Air Transport World articles from March 2006

Air Transport World archives from March 2006

Cargo security is not elementary.(AIR CARGO)
March 1, 2006... SINCE 9/11, governments, airlines, freight forwarders and shippers have struggled with ways to improve air cargo security without impinging too heavily upon the flow of commerce. The Transportation Security Administration's soon-to-be...

Coming events.
March 1, 2006... Feb. 28-March 1 South Asia Aviation Finance Conference, Le Meridien New Delhi, India. Contact Caroll Everest at 44 1342 324 353; www.everestevents.co.uk. March 5-7 New Route Africa Conference, Hyatt Regency, Casablanca, Morocco. Contact...

Air mail.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Editor: I am the editor and often writer of the Unisys publication Scorecard. I very much enjoyed your editorial in January on the cyclical nature of the airline business. I would like to suggest that it keeps happening because the legacy...

ACE Aviation Holdings.(appointment of Chahram Boulouri )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... ACE Aviation Holdings named Chahram Boulouri president & CEO, Air Canada Technical Services.

Air Berlin.(appointment of Ulf Huettmeyer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Air Berlin appointed Ulf Huettmeyer CFO.

Air Security International.(appointment of Steven M. Kellner )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Air Security International promoted Steven M. Kellner to dir.-intelligence-Intelligence Div.

AirTran Airways.(appointment of Arne Haak and Kirk Thornburg )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... AirTran Airways elected Arne Haak VP-finance & treasurer and Kirk Thornburg VP-maintenance & engineering.

Alaska Airlines.(appointment of Kevin Finan, Glenn Johnson, Robert Spero, Yvonne Daverin )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Alaska Airlines tapped Kevin Finan as executive VP-operations, Glenn Johnson as senior VP-customer service-airports, Robert Spero as chief pilot and Yvonne Daverin as MD-maintenance planning & material control.

Amadeus.(appointment of Chris Barnes )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Amadeus elevated Chris Barnes to VP, e-commerce sales.

Amadeus. <TICendant Travel Distribution Services.(appointment of Matthew Hall )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Cendant Travel Distribution Services welcomed Matthew Hall as VP-airline business development EMEA.

CSA Czech Airlines.(appointment of Radomir Lasak )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... CSA Czech Airlines chose Radomir Lasak as president.

Finnair Group.(appointment of Henrik Arle, Kaisa Vikkula, Kimmo Soini, Jarmo Vilenius )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Finnair Group selected Henrik Arle as deputy CEO, Kaisa Vikkula as senior VP-leisure & travel services, Kimmo Soini as senior VP-Finnair Technical Services and Jarmo Vilenius as MD-Finnair Facilities Mgt.

Flight Safety Foundation.(appointment of Penny Young )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Flight Safety Foundation hired Penny Young as CFO.

Gulf Air.(appointment of Rajeev Nambiar)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Gulf Air named Rajeev Nambiar GM-India operations.

Helvetic Airways.(appointment of Bruno Dobler )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Helvetic Airways introduced Bruno Dobler as CEO.

IndiGo.(appointment of Steven Harfst )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... IndiGo appointed Steven Harfst COO.

Kellstrom Industries.(appointment of Dean Morgan)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Kellstrom Industries chose Dean Morgan as VP-new business development & distribution.

LAN Cargo.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... LAN Cargo promoted Cristian Ureta to CEO.

Shannon Engine Support.(appointment of Patrick Bergin )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Shannon Engine Support welcomed Patrick Bergin as MD.

SkyWest Airlines.(appointment of Lisa LaRue )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SkyWest Airlines selected Lisa LaRue as dir.-risk mgt. & compensation.

Spirit Airlines.(appointment of Jeffrey Carlson)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Spirit Airlines tapped Jeffrey Carlson as VP-flight operations & dir.-operations.

UAL Corp.(appointment of Cindy Szadokierski, Ajay Singh)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... UAL Corp. elevated Cindy Szadokierski to VP-O'Hare operations and Ajay Singh to VP-corporate real estate.

WestJet.(appointment of Matthew Handford )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... WestJet named Matthew Handford executive VP-people replacing Fred Ring, who becomes executive VP-corporate projects.

World Air Holdings.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... World Air Holdings appointed Jeff Wehrenberg COO.

Just compensation.(EDITORIAL)
March 1, 2006... Judging one's worth on the job market is never an easy task, but rarely has that process been more in the spotlight than today. This is an emotional issue at every level, yet all are asked to set emotion aside and focus on larger concerns....

Freight in an E-Ticket World.(AIR CARGO)
March 1, 2006... OPPORTUNITIES TO USE the adjective Byzantine are few and far between, but even a passing glance at the paperwork labyrinth that confounds the airfreight business process gives one ample reason to whip out that rare modifier. There are around 40...

