Spanair cancelled 62 flights Monday as a result of a one-day strike called by the SITCPLA flight attendants union. Last week the carrier signed a labor agreement with the CCOO and STAVLA unions, which represent a majority of its cabin staff, but SITCPLA opted to move ahead with its strike threat. It plans to conduct another work action on July 1, when Spanair will cancel 25 of its 373 flights.
Lufthansa Systems announced that S7 Airlines signed a five-year contract for deployment of IT solutions supporting its schedule management processes. The carrier has been flying with LHS FMS data since 2004.
Tiger Airways' impending entry into the Australian market ( ATWOnline, May 30) is altering the dynamics of the country's route structure. This week, Qantas low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways announced plans to operate on the major Sydney-Brisbane route from December. The move represents a departure from the convention of not linking major capital city airports, a policy that protected QF from direct competition.
Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise will change its name to BOC Aviation effective July 2. The move follows its acquisition by the Bank of China ( ATWOnline, Dec. 18, 2006). SALE has a portfolio of 75 aircraft flying with 29 airlines and has 63 on order with Boeing and Airbus for delivery to 2012.
The US Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that a group of 21 US passenger airlines, consisting of the seven largest network, low-cost and regional carriers based on operating revenue, reported a collective system operating profit margin of 2.7% for the 2007 first quarter, the group's first profitable first quarter since 2000 and its fourth consecutive following years of heavy losses.
Snecma Services Chairman and CEO Jean-Lin Fournereaux sees a big change for his organization when it comes to competing in the market for CFM56 maintenance, repair and overhaul. "We are now more and more working as a network," he told ATWOnline at last week's Paris Air Show. As an example, he pointed out that last February, Sichuan Snecma Aero Engine Maintenance in Chengdu performed its first overhaul of a CFM56-3 belonging to a Western customer. Prior to that, the Chengdu JV handled engines only for Chinese customers.
Kunming Airlines, which aims to become the first privately run carrier in Yunnan Province, obtained operational approval from CAAC. Founder Wang Qingmin noted that he and an unidentified partner will hold a 60% stake in the new carrier while Sichuan Airlines will hold the remainder. He did not reveal the total investment amount. Kunming Airlines will adopt an "air travel plus tourism" market model and focus mainly on intra-provincial routes. Located in southwestern China, Yunnan is home to numerous resorts and is a popular tourist destination.
Messier Services Americas, based in Queretaro, this month delivered its first overhauled landing gear, an A320 main gear. It did not identify the customer.
IATA's five-month extension to May 31, 2008, for the transition to 100% e-ticketing for tickets processed through its Bank Settlement Plan ( ATWOnline, June 5) will give airlines needed time to reach the goal, though truly achieving "100%" even by the later deadline remains unlikely, experts said yesterday during the ATWOnline webcast "100% e-ticketing by 2007--A work of fact or fiction?" Rob Drotar, SITA's head of product and portfolio management-PTS Reservations, said e-ticketing is "the foundation" on
Low-cost carriers will fly approximately 25% of seats available in the Asia/Pacific region within five years, double their current penetration, thanks to the raft of new orders placed at last week's Paris Air Show, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimated. AirAsia, Tiger Airways, and Mandala Airlines each placed significant A320 orders while Lion Air ordered 737s. CAPA said that the region's LCCs will see their combined fleet grow from about 300 aircraft with 45,000 seats to approximately 870 aircraft with 170,000 seats by 2012, representing a nearly fourfold increase.
Tarmac Aerosave is the name of a new company formed by six industrial partners to provide aircraft dismantling. Members are Airbus, SITA France (a subsidiary of SUEZ Environnement for waste management), Snecma Services, Equip'Aero, TASC aviation and Aeroconseil.
Virgin Group head Richard Branson may be moving to take a stake in new long-haul startup AirAsiaX, according to India's Economic Times. The paper quotes both industry officials and Dow Jones and states that Branson may buy the stake from Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranum, who control 60% of the FlyAsianExpress holding company. AirAsiaX plans to launch low-cost flights from Malaysia to India, China and Europe later this year and ordered 10 A330s at last week's Paris Air Show ( ATWOnline, June 20).
Lufthansa Technik and Rolls-Royce concluded an agreement enabling the engine-maker to offer On-Wing Care services at Frankfurt and remote sites with the assistance of LHT's Airline Support Teams AST Engines. Services range from video borescoping and blade changes up to complete module changes or installation of accessory gearboxes. Through the joint initiative, LHT is extending the scope of its Airline Support Teams AST Engines to include the Trent family.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took to the airwaves yesterday to assure citizens that the country's ATC system, which has been beset by extensive delays and cancellations over the past week owing to a controller slowdown, is safe and back to normal operations.
Sabena Technics will provide component support for seven A320s operated by LTE International Airways under a five-year agreement. LTE is part of MyAir Group.
CAAC granted a public air transport enterprise operating license to HNA Group for its Grand China Air entity, bringing the Hainan Airlines parent one step closer to launching its new carrier, which will combine Hainan along with Xinhua Airlines, Changan Airlines and Shanxi Airlines and be the country's fourth-largest commercial carrier.
Northwest Airlines, which emerged from Chapter 11 protection at the end of last month ( ATWOnline, June 1), admitted yesterday that "crew shortages" are leading to numerous flight cancellations. It declined to say how many flights have been grounded or to confirm reports that several hundred flights have been cancelled over the past four days.
A PMTair An-24 crashed in "mountainous terrain" near Sihanoukville, Cambodia, yesterday en route on the popular tourist route from Siem Reap to the port city on the Gulf of Thailand, Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network confirmed. "Reportedly the wreckage was located by helicopters, without any sign of survivors," ASN said. There were 16 passengers and six crew onboard the aircraft, one of two An-24s operated by the Cambodian carrier. It also flies a 737-200, an MD-80, two An-12s and one ATR-72.
Component Control's Quantum Control enterprise resource planning software was selected by Embraer as its global maintenance, repair and overhaul management solution.
ANA and Tokyo-based Overseas Courier Service announced they jointly will develop a new international express delivery service called BEAM that will focus primarily on Asian deliveries. BEAM initially will offer overnight express delivery from Osaka and Tokyo to Shanghai by using ANA cargo flights on the Tokyo Haneda-Osaka-Shanghai route and later will expand to other Chinese cities.
GCAT Flight Academy announced that it has agreed to acquire Oxford Aviation Training from BBA Aviation for $63 million on a debt- and cash-free basis. GCAT was created through the $275 million merger of General Electric Commercial Aviation Training and SAS Flight Academy in February ( ATWOnline, May 23). The Oxford transaction is expected to be complete within two weeks. Oxford is the largest ab initio airline pilot training school in Europe.
ACE Aviation Holdings, parent of Air Canada, agreed to sell a 70% interest in its wholly owned maintenance, repair and overhaul subsidiary ACTS to an investment consortium that includes Sageview Capital and KKR Private Equity Investors in a transaction valuing ACTS at approximately C$975 million ($912.2 million).
