Air Transport World articles from July 2007

Air Transport World archives from July 2007

Top 20 airlines system traffic January-May 2007.(Table)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Rank Airline RPKs (000) 1 American 90,107,031 2 Air France KLM 81,465,000 3 United 90,107,031 4 Delta * 75,812,366 ...

Top 20 airlines international traffic January-May 2007.(Table)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rank Airline RPKs (000)) 1 Air France KLM 75,813,722 2 British Airways 43,889,894 3 Lufthansa 45,676,926 4 Singapore Airlines 36,756,700 5...

Greener days ahead.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
July 1, 2007... What do airlines and personal computers have in common? Well, it turns out that both are equally bad for the environment. According to a study cited in the Belfast Telegraph, the information technology industry generates around 2% of C[O.sub.2]...

Bisignani sets zero emissions target by 2057.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Stating that the airline industry "needs a wakeup call," IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani challenged it to achieve zero emissions within 50 years. "Air transport must become an industry that does not pollute," he declared at organization's...

SAS Group to sell Spanair, bmi holdings.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(Scandinavian Airlines System. SAS Flight Academy)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... SAS Group is to sell off some of its noncore airline units in order to focus on its core business, "flying to, from and within Northern Europe." Among airline holdings to be sold are Spanair, Air Greenland and its 20% stake in bmi. It also will...

SkyTeam aims to make LHR a hub.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(US SkyTeam)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Air France KLM is in talks with its US SkyTeam partners regarding slot exchanges to permit the US carriers to operate to London Heathrow when the US-EU open skies agreement takes effect next spring, Vice Chairman Leo van Wijk confirmed last...

Kingfisher takes piece of Air Deccan.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The pace of Indian consolidation is ramping up as Kingfisher Airlines took a big step toward acquiring Bangalore rival Air Deccan with the purchase of a 26% stake in Deccan Aviation for INR5.46 billion ($133.6 million). The transfer...

IATA extends e-ticket deadline to May 31.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... IATA member airlines approved a five-month extension to May 31, 2008, to the deadline for transitioning to e-ticketing. At the same time, IATA revised its goal from 100% e-ticketing to 96.5% owing to the fact that it has concluded it is...

ANA, Asiana in ownership pact.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)
July 1, 2007... Star Alliance partners ANA and Asiana Airlines announced a cross-shareholding agreement that will strengthen their strategic partnership, which includes a codeshare deal announced in February covering 154 flights on 18 routes between Korea and...

BA joins TPG in possible Iberia bid.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(British Airways PLC joins Texas Pacific Group)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... British Airways, which already holds 10% of Iberia and has the right of first refusal on a further 30%, confirmed it joined TPG (formerly Texas Pacific Group) in a consortium considering a bid for the Spanish carrier but said in a statement...

Desert high.(FINANCIAL RESULTS, NEW DEALS, AND REPORTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE)(Qatar Airways orders 80 A350 XWB aircrafts from Airbus S.A.S.)
July 1, 2007... Airbus scored a major sales victory as Qatar Airways signed a memorandum of agreement for 80 A350 XWBs valued at $16-$18 billion with deliveries beginning in mid-2013. Aircraft will be powered by Trent XWBs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

EU transport ministers.(EUROPE Report)(Financial report)
July 1, 2007... * EU transport ministers issued a statement supporting the inclusion of all airlines operating flights to or within the EU in the EU's emissions trading scheme. However, the US government and IATA have said that requiring non-EU carriers to...

Virgin Atlantic Airways.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. to introduce business class only carrier)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Virgin Atlantic Airways revealed that it intends to launch a business class-only carrier within the next 12-18 months. In a first stage, it will fly transatlantic routes to the US from London and other European cities including Paris,...

British Airways.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * British Airways reported its first quarterly loss in two years as well as a 34.9% decline in consolidated net profit to [pounds sterling]304 million ($600.8 million) for its fiscal year ended March 31, and admitted it has set aside [pounds...

