Air Canada said it will begin charging coach passengers C$25 ($25.60) to check a second bag on transborder flights to/from the US for tickets purchased from May 15 for travel on or after July 15, citing "record high and unrelenting fuel costs" as necessitating the policy change.
Atlas Air, without admitting or denying any violation, agreed to pay $95,000 to settle an FAA complaint that it failed to perform maintenance properly on a 747-200 freighter in May 2006.
Travelport reached agreement with Rossiya to provide its Discover GUI-based schedule modeling solution. Technology employs data points such as SSIM files, global traffic demand estimates and equipment capacities.
Northwest Airlines announced the addition of a carbon emissions calculator to its website that enables travelers to view the estimated carbon emissions associated with the air travel portion of their trip. They may make donations to the Nature Conservancy to help to offset the impact. Finnair also added an emissions calculator to its website.
American Airlines flew 11.6 billion system RPMs in March, down 2.8% from the year-ago month, against a 4.6% decline in capacity to 13.82 billion ASMs. Load factor rose 1.5 points to 83.9%. American Eagle Airlines flew 685.1 million RPMs, down 9.5%, and 933.6 million ASMs, down 8.6%. Load factor fell 0.7 point to 73.4%. Alaska Airlines flew 1.7 billion RPMs in March, up 10.7% from the year-ago month, against a 5.2% increase in capacity to 2.1 billion ASMs that lifted load factor 4 points to 80.8%.
TAM changed the name of its cargo business from TAM Express to TAM Cargo. The growing unit generates revenue from carrying cargo in the bellies of its 110 passenger aircraft. It said it will invest BRL30 million ($17.9 million) this year on infrastructure for domestic cargo terminals and national and international freight systems. Its gross cargo revenue totaled BRL776.8 million in 2007, up 60% over 2006, comprising 9.2% of the Brazilian airline's total revenue.
Frontier Airlines flew 942.4 million mainline RPMs in March, up 14.7% from the year-ago month, against a 4.5% rise in ASMs to 1.12 billion. Load factor climbed 7.6 points to 84.8%. Yield increased 0.7% to 11.81 cents and unit revenue was up 10.5% to 9.96 cents. Allegiant Air flew 427.7 million system RPMs in March, a 36.6% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 32.7% to 492.6 million ASMs and load factor rose 2.5 points to 86.8%.
US Airways reported a first-quarter net loss of $236 million, reversed from a profit of $66 million in the year-ago period, and said it increasingly will implement an "a la carte" pricing structure to counter rising fuel costs.
CAE won Level D certification from US FAA and EASA for its A380 FFS, the industry's first. Airbus will use the simulator to offer initial training to A380 customers.
Air Transport Assn. and IATA this week protested a new US government proposal that airlines be made responsible for collecting fingerprint data from foreign nationals exiting the US, with IATA saying that "airline counter staff are not a substitute for trained border patrol officers." ATA said, "This is an industry in crisis, and adding the Dept.
Air Transport Assn. of Canada announced that Air Canada, WestJet, Air Canada Jazz and Air Transat have withdrawn from the organization effective immediately. The four carriers represented just under half its membership revenue, ATAC said, adding that it will work to develop a revised business plan. "Today's announcement is an unfortunate development. . .but does not change our commitment to our members to improve Canada's commercial aviation sector," Chairman Mike Doiron said. ATAC still boasts approximately 230 operator and associate members.
Air Europa pilots represented by SEPLA have called a series of strikes in May and June to protest the carrier's plan to set up a low-cost subsidiary. SEPLA claims the Palma-based airline will violate its 2001 labor agreement if it hires non-Air Europa pilots for the new LCC, Universal Airlines ( ATWOnline, Feb. 8). Talks between Globalia, which controls Air Europa, and SEPLA, broke down this week after five months.
Expedia will provide Air Berlin Group with its global points of sale under a multiyear agreement announced Monday. Contract extends the carrier's fares, schedules and inventory to Expedia and hotels.com branded POS as well as to Expedia Corporate Travel.
