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.
Air France planned to return to an almost-normal schedule today following a four-day pilots strike that ended last night at midnight local time ( ATWOnline, Nov. 14). AF said it planned to operate 95% of its short- and medium-haul schedule and all long-haul flights from Paris and that all ticketed passengers will be able to travel. Yesterday it operated 76% of its long-haul schedule, around half of its short/medium-haul schedule and about 90% of its regional partners' flights.
Thales said its TopSeries IFE system was selected by British Airways for the 777-300ER, 787 and A380 aircraft it has on order. Screen size will be 15.4 in. in first class, 12.1 in. in business class, 10.6 in. in premium economy and 8.9 in. in economy. BA will offer USB and RCA ports at each seat.
Hit hard by the continuous decline of the domestic market, China Southern Airlines parent China Southern Group and China Eastern Airlines parent China Eastern Group are expecting their requests for government aid to be approved. An industry source requesting anonymity told ATWOnline that Beijing is expected to inject CNY3 billion ($439 million) into each airline, allowing China Eastern to reduce its net debt ratio to 94.7% from 98% and China Southern to reduce its net debt ratio to 80.5% from 83%.
Boeing Friday revealed its latest aircraft program delay, saying that the first 747-8 Freighter will be delivered in the third quarter of 2010 instead of late 2009 as planned and the first 747-8 Intercontinental will be delivered in the second quarter of 2011 instead of late 2010. The manufacturer said that "issues that have slowed the program's progress . . .include supply chain delays driven by design changes to the airplane, limited availability of engineering resources inside Boeing and the recent machinists' strike that halted production in the company's factories."
Skyways Aviation concluded five F50 lease transactions with airBaltic on behalf of Largus Aviation. Largus purchased three aircraft currently operated by BT and extended leases by 4.5 years each. Remaining two are operated by Sweden's Skyways Express and will be released this month and in April. AWAS leased a second 767-300ER to S7 Airlines ( ATWOnline, Oct. 10).
Airbus parent EADS reported a €679 million ($848.4 million) profit in the third quarter, reversed from a €776 million loss in the year-ago period, and said it "faces the impacts of the financial crisis in a position of strength" thanks to a "large and well diversified order book."
European Commission added Cambodia's Siem Reap Airways International to its list of airlines banned from flying into the EU. It also extended its ban on TAAG Angola Airlines to all Angolan carriers in light of "significant safety concerns" raised by ICAO in its Oct. 1 audit report. The updated blacklist released Friday does not mention any EU carriers, in contrast to earlier press reports.
Moog's Aircraft Group was selected by Airbus to supply flight control actuation for the A350 XWB's high-lift system. Its trailing edge actuation system will include the power control unit, inboard and outboard geared rotary actuators, gearboxes and wingtip brakes.
