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.
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).