ARINC said it completed installation of 64 new SelfServ check-in kiosks for Flybe at 13 UK regional airports. It already supports Flybe at Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Belfast City.
Air Line Pilots Assn. released a statement saying that the chairmen of the Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines pilot groups have "jointly discussed. . .the importance of commencing negotiations with Delta management in the very near future" on a single labor agreement "that will include immediate parity in rates of pay" upon the closing of the announced merger. The union said, however, that such a negotiation does not "constitute an endorsement" of the merger by the Northwest Master Executive Council.
Iberia and Consorci Zona Franca of Barcelona launched construction of a 12,100 sq.-m. widebody hangar at El Prat. The facility will accommodate two A340s or four A320s and is expected to increase airport capacity for dispatching and receiving long-haul flights. Specializing in C checks, it will offer MRO to nearly 80 airlines using BCN. Investment is put at €24 million ($38.2 million), with IB positioned to control 75% of the new company.
Leaders from 13 commercial aviation organizations representing airlines, airports, air navigation services providers and aerospace manufacturers yesterday signed a "declaration on climate change" intended "to lead towards carbon neutral growth and a totally sustainable future." The declaration states: "We agree on the need to accelerate action to mitigate our environmental impact, especially in respect to climate change, while preserving our driving role in the sustainable development of our global society."
Boeing and Airbus, on the sidelines of the Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva, signed off on an agreement to work together "to ensure global interoperability in air traffic management in an effort to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment." They will seek to speed up improvements to air traffic management systems to "increase efficiency and eliminate traffic congestion."
In a rare development, Airbus and Pratt & Whitney yesterday announced an agreement to flight test Pratt's Geared Turbofan engine on Airbus's A340 testbed, although the engine does not have an application on an Airbus airframe.
Lufthansa Technik won a significant contract from Qantas for technical support of GE and CFM56-7 engines powering the carrier's 737, 767, 747 and A330 aircraft.
Reno-based AeroTech Services announced the availability of its wing modification for the 737 Classic family, which it claims "reduces fuel consumption by up to 4%" by increasing lift-to-drag ratio. The modification "relocates the aft segments of the trailing edge flaps aft and below their standard locations when the flaps are retracted [resulting] in increased wing area, increased airfoil camber and a lengthened wing chord." The device also has multiple flat droop settings "to optimize results for each carrier's individual operating needs." It takes approximately 300 man hr.
FlightSafety International announced construction of an 80,000-sq.-ft. learning center for regional carriers in St. Louis that is expected to open in December. It will accommodate up to nine full flight simulators and offer classrooms, customer service and support areas. FSI already maintains a 40,000-sq.-ft. facility in St. Louis and together the pair will offer up to 18 simulators for BAe, Bombardier, Embraer, Fairchild, Saab and Sabreliner aircraft. It also announced that its sixth Q400 FFS and its fourth E-170 FFS have been qualified to Level D by US FAA.
Amadeus said TAP Portugal selected its Star Alliance Common IT Platform featuring reservations, inventory, ticketing and check-in capabilities. Migration is expected to be completed by 2010.
AirBridgeCargo will be represented in Vietnam by Indo-Trans Logistics Aviation Services and in South Korea by Eurussia Air Cargo under a GSA agreement announced yesterday.
Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair flew 7.94 billion RPKs in March, up 17.2% on the year-ago month. Capacity rose 13.7% to 9.67 billion ASKs and load factor climbed 2.4 points to 82.1%. Hawaiian Airlines flew 679.1 million RPMs in March, down 1.6% from the year-ago month, against a 2.1% capacity increase to 774.6 million ASMs. Load factor fell 3.3 points to 87.7%. Midwest Air Group flew 435.7 million RPMs in March, up 7.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 11.8% to 552.3 million ASMs, dropping load factor 2.8 points to 78.9%.
