Air Transport World articles from January 2007

Air Transport World archives from January 2007

World Airline Traffic.(TRENDS)
January 1, 2007... WORLD AIRLINE TRAFFIC [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Jet Fuel Prices.(TRENDS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... JET FUEL PRICES* November 24, 2006 New York 177.10 US Gulf Coast 175.35 Los Angeles 191.70 Rotterdam 177.83 Singapore 176.22 *Spot cash markets (average). Source: US Dept. of Energy

Top 20 Airlines System Traffic: January-November 2006.(TRENDS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
January 1, 2007... TOP 20 AIRLINES SYSTEM TRAFFIC JANUARY-NOVEMBER 2006 RANK AIRLINE RPKs (000) 1 American 206,016,236 2 Air France KLM 181,377,000 3 United 173,564,035 4 Delta * ...

Top 20 Airlines International Traffic: January-November 2006.(TRENDS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
January 1, 2007... TOP 20 AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC JANUARY-NOVEMBER 2006 RANK AIRLINE RPKs (000) 1 Air France KLM 169,306,718 2 British Airways 102,458,118 3 Lufthansa 101,133,749 4 ...

Here we go again.(Allco Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Qantas Airways Ltd.)
January 1, 2007... Leave it to Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng to make perhaps what is the most astute observation about the pending takeover of Qantas by a private investment group led by Allco Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group. Speaking to...

Qantas takeover could spur new entry.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2007... The pending takeover of Qantas for A$11.1 billion ($8.7 billion) by a consortium of domestic and international investors has the potential to shake up the South Pacific aviation market as the Australian carrier's hallowed status as a national...

A380 certified; EADS' Paris office raided.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Airbus received EASA and FAA certification for the A380 powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 on Dec. 12, but festivities in Toulouse were clouded by a surprise morning raid by French police into parent EADS' Paris headquarters, part of an...

A350 launches with more composites.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2007... The twisty path of the A350 took another turn last month as Airbus said that the A350 XWB will feature composite fuselage skin panels and that up to 50% of the program's development will be outsourced. At a Dec. 4 briefing held following...

Open skies cloudy.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Bowing to domestic political pressure exacerbated by the Democrats' rise to power in the November elections, the US Dept. of Transportation on Dec. 5 abandoned its 13-month effort to ease restrictions on foreign control of domestic airlines,...

Lufthansa launches 747-8I.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Like the bunny in those battery advertisements, the 747 program just keeps on going and going. The latest lease on life came from Lufthansa courtesy of a launch order for 20 747-8 Intercontinental models plus 20 options. The Intercontinental...

The EU and the Russian Federation.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The EU and the Russian Federation in late November agreed to phase out costly Siberian overflight fees by 2013. In 2005-06 EU carriers paid about $331 million to Aeroflot for the right to fly over Russia on the way to Asia. In 2003-04 the...

Turkish Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Turkish Airlines formally committed to becoming the Star Alliance's 21st member in ceremonies in Istanbul last month. The alliance said THY should attain full membership in 16 months. Star CEO Jaan Albrecht called THY a "rising star" but a more...

Air France KLM Group.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Air France KLM Group improved its fiscal first-half profit to [euro]618 million ($809 million), up 50.7% from [euro]410 million in the year-ago semester, results Chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta attributed to the "unique competitive position" of...

Transavia.com.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Transavia.com's French equivalent will launch this summer with four leased 737-800s following approval by the boards of Air France and Transavia.com. Initial startup capital will be [euro]22 million ($28.8 million) split 60/40 between Air...

Alitalia.(EUROPE Report)
January 1, 2007... Alitalia reported a pre-tax loss of [euro]65.8 million ($84.5 million) in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, down from a [euro]15.7 million profit in the year-ago period. It cited union unrest in September and higher fuel prices for the result...

British Airways.(EUROPE Report)(Raising of retirement age of the workers of British Airways)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... British Airways yielded to union concerns over its effort to raise the normal retirement age to 65 from 55 for aircrew and 60 for ground staff as part of a series of concessions required to tackle the [pounds sterling]2.1 billion deficit in the...

