Air Transport World articles from December 2005

Air Transport World archives from December 2005

Top 20 airlines system traffic: January-October 2005.(TRENDS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... TOP 20 AIRLINES SYSTEM TRAFFIC JANUARY-OCTOBER 2005 RANK AIRLINE RPKs (000) 1 American 186,498,556 2 Delta * 163,728,952 3 Air France/KLM ...

Top 20 airlines international traffic: January-October 2005.(TRENDS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... TOP 20 AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC JANUARY-OCTOBER 2005 RANK AIRLINE RPKs (000) 1 Air France/KLM 145,212,329 2 Lufthansa 91,699,656 3 British Airways ...

Inequitable thinking.(foreign equity capital)(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... We'll begin by stating--as we have before--that we believe that non-government-owned airlines deserve the same opportunities as other privately run businesses when it comes to attracting investment from wherever it may be available. Moving from...

Worth the weight.(Boeing launched 747-8 )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Boeing launched the 747-8 (formerly the 747 Advanced) on Nov. 15 with orders for up to 34 freighters from Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines. A passenger variant also is being offered. Aircraft will be powered by a version of the GEnx engine...

DOT to ease restrictions on foreign investment.(Department of Transportation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... US Dept. of Transportation will ease its interpretation of what constitutes foreign ownership and control of a US carrier under a Nov. 1 notice of proposed rulemaking that aims to encourage "easier access to foreign capital for US airlines"...

Song to disappear but live TV remains.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Delta Air Lines intends to fold its Song low-fare airline operation back into the mainline during the next year or so while introducing Song's customer-pleasing attributes, including live seatback television, to at least 52 additional mainline...

JAL, Royal Jordanian to join oneworld.(Japan Airlines)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The world's largest nonaligned airline is independent no more. Japan Airlines in late October said it will apply to join oneworld. The link is not unexpected given the close association between JAL and oneworld anchors American Airlines and...

Icelandair parent acquires Sterling.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... FL Group, parent of Icelandair, reached agreement as expected in late October with Sterling parent Funs Eignarhaldsfelag to acquire the Danish low-fare airline for DKK1.5 billion ($241 million) including DKKI.1 billion in cash and DKK400...

Lufthansa Group.(EUROPE Report)(sales and earnings )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lufthansa Group posted third-quarter net earnings of 416 million [euro] ($490 million) after a breakeven first half. Results were boosted by pre-tax gains of 180 million [euro] from the sale of LH's remaining shareholding in Amadeus and 107...

Environmental leader.(J.A. Donoghue receives the 2005-06 Hank McGonagle Journalism Award )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ATW Media Group Editorial Director J.A. Donoghue (right) receives the European Regions Airline Assn.'s 2005-06 Hank McGonagle Journalism Award from ERA DG Mike Ambrose in a ceremony at the group's AGM in Gothenburg. Donoghue was recognized for...

British Airways.(EUROPE Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... British Airways said it posted "reasonable results" for the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, with a net profit of 171 million [pounds sterling] ($297.9 million). The year-ago profit of 225 million [pounds sterling] was boosted by 86...

SAS Group.(EUROPE Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... SAS Group cited the success of its new business model in Europe and continuing cost reductions as it reported net income of SEK529 million ($65 million) for the third quarter, dramatically improved from earnings of SEK133 million last year....

Spanair.(EUROPE Report)(appointment of Lars Nygaard at SAS Group )(appointment of Enrique Soriano at Newco Airport Services)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Spanair CFO and CCO Lars Nygaard will succeed Enrique Soriano as CEO of the SAS Group carrier. Soriano becomes DG of ground handler Newco Airport Services. Nygaard, 39, was seconded to Spanair from SAS in 2001, where he had served since 1991.

Alitalia.(EUROPE Report)(restructuring and profits)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Alitalia's long-awaited rights issue aimed at financing its restructuring plan got under way in mid-November and was expected to raise 1.01 billion [euro] ($1.18 billion), around 17% below the carrier's original goal of 1.2 billion [euro]. The...

Iberia.(EUROPE Report)(downsizing and profits)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Iberia plans to cut 2,164 jobs, representing 9% of its workforce, under the 2005-2008 Director Plan that is aimed at boosting its profit by 600 million [euro] ($716.3 million) over the next three years. Some 126 million [euro] will come from...

Vagn Soerensen.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Vagn Soerensen, who has led Austrian Airlines Group as CEO since the fall of 2001, will not seek to renew his contract when the current term expires at the end of September 2006. Soerensen cited the desire to return to his native Denmark after...

Ryanair.(EUROPE Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ryanair posted a net profit for the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30 of 172.5 million [euro] ($203.7 million), a 16.5% rise from a 148.1 Million [euro] profit last year. Total operating revenues grew 32% to 541.5 million [euro] while...

