Airbus last week laid the first stone in its new delivery center on a 40-hectare site near Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport. The four-building complex will be equipped to handle the deliveries of all aircraft leaving Toulouse including the A380. The facility is due to be completed in October 2006. Separately, Airbus announced that the PW6000-powered version of the A318 was granted type certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency following a year-long test period. The A318 was powered originally by CFM56-5Bs.
Volvo Aero was selected by GE as a component supplier for the GE90-115Bs used on the 777-200LR and 777-300ER. The 10-year deal is worth SEK2 billion ($251.3 million). Volvo will manufacture fan hub frames, low pressure turbine cases and turbine rear frames.
Sosoliso Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines, grounded earlier this month by the Nigerian government ( ATWOnline, Dec. 14), were granted permission to resume flying Friday. Sosoliso will be allowed to fly two of its four aircraft and Chanchangi six of its eight. A Sosoliso DC-9 crashed Dec. 10, killing 109 people.
Alpine Air announced it was awarded contracts to fly cargo routes between Honolulu and Kamuela and Honolulu and Lanai-Kalapapa-Molokai. SAS Cargo received its Cargo 2000 certification last week.
AirTran Airways said its customer service, ramp and reservation agents rejected representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in an election conducted by the National Mediation Board. The Teamsters received 36% of the vote. Ballots were mailed to 2,353 employees. "We are pleased with the confidence expressed in our leadership team," AirTran Chairman and CEO Joe Leonard said.
Royal Jordanian added its second leased 72-seat Q400 last week. BAE Systems Regional Aircraft leased and delivered a second BAe 146-100 to Air Botswana, which will use it mainly on its Gaborone-Johannesburg route. The carrier also signed a JetSpares agreement with BAE covering both of its 146s.
Slovakian Privatization Commission announced it will recommend the 66% sale of Bratislava Airport to the TwoOne consortium comprising Vienna Airport, RZB Bank and Slovakian investment company Penta. The deal is worth €368 million ($436.5 million) and includes Kosice Airport for €34 million. The government will vote on the deal in January.
Pratt & Whitney Canada appointed Lufthansa Aero as the first independent MRO facility for its PW150 turboprop engines. The work will take place at LH's facility in Alzey, Germany.
Jeppesen and Airbus finalized an agreement bringing the former's electronic flight bag applications and data to the A320, A330, A340 and A380 families. Jeppesen is a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. The pair had been operating for more than a year under an MOU. The first entry into service of an Airbus EFB with Jeppesen applications will be an A330 in spring 2006. "Jeppesen is committed to meeting the needs of the entire aviation industry because we serve customers from every segment of the market," President and COO Mark Van Tine said.
Heico Corp. reported net income of $6.6 million for the fourth quarter ended Oct. 31, a 28.2% increase over profits from the year-ago period. The Florida-based aerospace technology and services company increased sales by 25.5% to $76.5 million and reported a 28% rise in operating income to $12.8 million. Expenses climbed 25% to $63.7 million. FY profits totaled $22.8 million, a 10.6% increase from $20.6 million.
Northwest Airlines received approval from the US Bankruptcy Court for its aircraft financing deal with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney ( ATWOnline, Dec. 12). Airbus will finance 85% of soon-to-be-delivered A319s and 10 A330s scheduled for delivery in the next two years, according to media reports. Prepayments of approximately $100 million made by NWA prior to its entry into bankruptcy will be allocated to the aircraft costs.
Turkish Airlines is looking into launching a low-cost carrier by next year. According to several Turkish media reports, THY plans to use its older aircraft for the operation, likely its 737-400 fleet. The new airline would offer 20% lower fares.
Azerbaijani aircraft operated by flag carrier Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near the Caspian Sea shortly after takeoff from Baku Friday, reportedly killing the 18 passengers and five crewmembers onboard. The aircraft was an An-140 twin-engine turboprop.
American Airlines said yesterday in a Form 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it expects fourth-quarter revenue to increase 12.5%-13.5% over the year-ago quarter and anticipates ending the quarter with a cash and short-term investment balance of more than $4 billion ($500 million restricted). Consolidated unit revenue is expected to climb 12.8%-13.8%.
Emirates tapped the US Export-Import Bank to finance the acquisition of two 777-300ERs to be delivered in February and March. Financing was arranged and funded by Royal Bank of Scotland. It combines an Eximbank-supported loan with commercial funding and runs for a period of 12 years. Emirates previously used support from the bank to purchase GE90 engines for its 777 fleet.
China Airlines' board appointed Philip Hsing-Hsiung Wei chairman and Ringo Chao president. EADS' board named Anne-Marie Perus head of EADS Sogerma Services, a subsidiary specializing in maintenance, aircraft and cabin customization and aerostructures, effective Jan. 1. She succeeds Michel Freuchet, who was appointed chief of the launcher business line at EADS Space Transportation.
Asiana Airlines said it will place cabin staff on Turkish Airlines aircraft on its twice-weekly codeshare flights between Incheon and Istanbul. Two Asiana flight attendants will work each flight to "provide more convenient service to Korean passengers who make up 80%" of the route's traffic. Asiana added, "such attendant detachment is a unique kind of cooperation in the worldwide airline industry."
Continental Airlines announced it has implemented interline e-ticket capability with 33 carriers and anticipates adding 24 additional airlines in the first half of next year and eliminating paper tickets "well ahead" of IATA's year-end 2007 deadline. CO also said it recently ended 12 interline ticketing and baggage agreements with carriers "either unwilling or unable to implement electronic interline capabilities."
Japan Airlines is forecasting a marginal decrease in the number of JAL Group passenger reservations for the Dec. 28-Jan. 9 Japanese New Year vacation period. JAL reported 290,525 international passenger reservations, 2% down on the same period last year. While bookings on transpacific, Korea, Southeast Asia and Oceania routes increased--up respectively by 14.8%, 6.8%, 5.5% and 0.7% compared to the same period last year--there was a reduction in passengers to Honolulu, Guam, Bali and China. China traffic is forecast to be 11% lower due to anti-Japanese sentiment.
Northwest Airlines said it will need $2 billion in new funding in order to exit bankruptcy protection and finance new aircraft, the Financial Times reported. NWA said it does not expect to generate "significant liquidity" from its operations until at least 2009.
Hainan Airlines is close to completing a deal for a 70% stake in Hong Kong carrier CR Airways, which made waves earlier this week with its order for 10 787s and 30 737-800s ( ATWOnline, Dec. 21). Previous reports indicated Hainan will acquire 60% of the nascent Regional, Reuters reported. It reportedly will pay HKD350 million ($45.1 million) for the stake and hold it through a company incorporated in Hong Kong. The other 30% will be held by CR Airways founder Robert Yip.
Varig creditors rejected the carrier's sale to Docas Investimentos, a fund owned by newspaper owner Nelson Tanure, who paid $112 million for a 25% stake in Varig SA and a 10-year "lease" on an additional 42% ( ATWOnline, Dec. 14). The decision drew cheers from Varig employees, according to the Associated Press. A Varig spokesperson said creditors have approved an alternative recovery plan involving investment funds and that the airline intends to put into service next year the 18 aircraft currently grounded. It has until Jan. 8 to present its restructuring plan.
