Southwest Airlines said yesterday that it has submitted a $7.5 million bid to gain the rights to 14 New York LaGuardia slots--seven roundtrips--formerly used by ATA Airlines, which declared bankruptcy and shut down in April.
Ryanair is threatening to close all of its routes to/from Fuerteventura from Jan. 31 unless local tourism group AIE honors the commercial agreement it entered into with the LCC to promote Fuerteventura as a tourist destination. The airline confirmed ongoing legal action against AIE and its individual members for breach of agreement. Ryanair began flying to FUE in 2006 and currently serves nine international destinations from the airport: Birmingham, Bremen, Dublin, Dusseldorf Weeze, East Midlands, Frankfurt Hahn, Liverpool, London Stansted and Shannon.
Assn. of European Airlines adopted "The Hague Declaration" at its Presidents' Assembly in The Hague last week, urging national governments and EU institutions to better value the airline industry and not unduly impose restrictions based on environmental concerns. "Aviation is a staple requirement for European mobility, prosperity and jobs. Especially now, in the current severe economic downturn, the sustainability of European aviation is at stake," AEA Chairman and KLM President and CEO Peter Hartman said.
International premium passenger numbers declined 8% in September compared to the same month in 2007, "reflecting the severity of the economic downturn," according to IATA. This followed a 1.5% year-over-year decrease in August. Routes within the Middle East plunged 13.8% in September. IATA said Middle East premium traffic "had been booming at a rate of 20% a year up to August on the back of the economic activity generated by strong oil revenues in the region." Premium travel within the Far East dropped 12.1%, following on a 7.8% fall in August.
BAE Systems announced a lease deal for three BAe 146-200s for operation with Air Congo Ltd., bringing to eight the number of 146-200s the Brazzaville-based airline will be operating.
US FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive late Tuesday requiring inspection of all 737NG center wing tank fuel pump autoshutoff wiring systems within 48 hr., warning that "incorrect wiring" could lead to "localized overheating of parts inside the fuel pump [that] could produce an ignition source inside the fuel tank." The agency said it received a report of "failure of the left-hand fuel pump of the center wing tank to shut off after being selected 'off' by the flightcrew during flight" on a 737-700 and subsequently the failure was found on two additional 737NGs.
Kilfrost said Flybe selected its deicing fluid DFsustain featuring an eco-friendly Susterra Propanediol glycol capable of handling temperatures to -40ÚC.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday said he "spoke about Alitalia" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Trieste and claimed they "very much agree in looking with favor on the possibility of collaboration between Alitalia and Lufthansa and we hope it will happen," the Associated Press reported. AZ reportedly is cancelling up to 100 flights per day as wildcat strikes continue in protest of Compagnia Aerea Italia's €1 billion ($1.25 billion) takeover ( ATWOnline, Nov. 14).
Lufthansa will reduce the workforce, including management, at its CityLine subsidiary by 20% (500 positions) by 2010 and cull 14 CRJ200s from the regional's fleet of 72 aircraft, an LH spokesperson confirmed yesterday to ATWOnline. The company hopes to make the cuts without layoffs and will try to offer displaced workers positions elsewhere with Lufthansa Group.
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Assn. President Carl Kuwitzky last week told union members that he "cannot support" the carrier's new codeshare agreements with Mexico's Volaris and Canada's WestJet. In a letter obtained by the Dallas Morning News, he said that the alliances have "the potential to severely affect the career of all pilots on our seniority list." Regarding Volaris in particular ( ATWOnline, Nov.
CSA Czech Airlines reported a pre-tax profit through the first nine months of 2008 of $22.1 million, more than double the $9.8 million earned in the year-ago period. Operating profit increased one-third to $39.2 million, the carrier said. "We are in very good financial shape compared to comparable competitors," President Radomir Lasak said. "We expect a positive financial result at the end of the year." Revenue rose 28.3% year-over-year to $1.13 billion on a 4.9% increase in passengers to 4.4 million. CSA said it expects passenger growth "to level off in the future."