Iberia Group.(EUROPE Report)(Third quarter company sales and earnings of Iberia Group)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Iberia Group posted consolidated net profits of [euro]75.6 million in the third quarter to Sept. 30, down 80% from the [euro]372.6 million earned in the year-ago period, which encompassed capital gains realized from the sale of its Amadeus...

Ryanair.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Ryanair again extended the deadline for its offer for Aer Lingus shares, this time to Dec. 22. As of early December, valid acceptances had been received for just 4.96 million shares representing 0.93% of the issued share capital of the recently...

Air Berlin.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Air Berlin reported that net income for the third quarter to Sept. 30 jumped 26.5% year-over-year to [euro]38.7 million ($50.8 million) from [euro]30.6 million in the year-ago period on a 28.5% increase in revenue to [euro]510 million. "We have...

British Airways.(EUROPE Report)(Proposed price caps at British Airways London airports)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... British Airways said it was "extremely disappointed" at the UK CAA's proposed price caps at BAA's London airports that will take effect in 2008. The framework for the new pricing scheme, to be implemented in April 2008 and continue for five...

The UK.(EUROPE Report)(Taxes on Airline passenger tickets to double)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The UK last month announced that taxes on airline passenger tickets will double to [pounds sterling]10 ($19.80) for most flights from Feb. 1, with duties on long-haul business class tickets doubling to [pounds sterling]80 per ticket, as part of...

Aeroflot.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Aeroflot Chairman and CEO Valery Okulov told ATW that the carrier will post a 2006 profit of more than $200 million (it earned $220 million in 2005) and that there are no plans for an IPO despite the Russian government's August hint that it was...

SkyEurope Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... SkyEurope Airlines ended its first full fiscal year as a listed company more deeply in the red as it doubled its net loss in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 to [euro]57.3 million ($76.4 million) from the [euro]28.6 million shed in the previous...

Silverjet.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Silverjet, a UK startup that will offer all-business-class flights between London Luton and Newark using 767s beginning this month, said it reached agreement with Luton Airport to build a separate terminal that will be modeled after a private...

TUIfly.com.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... TUIfly.com will be the new name of the combined fleet of German carriers Hapagfly and LCC HLX. TUI is expecting the combined airline to generate [euro]40 million in savings at the cost of up to 200 jobs. It operates 56 aircraft. Fons...

LOT Polish Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... LOT Polish Airlines said that Tomasz Dembski has replaced Krzysztof Kapis as chairman. Kapis, who reportedly was asked to leave by the board, is the former head of the Polish civil aviation authority.

Transwede Airways.(EUROPE Report)
January 1, 2007... Transwede Airways named Trygve Gjertsen MD effective Jan. 1.

Assn. of European Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Assn. of European Airlines reiterated its opposition to the European Commission's plan to include airlines in its existing emissions trading scheme, calling it "distortive" and "damag[ing to] the competitiveness of European airlines."

KLM UK Engineering.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... KLM UK Engineering opened a [pounds sterling]1 million expansion of its maintenance hangar at Norwich International Airport that will enable it to perform work on 737NGs.

Airbus.(EUROPE Report)
January 1, 2007... Airbus said the CFM56-powered A318 received EASA approval for 180-min. ETOPS. FAA approval is expected in the first half of this year.

Lufthansa Technik.(Oil Smell Detection Service for airplane engine maintenance )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Lufthansa Technik is offering an Oil Smell Detection Service to eliminate unconfirmed engine or APU removals following oil smells in the cabin. The tool, for which a patent is pending, allows rapid on-wing diagnosis, eliminating the need for an...

Pratt & Whitney and Turkish Airlines Technic.(to build a "major" aircraft engine)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Pratt & Whitney and Turkish Airlines Technic signed an MOU to build a "major" aircraft engine overhaul facility at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, site of Technic's Habom MRO initiative. Financial terms were not disclosed. The joint venture will work...

AD Aerospace.(EUROPE Report)
January 1, 2007... AD Aerospace was selected by TUI to supply flightdeck entry video surveillance systems for forward fit on 10 737NGs on order.

