Lufthansa flew 10.37 billion RPKs in May, up 6.2% on the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 4.4% to 13.64 billion ASKs and load factor rose 1.3 points to 76.1%.
Shannon-based Genesis Lease Ltd. signed a definitive agreement with InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. (IndiGo) for the sale and leaseback of two new A320-200s. Aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to IndiGo in July and September.
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation warned that commercial aviation's growth in India may depend on whether or not the government is willing to "redouble their commitment to reform." CAPA said it conducted an industry survey in India and found that "investor uncertainty related to issues of transparency, evenhanded application of regulations and policies governing inter-airport competition and this was limiting potential new investment in the country, especially in its critical airport sector." Executive Chairman Peter Harbison said the Indian government "must institute a clear policy road
Sabre Airline Solutions signed a "major" revenue management contract with Aegean Airlines. The Greek carrier will use the product to control seat price and availability by both flight leg and segment. It anticipates "significant" incremental revenue as a result.
Alteon Training signed an agreement yesterday with Northwest Airlines to provide simulator training for carriers on seven aircraft types at NWA's training center in Eagan, Minn. NWA and Alteon will place a 787 full flight simulator and other 787 training equipment in the center by April 2008. Alteon will have exclusive rights to market excess simulator time to all 787 operators and will provide training at the facility to airlines throughout the world on the 747-400, 747-200, 757, DC-9, A320 and A330.
Finnair President and CEO Jukka Hienonen has concluded that the airline's Asian strategy has "paid off." He told ATWOnline at last week's IATA AGM in Vancouver that 2007 Asian traffic has grown 30% year-over-year and is expected to maintain that rate through year end. Last month, 70% of passengers inbound from Asia connected on Finnair's European network, he added. He said the airline is considering opening a fifth Chinese destination and is targeting South Korean service as well.
EADS named Marwan Lahoud, currently CEO of missile manufacturing subsidiary MBDA, chief strategy and marketing officer replacing Jean-Paul Gut, COO-marketing, strategy and global development, who will leave the company Oct. 1. ATR named Stephane Mayer CEO replacing Filippo Bagnato, who is now chairman of the turboprop manufacturer's board. Mayer, whose appointment is effective immediately, has been chairman and CEO of EADS Socata since 2003.
American Airlines flew 11.89 billion system RPMs in May, down 2.9% from the year-ago month. Domestic traffic fell 2.5% and international was down 3.7%. Capacity dropped 4% to 14.55 billion ASMs on a 4.0% domestic decline and a 4.1% international decrease. Load factor rose 1 point to 81.7%--domestic was up 1.2 points to 84.2% and international 0.3 point to 77.2%.
ARINC said US FAA awarded it a three-year contract to continue providing the VHF Extended Range Network that supports ATC communications in the Gulf of Mexico.
Republic Airways Holdings reached a five-year labor agreement with more than 60 dispatchers represented by the Transport Workers Union and working at Republic Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines and Shuttle America.
China's traditionally isolationist flag carriers are taking the initiative to ally with foreign counterparts in order to take advantage of increasing liberalization and maintain their competitive position.
Transat, parent of Canadian leisure charter specialist Air Transat, reported net income of C$56.1 million ($53 million) for the six months ended April 30, a 16.8% increase over C$48 million earned in the year-ago period, on an 18.2% lift in revenue to C$1.62 billion.
Ultra Electronics Airport Systems will supply and install a range of its latest airport information systems at Minneapolis-St. Paul, including UltraCuse, UltraSeats, UltraSelfService, UltraFIDS, UltraResource (resource allocation) and UltraDB (airport operational database). ARINC certified the compact IER 918 CUSS check-in kiosk for operation with ARINC's enhanced SelfServ CUSS kiosk platform.
US Transportation Security Administration announced that 22 US carriers have 30 days to arrange payment of a combined $219 million in back security fees, Bloomberg News reported. Money owed is to cover the January 2005-March 2007 period, TSA said. Airlines owing the most are Southwest ($54 million), American ($40 million), Delta ($32 million) and US Airways ($18 million), Bloomberg said. Air Transport Assn. told the news service that it intends to challenge the order and will go through the courts if necessary.
Correction: ATWOnline reported that Airbus was set to announce the adoption of an all-composite fuselage barrel for the A350 XWB at next week's Paris Air Show. This report was based on very recent conversations with multiple sources, whose accuracy and insights heretofore we have had no reason to question. However, based on subsequent information received from Airbus, we accept that this report was inaccurate and that Airbus does not intend to adopt an all-composite barrel for the A350. ATWOnline regrets the error.
Vodafone Spain and Spanair signed a partnership agreement launching a "two-dimensional code system that will enable passengers to receive their boarding card on their mobile phone and proceed directly to security and boarding."
EU transport ministers issued a joint statement Friday saying that any airline operating flights to or within the EU must participate in the European emissions trading scheme, which European carriers have warned would hit bottom lines hard and the US government and IATA have said would be in violation of international aviation agreements ( ATW, February).
Continental Airlines estimated that May consolidated RASM fell 0.5%-1.5% year-over-year, although mainline unit revenue is estimated to have risen up to 1%. CO flew 8.14 billion consolidated RPMs during the month, up 6.4% from the year-ago month, as domestic traffic rose 8.9% and international grew 7.3%. Capacity climbed 5.8% to 9.98 billion ASMs on a 8.2% domestic rise and a 6.2% international increase. Consolidated load factor was up 0.5 point to 81.5%.
Domodedovo Airlines reported a RUB495.6 million ($19.2 million) net loss in 2006, nearly double its deficit in the prior year, Russia's AK&M reported. Revenues rose 27.4% to RUB7.6 billion. Domodedovo operates 15 IL-62s and five IL-96-300s.
Ryanair's plans to launch inflight mobile phones in cooperation with OnAir ( ATWOnline, Aug. 31, 2006) have been delayed by four months as regulatory approval has taken longer than expected, the Irish Independent confirmed. The system has approval from relevant Irish authorties, but a handful of other countries, mainly in Scandinavia, have yet to agree. CEO Michael O'Leary last week conceded that the new system will not be running until November at the earliest.
Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil said the carrier is investing heavily in growth as it prepares to join Star Alliance next year. "We are adding about 20 new aircraft this year and will reach a fleet size of 100 by the end of 2007," he told ATWOnline. New aircraft and onboard product upgrades are part of THY's effort to upgrade its image. It also will increase its advertising spend considerably. Kotil said it has budgeted $50 million for advertising this year and $70 million in 2008.
Lufthansa Flight Training this week commissioned one of the first certified Mechtronix FFS X NZFT (nonzero flight time) 737NG simulators at its Berlin training center. The simulator, LFT's first Level B, will be 75%-90% dedicated to TUIfly, according to Manager-Communications Patrick Meschenmoser, who said LFT's decision to acquire the device, which has a bit less capability than a Level D, is in line with the evolution toward more targeted training solutions.
Ryanair is launching an effort to generate revenue through inflight advertising on seatbacks and overhead luggage bins. It signed a contract with Inviseo Media to sell seatback advertising on five aircraft and a deal with Fourth Edition to sell ads on overhead bins. "Passengers will benefit. . .because these revenues will help keep our fares the lowest in Europe," COO and Deputy CEO Michael Cawley said.
