Republic Airways Holdings airlines flew 851 million RPMs in May, down 5.2% from the year-ago month. Capacity dropped 4% to 1.12 billion ASMs and load factor slipped 1 point to 75.8%. Pinnacle Airlines flew 380.3 million RPMs in May, down 7.9% year-over-year, against a 4.4% fall in capacity to 509.9 million ASMs. Load factor dropped 2.8 points to 74.6%.
Elbit Systems announced a $76 million deal with the Israeli Ministry of Transportation to supply its C-MUSIC system, an infrared countermeasure technology designed to protect commercial aircraft from missiles.
Airbus subsidiary Tasc Aviation and Germany's Softec have signed a partnership agreement that they say will greatly help air carriers with passenger revenue accounting tasks from its new base in Dubai
Boeing subsidiary Aviall Serviceshas opened a new customer service centre in the Middle East, following a formal event at Dubai Airport Free Zone on June 25.
The US National Transportation Safety Board last week said it is investigating two recent incidents involving A330s operated by TAM and Northwest Airlines in which the airspeed and altitude indications "may have malfunctioned." NWA is a unit of Delta Air Lines. Both aircraft landed safely. Such malfunctions are suspected in the May 31 loss of an Air France A330-200 ( ATWOnline, June 10).
Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance are confident they will be able to maintain a positive operating result this year despite the downturn in the airline industry and consequent contraction of MRO contracts. "It will be a challenge, and results could be affected by the currency exchange rates, but we believe we are well positioned to sustain our operational performance," AFI President Alain Bassil told ATWOnline at the Paris Air Show earlier this month.
Civil Air Navigation Services Organization Secretary General Alexander ter Kuile announced his intention to step down on completion of his three-year third term at year end. He joined CANSO in January 2001 as its first full-time secretary general. Chairman Ashley Smout said, "Alexander has made an unparalleled contribution to CANSO and his departure will leave a huge gap. But thanks to his tireless efforts the association has never been stronger, and we will continue to build on his excellent work."
CASC/Airbus Customer Services training and support center in Beijing is looking to adjust its business model as more airlines acquire their own simulators, MD-Administration and Programs Michelle Pierre Petit told ATWOnline last week. The 18,800-sq.-m. facility, which opened in 1997, includes two A320 and one A330/A340 simulators. "More airlines buying their own simulators means we have to also focus on training the trainers," Petit said. The facility has about 20 airline customers, but there currently are 16 A320 FFSs in China with more to come.
Messier Services signed a four-year contract with Aerotron covering support of hydraulic components and avionics for an estimated 50 Airbus aircraft. Work will be performed in two Messier facilities (France and the UK) until 2013, with an automatic 12-month renewal period. ST Aerospace will provide maintenance-by-the-hour component support to Cimber Sterling A/S beginning in June. The five-year, $18 million contract covers support and access to a stock of rotables on an exchange basis in support of its fleet of five 737NGs.
Navtech signed contracts with flydubai (three-year deal for its Airport Analysis data product), Aero Contractors Nigeria (for its new flight planning product WebFP and an FMS navigation data service) and Etihad Airways (three-year subscription to FMS, to be used on its fleet of A320s).
Sabena technics and Al Wazzan Group will set up a joint venture to provide MRO services to operators in the Middle East from Kuwait City. The MRO facility will offer proximity services such as line, light and heavy aircraft maintenance, pooling and logistics support. The investment will include a new hangar that is expected to be operational next year. The JV's first customer will be Kuwait-based premium carrier Wataniya, which already is supported by Sabena technics.
Pratt & Whitney cut 200 salaried positions across its US-based operations (including approximately 170 in Connecticut) this week as part of a restructuring initiative announced in March by parent United Technologies ( ATWOnline, March 30). "It is clear that this is not a short-term economic downturn. Engine orders as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul activities are lower, requiring us to make difficult decisions," the company said.