SITA.(SITA Corp.'s AirportConnect Open for terminal services )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... SITA launched AirportConnect Open, its "next-generation" check-in application that permits airlines "for the first time" to have their own proprietary applications running on common use terminal equipment.

Penauille Servisair.(EUROPE Report)
January 1, 2007... Penauille Servisair signed a multiyear extension to its handling contract with easyJet at Liverpool.

Korean Air.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
January 1, 2007... Korean Air reported income of KRW126 billion ($132.3 million) for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, down 17.7% from KRW154 billion a year earlier. Revenues rose 3.4% to KRW2.19 trillion and operating expenses grew 7.9% to KRW2 trillion,...

Malaysia Airlines'.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
January 1, 2007... Malaysia Airlines' Business Turnaround Plan, which included the ceding of a significant chunk of its domestic network to AirAsia, is working "ahead of schedule," the carrier said as it reported a MYR240 million ($65.7 million) profit for the...

AirAsia.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
January 1, 2007... AirAsia earned MYR5.7 million ($1.6 million) in its fiscal first quarter ended Sept. 30, down 34.5% from an MYR8.7 million profit in the year-ago period, a drop the airline attributed to more than MYR5 million in deferred taxation. Boosted by...

Air New Zealand.(Air New Zealand reduces transtasman seat capacity and its subsidiary wins Thompsonfly contract)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Air New Zealand announced an 11% reduction in transtasman seat capacity beginning in April. "Not even the low airfares generated by significant excess capacity and competition have driven enough customer demand... to maintain the status quo,"...

Kingfisher Airlines.(India's Kingfisher Airlines posts loss )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Kingfisher Airlines posted a INR1.07 billion ($23.9 million) loss for the first six months of its fiscal year ended Sept. 30, The Economic Times reported. CEO Vijay Mallya said Indian LCCs are undercutting the market by offering low fares from...

Thai Airways.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
January 1, 2007... Thai Airways posted a year-end profit of THB9 billion ($246.7 million) for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, a 32.7% rise over full-year earnings of THB6.78 billion in the prior year. Revenues climbed 9.9% year-over-year to THB178.61 billion.

Pratt & Whitney and China Eastern Airlines.(joint construction of airplane engine overhaul facility in Shanghai)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Pratt & Whitney and China Eastern Airlines will create a CFM56 engine overhaul facility in Shanghai, where P & W will maintain the airline's CFM56s as well as provide third-party MRO. Financial terms of the joint venture, which includes a...

Air India.(new maintenance base at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Air India started construction on a INR500 million ($11.1 million) maintenance base at Thiruvananthapuram Airport on land transferred to the carrier by the Kerala government free of charge. Construction is scheduled to be completed in mid-2008....

Lufthansa Systems.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
January 1, 2007... Lufthansa Systems said Asiana Airlines selected the Lido Operations Center and Lido Briefing solutions in a five-year deal to support its flight planning processes.

Alteon Training.(Alteon Training contract with Asiana Airlines)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Alteon Training will install a 777-200/-300 FFS at Asiana's training center in Seoul by April. In addition, an Asiana 737-500 FFS will be transferred to Alteon's new center in Singapore. Sabre Airline Solutions signed a $15 million deal...

Delta Air Lines.(recall pilots)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Delta Air Lines, which continues to oppose US Airways' $8 billion merger bid, began recalling 700 furloughed maintenance workers in December and said it will recall some 200 pilots who will rejoin this year, bringing to more than 2,200 the...

Northwest Airlines.(reports profits in October )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Northwest Airlines reported a $37 million consolidated October profit on $1.03 billion in revenues. Year-ago figures were not available. NWA's October expenses came to $980 million and its operating profit was $52 million. It recently agreed to...

AirTran Airways.(biding to acquire Midwest Airlines)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... AirTran Airways made an unsolicited bid for Midwest Airlines in cash and stock valued at $290 million, which was rejected by the much smaller Milwaukee-based carrier, whose Chairman and CEO Timothy Hoeksema said that "the company's strategic...

