S7 Airlines will use an A310-200 on its services to and from Yakutsk following the resolution of operational issues at the airport. It has been using Tu-154s. Also, S7 will place its code on 10-times-weekly flights between Moscow Domodedovo and Chisinau operated by Air Moldova aboard A320s.
Singapore Airlines flew 7.38 billion RPKs in June, an 8.5% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 2.1% to 9.24 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 4.7 points to 79.9%. Hawaiian Airlines flew 575.5 million RPMs in June, a 1.1% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity rose 0.2% to 661.4 million ASMs and load factor climbed 0.8 point to 87%. Air Berlin transported 1.5 million passengers in June, a 14.9% increase over the year-ago month. Load factor rose 4.3 points to 84.5%.
Air Line Pilots Assn. called the June 30 dismissal of 57 Polar Air Cargo flight engineers "drastic and unprecedented" and "in complete defiance of the parties' collective bargaining agreement." Polar retired the last of its 747-100/-200/-300 freighters on July 1 and now operates five 747-400s that require two pilots instead of three.
SkyEurope Airlines will begin thrice-weekly Salzburg-Paris Orly service on Sept. 15. Innsbruck-Orly service will be discontinued. Also, SkyEurope took delivery of its fifth 737-700 last month. It will be based in Krakow. The airline flew 283,388 passengers in June, a 36.3% increase over the year-ago month. Load factor plunged 9.6 points to 77.6%. The drop "reflects a significant reduction in the proportion of nonscheduled services, which are accounted as fully booked flights," SkyEurope said.
SAS Group airlines flew 3.66 billion RPKs in June, a 7.1% increase over the year-ago month. Capacity climbed 3.3% to 4.78 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 2.7 points to 76.6%. SAS Scandinavian Airlines flew 2.6 billion RPKs, a 0.5% decline, against a 2.4% fall in capacity to 3.26 billion ASKs. Load factor rose 1.5 points to 79.9%.
Caribbean Star Airlines and Caribbean Sun Airlines announced cost-cutting initiatives including the retirement of two leased Dash 8-100s and suspension of Sun service to St. Croix, St. Thomas and Santiago and Star flights to Anguilla as of Sept. 11. Sun will continue to fly to the Dominican Republic with a new four-times-daily San Juan-Santo Domingo service launched last week.
Comair was granted permission Friday by the US Bankruptcy Court to void the labor agreement with its approximately 1,000 cabin staff and impose a reduced $7.9 million in annual concessions. The airline submitted a second request for relief following the breakdown of negotiations last month ( ATWOnline, June 28).
Saab Aerostructures was awarded a renewed, $60 million contract by Airbus UK to supply ailerons for A320 family aircraft. Saab has delivered more than 1,000 units since 2000.
LAN Airlines is introducing a $100 million Premium Business product on 767-300 services between South and North America. Over the next two years, the carrier will install lie-flat seats, upgraded inflight entertainment, modified aircraft interiors and other amenities. Dash 300s also will see improvements in economy service including new seats and video monitors.
China Eastern Airlines confirmed Friday it is in talks with several potential foreign investors including Singapore Airlines, according to press reports. Reuters reported that the carrier is considering selling at least a 20% stake, which would be worth approximately $260 million.
ST Aerospace completed the transfer of Airline Rotables of the UK to SAS Component for $22.5 million. The consideration comes by way of issuance of new shares in SAS Component to STA. The transaction was announced in December as part of ST's acquisition of 67% of SAS Component ( ATWOnline, Dec. 16, 2005). It now holds 71.3%.
MAXjet Airways took delivery of its third 767 and reported that it carried around 3,950 passengers from New York JFK to London Stansted in May, achieving a load factor of 72%. The all-business-class carrier will add a fourth aircraft this year and a third US city to its network. It also serves Washington Dulles five times weekly.
Jetstar will transition to assigned seating on all Australian domestic flights from Oct. 29. It already offers assigned seating on its transtasman services.
ARINC and Bird Consultancy Services announced the introduction of GLOBALink VHF data link communications at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai airports. Separately, ARINC was selected by Atlantic Southeast Airlines to provide integrated air/ground communications services. Full installation of the required avionics on ASA's fleet of more than 140 Bombardier jets will not occur until summer 2007. ARINC called the deal "the most advanced package of data applications ever specified by a US Regional carrier."
NAV Canada said this week it is taking the "first step" toward moving to ADS-B satellite-based positioning technology for air traffic control. The first NAV Canada ADS-B deployment will be in northern Canada and cover 250,000 sq. nm. of airspace over Hudson Bay. Cost of the deployment is $10 million. "The initial deployment alone promises to save customers well over $200 million in reduced fuel costs over 15 years through more flexible and fuel-efficient routes," NAV Canada President and CEO John Crichton said.
US Senate Appropriations Committee joined the House of Representatives ( ATWOnline, June 16) in attaching an amendment to a bill that prevents the Dept. of Transportation from spending any money in the next year in its effort to ease restrictions on foreign investment in US airlines. Continental Airlines was quick to release a statement praising the decision.
HEICO Aerospace Holdings acquired Arger Enterprises and "related companies" from Melrose PLC for cash considerations. Arger, based in Nevada, designs, manufactures and distributes approved aircraft and engine parts.
Boeing named Joy Romero president of Boeing Canada Operations and GM of Boeing Winnipeg. Romero had been running Boeing's Salt Lake City components manufacturing site.
Airbus this week introduced a Maintenance Mobile Classroom, a fully equipped training facility that can be "taken anytime, anywhere in the world to deliver training at the customer's site."
