Shanghai Airlines expects to post a loss in 2007 after reporting an CNY8.2 million ($1.1 million) profit in 2006, according to a company statement cited by Reuters. The airline said high fuel prices, slow development of new international routes and the establishment of a cargo subsidiary were the principal causes. It posted a narrowed CNY134.5 million loss in the first six months of 2007 ( ATWOnline, Sept. 3, 2007).
British Airways pilots will vote on strike action in a dispute over their status in the airline's new OpenSkies subsidiary, British Air Line Pilots Assn. confirmed. BALPA represents nearly all BA's 3,200 pilots and said the decision to ballot was taken after weeks of "abortive" negotiations with the airline. "This is not about money and it is not about safety," General Secretary Jim McAuslan said.
Copenhagen Airports supervisory board said it plans to invest DKK1 billion ($196.1 million) in 2008 to improve check-in facilities, gates, aircraft stands, baggage facilities and security, among others. The airports operator will add 150 employees this year.
Intersky, an Austrian LCC, will add a fourth Dash 8-Q300 to its fleet and launch service from Friedrichshafen to Paris Charles to Gaulle (four-times-weekly) and Munster Osnabruck (five-times-weekly) on March 29. Intersky enjoyed an 11% increase in 2007 revenue to €23 million ($33.7 million) as passenger numbers climbed 9.1% to 180,000. It expects to carry 235,000 in 2008.
Finnair flew 1.78 billion RPKs in December, up 18.1% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 18.3% to 2.36 billion ASKs, lowering load factor 0.6 point to 58.4%. Copa Airlines flew 450.5 million RPMs in December, up 13.1% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 15.1% to 577.9 million ASMs and load factor dropped 1.4 points to 78%. Republic Airways flew 737.6 million RPMs in December, a 32.1% rise from the year-ago month, against a 32.9% increase in ASMs to 1.06 billion. Load factor slipped 0.4 point to 69.3%.
Southwest Airlines board authorized a new share repurchase program to acquire up to $500 million of SWA common stock, equal to roughly 41 million shares. It is the sixth repurchase program authorized since January 2006, resulting in the repurchase of 116 million shares of common stock worth $1.8 billion, CEO Gary Kelly said. The company has around 735 million shares outstanding.
SITA announced creation of a Geneva-based technology research facility, SITA Lab, focused on driving innovation for the air transport industry. CTO Jim Peters will head the operation, which will deploy an innovation knowledge management system.
Lufthansa will start operating a wet-leased PrivatAir A319LR outfitted with an all-business-class cabin on a Munich-Dubai flight from June 1, creating an all-year service that will supplement LH's winter flights aboard a three-class A340-300, the carrier confirmed to ATWOnline. It sees sufficient demand to justify an all-business operation during the summer. LH currently has two PrivatAir A319LRs operating from its minihub in Dusseldorf on a daily Newark run and a five-times-weekly service to Chicago O'Hare.
Eurocontrol revealed that the number of flights in Europe surged to approximately 10 million in 2007, an all-time high and an increase of 5.3% on 2006. Average daily traffic was 27,676 flights last year compared to 26,286 in 2006. Traffic growth was strongest in Eastern Europe, with several states seeing growth near 20%, while growth in Finland, Sweden, Azores and Canary Islands was lower than the European average.
Boeing Commercial Aviation Services reached agreement with El Al to provide landing gear MRO services for the carrier's 777s. Contract features a landing gear exchange program.
ARINC won US FAA certification for issuing aircraft STCs and performing related service and modification work under the new Organization Designation Authorization program. ODA regulations allow FAA to delegate additional responsibility to private industry, reducing workload while streamlining aircraft certification and inspection. The agency expects the ODA program to replace its existing Designated Alteration Station program by November 2009.
Norwegian plans to offer onboard wireless Internet and mobile phone services in the fourth quarter, according to a company statement cited by press reports. An independent subsidiary, Call Norwegian, will be established to provide the services.
Sabre Airline Solutions and Saudi Arabian Airlines signed four separate agreements for advanced technology business solutions covering network management, operations, ground handling and cargo revenue management. Sabre will work with the airline over the next two years to deliver the tools.
China Southern Airlines flew 6.52 billion RPKs in December, a 21.8% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 11.6% to 8.94 billion ASKs, driving up load factor 6.1 points to 72.9%. AirTran Airways flew 1.42 billion RPMs in December, up 16.6% over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 13.1% to 1.96 billion ASMs and load factor rose 2.3 points to 72.7%. LAN Airlines flew 2.2 billion RPKs in December, up 13.8% from the year-ago month, against a 13.6% climb in capacity to 2.89 billion ASKs. Load factor rose 0.2 point to 76%.
ACE Aviation Holdings yesterday said it will sell 13 million units of its Jazz Air Income Fund to West Face Capital and Sunrise Partners Ltd. Partnership for approximately $96.9 million, Reuters reported. ACE's stake in the regional will drop to 9.5% from 20.1%.
Alenia Aeronautica and Sukhoi Civil Aircraft announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on the Italian firm's acquisition of a 25%-plus-one-share stake in the Russian OEM ( ATWOnline, Sept. 12, 2007), which is designing and producing the Superjet 100 ( ATWOnline, Sept. 12, 2007).
SunExpress, the JV between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will open a third base in Turkey at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen. It will base two aircraft there starting with the new summer schedule, operating flights to Eastern Anatolia and Western European destinations. It currently operates from Antalya and Izmir. It carried 3 million passengers last year, up 27.3% from 2006, as revenue rose 23.6% to €300 million ($445.4 million). Come summer the carrier will operate 14 737-800s and three 757-200s.
Airberlin said Saudi Arabian investor Kamal Abdullah purchased 3.1% of the carrier through Moab Investments. Vatas is AB's largest shareholder at close to 18.6%.
ANA Aviation will provide cargo management services to Tui Travel, formed recently from the integration of Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways. Fleet totals 82 aircraft comprising 737s, 757s, 767s, A320s and A321s. Viking Freight, First Choice Airways' in-house cargo team, will transfer to ANA when services under the new provider begin Feb. 4.
Jazeera Airways began trading on the Kuwait Stock Exchange Monday ( ATWOnline, April 17, 2007). The Kuwaiti LCC is the third Arab carrier to list shares on a regional stock exchange. Air Arabia staged an IPO in March and is listed on the Dubai Financial Market and Royal Jordanian launched an IPO in December and is listed on the Amman Stock Exchange.
VEM Maintenance & Engineering received EASA certification for maintenance services on A310 aircraft and components. The certificate follows similar certification from US FAA.