Alitalia.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Alitalia reported a pretax loss of [euro]147.5 million ($199.9 million) in the first quarter, down slightly from a [euro]156.6 million deficit in the year-ago period. Operating revenues, including income generated through Volare Airlines,...

Ryanair.(Ryanair Ltd.)(Financial report)
July 1, 2007... * Ryanair reported a 42% jump in fiscal year net income to [euro]435.6 million ($586.3 million) from [euro]306.7 million in the prior year on rising fares and passenger numbers, yet warned that profit growth will slow to about 5% in the current...

Air Berlin.(Air Berlin reports huge losses)(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Air Berlin suffered a deepened [euro]41.3 million ($55.6 million) net loss in the first quarter compared to a [euro]31.1 million deficit in the year-ago period as it worked on integrating dba into its operation. It pointed out that its...

Former Swissair executives.(Former Swissair executives acquitted of fraud charges)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Former Swissair executives were acquitted last month of all charges in the mismanagement and fraud case stemming from the October 2001 collapse of SAir Group. Prosecutors brought charges against 19 former executives including its last two...

Transavia.com.(EUROPE Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Transavia.com reported a [euro]20.1 million profit for the fiscal year ended March 31 compared to an [euro]11.1 million profit the year before, its 29th successive year in the black despite "a strongly competitive market with prices under...

787S for S7.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] S7 Group, parent of the Russian airline, ordered 15 787s and purchase rights for 10 more.

European Airline Traffic May 2007.(FACT FILE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... European Airline Traffic May 2007 Airlines RPKS %chg ASKs %chg Load +/- (billions) 2006 (billions) 2006 factor (%) 2006 AF KLM 16.81 3.9 21.26 3.9 79.1...

Final countdown.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... 787, shown here in final assembly, is set to roll out on July 8. Because the Dreamliner is assembled from very large composite structures, traditional "monument assembly tools" are unnecessary, Boeing said. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

SkyEurope.(SkyEurope Airlines a.s. reports loss in business for the current fiscal year)(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * SkyEurope reported a consolidated net loss of [euro]32.5 million in the fiscal semester ended March 31, a slight amelioration from the [Euro]33.6 million lost in the year-ago period. Turnover increased 35.1% year-on-year to [euro]80.6 million...

TAP Portugals.(TAP Portugals acquires PGA Portugalia Airlines)
July 1, 2007... * TAP Portugals acquisition of PGA Portugalia Airlines was cleared by the countrys competition authority, AdC, which last month imposed seven conditions on the merger, including a limitation of frequencies between Lisbon and Porto in order to...

Silverjet.(Silverjet to purchase two CF6-80C2B4Fpowered 767-200ERs from Thomsonfly )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Silverjet signed an LOI to acquire two CF6-80C2B4Fpowered 767-200ERs from Thomsonfly for delivery next March. The all-business-class carrier now has five of the type either in use or on the way.

KLM.(KLM Enterprises Inc. appoints Jan Ernst de Groot )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * KLM named Executive VPCorporate Center Jan Ernst de Groot as one of three MDs effective July 5. Other MDs are new President and CEO Peter Hartman and CFO Frederic Gagey.

Air Greenland.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Air Greenland named Michael Binzer MD effective June 1.

GCAT.(EUROPE Report)(GCAT Flight training academy)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * GCAT Flight Academy is the name of the training organization created by the merger of GE Commercial Aviation Training and SAS Flight Academy. STAR Capital Partners acquired SAS Flight Academy outright and purchased 80% of GECAT in a deal it...

Austrian Airlines.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Austrian Airlines is moving to the Star Alliance Common IT Platform based on Amadeuss Altea suite of customer solutions for its inventory and check-in systems. AUA joins Lufthansa and United Airlines and regional member carriers Adria Airways...

Lufthansa Flight Training.(Mechtronix FFS X NZFT fligth simulator for Lufthansa Flight Training )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Flight Training last month commissioned a Mechtronix FFS X NZFT (nonzero flight time) 737NG simulator at its Berlin training center. The simulator, LFT's first Level B, will be 75%-90% dedicated to TUIfly.