Cool burnings.(ENGINES)
March 1, 2006... AIRLINE EFFORTS TO FEND OFF THE BUILDING pressure to penalize the industry for aircraft noise and emissions run into two key difficulties. First, as anyone familiar with the evolution of turbine aircraft powerplants can attest, the road to a...

Avitas Market Commentary--CRJ200ER, ERJ-145ER, 328JET, RJ-85 and RJ-100.(FACTS & FIGURES)
March 1, 2006... As of October 2005, there were 819 CRJ200ERs in service worldwide, with the fleet concentrated primarily in Europe and North America. The firm order backlog had fallen to just 54 units, one of the reasons which prompted Bombardier to...

Non-US airline traffic--2005.(FACTS & FIGURES)(Table)
March 1, 2006... Non-US Airline Traffic--2005 Pass. 05/04 RPKs 05/04 Airline (000) chg. (000) chg. Adria 944 7.0 1,019,337 14.0 AirAsia 1,811 -- ...

US Regional & specialty carriers traffic.(FACTS & FIGURES)(Table)
March 1, 2006... US Regional & Specialty Carriers Traffic January-November 2005 ATW 05/04 Load Airline Rank Pass. chg. factor Allegiant 2 1,062,000 41.0 ...

US national carriers traffic *--January-November 2005.(FACTS & FIGURES)(Table)
March 1, 2006... US National Carriers Traffic * --January-November 2005 Passengers 05/04 Airline Rank (000) % chg. AirTran 2 15,111 26.44 Air Transport Int'l 26 ...

US major carriers domestic traffic * --January-November 2005.(FACTS & FIGURES)(Table)
March 1, 2006... US Major Carriers Domestic Traffic * --January-November 2005 Passengers 05/04 Airline Rank (000) % chg. Alaska 10 15,348 3.15 American 1 ...

US major carriers domestic traffic *--January-November 2005.(Table)
March 1, 2006... US Major Carriers Domestic Traffic * --January-November 2005 Passengers 05/04 Airline Rank (000) % chg. Alaska 10 14,256 3.23 American 2 ...

US major carriers international traffic *--January-November 2005.(FACTS & FIGURES)(Table)
March 1, 2006... US Major Carriers International Traffic * --January-November 2005 Passengers 05/04 Airline Rank (000) % chg. Alaska Latin 7 1,088 2.35 American ...

What will they do for an encore?(LARGE TRANSPORTS)
March 1, 2006... THAT'S ALL ONE CAN ask after Airbus and Boeing combined to book more than 2,000 aircraft orders last year. Prior to 2005, Boeing's best year was 1989 when it booked 1,120 including McDonnell Douglas orders, according to the Airline Monitor....

Forging strong links in the logistics chain.(AIR CARGO)
March 1, 2006... GETTING A PRODUCT from point A to point B in good condition for a reasonable price used to be the only thing that shipping customers really wanted. Those days, like 60-cent jet fuel, are long gone as customers require more sophisticated...

United.(BYE-BYE BANKRUPTCY)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... United completed its Chapter 11 reorganization last month. It entered bankruptcy in December 2002.

United completes Chapter 11 reorganization.(Financial results, new deals, and reports from every corner of the globe)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... United Airlines exited bankruptcy Feb. 1 after 1,150 days in Chapter 11 during which it cut costs by approximately $7 billion including more than $3 billion in concessions from labor unions, reduced and reconfigured its fleet to fly more...

EU, US investigating alleged air cargo cartel.(Financial results, new deals, and reports from every corner of the globe)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Major European airlines including British Airways, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, SAS and Cargolux are under investigation by the European Commission, European national authorities and the US Dept. of Justice for alleged price-fixing and...

Tax-happy Eurocrats draw airline fire.(Financial results, new deals, and reports from every corner of the globe)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The tax assault on Europe's airlines continued, with both Austria and Sweden proposing new levies while Aeroports de Paris plans to raise charges at Charles De Gaulle 5% per year for the next five years despite strong airline protests. ...

Jet Airways buys Air Sahara.(Financial results, new deals, and reports from every corner of the globe)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Jet Airways in late January announced it was buying much smaller Air Sahara for $500 million, a step that if consummated will give it more than half of India's domestic market based on 2005 boardings. Both began flying in 1993 during the first...

Lufthansa Group.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Lufthansa Group expects to report a 550 million [euro] ($665.81 million) operating profit for 2005, a 43.6% rise over a 2004 operating result of 383 million [euro]. It will report its full fourth-quarter and yearend results March 23.

British Airways.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... British Airways posted an after-tax profit of 123 million [pounds sterling] ($218.4 million) for the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, up 4.2% over the 118 million [pounds sterling] earned in the year-ago quarter owing to increased premium...