JetBlue Airways.(reduces airplane contracts )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... JetBlue Airways reduced by 32 the number of firm E-190 aircraft it will take from 2007 through 2010. Under a revised schedule, the LCC will take 10 E-190s per year over the next four years instead of 18 per year. However, it added options for...

Frontier Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
January 1, 2007... Frontier Airlines said that its flight attendants voted against representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

United Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
January 1, 2007... United Airlines parent UAL Corp. promoted Senior VP-Planning Greg Taylor to senior VP-corporate planning and strategy.

MAXJet Airways.(William Stockbridge as new president )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... MAXJet Airways named Chairman William Stockbridge president and CEO replacing Gary Rogliano, who left "to pursue other opportunities," according to the airline. Board member Rick Sharp will take over as chairman.

Travelport.(Travelport acquiring Worldspan Travel Agency Information Service L.P.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Travelport, which owns the Orbitz travel site and the Galileo GDS, reached a definitive agreement last month to acquire Worldspan for $1.4 billion, a merger the two companies said will make their GDS offerings more "cost effective and...

Sabre Holdings.(Sabre Holdings Corp. to acquired by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Sabre Holdings reached agreement to be acquired by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group for $32.75 per share in a cash transaction valued at about $5 billion, including the assumption of $550 million in net debt. Pratt & Whitney...

Skybus Airlines.(Rockwell Collins Inc. to supply avionics to Skybus Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Skybus Airlines selected Rockwell Collins avionics including WXR-2100 MultiScan Weather Radar and the GLU-925 Multi-Mode receiver, along with an eFlight information management solution, for the 65 A319s it ordered last month.

Apple.(Apple Inc. alliances with airlines for i-Pod recharging devices)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Apple announced that it is partnering with Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, KLM, United Airlines and Air France to enable passengers traveling with iPods to draw electrical power for the devices from onboard systems and permit...

CTT Systems.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
January 1, 2007... CTT Systems said Continental Airlines ordered 41 Zonal Drying Systems for installation on 757-200s.

Empire Aero Center.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
January 1, 2007... Empire Aero Center in partnership with SR Technics will perform C checks on up to 12 JetBlue A320s in 2007.

Brazilian police.(ExcelAire Legacy pilots charged with aircraft safety case)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Brazilian police on Dec. 8 officially charged two ExcelAire Legacy 600 pilots with endangering aircraft safety in the Sept. 29 midair collision with a Gol 737-800, a charge that could land the US citizens in a Brazilian prison for up to 12...

Brazil.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Brazil's troubled air traffic control system experienced one of its worst days on Dec. 5 when a technician inadvertently shut down a key radio system for 6 hr., affecting operations at some of the country's busiest airports. Out of the 1,827...

Avianca.(Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia S.A. planning aircraft purchasing)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Avianca Chairman German Efromovich said the company is in the final stages of negotiating a "big" fleet purchase expected to be completed before the end of January. Speaking at ALTA's third annual Latin American Airline Leaders Forum in Cancun...

Copa Holdings.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)
January 1, 2007... Copa Holdings, parent of Panama's Copa Airlines and Colombia's AeroRepublica, posted "best ever" quarterly net income of $37.2 million in the three months ended Sept. 30, widened 34.6% from a $27.7 million profit in the 2005 quarter. Revenues...

TAM.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(TAM Brazil on airline alliance news )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... TAM Director-Institutional Relations Paulo Castello Branco threw cold water on recent reports that the carrier is set to join one of the three major airline alliances. Speaking to reporters at ALTA's recent conference in Cancun, Branco joked,...

Penauille Servisair.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)
January 1, 2007... Penauille Servisair signed a three-year deal with Mexicana for provision of ground handling services at Miami International.

El Al.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)
January 1, 2007... El Al posted a third-quarter profit of $1.8 million, a plunge of 96.6% from a $52.2 million profit in the year-ago quarter, Reuters reported. Revenues declined 7.9% to $447 million.