Lufthansa Systems.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Systems said Spanair will implement its ProfitLine/Yield Rembrandt solution.It also said KLM extended its existing contract for Lido OC for an additional five years and selected the Lido module Lin Top to calculate single-point...

SITA and Flight Explorer.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * SITA and Flight Explorer are developing an integrated decision-support solution that combines the Flight Explorer Aircraft Situation Display with SITA's Aircom product for inflight data link communication.

IER.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * IER said Norwegian Air Shuttle chose the IER 918 CUSS kiosk for self-check-in at seven airports in Norway and Sweden. It has ordered 53 kiosks.

Gate Gourmet.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Gate Gourmet said Wizz Air extended its current three-year contract for an additional two years.

Messier Services.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Messier Services announced landing gear MRO contracts covering 60 A300, A320 and A330 aircraft operated by four airlines: Aer Lingus, Monarch, bmi and My Travel. Work will be done by Messier Services France.

AJ Walter Aviation.(A J Walter Aviation power-by-the-hour contract from Travel Service)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * AJ Walter Aviation received a five year power-by-the-hour contract from Travel Service in the Czech Republic covering its fleet of 737NGs. AJW signed a PBH and MRO agreement with Air Moldova for its A320 fleet. Contract runs for in excess of...

Servisair.(EUROPE Report)
July 1, 2007... * Servisair will provide full passenger, ramp and cargo handling services for British Airways' thrice-weekly 777 flights at Port of Spain International Airport.

Aviareps.(EUROPE Report)(Aviareps and subsidiary Airline Centre to market for Air Italy )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Aviareps and its Airline Centre subsidiary will take over all future sales and marketing activity for Air Italy in Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Spain and the UK.

STG Aerospace.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * STG Aerospace is offering a wireless system designed to monitor and diagnose onboard emergency light systems for commercial aircraft. STG said it eliminates the need for visual inspection. The system is in the final stages of FAA...

The US and China.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * The US and China agreed to more than double the number of passenger flights between the countries by 2012 and offer airfreight operators "greatly expanded commercial freedom," according to the US Dept. of Transportation. US carriers will be...

HNA Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * HNA Group subsidiary Lucky Air was set to launch West China Airlines, HNA's new LCC, by June 18 in Chongqing with three 737-300s transferred from the parent company. It will join HNA's other western venture, Western Airlines, which it has...

Air India.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Air India will be the name of the new state-owned airline resulting from the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel announced in May, adding that the new company will have its registered office in New...

*Malaysia Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... *Malaysia Airlines' swift turnaround continued in the first quarter with a net profit of MYR133 million ($39.2 million) that represented a reversal from the year-ago periods MYR321 million loss and a significant premium over the MYR50-MRY99...

Korean Air.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Korean Air said last month it will launch an LCC within three years that will operate flights on domestic and short-and mid-range international routes using 737s. It explained it "shall no longer remain indifferent to the invasion of low-cost...

AirAsia's.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(AirAsia Sdn. Bhd. reports huge profits)(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * AirAsia's high pace of growth and strong profitability continued in its fiscal third quarter ended March 31 with a net profit of MRY86.9 million ($25.6 million), more than five times the MRY14.1 million earned in the year-ago quarter, on a...

Thai Airways.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... * Thai Airways reported net earnings of THB4.23 billion ($127.5 million) in the second fiscal quarter ended March 31, a 31.8% plunge from a profit of THB6.21 billion in the year-ago period. It did not offer a full explanation but did say that...

Virgin Blue.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Virgin Blue is moving to set up a lower-fare offshoot to combat both Jetstar Airways and the entry of Singapore based Tiger Airways into the Australian domestic market. According to Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey, the ultra-lowcost operation...

Tiger Airways.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Tiger Airways to operate commercial flights from Singapore to Indian cities)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Tiger Airways received final approval from Indian authorities to operate commercial flights from Singapore to Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Trivandrum, Kolkata and Kozhikode, the LCC announced. It said it will announce a schedule "fairly soon" and...

