Air France Industries signed a multiyear contract with Air Mauritius for overhaul of 31 CFM56-5C engines and component maintenance of two new A330-200s to be delivered this month and at the end of 2009. The contract includes access to AFI's component pool, with creation of a main based kit situated at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International.
British Airways flew 9.63 billion RPKs in October, up 2.2% from the year-ago month, against a 1.3% increase in ASKs to 12.68 billion. Load factor rose 0.6 point to 75.9%.
Lufthansa Flight Training will place a new A320 Level B simulator in Berlin. The 5000 Series simulator manufactured by CAE was ordered last spring and will be operational from March. It is LHT Berlin's ninth simulator.
Spatial Composite Solutions of Dubai won an $8.8 million contract from Emirates to design and install 13 cabin service trainers for assorted Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including the A380.
UK government intends to ease the present single cabin bag restriction from next year. Under the plan, airports will be able to seek permission from the Dept. for Transport beginning Jan. 7 to allow passengers to take more than one item of hand luggage onboard. Airports must prove they can maintain existing security levels. The UK is the only EU country to limit hand luggage to one item.
UK Office of Fair Trading is seeking comments on easyJet'acquisition of GB Airways ( ATWOnline, Oct. 26). The LCC announced last month that it agreed to acquire the British Airways franchise partner, excluding its London Heathrow slots, from Bland Group for £103.5 million ($214.4 million) in cash.
Air France Industries was contracted by Nouvelair to provide CFM56-5A/5B engine support for its fleet of A320/A321 aircraft. Contract gives access to AFI's engine and component pools.
Lufthansa added 350 flight attendants in the first nine months of this year at its Munich base, 25% more than in 2006. LH now employs 2,700 cabin staff at MUC. Next year it will add three long-haul aircraft to the base.
Skybus Airlines finalized an agreement with BOC Aviation providing pre- and post-delivery financing for 13 new A319s worth more than $750 million at list prices. Aircraft will be delivered in 2009-10. The parties reached a similar deal last spring covering four aircraft. Skybus currently operates seven A319s and will take delivery of 67 over the next five years.
Lufthansa flew 10.48 billion RPKs in October, up 5.7% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 3.1% to 13.46 billion ASKs and load factor climbed 1.9 points to 77.9%. Iberia flew 4.8 billion RPKs in October, a 3% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity grew 1% to 5.7 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 1.6 points to 84.2%.
Industry experts discussed the challenges of current weather radar systems and how weather impacts airlines on a daily basis in the ATWOnline webcast "Not Your Father's Radar: How current technology is reducing training costs." The webcast, available here, focused on weather hazard detection and highlighted wide variances in weather radar training for pilots. Speakers also detailed new technology that can better decipher weather data and provide clearer information to pilots.
Airbus said it received firm orders from 10 customers for 163 aircraft worth more than $28 billion at list prices at the recently completed Dubai Air Show. Emirates' order for 70 A350 XWBs and 11 A380s was the most valuable single order in the manufacturer's history ( ATWOnline, Nov. 12).
US Transportation Security Administration faced harsh criticism yesterday following the release of a Congressional report stating that undercover investigators were able to pass through security checkpoints at 19 airports "undetected with components for several improvised explosive devices. . . concealed in their carry-on luggage or on their person."
Saying that flight delays and cancellations have turned the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday period into "a season of dread for far too many Americans," President George W. Bush outlined a series of initiatives to alleviate congestion, including temporarily opening up military airspace on the East Coast, and signaled his support for "congestion pricing" at crowded airports.
TAM and United Airlines launched their new codeshare agreement yesterday, enabling both carriers' customers to earn and redeem frequent-flier miles/points on the partner. "By combining the two networks, TAM customers may now purchase tickets on United Airlines operated flights between Brazil and the United States. . .[and also] connect to several destinations in the United States," UA said. "United Airlines will offer service on flights operated by TAM from Miami and New York [JFK] to the cities of Sao Paulo and Manaus, enabling passengers to connect to several points in Brazil."
Jeppesen signed a contract with outsize freight specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines for Jeppesen's e-Link services providing secure access to charts, Notams and data electronically.
Bmi launched a reciprocal codeshare agreement with EgyptAir on flights between London Heathrow and Cairo, effectively doubling the number of weekly nonstop services available to 14. The agreement follows on from the launch by bmi on Nov. 4 of a daily LHR-Cairo service and the formal invitation of EgyptAir into Star Alliance ( ATWOnline, Oct. 18). Separately, bmi will launch thrice-weekly LHR-Dammam flights early next year aboard A330s, bringing to three the number of destinations served in Saudi Arabia.
IATA said worldwide premium traffic growth slowed to 2.6% in September from 5.3% in August. "There is much volatility and distortion in the data at present but the [premium traffic] growth trend remains positive," IATA said. "Excluding structurally weak within-Europe markets, premium traffic grew 6.8% in September. . .Strong premium revenues have been key to protecting profitability from high fuel costs."
Dutch Transport and Water Management Inspectorate levied a €30,000 ($43,740) penalty on TAP Portugal and a €15,000 fine on Pegasus Airlines for repeated abuse of the legally set special noise regime during the night and early morning period at Amsterdam Schiphol. Compliance with the relevant environmental standards at AMS has been tightened since July following an agreement between Airport Coordination Netherlands, the Dutch slot coordinator, and the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Transport and Public Works.
Etihad Airways and Virgin Blue announced a comprehensive interline deal that will provide passengers connectivity to 22 Australian cities and from Brisbane and Sydney to Abu Dhabi and beyond to Etihad's 45 international destinations. Deal is effective immediately. Etihad launched daily flights to Sydney in March (becoming 11-times-weekly in March 2008) and thrice-weekly service to Brisbane in September.
EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva yesterday said that an investigation of websites selling airline tickets showed that "over 50% used misleading advertising and unfair practices." According to a statement from the European Commission, the investigation covered "Europe's leading airlines, low-cost carriers as well as other websites selling airline tickets." Kuneva did not identify any airlines by name, but in a preemptive move Ryanair defended its pricing transparency and availability of low fares in a statement issued Tuesday: "Ryanair hasn't been contacted by the [EC] as part of
Lufthansa Systems said Silverjet chose its Lido Operations Center flight planning application. Silverjet operates three 767s in an all-business-class configuration from London Luton to New York.
SR Technics concluded a seven-year Integrated Component Solutions agreement with Air India covering component services for A330-200 aircraft with a potential worth of approximately CHF19 million ($16.9 million). Under the accord, SRT will provide full component support including exchange, component maintenance, logistics and access to a consignment stock based at Mumbai.
Sky West Inc., parent of SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, reported third-quarter net income of $42.9 million, up 5.4% from a $40.7 million net profit in the year-ago quarter. Operating revenue increased 10.6% to $875.6 million while expenses rose 11.2% to $783 million, producing operating income of $92.4 million, up 5.4%.
European Parliament yesterday voted as expected to include aviation in the EU's Emissions Trading System from 2011 and to place tighter pollution caps on airlines than initially had been proposed by the European Commission. The move sets up a likely legal challenge from the US and any number of nations opposed to the EU's unilateral action.