Quoted briefly.
December 1, 2005... "As the nation's airlines continue to evolve to meet dramatic changes facing the industry, they need the same kind of flexibility to raise money that other businesses have." --US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta

Taking the scenic route.(777-200LR Worldliner )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Boeing's 777-200LR Worldliner lands at London Heathrow after setting a new distance record of 11,664 nm. (21,601 km.) flying between Hong Kong and the UK via the Pacific and Atlantic. The GE90-110B1-powered aircraft took off at 711,000 lb.,...

German LLC Air Berlin.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... German LCC Air Berlin, meanwhile, will launch a transfer hub at London Stansted Dec. 16 and begins operating domestic services within the UK offering twice-daily flights to Stansted from Manchester and Glasgow with connections to some six...

EADS.(EUROPE Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... EADS posted a 41% rise in operating profit to 2.09 billion [euro] ($2.46 billion) for the nine months ended Sept. 30 owing mainly to strong deliveries at Airbus and increased cost savings from the Route06 program. Airbus delivered 271 aircraft...

Lufthansa Technik.(EUROPE Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lufthansa Technik will provide Total Engine Support to Corsair under a 10-year agreement covering a minimum of 24 PW4000s powering the airline's 747-400 fleet. LHT signed Blue Panorama Airlines SpA to a five-year Total Component Support...

Air France Industries.(EUROPE Report)(GE90 disassembly line at Paris Orly)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Air France Industries is investing 23 million [euro] ($27.6 million) to open an additional GE90 disassembly line at Paris Orly, scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2006. AFI also is extending its GE90 in-house capability.

Snecma Services.(EUROPE Report)(maintainance contract)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Snecma Services signed a CFM56-3 maintenance contract with German carrier DBA covering all the engines in its 737 fleet.

Sabre Airline Solutions.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Sabre Airline Solutions said Turkish Airlines signed up for more than $1 million of decision support technology from Sabre's AirMax Revenue Management product group,

SITA Inc.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... SITA INC said British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern and Malev signed contracts with a total value of $10 million for its new Airfare Insight fare structure management solution.

Mxi.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Mxi's Maintenix solution was chosen by KLM Engineering & Maintenance to support A330 MRO, It already uses the solution for 737 MRO management.

Saab Aerostructures.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Saab Aerostructures signed a $100 million deal with Boeing to design, develop and manufacture large cargo doors, bulk cargo doors and access doors for the 787.

CTT Systems.(EUROPE Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... CTT Systems reached an agreement with Excel Airways to install its Zonal Drying System on two new 737-800s.

European airline traffic October 2005.(FACT FILE)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... European Airline Traffic October 2005 % % Load RPNs change ASKs change factor Airline (billions) 2004 (billions) ...

Japan Airlines Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Japan Airlines Group blamed stagnant traffic in key markets and soaring fuel prices for a [yen] 12.04 billion ($102.3 million) net loss for the first half ended Sept. 30 compared to income of [yen] 83 billion last year. Prior-year results...

ANA Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ANA Group's profit of [yen] 19.7 billion ($170.3 million) for the fiscal first half ended Sept. 30 was down 34% from [yen] 29.8 billion earned in the year-ago period owing to the adoption of asset impairment accounting methods. However, ANA...

Singapore Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Singapore Airlines parent SIA Group reported a profit attributable to shareholders of S$343.2 million ($202.8 million) for the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, down less than 1% compared to earnings of S$346.4 million last year despite a...

Qantas and Air New Zealand.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Qantas and Air New Zealand both face decisions regarding the future of their maintenance operations. In October, Qantas confirmed that it is considering a substantial restructure of its MRO operation employing 6,900, including possible...

Former Singapore Airlines Vice Chairman Lim Chin Beng.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Former Singapore Airlines Vice Chairman Lim Chin Beng, who founded Singapore-based LCC Valuair and then sold it to Qantas, is now chairman of newly formed Changi International Airshow & Events, which plans to take over the biennial Singapore...

Rockwell Collins.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Rockwell Collins said Indian low-cost startup IndiGo selected Collins avionics for its recently ordered fleet of A320s, deliveries of which begin in 2006. IndiGo also signed a 12-year contract for the Rockwell Collins Dispatch Plus maintenance...

Korean Air Aerospace Div.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Korean Air Aerospace Div. will provide the raked wingtips for the 787 in a deal valued at $200 million over the program life.

Lufthansa Technik.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(technical support for Star Flyer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lufthansa Technik will provide total technical support for new Japanese airline Star Flyer, which will start operations with three A320s on March 16.

Singapore Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Singapore Airlines signed an Integrated Material Management and Airplane Health Management contract with Boeing covering MRO on its 747-400s and 777s.