Sichuan Airlines and TransAsia Airways.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Sichuan Airlines and TransAsia Airways of Taiwan are in negotiations to launch a new carrier based in Shanghai, according to Lin Xiaoxin, president of Goldsun Group, TransAsia's biggest shareholder. In accordance with CAAC regulations on...

Air Line Pilots Assn.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Air Line Pilots Assn. of Singapore announced that a Singapore court ruled that SIA A380 captains will make a minimum of S$700 ($458.10) more per month than 747 captains and A380 FOs will make a minimum S$450 more per month than their 747...

Intra-Asian air transport liberalization.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... *Intra-Asian air transport liberalization was dealt a blow with confirmation that the governments of Singapore and Malaysia do not intend to open access on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route ahead of the ASEAN capital city liberalization deadline...

Royal Brunei Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Royal Brunei Airlines appoints Ray Sayer)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Royal Brunei Airlines named Ray Sayer CEO effective Sept. 1. Sayer most recently was CEO of Bahrain Airport Services and worked for British Airways in the 1980s.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Biman Bangladesh Airlines will be privatized, according to a government announcement cited by press reports. The airline, which employs 4,800, is planning significant layoffs and projecting a BDT6.91 billion ($97.2 million) loss in the fiscal...

Rockwell Collins.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Air China selects Rockwell Collins MultiScan Hazard Detection System)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Rockwell Collins said Air China selected its MultiScan Hazard Detection System along with a "broad range of avionics" including the GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver for 25 737NGs and 24 A320s/A321s.

Thales'.(Japan Airlines selects TopSeries IFE system from Thales S.A.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Thales' TopSeries IFE system was selected by Japan Airlines for installation on the carrier's 787s, the first of which is slated to enter service next year.

Nordam Group and Spirit AeroSystems.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... Nordam Group and Spirit AeroSystems reached agreement with Cathay Pacific to provide overhaul and spares support for Trent 800 thrust reversers.

SR Technics.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * SR Technics will maintain the CFM56-7B engines and GTCP131-9B APUs installed on Air India Express 737- 800s. SRT valued the three-year agreements with Air India at up to $22 million.

Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen now is a member of the Airbus Spares repair station network, offering structure and composite repairs for Airbus proprietary parts in Asia.

AJ Walter Aviation.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... * AJ Walter Aviation announced a partnership with Singapore-based Relaer Asia in engine leasing.

MNG Technic.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... * MNG Technic signed an agreement with Turkmenistan Airlines to provide base maintenance services and hangar space for the carrier's 757, 737-300 and 717 fleets.

SITA and China Southern Airlines.(China Southern Airlines Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * SITA and China Southern Airlines reached an agreement under which the carrier will employ SITA's integration platform to enhance its e-ticketing and global distribution capabilities. SITA is working with Airports Authority of India to...

Lufthansa Systems.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Systems signed a five-year contract with China Southern Airlines for its network planning solution, marking its first deal for the service with a Chinese carrier.

Singapore Changi's Terminal.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Singapore Changi's Terminal 3 will open on Jan. 9, 2008. The terminal cost S$1.75 billion ($1.15 billion) and will have a capacity of 22 million passengers per year, bringing the airport's total annual capacity to 70 million. T3 will be...

Short and sweet.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
July 1, 2007... LAN of Chile recently took the first of 20 A318s it ordered powered by PW6000 engines. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Northwest Airlines.(Phil Haan resigns from Northwest Airlines Corp.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Northwest Airlines' new NWA common stock began trading May 31 on the New York Stock Exchange at $25.10 per share, marking the carrier's emergence from a 20-month bankruptcy restructuring process (see "World Airline Report" beginning on p....

US Dept. of Transportation.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * US Dept. of Transportation granted final approval for Virgin America to begin operations, ending a prolonged process in which the airline was forced to revise its certification application to ease concerns it would be under the influence of...

