BAA put London Gatwick up for sale yesterday, a move it described as a "realistic. . .response" to the UK Competition Commission's provisional report released last month that raised concerns over the company's ownership of seven UK airports including three serving London.
Sabre Holdings' products in the United Arab Emirates and five markets in Africa will be distributed by Emirates' travel division EmQuest under a 10-year deal announced this week. Contract covers distribution sales and support services in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and in the UAE starting in January.
VT Miltope and TriaGnoSys announced a partnership to provide end-to-end systems for in-cabin networks. Collaboration is aimed at developing a solution to enable a range of services including broadband Internet access, voice services, inflight entertainment system management and the transmission of non-flight-critical crew information such as electronic flight bags, weather reports and cabin inventory reports.
NWA Cargo said it upgraded engines on five of its 12 747-200Fs as part of its EarthCares program. It switched out a mix of JT9D-7Js and -7Qs for a mix of -7Qs and -7Rs from former passenger aircraft, according to spokeswoman Kristin Baur. NWA expects to achieve a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency, saving 2.4 million gal. of fuel and 26,000 tons of carbon emissions per year. The freighter fleet currently consists of seven JT9D-7R-powered aircraft, three -7Qs and two -7Js.
myTECHNIC received DGCA/EASA certification for heavy maintenance at its 46,000-sq.-m. facility at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen. Certification covers C and D checks as well as major modifications on MD-80s, A300s and 737s registered in Turkey and the EU. It also allows for CF6-series overhaul.
Mindpearl was selected by American Airlines as its preferred supplier to deliver multilingual contact center services for Japan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Languages will include Japanese, Mandarin and English. Services will be provided from Mindpearl's Brisbane facilities and will include general sales and ticketing inquiries along with frequent-flier inquiries and redemptions.
Southwest Airlines pilots at Baltimore/Washington International yesterday began particparting in the US Transportation Security Administration's SecureScreen trial, which is using biometric screening technology developed by Priva Technologies to positively identify flightdeck crewmembers. The trial will run for 60 days at BWI and include more than 200 SWA pilots. It aims to identify pilots more accurately than current screening methods and allow them to move through security checkpoints more quickly.
Olympic Airlines will be shut down and restarted as Pantheon Airways early next year pending European Commission approval of a Greek government plan to rescue the loss-making carrier. Under the plan, Pantheon would be privatized, likely including foreign investment. It would continue operating Olympic's domestic network but would cut back international routes and be about 65% of Olympic's size. Several thousand jobs would be eliminated. Greek Minister of Transport Kostas Chatzidakis said OA is one of Europe's worst performing companies and cannot continue in its current form.
VEM Maintenance & Engineering, a TAP Portugal subsidiary, reached a deal with Air Transat for heavy maintenance on four A310s. C checks are scheduled from September to November at VEM's hangar in Rio de Janeiro.
Qantas will take delivery of its first A380 Friday in Toulouse. QF's configuration will have the lowest passenger count of any A380 operator with just 450 seats including 332 economy seats.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday pushed Alitalia's labor unions to accept concessions proposed by Italian investment group CAI, which is willing to spend €1 billion ($1.4 billion) to rescue and re-launch the troubled airline ( ATWOnline, Sept. 15).
Enigma announced that FedEx selected the Enigma 3C Platform "to streamline maintenance and service operations for its entire fleet of aircraft." In a phased rollout, FedEx already is using the solution for custom job card generation and distribution for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. In the second phase, Enigma "will help manage OEM maintenance revisions and publish service information for the entire FedEx fleet" of more than 800 aircraft.
Air China and China Southern Airlines both endured double-digit year-over-year traffic declines in August, and while some of the drop can be attributed to heightened security related to the Beijing Olympics, slowing domestic economic growth likely portends a poor full-year 2008 traffic and financial performance for Chinese carriers, industry players and analysts told ATWOnline.
AP Labs announced that it will enter the market for inflight entertainment hardware through AP Avionix, a new company that had its formal launch at last week's World Airline Entertainment Assn. Annual Conference and Exhibition in Long Beach. AP Avionix will offer equipment such as servers, wireless RF-based systems, wireless access points, power solutions and airborne wireless broadband systems.
Emirates and Sabre Holdings reached a 10-year distribution agreement to grant Sabre-connected travel agencies and corporations access to Emirates' full content fares through Sabre's GDS.
Alitalia, on the verge of collapse, continued to operate flights yesterday as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi intervened in an attempt to revive negotiations between potential investors and the airline's unions over a rescue plan that would require significant concessions by workers ( ATWOnline, Sept. 15).
United Airlines doubled its fee to check a second bag on North American flights to $50, blaming the increase on "volatile" fuel prices. The new charge applies to customers who purchase tickets beginning today for travel from Nov. 10. It does not apply to passengers who fly first or business class or to "premier status" frequent-flier members. Active duty military personnel traveling on orders also are exempt. UA charges a $15 fee for the first checked bag. It said the new fee schedule will generate an estimated $700 million in revenue in 2009.
Midwest Airlines, which announced in July that it would cut 1,200 jobs, is laying off an additional 186 employees, according to Milwaukee's Capital Times. The cuts, to take effect Nov. 7, include 72 pilots, 82 flight attendants and 31 nonunion employees who work at the carrier's Milwaukee Mitchell hub.
Aeroflot cut ties to Aeroflot Nord yesterday following Sunday's fatal crash of a 737-500 operated by the regional affiliate, saying that Nord no longer will operate flights under its code nor be allowed to use its name.
News from Travel Technology Update: Frustrated by its inability to process travel agency sales through IATA's billing and settlement plans, V Australia launched its own travel agent payment and settlement system. IATA barred the carrier from using the BSPs until it acquires its own operating certificate. V Australia had sought to gain access to the system under parent carrier Virgin Blue's certificate. V Australia is slated to launch Sydney-Los Angeles service on Dec. 15. It has been selling tickets via direct channels since March.
In July, Menzies Aviation signed agreements with Air France, Virgin America and six Star Alliance member carriers. MA won a four-year extension on its contract with Air France to provide ramp handling and cabin grooming services at George Bush Intercontinental. AF operates two flights daily between Paris and Houston using 777s and A330s. MA also provides passenger services and aircraft maintenance support to AF at IAH.
STS Holdings recently acquired the assets and business of Tradewinds Aircraft Services, a component supply and OEM distributor based in Pompano Beach, Fla. STS Holdings, based in Jensen Beach, Fla., owns various aviation companies and over the last decade has expanded its offerings to include engineering services and staffing, line maintenance services and, as a result of this acquisition, inventory management and component services.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Chairman Richard Branson said Friday that he will fight the American Airlines/British Airways/Iberia transatlantic antitrust immunity application ( ATWOnline, Sept. 1) "tooth and nail," adding, "it's a bit like allowing Coke and Pepsi to merge." AA fired back, accusing Virgin of resorting "to baseless arguments and hypocritical scare tactics," adding, "Virgin is intentionally trying to mislead regulators and the general public."
Alenia Aeronautica last week inaugurated a new Ground Test Centre in Turin-Caselle dedicated to testing and qualification of commercial and military aircraft.
TIMCO Aerosystems, an aircraft interior provider based in Greensboro, said it will offer its FeatherWeight Galley Refresh System for 767s. Designed to reduce weight and optimize available space, the system features customized lighting and composite countertops.
