Air Canada and Jazz flew 3.9 billion combined RPMs in October, down 3.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 5.9% to 4.86 billion ASMs, lifting load factor 1.6 points to 80.2%.
Thales signed a contract with Aviation Training Centre of Tunisia for a second A320 full flight simulator to be combined with a Thales Formation System Trainer.
UK's revised Air Passenger Duty, under which passengers will be charged ascending fees based on distance traveled, continued to be criticized heavily around the world following its Nov. 24 unveiling. The scheme, effective Nov. 1, 2009, is designed to hold passengers accountable for the "environmental impact" of their travel ( ATWOnline, Nov. 25). "This is another cash grab by the [UK] Treasury, thinly disguised as an environmental measure," IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said.
KLM appointed Air France KLM GM-Singapore Vincent Knoops as senior VP-corporate communications effective Dec. 1. American Airlines named Southwest Division MD-Line Maintenance Ken Durst as the carrier's new VP-line maintenance, succeeding the retiring Danny Martinez.
Virgin Blue announced an upgrade of its premium economy product designed to lure more passengers from Qantas. Launched in March, premium economy now will feature free meals, drinks (including alcohol) and seatback IFE ( ATWOnline, Oct. 25, 2007).
Virgin Atlantic Airways asked the European Commission to reject what the carrier called the "virtual merger between two of the world's biggest airlines" and yesterday submitted a document to competition authorities outlining its objection to the antitrust alliance between American Airlines and British Airways. The Commission opened its investigation into the tie-up, which also includes Iberia, in August ( ATWOnline, Sept. 1).
Siem Reap Airways International, the Cambodian carrier blacklisted by the EU this month ( ATWOnline, Nov. 17), suspended domestic services on Nov. 22 and will suspend international flying on Dec. 1 as it works to "clarify" the EU ban. Siem Reap GM Lao Santi said the airline was forbidden to fly aircraft registered in Cambodia into the EU but that its flights "are entirely operated on a wet-lease basis, at and to international standards."
Air New Zealand last week announced that up to 200 long-haul cabin staff, recruitment, airline operations and technical operations planning and management employees will be laid off. "We have been working hard on a series of initiatives to minimize the need for redundancies," CEO Rob Fyfe said, mentioning pilot leave without pay, introducing part-time hours for cabin crew, leaving empty positions unfilled and freezing executive salaries, among others.
TAM flew 1.96 billion RPKs in October, up 7.3% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 15.8% to 3.02 billion ASKs and load factor fell 5.2 points to 64.7%. International RPKs grew 35.2% to 1.41 billion against a 26.3% lift in ASKs to 1.82 billion, sending load factor up 5.1 points to 77.8%. Gol flew 1.79 billion RPKs in October, down 17.5% year-over-year. Capacity was level at 3.14 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 12 points to 56.8%.
Virgin America launched Aircell's Gogo inflight Internet on Nov. 22 via an air-to-ground video during a YouTube Live user event in San Francisco. A segment of the show was streamed to audiences on the ground and online from an altitude of 10,688 m. VS is on course to become the first US airline to offer fleetwide inflight Internet. Target is set for the second quarter of 2009.
SAS Group said a Norwegian court has ruled in favor of the NKF union representing Scandinavian Airlines Norge cabin staff, restating pension payouts to 70% from 66% retroactive to Dec. 1, 2004. SAS said it will take a one-time SEK130 million ($15.9 million) charge and a SEK30 million annual charge.
ExpressJet Holdings' board authorized an additional $10 million for the company's previously announced securities repurchase program. It said purchases of stock and/or notes will be "made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions."
Mobiqa reached a deal with Qatar Airways to provide its mobi-pass delivery system allowing passengers to receive boarding passes via mobile phones. Technology incorporates travel details on a barcode sent to mobile devices as an MMS, e-mail or WAP Push/Link message.
Etihad Airways said it secured $210 million in financing covering the purchase of two new A340-600s. A 12-year, $102 million facility provided by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. Europe will cover one aircraft while a 12-year, $110 million facility from Al Hilal Bank in Abu Dhabi will cover the other. EY took delivery of one -600 last month and will take the second in December.
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.