Discover the World Marketing.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(marketing contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Discover the World Marketing will handle sales and marketing for ANA subsidiary Air Nippon in Taiwan beginning this month.

US FAA.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(United States. Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... US FAA on Nov. 14 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to require operators "of more than 3,200 existing and certain new large passenger jets" to reduce flammability levels of fuel tank vapors "on the ground and in the air to remove the...

US majors traffic October 2005 *.(FACT FILE)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... US Majors Traffic October 2005 * RPMs % chg. ASMs % chg. LF +/-chg. Airline (bil.) 2004 (bil.) 2004 (%) 2004 AirTran 0.97 35.2 1.32 25.4 ...

ACE Aviation Holdings.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ACE Aviation Holdings, parent of Air Canada, reported third-quarter net income of C$270 million ($229.6 million) compared to an C$81 million loss in the year-ago period, which included C$313 million in pretax restructuring costs. Operating...

Northwest Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(pay and benefit reduction contract with pilots and flight attendants )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Northwest Airlines early last month reached agreement with its pilots and flight attendants on pay and benefit reductions that will save it $332 million on an annual basis, but failed to reach a deal with workers represented by the...

WestJet.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... WestJet earned C$30.3 million ($25.6 million) in the third quarter, up 43.6% from C$21.1 million earned a year ago. The Canadian LCC saw a 30.9% increase in operating revenue to C$406.1 million while operating income climbed 31.6% to C$55.8...

FLYi.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(restructuring)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... FLYi, parent of Independence Air, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Nov. 7. It said it will maintain operations as it seeks outside investors or purchasers. It listed assets of approximately $378.5 million and liabilities of...

Southwest Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Southwest Airlines will launch service to Denver International Airport on Jan. 3 after a 20-year absence from the city. DEN is United's second-biggest hub and also home to Frontier Airlines.

Frontier Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Frontier Airlines earned $6.9 million in its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30 compared to a net loss of $2.1 million last year. Revenue in the quarter jumped 20.3% to $258.4 million.

Midwest Air Group.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Midwest Air Group, parent of Midwest Airlines and Skyway Airlines/Midwest Connect, reported a third-quarter net loss of $26.9 million, double the $13.4 million loss in the year-ago period, owing to surging expenses.

Cendant Corp.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Cendant Corp.'s board approved the breakup of Cendant into four standalone, publicly traded "pure-play" companies. Orbitz, the online travel site, and the Galileo GDS will be part of the not yet named Travel Network company.

US FAA.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... US FAA extended its order setting hourly caps on airline operations at Chicago O'Hare until April 2006. The order sets the peak hour arrival rate at ORD at 88 scheduled flights with the exception of the 8 p.m. hour, when the rate may not exceed...

Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(runways)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport opened its fourth runway at the end of October. Approximately 37% of departing flights and 17% of arrivals will use the new 8,000-ft. runway, which will boost capacity by 25%.

FAA.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... FAA will deploy the Airport Surface Detection Model X at 15 major US airports beginning in January.

Boeing.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Boeing's third-quarter net income surged 122% to $1.01 billion from $456 million a year earlier as special gains and tax benefits more than offset the impact of the month-long strike at its Boeing Commercial Airplanes unit, which reduced...

GE Engine Services.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... GE Engine Services signed an eight-year OnPoint Solutions service agreement valued at $1.5 billion covering MRO of the nearly 600 CFM56-7s in service or on order powering Southwest Airlines' 737-700s. ++++++

Pratt & Whitney.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Pratt & Whitney signed a 10-year Materials Management Program deal with United Airlines covering 217 PW4000s powering United's 747s, 767s and 777s, the largest such agreement in Pratt's history. Value was not disclosed. The company is...

AirTran Airways.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... AirTran Airways reached agreements with Cendant and Sabre allowing its inventory, fares and schedules to be made available through the Galileo GDS and Sabre/Travelocity, but it no longer will participate in Expedia.

Worldspan.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Web Works)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Worldspan introduced a portfolio of customer service applications for airlines called Web Works.

Goodrich Corp.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(integrated fuel injection system )(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Goodrich Corp. was chosen by Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems to supply an integrated fuel injection system for the APS5000 APU for the 787.

Eaton Corp.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Eaton Corp. was selected by Hamilton Sundstrand to provide ducting and associated hardware for the nitrogen generating system and the cabin air conditioning and thermal control system for the 787.

Lufthansa Technik.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lufthansa Technik signed a five-year contract with US startup MAXjet covering Total Component Support for the all-business-class carrier's 767-200ERs.

KLM Engineering & Maintenance.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... 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.