SR Technics'.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report )(acquisition of SR Technics by United Arab Emirates investment companies )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... SR Technics' purchase by a UAE consortium was concluded at the end of November. The company will continue to be run by Chairman and CEO Hans Lerch, who assumed the chairmanship until further notice following the departure of former Chairman...

South African Airways.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)
January 1, 2007... South African Airways said it will lay off 1,000 employees, or approximately 9% of its workforce, this year in a cost-cutting measure, according to widespread South African press reports citing a statement from CEO Khaya Ngqula, who said the...

Messier Services UK.(aircraft parts contract with EgyptAir Maintenance & Engineering)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Messier Services UK was selected by EgyptAir Maintenance & Engineering to provide main landing gear MRO for two A321s and MRO for the whole shipsets of another two A321s.

Amadeus.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)
January 1, 2007... Amadeus said EgyptAir migrated its reservation, inventory and departure control systems to the Altea Customer Management System.

Lufthansa Systems.(AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST Report)
January 1, 2007... Lufthansa Systems will implement the Sirax revenue accounting system at EgyptAir over the next nine months.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings and DHL.(acquisition of DHL Airways Inc. by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings and DHL announced the finalization of DHL's acquisition of a 49% stake in AAWH subsidiary Polar Air Cargo and a 20-year blocked-space agreement.

Precision Conversions.(CARGO)(Precision Coversions deal with VarigLog)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Precision Conversions will provide seven full 757-200PCF conversions that will be leased by VarigLog. SkyWorks Capital of Connecticut is managing the deal. The first aircraft will be delivered in January.

Korean Air.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Korean Air signed a purchase agreement valued at $5.3 billion for 10 777-300ERs, five 737-900s/-700s, five 747-8Fs and five 777-200Fs. It also took options on four 777-300ERs, two 747-8Fs and two 737-900ERs. Deliveries begin in 2009 and...

Air Berlin.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Air Berlin said it intends to order 60 737-800s and revealed that dba, which it agreed to acquire in August, placed an order earlier this year for 15 737-700s. Boeing said the combined value of the 75 aircraft is $5.1 billion and noted that Air...

AerCap.(EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2007... AerCap signed a firm contract with Airbus for 20 A330-200s. Engine choice was not announced.

Boeing.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Boeing sold a combined three 787s, plus two options, to Arkia Israeli Airlines parent Nakash Group of America and business aviation firm PrviatAir of Switzerland. Nakash's order for two dash 9s and two options is worth $336 million at list...

Aeromexico.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Aeromexico is the customer for two 787-8s and 10 737-700s previously listed by Boeing as unidentified. The combined value of the aircraft is more than $830 million. It signed an MOU with GE for GEnx engines to power the 787s, which deliver in...

Philippine Airlines.(EQUIPMENT)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Philippine Airlines ordered two 777-300ERs plus two options and signed a letter of intent with GE Commercial Aviation Services to lease two more dash 300ERs. Deliveries of the purchased and leased aircraft will begin in the 2009 third quarter...

First Choice Airways.(orders new aircrafts)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... First Choice Airways ordered an additional two 787-8s for delivery in 2011, bringing its total orders to eight, with the first to enter service in 2009.

TAM.(TAM Brazil's aircraft contract )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... TAM signed a contract for 12 A319s, 16 A320s, three A321s and six A330s that brings the number of A320 family aircraft on firm order to 56. It also took 12 options. The deal finalizes an MOU signed last June. TAM ordered V2500s to power 11...

ILFC.(EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2007... ILFC switched its order for 10 A380Fs to passenger versions and deferred deliveries until 2013.

Continental Airlines.(contracts in airlines and aircraft industry)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Continental Airlines converted orders for 12 737NGs to 737-900ERs, raising its firm commitment for the new variant to 24. It has 60 737s on order with an option to convert more to the dash 900ER. Sichuan Airlines selected the V2500 to power...

Leap of faith.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2007... Airline Partners Australia, which aims to take over Qantas, says it supports the airline's core strategies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Simultaneous certification.(News Briefs)
January 1, 2007... A380 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900s was certified jointly in Toulouse by EASA and FAA on Dec. 12. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]