Argentine court appointed an administrator to take over day-to-day oversight of Aerolineas Argentinas's operations as the Argentine government and Spain's Grupo Marsans, the airline's current owner, argue over terms of the carrier's nationalization ( ATWOnline, Sept. 5). Marsans has agreed to sell its holding to the Argentine government but claims the government has violated terms of the deal by not finding a third party to perform a valuation.
Pinnacle Airlines flew 425.3 million RPMs in October, up 5.6% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 7% to 543.1 million ASMs, dropping load factor 1.1 points to 78.3%. Mesa Air Group flew 476 million RPMs in October, down 12% year-over-year, against a 16.6% fall in ASMs to 604.6 million. Load factor rose 4.1 points to 78.7%.
Aeroports de Paris and Air France last weekend operated a two-day trial program for the A380 at Charles de Gaulle. MSN 001 was piloted by AF crew from Toulouse to CDG. Following tests at the airport's Terminal S3, the aircraft was towed inside AF's new H6 hangar for compatibility tests. Maintenance equipment tests conducted by Air France Industries all produced "satisfactory results," AF said, while tests on noise and luminosity levels were carried out simultaneously with Wi-Fi tests between the aircraft and the hangar's IT network.
Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis said that the privatization of Olympic Airlines ( ATWOnline, Nov. 7) will mean €150 million ($188.7 million) in additional government revenue annually. The government plans to split the carrier into three units for sale by year end, a move that will "relieve the Greek taxpayer of the burden of paying for their losses," Karamanlis said, according to Reuters.
News from Travel Technology Update: Sabre Travel Network has devised a way for travelers and travel agents to compare the true costs of flights when factors such as checked-bag fees and preferred seat selection are taken into account. Called Attribute-Based Shopping, the application will be available to consumers and travel management companies in 2009. It will be available both to airlines that are hosted on the Sabre system and to airlines that simply distribute through the Sabre GDS.
Sabre Travel Network won a two-year extension on its contract with United Airlines to provide full content of published fares and inventory via its GDS. Extension maintains the distribution agreement until 2013.
Aer Lingus averted a potential strike ( ATWOnline, Nov. 11) by reaching a framework agreement with the SIPTU union, which represents thousands of EI employees that had voted to take industrial action over EI's cost-saving plan that included significant outsourcing. "This framework would not involve outsourcing," the airline said. "However, until these savings are verified and confirmed by the union, the outsourcing plans remain on the table.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, who had been considering replacing the Air Passenger Duty with a direct "per-plane" fee levied on airlines, yesterday made the surprise announcement that the APD will remain under a new scheme that will impose ascending fees on passengers based on the distance travelled to/from UK airports. Darling explained to parliament that he has developed "a four-band [APD] system ensuring those that travel further and have a larger environmental impact meet that cost. . .This will be effective in reducing emissions from aviation."
US State Dept. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs John Byerly said he would negotiate expansive Latin American open skies agreements "at the drop of a hat," but TAP Portugal CEO Fernando Pinto warned that the US faces a "closed, regulated and protected market."
Rolls-Royce said it is consulting with its labor unions regarding plans to cut 140 jobs at its Derby Assembly and Test Facility. The proposed job reductions are "the first stage" of a larger downsizing that could see 1,500-2,000 workers laid off on a worldwide basis. Actions are in response to the "current economic uncertainties," delays to specific programs such as the A380 and 787 and "the benefits of the group's continuing focus on efficiency," according to a statement. The reductions account for 4% of the worldwide workforce.
Lufthansa Consulting reached its third contract extension with Petrobras (Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.) to provide technical counsel related to implementation of aviation safety activities. Contract will extend to September 2009 and focus on establishing an Aviation Competence Center within Petrobras as well as improving safety standards, flight operations, maintenance and ground operations and emergency planning. LCG has supported the oil company and its transport division since 2004.
Boeing warned last week that it will lay off an undetermined number of employees next year as part of an effort to slash costs to contend with a "challenging business environment." The manufacturer said it will cut the workforce at its Wichita facility by 27%, or 800 jobs. In a memo cited by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Boeing said the cuts at its Kansas facility make clear there will be "some employment decreases starting in early 2009" and indicated more job reductions will be announced.
Iberia said it renovated its La Munoza maintenance hangar near Madrid Barajas to improve and extend its painting services for new and overhauled aircraft. The 2,900-sq.-m. facility is equipped for stripping, sanding, painting and drying various aircraft. A Saudi Arabian Airlines 757-200 and an A320 operated by Ural Airlines are the first in line to be painted there.
Thales said it is introducing an all-digital TopSeries IFE system for single-aisle aircraft and regional jets. The system can be configured by class of service as an interactive audio-only system, interactive overhead video system or full-functioning in-seat AVOD system. First installation is scheduled for 2009 on an A320 for a Middle East carrier.
Air New Zealand called Australia's competition watchdog "inconsistent" following the preliminary rejection of its proposed codeshare with Air Canada on transpacific routes ( ATWOnline, Nov. 21).
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission rejected a transpacific Air New Zealand/Air Canada codeshare pact. ACCC issued a draft determination denying authorization for the two airlines to codeshare on AC's Sydney-Vancouver services and ANZ's Auckland-Vancouver flights, claiming it would lessen competition. The airlines argued that neither operates on the other's routes and both would promote each other's services, bringing more tourists to Australia and New Zealand.
Oneworld yesterday nominated American Airlines Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey to succeed Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon as chairman of the alliance's governing board for a two-year term beginning in February.
Ryanair said it will not operate to Maastricht from Jan. 8, saying that "the Dutch government's ecotax [imposed during winter months] hinders the sustainability of the operations." It said it is in negotiations with the airport to return in the 2009 summer.
American Airlines and the US Transportation Security Administration yesterday launched a paperless boarding pass pilot program at Los Angeles International. "It will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs, which will then be scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint," AA said. The airline and TSA last week began allowing paperless boarding passes at Chicago O'Hare. Continental Airlines has been conducting electronic boarding pass trials at a number of US airports in conjunction with TSA since last November.
Nine mainland Chinese carriers were selected yesterday to operate weekday flights across the Taiwan Strait and are expected to launch service on Dec. 15, according to CAAC. In addition to Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, which all already operate weekend cross-strait flights, Sichuan Airlines, Shandong Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines were tapped to operate the weekday flights.
Skyways Aviation, acting on behalf of Largus Aviation, concluded five lease transactions with Air Baltic of Latvia. Largus purchased three F50s currently operating with the Latvian airline on an existing lease agreement with nine months remaining. As part of the deal, Largus signed a new lease agreement with Air Baltic for 4.5 years. Air Baltic also is taking two F50s operated by Skyways of Sweden, also owned by Largus. The first will be released this month and the second in April 2009. Skyways also arranged the sale of an F50 from Crescent air Cargo of India to Largus.
Malaysia Airlines and Air Mauritius strengthened their codesharing partnership yesterday with the signing of a new agreement that expands the previous accord covering the Kuala Lumpur-Mauritius route to beyond destinations in Australia and Asia. In a second stage, MAS will have the opportunity to add its code to Air Mauritius flights connecting in Mauritius to selected destinations in the Indian Ocean.
New runways at Chicago O'Hare, Washington Dulles and Seattle-Tacoma International opened yesterday in time for the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period. According to the US Dept. of Transportation, the runways will allow "for an additional 330,000 takeoffs and landings each year." Cost of the runways was more than $2 billion, including $643 million in federal Airport Improvement Program funds. The opening of the ORD runway, 9L-27R, is a major milestone in the O'Hare Modernization Program and is expected to offer increased capacity when landing west.