President George W. Bush yesterday touted his administration's "strong record on improving air travel" and offered his "advice" on future US aviation policy, including a strong push toward satellite-based ATC, utilizing "the power of the free market" to manage congested airports and "standing side-by-side with consumers in a reasonable way. . .to make airlines more accountable."
Compass Airlines, launched by Northwest Airlines last year and now a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, named NWA VP-Regional Airline Operations Tim Campbell as president. He succeeds John Bendoraitis, who will become president of Comair.
S7 Airlines reported a nine-month profit of RUB157 million ($5.7 million), nearly double the year-ago result, according to RIA Novosti. The carrier earned RUB109.7 million in 2007. Revenue through the first nine months of this year climbed 44% year-over-year to RUB31.93 billion.
Qantas outgoing CEO Geoff Dixon told The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney that the airline is fortunate that last year's A$11.1 billion ($7.19 billion) private equity bid by Airline Partners Australia failed ( ATWOnline, May 18, 2007). "I'm very pleased now it didn't happen," Dixon told the newspaper.
Pacific Coastal Airlines Grumman Goose crashed Sunday morning on an island approximately 50 km. north of Vancouver, killing seven of the eight onboard. Flight departed YVR on its way to Powell River, BC. It was PCA's second fatal Goose accident this year, according to press reports. The airline said it has suspended its floatplane operation until it has debriefs with all employees. Eight of its remaining 25 aircraft are amphibians. It also operates Saab 340As, Shorts 360s and Beech 1900Cs.
Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines is confident there will be medium- and long-term growth opportunities in the region but is calling for restraint from governments and suppliers as the industry endures a significant downturn. At the Nov.
Amadeus IT Group appointed Amadeus Global Travel Distribution Executive VP-Commercial David Jones as president and CEO effective Jan. 1, succeeding Jose Antonio Tazon, who will become nonexecutive chairman. Jones joined Amadeus in 1992 and has been at his present position since 2000. In addition, CFO Luis Maroto will add the deputy CEO title and Senior VP-Corporate Strategy Philippe Chereque was named to succeed Jones.
ANA pilots flying for Air Nippon, Air Nippon Network, Air Next and Air Central have threatened a 24-hr. strike Wednesday "to express dissatisfaction with the management stance in their year-end round of talks," the carrier said. Potential strike by 592 pilots across four unions will affect 22% of ANA's domestic schedule (169 cancellations and 32 delays).
Abu Dhabi Aviation announced the acquisition of a 95% stake in Maximus Air Cargo, which flies eight freighters on charter and ACMI operations for commercial customers and the UAE government. Maximus said nine-month revenue rose 227% year-over-year to $86.4 million.
CFM International announced that British Airways placed an order for 20 CFM56-3 Advanced Upgrade kits for its 737 Classic fleet. Order is valued at approximately $33 million at list prices and potentially could encompass as many as 44 engines. Delivery begins early next year. Kit features three-dimensional high-pressure compressor aerodynamics and new high-pressure turbine hardware and provides up to a 1.6% improvement in specific fuel consumption, CFM said.
Boeing said it will deliver the first 777F to Air France in the 2009 first quarter rather than the current quarter as a result of the recently concluded machinists strike, according to press reports. The manufacturer last week announced a 6-9-month delay to its 747-8 program ( ATWOnline, Nov. 17). The Everett Herald said Boeing has two 777Fs in flight testing and one in production. There are 73 orders for the aircraft. Meanwhile, the company last Friday completed destructive testing on a full-scale composite 787 wing box.
Rosavia is the official name of the new state-owned, Moscow-based airline comprising 10 regional carriers, including the remnants of the AiRUnion alliance. Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov said Rosavia "will be a large, serious company with a powerful potential and will rival Aeroflot," Interfax reported ( ATWOnline, Oct. 24).
EasyJet said yesterday that the UK High Court approved its application for judicial review of the regulatory process that allowed BAA to impose what the carrier called "an exorbitant increase" in passenger charges at London Gatwick ( ATWOnline, March 12). UK CAA authorized BAA to raise charges by 21% to £6.79 per passenger this year and by 2% above inflation annually for the subsequent four years.
