.
A number of carriers falling within the scope of the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme have submitted or will submit their first monitoring and reporting plans "under protest" following advice from IATA, ATWOnline has learned. The deadline for airlines to submit their tonne-km. monitoring plan and emissions monitoring plan is Aug. 31, or Sept. 30/Oct. 15 for operators whose administering EU member state (UK, Sweden, Germany and Italy) postponed the submission date ( ATWOnline, Aug. 1).
Air Canada released a "touch application" for Apple iPhones/iPods that will allow passengers with the devices "to retrieve electronic boarding passes, track flight information in real time, receive notification of itinerary changes and obtain other [flight] details." Executive VP and Chief Commercial Officer Ben Smith said the application is "only the first iteration. .
The French BEA said yesterday that it has abandoned the search for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Air France A330-200 that crashed May 31 about 360 mi. off Brazil's northeast coast, killing all 228 aboard, though it has not ruled out restarting the search later this year.
Hamilton Sundstrand was selected by Irkut Corp. to supply multiple systems for the MC-21, the 150/230-seat commercial aircraft family the Russian company is developing ( ATWOnline, July 3). HS will provide the advanced Electric Power Generating System, secondary electrical power distribution, auxiliary power unit, wing anti-ice and bleed air conditioning for the Nitrogen Generation System.
ANA is set to introduce from Sept.16 a complimentary helicopter transport from Tokyo Narita to central Tokyo for first-class passengers returning to the Japanese capital from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Frankfurt. Mori Building City Air Services signed an agreement with the airline and will provide the service at least through March 31, 2010. On arrival at NRT, first-class passengers will be taken by limo on a 15-min. drive to the nearby Narita (Sakura) Heliport. From there it is a 15-min.
EASA certified a new Auto-Pilot/Flight-Director TCAS mode for the A380 that Airbus said "essentially completes the existing TCAS functionality by implementing a TCAS vertical guidance feature into the Auto Flight computer." It explained that "the main benefit" is that "the pilot can now fly the aircraft without switching out of one mode and into another. . .
The US Air Transport Assn. said yesterday that US airlines' July passenger revenue fell 21% compared to the prior-year month, marking the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year decline. ATA said passengers carried dipped 4% while the average price to fly one mile dropped 18%. "Revenue declines extended beyond the mainland United States to the transatlantic, transpacific and Latin markets," the organization said.
US National Transportation Safety Board named Christopher Hart vice chairman. He was sworn in as a member on Aug. 12 to a term that ends Dec. 31, 2012. He also served as a member in the 1990s. Most recently he was FAA deputy director for air traffic safety oversight. He is an aerospace engineer, attorney and licensed pilot with commercial, multiengine and instrument ratings.
Abdel Baset Mohamed al-Megrahi, the Libyan intelligence officer convicted of participating in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was released from prison by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill yesterday so that al-Megrahi could return home to Libya. He has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and is not expected to live more than a few months, according to widespread press reports. The action, which had been expected, drew a strong rebuke from Washington.
Continental Airlines sent the 47 passengers who were stranded overnight on an ERJ-145 operated by ExpressJet Holdings compensation packages including a refund for the Continental Express flight that was diverted to Rochester, Minn., a $200 voucher to use toward a CO flight ticket within the next year and a $50 gift card, according to USA Today. But the gesture may have backfired, as numerous passengers complained to the newspaper that the package was insulting.
SAS secured a contract to provide domestic travel for Swedish government employees from Oct. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2010. The contract applies to all government agencies, departments, institutions of higher education and universities. The airline valued it at SEK250 million ($34.5 million), but said it potentially could be worth twice as much. "The Swedish government is the single largest and most important customer for SAS in Sweden," the carrier said. "Government employees mostly travel on the routes between Stockholm and Lulea, Malmo and Ronneby."
SuperJet International signed an LOI with Armavia Airlines for after-sales support of the carrier's fleet of Sukhoi Superjet 100s. The Armenian carrier, which has firm orders for two of the type plus two options, intends to finalize a five-year "SuperCare" agreement by the end of November. SuperJet also signed an MOU with Budapest-based Aeroplex for MRO services to support SSJ 100s.
ST Aerospace yesterday signed a three-year maintenance service agreement with Copa Airlines covering maintenance, repair and overhaul of the carrier's fleet of 28 737NGs and 15 E-190s as well as an additional 11 E-190s operated by subsidiary Aero Republica. The contract, an extension of a previous accord signed three years ago that allowed ST Aerospace to launch services in Panama, commences immediately and is valued at $18.5 million.
Austrian Airlines flew 1.71 billion RPKs in July, an 11.6% decrease year-over-year. Capacity was down 11.7% to 2.14 billion ASKs, leaving load factor level at 79.8%. Aer Lingus flew 1.72 billion RPKs in July, up 0.2% year-over-year, against a 1.5% increase in capacity to 2.09 billion ASKs. Load factor fell 1 point to 82.3%.
SITA announced that it became "the first platform provider" to achieve certification demonstrating that its Common Use Passenger Processing System "is fully compliant with the pre-released version of the IATA CUPPS Technical Specification." SITA's CUPPS pilot started in January at Orlando International.
CSA Czech Airlines detailed its workforce reduction plans, saying that 860 of its 4,600 employees will be let go and the cuts will affect all areas of the company. The carrier will lay off about 140 pilots (about 25%) and 240 flight attendants, the Mlada fronta DNES newspaper reported. The least affected group will be administrative employees, of whom 15% are to be dismissed.
