United Airlines and the International Assn. of Machinists reached agreement on a voluntary separation program that will be available for up to 400 customer service and ramp employees aged at least 45 and with 15 years of service. UA last month announced plans to cut 1,400-1,600 jobs through 2009 ( ATWOnline, June 5).
Midwest Airlines and its Skyway subsidiary will reduce the workforce by 40%, equal to approximately 1,200 employees, as a result of its decision to remove its MD-80s from service this fall and in anticipation of "other schedule adjustments to be announced," it said yesterday.
Air Berlin said it received permission from German authorities to carry out test flights using its satellite-supported Ground Based Augmentation System installed on 737NGs delivered since June 2007. GBAS approaches will be used alongside standard ILS in Berlin and Malaga. AB said it is the only European airline using GBAS.
ANA will install Airline Partners Boeing blended winglets on its 16 767-300ERs beginning April 1, 2009, as part of a three-year plan to cut CO2 emissions. ANA expects to increase efficiency 5% and save 2,100 tonnes of CO2 per year per aircraft.
Goodrich extended its landing gear overhaul agreement with Continental Airlines to cover 737NG, 767 and 777 aircraft in addition to the 757-200s and 737s already under contract. Addendum is expected to generate $49 million in revenue over five years. Work will take place in Opa-Locka, Fla.
Lufthansa Systems said Air Berlin and LTU recently standardized flight planning for short- and long-haul fleets with its Lido Operations Center solution. Technology features flight planning and optimization capabilities expected to reduce fuel burn.
Aerolineas Argentinas' future ownership structure, agreed to earlier this year, has been cast in doubt and Argentina's government reportedly is considering a full nationalization of the carrier. Spanish tourism and transport giant Grupo Marsans announced in May that it had agreed to lower its holding in AR from 95% to 35% so the government could raise its stake from 5% to 20%, airline employees could take 10% and Argentine private investors could hold the rest.
VEM Maintenance & Engineering reached agreement with TAM for maintenance of 767-300 components across its fleet. Contract includes provisioning of exchange and repair components including APUs, landing gears, avionics, pneumatics and hydromechanical systems.
The Air Transport Assn., Air Line Pilots Assn. and Regional Airline Assn. joined together Friday to call on Congress to pass legislation putting limitations on oil speculation, asserting that the "economic market [for oil] has become divorced from the physical market" and driven the per-barrel price to a point that threatens the viability of the air transport industry.
Airbus named Executive VP and head of the A380 program Mario Heinen as the new executive VP-head of the Transnational Centre of Excellence, Fuselage and Cabin, replacing the departed Rudiger Fuchs. The COE comprises all Airbus commercial aircraft as well as the A400M and MRTTs. Executive VP in charge of the A320 program Alain Flourens succeeds Heinen. Flourens will be succeeded by Executive VP-Deputy Head of Procurement Daniel Baubil.
Aircelle subsidiary SLCA won a five-year contract with Embraer to produce composite parts for E-170s, E-190s and Phenom 100s. Contract covers parts supply for cockpit integration of E-170s, -175s, -190s and -195s, as well as rear fuselage components for Phenom 100s. Deliveries are scheduled for early 2009.
Boeing said yesterday that its second-quarter financial results will include a charge of approximately $0.22 per share, or $250 million, owing to delays in its Airborne Early Warning & Control program. The manufacturer continues to expect earnings per share of $5.70-$5.85 for full-year 2008 "as companywide performance and productivity are expected to offset the AEW&C charge by year end." Its EPS guidance for 2009 remains unchanged at $6.80-$7.00.
US airlines and the Air Transport Assn. are reaching out to their customers to help control what they say is rampant speculation in oil futures that is contributing to today's record fuel prices. In an "open letter to all airline customers" signed by the heads of the 12 largest US passenger airlines, the CEOs ask them to urge Congress to tighten regulation of the oil futures market. According to the letter, "Twenty years ago, 21% of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery.
Japan Airlines plans to introduce its new premium economy cabin on four more European routes this year. From Oct. 2 it initially will be available on three of the seven weekly flights between Amsterdam and Tokyo and from Dec. 6 on all flights. Premium economy will be introduced on all three weekly Moscow-Tokyo flights from Nov. 29. The cabin will be offered on three weekly flights between London and Osaka from Oct. 1, going to daily from Nov. 29. It will be introduced on daily service between Paris and Nagoya from Dec. 6.
