Australian High Court let stand a lower court ruling ordering Air Nauru to return a 737-400 to a trustee for the Export-Import Bank of the US. Air Nauru stopped making payments on the aircraft in 2002.
Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will implement a $10-per-ticket charge on transactions made through reservation call centers and at airport ticket counters from Jan. 18. The charge will not apply to group tickets or vacation packages. A $60 fee currently assessed for award tickets redeemed within three weeks of travel will be eliminated.
PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology said UK aerospace design consultancy Engaero has chosen Pacelab Cabin, a cabin configuration tool, to develop interior concepts for aircraft cabin refurbishment. Also, Bombardier signed PACE to help develop the computerized flight manual for the CRJ705.
Rolls-Royce and American Eagle extended their agreement for on-site engineering services for the carrier's 206 AE3007-powered ERJs. The new Engineering Care program provides the airline with an RR-certified engineer and enhanced engineering service team assistance.
AirNet Systems announced it was unable to reach a merger agreement with the private investment firm with which it had signed a letter of intent on Oct. 26. The aviation services company, which operates 113 cargo and 14 passenger aircraft, said it will continue as an independent company and will consider offers from "a qualified potential acquirer."
World Air Holdings, parent of World Airways and North American Airlines, signed a letter of intent to lease for three years a 767-300ER for delivery to North American in December 2006. It also signed a two-year extension on a leased 757-200ER, now set to expire in May 2008.
Volito Aviation of Sweden purchased two 737s from Tombo Aviation. The six-year-old aircraft will remain on lease to Copa Airlines until April and June 2009.
Juro International Systems announced that Midwest Airlines will use its JIS-MIT Revenue Analysis System to warehouse and study real-time revenue analysis information.
Austrian Airlines Group announced Friday that it is in close talks with Italian airport operator SAVE about selling its catering unit Airest. AAG put Airest up for sale earlier this year. Negotiations will run until Jan. 31.
Opposition to the US Dept. of Transportation's proposal to ease how it interprets foreign control of a US airline ( ATWOnline, Nov. 4) is rising in Congress. Last week, Reps. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) introduced legislation in the House of Representatives aimed at preventing or at least delaying DOT from finalizing its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
Sabre Holdings opened an office in Moscow to accommodate its growing presence in Russia and central Asia. The office will be staffed by Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions. Separately, Gulf Air will add Sabre CargoMax Revenue Manager to its portfolio.
Aloha Airlines received permission last week to cancel its employee pension plans from a US District Court judge, who ruled against the US Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. in finding that the airline would be unable to survive its exit from bankruptcy or attract investors while still owing $155 million to its defined-benefit pension plans. Aloha's departure from Chapter 11 nearly was finalized when it reached a labor deal with its pilots earlier in the week ( ATWOnline, Dec.
Southwest Airlines will expand its codeshare agreement with ATA Airlines to include the latter's thrice-daily service between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Chicago Midway. The codeshare flights will begin Jan. 11. Southwest operates 196 flights per day from MDW, its second-busiest market. Although American Airlines said last week it will launch service to Kansas City and St. Louis from Dallas Love Field ( ATWOnline, Dec. 14), Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said his carrier has "no interest in splitting our operation between Dallas Love Field and DFW Airport. .
FlyBE Chairman Jim French said the group expects to post an operating profit of about £10 million ($17.7 million), its first in five years, for the year ended March 2005 compared to an operating loss of £9.8 million in the previous year. Pre-tax profit should come in at £8 million, up from £2.9 million. The airline appointed Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein as financial adviser to lead a possible IPO late next year or in 2007, the Financial Times reported.
Aviaimport of Cuba agreed to a 10-year, $94 million loan with a syndicate of Russian banks for the purchase of two Il 96-300s to be delivered Christmas Day and Jan. 20.
UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch sharply rebuked British Airways' maintenance operation over a September 2003 incident involving one of BA's 757s. During the first flight after the aircraft returned to service from a 26-day maintenance check, the crew noticed that a hot oil smell that had been present in the cockpit on startup had returned shortly after takeoff from London Heathrow. The cockpit crew donned oxygen masks and diverted the aircraft to Gatwick.
China Eastern Airlines and Pratt & Whitney signed an MOU Friday to create an MRO facility in Shanghai devoted to the CFM56. It is scheduled to open in 2007. Snecma Services Brussels signed a time and material engine MRO contract with SkyEurope Airlines covering exclusive MRO services through 2008 for the CFM56-3s powering its fleet of 12 737s.
KLM is in the process of launching its fully revamped website in 70 countries as part of a broader objective to achieve a global online booking score of 40% in FY07-08. Its current score is 12%.
Air Botswana leased a BAe 146-100 from BAE Systems Regional Aircraft and signed a JetSpares support agreement covering its two 146-100s. AerCap purchased two new A319s and leased them to Atlasjet International Airways of Turkey. The 144-seat, single-class aircraft will be powered by IAE V2500s and fly on domestic routes. The first was delivered Thursday, the second is scheduled for delivery early next year.
US Sen. Joseph Lieberman urged the Dept. of Homeland Security to review the Transportation Security Administration's decision to allow certain scissors and tools to be carried by passengers ( ATWOnline, Dec. 5).
EU and Morocco reached an open skies agreement Wednesday that will go into effect next year pending parliamentary ratification. The deal allows the Moroccan government to avoid spending approximately $3.29 billion to expand Royal Air Maroc's fleet by the 60 aircraft required to accommodate increasing tourism, Reuters reported. RAM chief Mohamed Berrada told state news agency MAP he did not fear impending competition. "The competition will not play out on Morocco only," he said. "That competition will play out in the EU as well. For us, competition is a factor of progress."