Air Line Pilots Assn.(Air Line Pilots Association)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Air Line Pilots Assn. announced that its executive board voted by an 80% margin to end the unions "longstanding" support for US FAAs Age 60 retirement rule."In the face of concerted efforts to change the rule in Congress and the FAA, the ALPA...

Air Canada.(Air Canada appoints Sean Menke )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Air Canada named Executive VP and CCO Sean Menke executive VP-commercial strategy, focusing on long-term strategy and the implementation of ACs new Polaris reservation system. Air Canada Vacations President and CEO Benjamin Smith was named...

WestJet.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * WestJet announced that Executive VP-Culture and co-Founder Don Bell will retire effective July 2.

Midwest Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Midwest Airlines will reconfigure and add seats to its fleet of MD-80s and 717s in an $8 million project it estimates will generate up to $35 million in annual incremental revenue. Passengers will have the choice between Signature service...

US NTSB determined.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * US NTSB determined that the probable cause of the crash of a Chalks Ocean Airways Grumman Turbo Mallard on Dec. 19, 2005, was "the failure and separation of the right wing," which was owing to the failure of Chalks maintenance program "to...

Expedia.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * Expedia announced a five-year agreement with JetBlue Airways under which the airlines entire inventory will be available on expedia.com and Hotwire.

Boeings Dreamlifter.(Boeings Dreamlifter receives FAA certification)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Boeings Dreamlifter received its type certification from FAA. Part of the flight test program has been the delivery of major sections for the 787 from partner sites to Everett, Wash., for assembly.

Hamilton Sundstrand.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * Hamilton Sundstrand announced the delivery of the first APS 5000 APU to Boeing for use in the 787s initial flight tests.

B/E Aerospace.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * B/E Aerospace was selected to provide main cabin retrofit and new-buy seating programs for some 250 aircraft by US Airways, Frontier Airlines and AirAsia in contracts collectively valued at more than $70 million. Frontier said the lighter...

Timco Aviation Services.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * Timco Aviation Services Brice Manufacturing subsidiary was selected by Boeing as the exclusive supplier of courier seats for 747-8 and 777 freighters.

GE Aviation.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * GE Aviation Materials, a joint venture with Snecma that provides used serviceable aircraft engine and related spare parts, will open distribution centers and sales offices in Singapore and Amsterdam, complementing its Dallas facility.

Snecma Services and Airfoil Technologies International.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Snecma Services and Airfoil Technologies International formed Propulsion Technologies International. The joint venture will be located in the Miami facility previously known as Propulsion Technology LLC.PTI will provide component repair...

Component Control.(AeroTurbine uses Quantum Control ERP software from Component Control )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Component Control said AeroTurbine, a subsidiary of AerCap, selected its Quantum Control ERP software to manage its aircraft and engine aftermarket parts sales and MRO operations.

Lynx Aviation.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * Lynx Aviation, the startup regional subsidiary of Frontier Airlines, selected Rockwell Collins to provide its Headup Guidance System for 10 Q400s.

ARINC.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
July 1, 2007... * ARINC completed a remote installation of its SelfServ common-use kiosks at Regina International Airport in Saskatchewan.

Us Majors Traffic May 2007.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Table)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... US Majors Traffic May 2007 * Airline RPMs % chg ASMs % LF +/chg.2006 (bil.) 2006 (bil.) chg.2006 (%) AirTran 1.47 22.0 1.92 21.0 76.4 0.6 Alaska...

TAM.(LATIN AMERICA/ CARIBBEAN Report)
July 1, 2007... * TAM signed an MOU May 21 with Lufthansa to explore "possible close cooperation" that will include "the implementation of codesharing on domestic and international routes" as a first step. The MOU was the third with a Star Alliance carrier...

TACA and Lufthansa.(LATIN AMERICA/ CARIBBEAN Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * TACA and Lufthansa announced a partnership comprising codesharing on domestic and international routes and the possibility of future links between loyalty programs, flight schedules and lounges.