ACTS Aero Technical Support & Services, the former Air Canada Technical Services, is laying off 650 workers in response to declining MRO demand from Air Canada, the Canadian Press reported. According to the news service, the reductions will affect 250 fulltime employees and 400 others. Last month AC announced it will cut total system capacity by 7% year-over-year in this year's fourth quarter and the 2009 first quarter ( ATWOnline, June 18).
Rolls-Royce and British Airways yesterday announced the start of an alternative fuel test program that "will seek to identify practical alternatives to the current industry-standard fuel kerosene." The engine producer and the airline will initiate a joint tender process in an effort to find suppliers willing and able to offer samples for testing on a Rolls-Royce RB211 used to power a BA 747. The tests will be carried out on an indoor engine testbed at the Rolls-Royce facility in Derby.
US FAA Office of Environment and Energy Director Carl Burleson said yesterday that the agency hopes to have a "synthetic fuel blend" for powering commercial aircraft "certified by the end of this year." He told reporters that the agency wants a "gasoline source" that is 50% synthetic. He did not elaborate on the source. He added that FAA is targeting 2010 to certify a biofuel blend and 2013 to certify "full biofuel" to power commercial flight.
US Dept. of Transportation issued a final rule yesterday that will permit US airports to base airline rates and charges on "market incentives" as well as the traditional aircraft weight metric currently used, opening the door for operators of congested airports to impose higher fees on aircraft landing during peak hours.
European Court of First Instance rejected an appeal filed by Alitalia in 2001 against a European Commission ruling that attached conditions on the use of state aid as part of an AZ restructuring plan. "The Court of First Instance confirms the Commission's decision on aid for the restructuring of Alitalia," it said in a statement.
Lufthansa Technik subsidiary Lufthansa Technic AERO Alzey, which specializes in regional aircraft engines, named Mark Johnson as CEO replacing the departing Peter Kamenz. Johnson most recently was commercial manager at LH's Frankfurt hub.
Skyworks Leasing arranged the sale of a Transamerica Aviation A320 to VGS Aircraft Leasing One, a subsidiary of VGS Aircraft Holding (Ireland). Aircraft is on lease to US Airways. It also arranged the sale on behalf of Bank of America of a 767-300 to 767(2), a company affiliated with Ryan International Airlines, and of a former Skybus Airlines A319 acquired earlier this year from Air Canada to a special purpose company affiliated with VTB Leasing, Moscow. After interior modifications, that aircraft will be placed on long-term lease with Rossiya.
US FAA issued new airworthiness directives this week requiring "repetitive inspections for cracking" of overwing frames on MD-80s and of the upper frame to side frame splice on the fuselage of 737 Classics. American Airlines is the largest operator of the MD-80 and Southwest Airlines is the largest operator of the 737 Classic series, but one or both of the types are present in the fleets of most other US major airlines.
Lufthansa Group airlines flew 13.87 billion RPKs in June, a 27.9% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 29.4% to 17.1 billion ASKs, lowering load factor 1 point to 81.1%. US Airways Group said June consolidated passenger RASM rose 2%-4% year-over-year. It flew 5.86 billion RPMs, down 0.6%, against a 0.6% increase in capacity to 6.95 billion ASMs. Load factor fell 1 point to 84.4%. Ryanair transported 5.2 million passengers in June, up 19% from the year-ago month. Load factor fell 1 point to 84%.
Northwest Airlines said yesterday that its previously announced capacity cuts, which will include the removal of more than 40 aircraft from its fleet in 2008, will result in a reduction of 2,500 frontline and management employees. NWA also unveiled a range of new fees designed to combat "record fuel costs." "Our fuel costs have more than doubled in the past year," President and CEO Doug Steenland said. "In order to manage through this unprecedented fuel challenge, we have to take action to both control costs and increase our revenue."
CAE yesterday announced that the 777-300ER full-flight simulator it designed and manufactured for Delta Air Lines won Level D certification under US FAA Part 60. FAA implemented Part 60 in late May as an extension of its National Simulator Program to bolster qualification requirements for the use of flight simulation training devices. The CAE FFS, which is in operation at DL's Atlanta training center, is the first to achieve this certification.