Goodrich Corp. opened a 50,000-sq.-ft. facility at Tianjin Airport Industrial Park to support nacelle and thrust reverser original equipment as well as MRO activities. In addition, it will support "engine buildup and podding work" for the new A320 family final assembly line in Tianjin. The facility will serve as an interim location until Goodrich opens a permanent 170,000-sq.-ft. complex directly across from the FAL.
British Airways said that 6,940 employees, about 17% of its total workforce, have agreed to either unpaid leave, part-time work or unpaid work in a move that will save the airline up to £10 million. CEO Willie Walsh called it "a fantastic first response." Unpaid leave/work was available for 1-4 weeks, with the pay deduction spread over 3-6 months.
Air France said yesterday that the body of Flight 447's captain and that of a flight attendant have been recovered by search crews. So far, 50 bodies have been found from among the 228 passengers and crew aboard the A330-200 that crashed some 360 mi. off Brazil's northeast coast on May 31 ( ATWOnline, June 18).
Cameroon Transport Minister Gounoukou Haounaye told the National Assembly that the government plans to spend CFA100 billion ($210.5 million) for the "purchase of three planes from Boeing," Reuters reported. Aircraft were not identified and will be placed with the new Cameroon Airlines Corp., established to replace defunct Cameroon Airlines. "I cannot give you a precise date when the company will begin flights, but I can assure you that it will be very soon," Haounaye said, adding that a strategic partner will own 51% of the new carrier.
Air India announced formation of a "turnaround committee" comprising management and union representatives who will "make presentations identifying areas where savings can be effected." The Indian government told the airline this week that aid will be tied to performance improvements ( ATWOnline, June 25).
IATA said yesterday that May passenger and cargo traffic figures revealed a stabilization in demand declines but warned that airline revenue is still falling sharply. "We may have hit bottom, but we are a long way from recovery," DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said. "Capacity is not aligned with demand." He said that following a 20% fall in international passenger revenue in the first quarter, "we estimate that the drop accelerated to as much as negative 30% in May. This crisis is the worst we have ever seen."
Lufthansa said its Passenger Airlines segment will present details of "a new profit saving program" on July 30, when the company releases its first-half results. "The financial crisis and its repercussions pose major challenges for airlines worldwide. Lufthansa is also impacted by the persistently weak demand development in both the passenger and freight businesses, structural changes in passengers' travel behavior and rising fuel prices," it said. At an investors day yesterday, LH said it has cut capacity by 2.6% this year and removed 23 aircraft from its fleet.
Ambassador John Bruton, head of the European Commission Delegation to the US, is raising concerns about a proposal in Congress to charge foreign visitors at least $10 each to fund a new quasi-governmental corporation that will help promote travel to the US. Congress currently is considering the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (S 1023), "which would establish a nonprofit corporation to better communicate US entry policies to international travelers and promote leisure, business and scholarly travel," according to a statement from Bruton.
Iberia and ST Aerospace officially commemorated the opening of Madrid Aerospace Services, their joint venture company created to carry out landing gear MRO on A320, A330 and A340 aircraft ( ATWOnline, June 2). The 50/50 JV has completed and delivered 10 landing gears since early April and received the first shipset from its inaugural third-party customer, SriLankan Airlines, with a target completion date of July. MAeS expects to employ about 100 technicians at full capacity.
US FAA announced this week that its New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Airspace Redesign "cleared a key legal barrier" after a three judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down a series of legal challenges. Decision means the agency can move ahead with the delay reduction plan, which had been opposed by the State of Connecticut as well as towns and counties in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut and a citizens group.
US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said yesterday that the agency is initiating "an expedited review of flight and rest rules" and "will work rapidly to develop and implement a new flight time and rest rule." Babbitt said that "pilot fatigue [is now] a high priority" for FAA and called for US airlines and pilot unions "to respond [to FAA] by July 31 with specific commitments to strengthen safety at regional and major airlines." He said carriers must "obtain all available FAA pilot records, among other actions."
ATWOnline is pleased to announce that a carbon emissions calculator is now available on our Eco-Aviation channel. Calculator is powered by RDC Aviation and enables users to calculate their CO2 by route and by airline for either direct or one-stop flights.