TAP Portugal.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(acquisition of Varig Engineering and Maintenance and VarigLog )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... TAP Portugal will assume a controlling interest in Varig Engineering and Maintenance and VarigLog (Logistics and Cargo) as part of its participation in Varig's restructuring. The plan includes an initial $62 million in financing. In a second...

LAN Airlines.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... LAN Airlines posted a profit of $23.8 million, down 34.6% from $36.4 earned in the year-ago period, in a busy third quarter marked by record fuel prices and startup costs related to the launch of LAN Argentina. Operating revenues rose 17.6% to...

Gol.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Gol posted a record third-quarter net profit of R$138.2 million ($61.1 million), up 42.6% from R$96.9 million earned in the year-ago period. Operating revenue rose 34.7% to R$696.7 million. Income before taxes rose 43.1% to R$209.9 million...

Air Jamaica.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(appointed Michael Conway as chief executive officer )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Air Jamaica named Michael Conway 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...

Lufthansa Systems.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia S.A.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lufthansa Systems said Avianca will begin using ProfitLine/Price forecasting and market analysis solutions.

Bellview Airlines.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Bellview Airlines 737-200 crashed Oct. 22 just north of Lagos around 8:45 p.m. local time shortly after taking off from Lagos-Murtala Muhammed Airport en route to Abuja. According to published reports, all 111 passengers and six crewmembers...

Emirates.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Emirates cited "robust" passenger and revenue growth for a 7% rise in first-half profit to $251 million for the six months ended Sept. 30 compared to $236 million earned in the year-ago period. Operating revenue rose 28% to $2.84 billion as...

It came for the cake.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A380 No. 1, bearing the name of Qantas, visited Melbourne last month as part of its tour of the Asia/Pacific region. Aircraft arrived in time to participate in Qantas's 85th anniversary celebrations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Boeing.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)(TAAG Angola Airlines)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Boeing will install Class 3 Electronic Flight Bags on two 777-200ERs and four 737700s for TAAG Angola Airlines.

Goodrich.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Goodrich will supply wheels and brakes to UAE-based Etihad Airways' fleet of new 777-300ERs.

ANA.(CARGO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ANA launched the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter program with a firm agreement with Boeing for three conversions and options for an additional four. The three 767BCFs will be redelivered between December 2007 and October 2008.

ANA in cooperation with Japan Post, the Japanese postal system, intends to launch a cargo airline April 1.(CARGO)(Air Nippon)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ANA in cooperation with Japan Post, the Japanese postal system, intends to launch a cargo airline April 1. ANA, which sold its 27.6% stake in Nippon Cargo Airlines last summer, will own two-thirds of the new airline with Japan Post holding the...

Swissport Cargo Services and AirBridge Cargo.(CARGO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Swissport Cargo Services and AirBridge Cargo, the scheduled cargo airline of Volga-Dnepr Group, will establish and develop a cargo hub in Krasnoyarsk in cooperation with KrasAir under a joint venture among the three companies. Swissport and...

Guggenheim Aviation Partners.(CARGO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Guggenheim Aviation Partners ordered two 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighters for delivery in 2008. They will be Combi-to-freighter conversions.

IATA.(CARGO)(International Air Transport Association)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... IATA unveiled the cargo component of its Simplifying the Business initiative--dubbed e-freight--which aims for global paperless cargo processing by 2010, saving $1.2 billion annually and reducing shipping times by 25%.

DBA.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... DBA, formerly Deutsche BA, announced its intent to order up to 40 737-700s and dash 800s for delivery beginning next year. The deal includes a mix of firm aircraft plus purchase rights and is subject to a final contract being signed.

Aeroflot.(EQUIPMENT)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Aeroflot will add seven A321s to its medium-haul fleet. Deliveries of the newly ordered aircraft are scheduled to begin in late 2006.

Air New Zealand.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Air New Zealand ordered two additional 787-8s for delivery in 2010 and 2011, doubling its original order.

Ariana Afghan Airlines.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ariana Afghan Airlines will purchase four new 737-700s for delivery beginning in 2009. Order also includes lease of two 757-200s from Boeing Capital Corp. delivered last month.

IndiGo.(EQUIPMENT)(contracts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... IndiGo selected V2500s to power its 100 A320s on order. IAE valued the deal at $1.7 billion. IndiGo also launched IAE's new V2500Select service product including MRO support and technical upgrades.

AirBridge Cargo.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... AirBridge Cargo ordered two GE CF6-80C2B5F-powered 747-400ER freighters valued at $450 million for delivery in October 2007 and February 2008.

ACE Aviation Holdings.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ACE Aviation Holdings, parent of Air Canada, concluded its previously announced order covering 18 777s plus purchase rights for 18 more and firm orders for 14 787s plus options and purchase rights for an additional 46. GE will supply engines...