SkyWorks Leasing entered a comprehensive aircraft management and remarketing agreement with Philip Morris Capital Corp. covering the latter's entire portfolio of 119 aircraft currently on lease to US carriers. Deal includes asset management services such as technical management and supervision, future dispositions, sales and re-leases. Terms were not disclosed.
News from Travel Technology Update: Amadeus plans to introduce Crazy Shopping, an application that will free searches from the tyranny of origin, destination and time frame, in the second quarter of next year. The new search functionality enable users to query airlines in new ways: "I live between Frankfurt and Munich and can fly from either airport. I would like to go to either Thailand or Indonesia. Show me my options." Or, "I have €600. Where can I go?"
China Eastern Airlines expects to report a significant loss for the first nine months of 2008 owing to the sharp decline in domestic market conditions and a CNY720-per-ton increase in third-quarter jet fuel prices. CEA posted a CNY212.5 million ($31 million) net loss in the 2008 first half and said it will deepen due to a "decline in domestic demand starting from the third quarter" that it said will continue for the time being as a result of the global economic slowdown.
Thales Training and Simulation and A J Walter Aviation added the A330 to a flight simulator support program under an agreement announced last week. Program also covers the A320 and 777 and includes maintenance and spare parts for instruments and avionics.
Airstream International Group announced the lease of four ERJ-145s to regional startup Athens Airways. Aircraft currently are operated by Flybe and will be delivered to Athens starting next month. Airline is scheduled to begin flying next April to "most of the basic regional Greek destinations," Airstream said.
Iberia flew 4.43 billion RPKs in September, down 6.3% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 1.4% to 5.5 billion ASKs and load factor dropped 4.2 points to 80.6%. TAM flew 1.91 billion domestic RPKs in September, up 15% year-over-year, against a 17.5% increase in ASKs to 2.95 billion. Load factor fell 1.4 points to 64.6%. International RPKs jumped 41.5% to 1.33 billion, capacity rose 25.4% to 1.66 billion ASKs and load factor was up 9.2 points to 80.4%.
Australian investigators said there is no evidence linking the use of mobile telephones or laptops with last week's Qantas A330-300 inflight incident that injured more than 70 people ( ATWOnline, Oct. 9) as has been speculated. The aircraft remains grounded at Learmonth while Australian and French investigators, Airbus and QF staff examine its computers.
Alitalia investor group CAI will delay its formal offer to the airline's administrator by two weeks to Oct. 28, when it will hold a shareholder meeting to approve a charter and capital increase, Agence France Presse reported ( ATWOnline, Oct. 3).
Amadeus said Qantas completed migration to its Altea Customer Management System streamlining sales, reservations, inventory and departure control management capabilities. Migration "is an unprecedented milestone in the industry and makes Qantas the first to become fully operational on the entire Altea platform," the company said.
The European Regions Airline Assn. said that last week's vote by the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety to auction 100% of emissions certificates by 2020 will cost the "typical" regional airline €6 million ($8.2 million) per year ( ATWOnline, Oct. 10).
US Dept. of Transportation announced expanded aviation agreements with Vietnam and Armenia. Vietnam deal affects all-cargo carriers, removing route restrictions and allowing US airlines to carry freight between Vietnam and third countries without stopping in the US. Further liberalization, including on passenger flights, will be discussed at meetings to be held by October 2010. Deal with Armenia is a full open skies accord.
TAM, which formally was invited to join Star Alliance last week, also hopes to play a major role in Latin American maintenance, repair and overhaul. The carrier's Technology Center is located in Sao Carlos, some 230 km. northwest of Sao Paulo. It has invested $185 million in the 4.6-million-sq.-m., six-hangar facility since it opened in 2001 at the site of a former truck factory.
Turkish Airlines released a statement Friday saying it has not received "any notice" regarding its bid for B&H Airlines. A Bosnian government official told media last week that THY had won the tender ( ATWOnline, Oct. 9). "If such notice is received we will inform the public accordingly," THY said.
Icelandair last week announced a series of enhancements including a premium economy cabin, new IFE-equipped seats, a flexible fare structure featuring six different categories, new aircraft interiors, new cabin crew uniforms and an upgraded website scheduled to go live on Nov. 1.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, said last week that full-year 2008 pre-tax operating profit will "exceed $65 million," a downgrade from previous guidance of "approximately $85 million." President and CEO William Flynn cited "lower utilization of our 747-200 aircraft and weaker yields [owing to a weak economy] having a negative impact."
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh said competing with Lufthansa and Air France KLM for a minority stake in Alitalia "is certainly possible if the CAI investor group restructuring really succeeds," Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported ( ATWOnline, Sept. 30). He also reiterated that BA still is "observing the development of bmi very carefully and we are interested in any acquisition that strengthens our position at Heathrow" ( ATWOnline, Feb. 7).
European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety this week voted to amend the EU's emissions trading scheme, increasing the number of emissions certificates that will be auctioned to 20% in 2013 (from 15% in 2012, when the ETS becomes effective) and to 100% in 2020. In addition, the 95% emissions allowance cap set for 2013 will be reduced annually "by a linear reduction factor" thereafter, the International Air Carrier Assn. said.
US FAA tentatively determined that Los Angeles International may have acted illegally in providing more than $40 million to the city's convention and visitors bureau, L.A. Inc., the Los Angeles Times reported. Funds were given to the tourism promotional office over a period dating back to 2002. US law allows advertising or marketing efforts aimed at increasing travel at a particular airport but forbids spending on general promotion of local tourist attractions. FAA could require that the money be returned or could seek civil penalties of up to $50,000 from LAX.
AirAsia majority shareholder Tune Air, which holds 30.9% of the LCC, said in a statement to Bursa Malaysia that it is "considering" privatizing the airline at an indicative price of approximately MYR1.35 ($0.39) per share, according to press reports. AirAsia has 2.36 billion shares outstanding, according to its website. Separately, the carrier this week retired the final 737-300 used on its Malaysian network. It now operates A320s on those routes. The company has 175 firm A320s on order plus 50 options and currently operates 42 in Malaysia, seven in Thailand and one in Indonesia.
The US Dept. of Transportation announced its intention yesterday to move forward with its controversial plan to conduct slot auctions at New York JFK, LaGuardia and Newark as part of an $89 million capacity improvement plan over vehement objections from airlines and airports that are challenging the legality of the action (see next item), and also said it will impose a new limit on hourly operations at LGA.
Airline and airport organizations blasted the US Dept. of Transportation's final rule requiring FAA to conduct slot auctions at New York LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports to reduce delays, with the Air Transport Assn. saying the decision left it with "no choice but to pursue [a] court challenge" to prevent an auction. In a statement, ATA President and CEO James May said the DOT decision (see story above) "patently defies the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office, as well as the will of Congress," and "will result in a lengthy and costly legal challenge."