SAS Group.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SAS Group returned to profit in 2005 after four years of red ink, posting net income of SEK255 million ($32.9 million) compared to a SEK1.77 billion loss in 2004. CEO Jorgen Lindegaard attributed the positive results to "the biggest change in...

A380 MSN004.(THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A380 MSN004 undergoes high-altitude testing near Medellin, Colombia (elev. 5,000 ft.). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Quoted briefly.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... "Today, we have the business platform we need to complete with the strongest carriers and a clear strategy of offering the right service to the right customer at the right price." --UAL Corp. Chairman, President and CEO Glenn Tilton

Ryanair.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Ryanair will begin charging for checked baggage next month but said that a 9% across-the-board fare reduction will offset the new fee for many customers who check in for their flights online. Beginning March 16, Ryanair will reduce all fares by...

IATA.(International Air Transport Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... IATA helped resolve an escalating aeropolitical row at London Heathrow over allocation of scarce fuel supplies following the Dec. 11 fire at the Buncefield fuel depot. An initial scheme that provided "base" carriers such as British Airways and...

Iberia.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Iberia reached a collective bargaining agreement with representatives of Spanish national trade unions UGT, CC.OO and ASETMA covering approximately 18,500 Iberia ground staff, or nearly 75% of the workforce, effective until Dec. 31 and...

FL Group.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... FL Group announced that it intends to spin off Icelandair Group into an independent subsidiary through a listing on the Iceland Stock Exchange as the parent "has undergone considerable changes recently and is now an investment company." The...

Avion Group.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Avion Group, parent of wet-lease specialist Air Atlanta Icelandic, last month acquired the entire issued share capital of Star Airlines, France's second-largest charter carrier. Purchase price was not disclosed. Star was owned by...

Bratislava-based SkyEurope.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Bratislava-based SkyEurope nearly doubled its revenue and reduced unit costs by more than 10% in its first fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31 but saw little improvement on its bottom line, which showed a 12 million [euro] ($14.4 million) loss...

Norwegian.(Norwegian Airlines)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Norwegian posted an annual profit of NOK26.8 million ($4 million) in 2005 compared to a NOK109.8 million loss in 2004. Fourth-quarter earnings of NOK2.3 million reversed a NOK31.2 million deficit in the year-ago quarter. It marked the carrier's...

Air One.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Air One won its appeal to block Alitalia's takeover of Volare Airlines, La Stampa reported. A Roman civil court argued it would be improper for Alitalia to spend part of a [euro] 400 million ($483.7 million) state-guaranteed bridge loan to buy...

Sir Freddie Laker.(EUROPE Report)(Obituary)
March 1, 2006... Sir Freddie Laker, whose name became synonymous with low fares, died Feb. 9 in Hollywood, Fla. He was 83. Aviator, showman, entrepreneur and populist, Laker briefly shook up the transatlantic established order with his Skytrain no-frills...

Airbus.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Airbus said that A380 MSN004 "successfully completed the cold weather test campaign," that was carried out at Iqualit, Canada, near the Arctic Circle. MSN004, the second A380 to fly, spent five days in extreme cold--down to minus 30 deg. C.--to...

European Parliament.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... European Parliament advised against the conclusion of an air service agreement between the European Union and Russia absent "the immediate and complete abolition of Russian overflight charges," which the MEPs regard as a "violation of...

SAS.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SAS achieved what it called the first "four dimensional (4DT) managed revenue flight ever made." The event occurred on Jan. 19 and involved a 737 from Lulea to Stockholm Arlanda. It also marked the first Advanced Continuous Descent Approach...

ATW's Frankfurt-based International Editor Leonard Hill announced his retirement effective this month after more than 15 years with the magazine and five years with our website.(LEN HILL RETIRES)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... ATW's Frankfurt-based International Editor Leonard Hill announced his retirement effective this month after more than 15 years with the magazine and five years with our website. "As it does for us all, there comes a time to hang it up," he...

BAE Systems.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... BAE Systems will sell its Aerostructures business unit for [pounds sterling]80 million ($142 million) plus certain liabilities to Spirit AeroSystems, the former Boeing Wichita facility sold to Onex Corp. The BAE unit produces structural...

Volvo Aero.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Volvo Aero will increase its participation in the GEnx engine to the tune of an additional SEK6 billion ($787 million) in sales over the next 30 years. Volvo now will be responsible for additional components in the fan module and HPT.

MTU Aero Engines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... MTU Aero Engines' MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg unit received EASA and FAA approval to maintain GE CF34-8 engines powering 70-90 Embraer and Bombardier regional jets and larger business jets. MTU already maintains the CF34-3.

