The European Commission yesterday conducted so-called unannounced inspections at the premises of a number of international passenger airlines operating long-haul flights to Japan, suspecting them of price-fixing. "The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EC rules on restrictive business practices," it said in a statement that followed the release of a regulatory filing by Lufthansa admitting its offices were raided.
SITA and Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority announced forthcoming installation of air traffic information system Digital-ATIS and an air-ground data link service at Kigali. The technology, which is in keeping with ICAO's Comprehensive Regional Implementation Plan for Aviation Safety in Africa, will reduce reliance on voice communications and is expected to be in place by year end.
European Parliament yesterday adopted a new regulation that lays down common rules and standards for aviation security throughout the EU. The vote follows the agreement reached two months ago in conciliation between European Parliament and Council representatives ( ATWOnline, Jan. 15). The regulation will enter into force on the 20th day after publication in the Official Journal and will be applied not later than 24 months later.
Austrian Airlines Group's principal shareholder, state holding company OIAG, reached a deal with Saudi-Austrian investor Mohamed bin Iassa Al-Jaber to take a stake in the carrier through a capital increase ( ATWOnline, Feb. 22). The investment of approximately €150 million ($230.1 million) will enable Austrian Airlines to purchase three A320s for operations to the Middle East, Austrian media reported.
Indonesia's dismal safety record is in the headlines again, and Adam Air faces a potential grounding after one of its 737-400s skidded off the runway at Batam Island's Hang Nadim Airport Monday, injuring five of the 176 passengers and crew onboard. The right wing, hydraulic system and main landing gear were damaged. The incident, Adam's third in 18 months, prompted Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal to warn that he may ground the airline. "We are giving them a chance to improve.
Barco said UK NATS selected its OSYRIS arrival management software for London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and City airports. Contract includes software integration with the existing ATC system.
US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters vowed to take action "swiftly" if "serious allegations" that FAA safety inspectors were negligent in their oversight of Southwest Airlines are true.
British Airways said it intends to seek a High Court injunction to prevent its pilots from taking strike action after conciliated talks broke down Friday night ( ATWOnline, Feb. 25). "If strike dates are issued, we will act to protect our customers by applying for an injunction," BA said. The parties are in dispute over the new OpenSkies subsidiary, which is scheduled to commence Paris-New York JFK service in June using non-BALPA pilots.
US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced that airlines serving Newark International have agreed formally to cap flights temporarily 83 per hr. beginning in early May. DOT, which imposed a cap at New York JFK of 83 flights per hr. beginning this month, announced in December that it would impose a similar cap at EWR and pegged the airport's capacity at 83 flights per hr. ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Shannon Aerospace, the Ireland-based narrowbody airframe and MRO subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik, is targeting a 30% increase in productivity and a 30% reduction in ground times using "lean" initiatives. The company recently welcomed Ken Kreafle, a GM of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Co. USA and an authority on the Toyota Production System, to its Shannon facility.
Air France KLM board met yesterday and authorized the company to submit an offer for Alitalia Friday subject to certain pre-conditions, "including notably the commitment of the trade unions." Meanwhile, AF KLM dismissed a Le Figaro report that Chairman and CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta will resign as CEO in October when he reaches age 65. He would remain chairman, the newspaper said, adding without citing sources that President and COO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon would succeed him.
US FAA projected a "near term. . .definite pause in growth" for the domestic airline market in its annual aerospace forecast released yesterday but emphasized that growth will be "vibrant down the road." Speaking at the FAA Aviation Forecast Conference in Washington, Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell said, "We're talking flat growth in operations and slow growth in passengers." He cited a "series of cascading events" that led to the slowdown, including "$100 oil, an economic picture that's in flux, potential consolidations, and credit market woes."
Lufthansa released further details about its plans to operate its own private jet service beginning this year to replace the agreement it had with NetJets to provide the service. First announced three months ago ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Delta Air Lines promoted Delta TechOps Senior VP Tony Charaf to president of the MRO division. VP-Maintenance Operations John Laughter was promoted to senior VP and VP-operational control and reliability while Neil Stronach was elevated to senior VP-operations control. Gil West will join DL as senior VP-airport customer service.
Flight Safety Foundation, winner of Air Transport World's Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award for 2008 ( ATWOnline, Jan. 29), announced a partnership with Aviation Safety Foundation-Australasia designed to "better spread the FSF safety message through Australia and Southeast Asia" and offer the Melbourne-based organization access to FSF resources and assistance.
GE Aviation began a scrap reclamation program with Turkish Airlines as launch partner to recycle hardware containing rhenium. Program calls for customers to return scrap HPT blades made from nickel superalloys containing rhenium to GE. "The program will help them with their environmental efforts as well as help reduce the costs associated with material disposal. For GE, it will help us reduce our need for rhenium, which is a rare and costly element," VP-Supply Chain Scott Ernest said. Material is to be cleaned and melted for reuse.
China Southern Airlines Chairman Liu Shaoyong told reporters in Beijing yesterday that he hopes to sign a joint venture cargo agreement with Air France KLM this year, Reuters reported. "Our discussions with Air France are going smoothly," he said. The airline announced last year that it had entered into exclusive talks with AF-KLM to launch a JV freight carrier in China ( ATWOnline, May 16, 2007).
TUIfly's brand will not disappear should the carrier complete its merger with Germanwings, TUI Germany CEO Volker Bottcher said in Berlin yesterday. TUI signed an MOU with Lufthansa in January to combine their LCC subsidiaries into one "joint and independent holding company" ( ATWOnline, Feb. 27). Travel conglomerate TUI owns TUIfly, the combination of Hapag-Lloyd Flug and Hapag-Lloyd Express, while LH partners with Germanwings and Eurowings along with Albrecht Knauf Industriebeteiligung.
Condor Airlines will fit out its nine 767-300ERs with a new premium economy cabin featuring 35 seats with 36-in. pitch. Installation, which is scheduled to be finished by November, will necessitate the reduction of Condor's Comfort Class business cabin to 18 seats from 24.
B/E Aerospace said it won a $200 million contract with an unnamed international airline to retrofit existing widebodies and outfit new aircraft with its Super First Class private suites. Features include personal beds, interactive IFE and dining amenities.
US FAA yesterday proposed a $10.2 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines "for operating 46 airplanes without performing mandatory inspections for fuselage fatigue cracking," representing "deliberate violations" of an agency airworthiness directive.
Italian conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi toned down his opposition to Air France KLM's acquisition of Alitalia ( ATWOnline, March 6), telling Rai Uno television, "I think it's possible to envision a public company with Alitalia, Air France and KLM, so long as Alitalia remained a national company with the Italian flag on the planes and offices across the world," Agence France Presse reported. Exclusive negotiations between AZ and AF KLM must conclude by March 14.
