News from Travel Technology Update: Worldspan told the Securities and Exchange Commission that Expedia has yet another deal with another GDS. "In October2005, Expedia notified us of its intention to move some portion but not all of its European transactions to another GDS provider in 2006," Worldspan said.
Boeing said ANA has launched the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter program with a firm agreement for three passenger-to-freighter conversions and options for an additional four conversions. Value of the deal was not supplied. ANA is launch customer for the 787, which is expected to replace its 767 fleet. The three 767BCFs will be redelivered to the carrier between December 2007 and October 2008. Boeing will determine a modification site for the prototype aircraft at a later date.
Emirates and Korean Air signed a codeshare agreement for service between Dubai and Seoul affecting 10 weekly flights between the cities. Emirates launched daily nonstop service to Seoul in May.
Expedia delivers another (potential) blow to Worldspan Expedia delivers another (potential) blow to Worldspan Worldspan told the Securities and Exchange Commission that Expedia has yet another deal with another GDS. "In October2005, Expedia notified us of its intention to move some portion but not all of its European transactions to another GDS provider in 2006," Worldspan said.
Pratt & Whitney will manage all parts inventory and logistics including new spare parts, used serviceable material and part repair under an exclusive contract with United Airlines covering 217 PW4000 engines powering United's 747s, 767s and 777s. The 10-year deal is the largest Materials Management Program agreement in Pratt history and includes a renewal option, the company said. Value was not disclosed. In support of the PMP, Pratt said it will establish a material and logistics hub at San Francisco International Airport that is expected to be fully functional by year end.
Austrian Airlines Technical Center Bratislava, founded in September, will commence C checks on F70s/F100s and CRJs in the November-December timeframe. The facility employs 30 and eventually will perform MRO services for Austrian partner Slovak Air and third parties. "We believe that more carriers that operate Fokker jets will be looking for some maintenance alternatives," CFO Thomas Kleibl told ATWOnline. He added that AAG will support its partner Ukraine International Airlines in opening a Boeing maintenance center in Kiev ( ATWOnline Oct. 24).
AirTran Airways continued to restructure its ticket distribution Friday, signing a multiyear agreement with Cendant allowing the carrier's inventory, fares and schedules to be made available through the Galileo GDS. AirTran earlier had aligned with Sabre and Travelocity ( ATWOnline, Oct. 14). It also announced Friday that it no longer will make its inventory available to Expedia, effective immediately, as a result of the termination of its agreement with Worldspan.
Air New Zealand took delivery Friday of its first 777-200ER, on lease from ILFC and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800s. A second 777, to be owned outright, is expected to be delivered Nov. 8. In total, ANZ will purchase four 777s and lease an additional four. Separately, the airline issued a statement refuting claims by EPMU, which represents its engineering staff, that the 777's arrival would mean immediate MRO outsourcing. Engineers planned to protest Saturday's Auckland unveiling wearing black armbands.
AirBridge Cargo and Nippon Cargo Airlines signed an agreement to share 747 cargo capacity between Europe and Japan beginning in January. The carriers will market capacity on twice-weekly flights through AirBridge's Krasnoyarsk hub.
Air Jamaica named Michael Conway as CEO. Conway co-founded America West Airlines in the early 1980s and served as that carrier's CEO in the early 1990s. He also founded and led National Airlines, a short-lived, Las Vegas-based carrier that failed in December 2000.
Swiss European Air Lines has been issued its Air Operator's Certificate by the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation, allowing it to begin operations Nov. 1 ( ATWOnline, Oct. 11). The wholly owned Swiss subsidiary will operate wet-lease services in the European market on behalf of its parent company and will serve some 30 destinations. Eighteen Avro RJ 85s/100s and eight Embraer 145s will be transferred to the new company, which will be led by its own management team headed by Peter Koch. Service will commence Tuesday morning with flights from Basel and Geneva to Zurich.
CAE received simulator orders from JetBlue Airways and China Eastern Airlines' training subsidiary worth C$35 million ($29.9 million). CAE will deliver an Embraer 190 full-flight simulator and two Simfinity FTDs for the 190 and the A320 to Orlando and an A320 full-flight simulator and a Simfinity 737NG integrated procedures trainer to Shanghai.
Ryanair may stop adding capacity to Sweden because of a proposed SEK100 ($12.68) tax on tickets designed to encourage more environmentally friendly energy policies. Ryanair head Michael O'Leary said, "Sweden will begin immediately to lose out," Reuters reported.
KLM Engineering & Maintenance said Eos signed a Maintenance and Pool Agreement covering MRO, availability and transport for some 325 components on the transatlantic startup's 757. Eos launched service between New York JFK and London Stansted last week.
Cathay Pacific and Air China will codeshare between Beijing and Hong Kong from Oct. 30. Cathay will operate 10 weekly flights to Beijing and Air China will operate thrice-daily roundtrips.
Thai Airways has raised its fourth-quarter fuel hedges. Reuters reported that the carrier increased its cover to 22% at $71 a barrel from 15% at $74 per barrel last quarter.
Air Arabia said it has carried more than 1.5 million passengers in the two years since it started operations and confirmed it will post a proft for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31. "We are now a profitable airline and going to announce our audited financial results on the current financial year early next year," Marketing Manager Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah told Gulf News. She added that the airline, the first and only LCC in the Middle East and North Africa, broke even at the end of its first year. The Sharjah-based carrier commenced operations Oct.
Discover the World Marketing will handle sales and marketing for ANA subsidiary Air Nippon in Taiwan beginning this month. Discover also represents ANA in a number of Latin American markets.
A Russian architect whose family died in the July 1, 2002, midair collision between a DHL Airways 757F and a Bashkirian Airlines Tu-154 was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday for killing the Swiss air traffic controller on duty at the time of the accident, the Associated Press reported. The crash killed 71 people including 51 children. According to AP, Vitaly Kaloyev, 49, acknowledged stabbing Peter Nielsen in February 2004 although he told the court he could not remember doing it.
FL Group, parent of Icelandair and Sterling, yesterday raised its stake in UK LCC easyJet from 13.99% to 16.18%. Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines will use the same terminals and check-in facilities at Zurich, Frankfurt and Munich and, as previously announced, will codeshare on their more than 80 daily flights between Germany and Switzerland with introduction of the 2005-06 winter schedules from Oct. 30 ( ATWOnline, Aug. 26).
Northwest Airlines is seeking to outsource a majority of the slots on international routes now reserved for senior Northwest flight attendants to foreign-based cabin staff. According to the Wall Street Journal, the airline is proposing to have 75% of its transatlantic and transpacific flights staffed by "regional flight attendants" who are not members of the Professional Flight Attendants Assn., which represents NWA attendants. The carrier also wants to staff its proposed Regional subsidiary ( ATWOnline, Oct. 14) with attendants not on the mainline seniority list.
CHAMP Cargosystems is introducing Global Customs Gateway, a universal standardized electronic customs reporting tool. A Canadian launch will be followed by implementation for customs agencies in the US, Brazil and other countries identified by CHAMP Cargosystems' 200-plus air cargo customers, the company said.