Volga-Dnepr Group.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Volga-Dnepr Group said its first new-build IL-76TD-90VD freighter received Chapter 4 noise certification from ICAO. It has ordered two of the 50-tonne freighters, which are equipped with PS-90a-76 engines and new avionics.

SITA SC and SITA INC.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SITA SC and SITA INC will be consolidated into a single organization from July, ending the separate structure dating back to 2000. The restructuring is subject to the June AGM approving the necessary article changes and related transactions....

Rockwell Collins.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Rockwell Collins was selected by British Airways to upgrade BA's long-haul Total Entertainment System with AVOD, digital news and an audio jukebox feature by December 2007.

Smiths Aerospace and Aviall Services.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Smiths Aerospace and Aviall Services announced that Aviall will become a global distributor of Smiths Aerospace spare parts. The 10-year agreement is expected to be valued at up to $2 billion in sales.

Lufthansa Systems and Airbus.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Lufthansa Systems and Airbus reached agreement to offer the LHS eRouteManual across the Airbus fly-by-wire product line in new aircraft and as a retrofit. It already is offered as a Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag solution on the A380. When...

Amadeus IT Group.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Amadeus IT Group is the new name for Amadeus Global Distribution. The name change reflects that the company's IT portfolio "goes far beyond distribution."

Air Madrid.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Air Madrid will distribute its fares on Worldspan, which also will provide e-ticketing capability.

IATA.(International Air Transport Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... IATA in partnership with Medina Quality Assurance Services announced the launch of its IATA Catering Quality Assurance program.

Swissport and Ryanair.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Swissport and Ryanair announced a six-year agreement under which Swissport will provide full passenger, ramp and ticketing services for the LCC at London Stansted, including those flights presently handled by Stansted Ground Operations.

Japan Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Japan Airlines lost [yen] 11 billion ($92.5 million) in the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, widened from a loss of [yen] 3.7 billion in the year-ago period. It cited soaring fuel costs, "adverse publicity" over recent safety-related...

European Airline traffic.(FACT FILE)(Table)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... European Airline Traffic January 2006 RPKs % % Load (bil- change ASKs change factor +/- Airline lions) 2005 (billions) 2005 (%) ...

Japan Airlines and oneworld.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Japan Airlines and oneworld exchanged an MOU as a first step in the airline's effort to join the global alliance. The MOU "sets out a framework" for the remainder of the process, expected to be completed this year.

ANA Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... ANA Group raised its profit outlook for the fiscal year ending this month to [yen] 17 billion ($144.8 million) as it reported consolidated net earnings of [yen]10.18 billion for the third quarter ended Dec. 31--its 10th consecutive profitable...

Singapore Airlines Group.(reports increase in net profit)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Singapore Airlines Group earned S$396.6 million ($244 million) in the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, down 14.6% from net earnings of S$464.6 million in the year-ago period that were boosted by the sale of SIA's remaining stake in Air New...

Korean Air.(net sales)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Korean Air concluded a challenging FY05 with net earnings of KRW202.3 billion ($205.6 million), a 61.1% plunge from its 2004 profit of KRW519.5 billion. The decline was attributed primarily to high fuel prices and the pilot strike in November....

Temasek Holdings.(acquires Shin Corp, Thai AirAsia)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Temasek Holdings' purchase of Thailand telecom giant Shin Corp. led to a restructuring of the ownership of AirAsia's Thailand-based affiliate, Thai AirAsia, in which Shin held 50%. Under Thai law, foreign investors may not own more than 49%...

Macau Asia Express.(Shun Tak Holdings funds the new budget carrier)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Macau Asia Express, a new budget carrier formed and funded by Air Macau (51%) and ST-CNAC (49%), a joint venture between China National Aviation Co. (36%) and Shun Tak Holdings (64%), was established last month with initial funding of $30...

Air New Zealand.(outsources its widebody heavy airframe MRO activities)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Air New Zealand, which had been prepared to outsource its widebody heavy airframe MRO activities, said it accepted a proposal from union negotiators "that could see [the work] remain in-house through a combination of redundancies and...

Indian startup IndiGo.(Steven Harfst appointed)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Indian startup IndiGo named former North American Airlines COO Steven Harfst as its COO.

China Airlines.(retrofits Boeing blended winglets)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... China Airlines will retrofit Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets to 11 737-800s.

Connexion by Boeing and Air China.(contracts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Connexion by Boeing and Air China reached a "preliminary agreement" to provide Connexion's high-speed connectivity solution on international flights. The agreement covers up to 15 firm and optional retrofit installations of the product on...

AirAsia.(signs agreement with Galileo International Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... AirAsia will make its fares available via a GDS for the first time when it joins Galileo Flight Integrator, a Web-based service from Galileo. The agreement also covers Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia.