Air Transport World articles from November 2005

Air Transport World archives from November 2005

Jet fuel prices.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... JET FUELS PRICES * cents per gallon Sept. 23, 2005 New York 217.48 US Gulf Coast 218.88 Los Angeles 206.60 Rotterdam 198.62 Singapore 187.67 * Spot cash markets (average). Source: US...

Top 20 airlines system traffic: January-September 2005.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... TOP 20 AIRLINES SYSTEM TRAFFIC JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2005 RANK AIRLINE RPKs (000) 1 American 169,003,410 2 Delta * 148,595,814 3 Air France/KLM 139,065,000...

Top 20 airlines international traffic: January-September 2005.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... TOP 20 AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2005 RANK AIRLINE RPKs (000) 1 Air France/KLM * 129,949,614 2 Lufthansa 82,169,625 3 British Airways ...

Out of balance.(airports )(Editorial)
November 1, 2005... Airports are not all created equal, his is clear. This does not refer imply to available facilities but also must encompass market, the economic power of an airport's region. At the top are airports flooded with demands for slots and...

Industrial launch.(Airbus S.A.S. receives authority for A350's launch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Airbus received authority from its shareholders to launch the A350 in early October for entry into service beginning in mid-2010. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A350 gets final go-ahead.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Airbus shareholders EADS and BAE Systems approved "industrial launch" of the A350 on Oct. 6 on the basis of 140 firm order commitments from nine customers, one of which is unidentified. Subsequently, Eurofly signed for three and Airbus...

EC backs emissions trading for airlines.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The European Commission, as expected, came down in favor of including European airlines in the EU's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme rather than imposing separate emissions charges and/or other taxes and fees on the industry. The ETS...

Delta aims to save $3 billion in Chapter 11.(Delta Air Lines Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Delta Air Lines plans to eliminate 7,000-9,000 jobs by the end of 2007 and reduce pay and benefits for most of those employees who remain as it tries to restructure under bankruptcy protection, the carrier said in late September. The...

US Airways, America West complete merger.(America West Airlines Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... US Airways emerged from Chapter 11 and completed its merger with America West Airlines on Sept. 27, with the US Airways brand surviving. Emphasizing its claim to being "the largest full-service low-cost airline" in the US, the company's new...

Boeing looks at larger Dreamliner.(deal with Emirates Airline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Boeing is considering a larger version of the 787-9, dubbed the dash 10, with a fuselage 6 m. longer than the 62-m.-long dash 9 variant, insiders at Emirates confirmed to ATW. Seating 290 passengers in three-class configuration, the larger...

From self-loading to pallets.(Financial results, new deals, and reports from every corner of the globe)(747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter, made its first flight as a freighter, from Xiamen where it was converted by TAECO to launch customer Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong base. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

'Name and Shame,' European Parliament says.(blacklisting of airlines)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The European Parliament's Transport Committee called for the introduction of a Community blacklist of operating bans or air traffic rights restrictions on carriers that do not meet international aircraft safety standards. The list should cover...

Northwest Airlines.(asks Bankruptcy Court to nullify labor agreements if labour negotiations fail)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Northwest Airlines last month asked the US Bankruptcy Court to reject its existing labor agreements if it is unsuccessful in negotiating new contracts with its unionized employees. NWA aims to save $2.5 billion through its restructuring,...

United Airlines parent UAL Corp.(bankruptcy reorganization deals)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... United Airlines parent UAL Corp. will exit bankruptcy early in 2006 via a $3 billion, six-year, all-debt financing package at Libor plus 450 basis points, the company said last month. JP Morgan and Citigroup will be lead managers for the...

Southwest Airlines'.(operations transfer proposal rejected)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Southwest Airlines' proposal to transfer its operations from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to King County International Airport, better known as Boeing Field, was rejected by King County Executive Ron Sims, who cited noise and traffic...

Air Canada.(agreement with Air Canada Pilots Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Air Canada said it reached agreement with the Air Canada Pilots Assn. "on a process to resolve all issues relating" to the airline's acquisition of 777 and 787 aircraft. AC cancelled its order for up to 36 777s and 14 787s last spring after its...

Quoted briefly.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... "There is a growing consensus in the aviation sector that emissions trading represents the best way forward to cut greenhouse gas emissions." --VP and Commissioner for Transport Jacques Barrot

AirTran Airways'.(labor contracts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... AirTran Airways' approximately 300 mechanics and aircraft inspectors, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, ratified a new 48-month labor contract. The airline said more than 70% of IBT members voted in favor of the...

ATA Airlines'.(labour contract)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... ATA Airlines' cockpit crew, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., ratified a new three-year contract that includes concessions valued by the union at $84 million over the three-year term of the agreement. ATA currently is in bankruptcy. In...

MAXjet Airways.(launch plans)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... MAXjet Airways, a proposed transatlantic premium airline, planned to commence service Nov. 1 operating six flights per week between New York JFK and London Stansted using a 767-200ER configured for just 102 passengers with 60-in. pitch, with...

US FAA.(Modernization Program and Airport Layout Plan approved for Chicago-O'Hare International Airport)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... US FAA gave the green light to the City of Chicago's massive O'Hare Modernization Program and Airport Layout Plan that calls for realignment of the airport to eliminate most intersecting runways (ATW, 9/04, p. 24). FAA said the plan "is the...

FAA's Airport movement area safety system.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... FAA's Airport Movement Area Safety System is not adequate to prevent serious runway collisions, according to National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker, who cited several instances in which AMASS did not live up to...

The 27-day strike.(Boeing Co.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The 27-day strike by assembly workers at Boeing that was settled at the end of September cut into third-quarter aircraft production as the company reported that it delivered 62 commercial aircraft during the period, down from 67 in the year-ago...

Thales.(deal with Boeing Co.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Thales was selected by Boeing "as the first recommended inflight entertainment provider" for the Dreamliner program. Thales is offering its TopSeries I-8000, which uses a wireless network to deliver audio/video on demand programming to each...

Smiths detection.(launches multiview x-ray inspection system, Hi-Scan 6040aTiX)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Smiths Detection unveiled its Hi-Scan 6040aTiX, a new multiview x-ray inspection system promising to detect and pinpoint explosives in carry-on baggage. The machine can replace other Hi-Scan systems without necessitating significant changes in...

Ray Siegfried II.(obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2005... Ray Siegfried II, who built Nordam Group into one of the largest privately owned aerospace companies in the world, died Oct. 6 at the age of 62. He had been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease....

GE-Aviation.(RFID technology launched successfully)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... GE-Aviation said it successfully launched RFID technology in its shipping and receiving logistics for aircraft engine spare parts.

Alteon.(to place 787 simulator training locations in China, the UK and the US)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Alteon will place 787 simulator training locations in China, the UK and the US. The Boeing subsidiary said it aims to have six 787 locations up and running before the first Dreamliner delivers in 2008. It already reached agreement in...

US. majors traffic September 2005.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... FACT FILE US Majors Traffic September 2005 * RPMs % chg. ASMs % chg. LF +/- chg. Airline (bil.) 2004 (bil.) 2004 (%) 2004 AirTran 0.85 55.1 1.20 30.2...

Navitaire.(acquisition deal with Forte Solutions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Navitaire said it acquired "key assets" of Forte Solutions including all of its airline customer contracts. Financial terms were not disclosed. Forte's hosted operations management software, known as the Geneva system, is a platform for airline...

Mxi Technologies.(IAE International Aero Engines to use its Maintenix software solution )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Mxi Technologies said its Maintenix software solution was selected by IAE as the data management system for its V2500 fleet.

AeroData.(AirTran Airways Inc. to use its ACARS Performance and Weight & Balance System)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... AeroData's ACARS Performance and Weight & Balance System was selected by AirTran Airways.

Aeronautical Engineers.(deal with Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Aeronautical Engineers of Florida received an FAA STC for passenger to freighter conversion of 737-300s.

EmpowerMX.(new name for Sinex Aviation Technologies Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... EmpowerMX is the new name of Sinex Aviation Technologies Corp., which provides MRO IT solutions and consulting services. The company also said it released Reliability Manager, a new module in its FleetCycle Suite that will automate data...

Trax USA Corp.(gets Canadian LCC Can Jet's deal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Trax USA Corp. was selected by Canadian LCC Can Jet to implement the TRAX Maintenance software for its operation.

Lufthansa.(labour contract with ver.di public service workers union)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Lufthansa and the ver.di public service workers union reached agreement last month on a new contract that will secure the jobs of 12,000 ground staff employed by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and seven other group companies. In return for layoff...

SAS.(to unveil a new efficiency program to manage losses)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... SAS is set to unveil a new efficiency program in response to continuing losses, particularly among its Swedish and Danish Scandinavian Airlines units, Group President and CEO Jorgen Lindegaard said last month. The company already has reaped...

Alitalia.(plans cost savings)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Alitalia and its trade unions agreed to an additional 65 million [euro] ($78.2 million) in annual cost savings over the next three years. The savings will be included in the updated Business Plan 2005-2008. The accord involves efficiency...

EasyJet.(Andrew Harrison, Mike Szucs and Mike Campbell appointed at easyJet Airline Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... EasyJet is seeing further management changes in the wake of the appointment of Andrew Harrison to succeed Ray Webster as chief executive effective Dec. 1. Joining the exodus of senior managers is COO Ed Winter, who stepped down Sept. 30 and was...

Your name here.(Avion Group orders 777Fs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Avion Group, parent of Air Atlanta Icelandic, ordered four 777Fs and took purchase rights on two more for operation in ACMI leases. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Iberia.(unveils its three-year Director Plan)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Iberia, as expected, unveiled its three-year Director Plan aimed at improving profitability by 600 million [euro] ($726 million), in large part through a combination of layoffs, outsourcing and automation. The plan also calls for a three-year...

European airline traffic September 2005.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... FACT FILE European Airline Traffic September 2005 % % RPKs change ASKs change Airline (billions) 2004 (billions) 2004...

Swiss International Air Lines.(reorganizes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Swiss International Air Lines is to spin off its Regional operations into a standalone subsidiary called Swiss European Air Lines with its own management team and operating certificate before year end. Swiss European will provide "wet-lease...

UK government.(rejects Civil Aviation Authority's levy offer)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... UK government last month rejected a request by CAA to impose a 1 [pounds sterling] ($1.76) levy per passenger on all UK-originating international flights to fund its ATOL scheme to protect customers when tour operators fail.

Icelandair owner FL Group.(plans to invest in Fons Eignarhaldsfelag)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Icelandair owner FL Group confirmed talking with Fons Eignarhaldsfelag on an investment in or purchase of Sterling and Maersk Air. FL also owns 13% of easy Jet. Fons is in the process of merging Sterling and Maersk and plans to open a base in...

SkyEurope Holding.(initial public offerings)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... SkyEurope Holding, parent of the airline, completed its initial public offering of 12.98 million shares priced at 6 [euro] ($7.33) per share. Total proceeds were 78 million [euro] of which 60 million [euro] went to the company. Shares began...

SN Brussels Airlines.(Rob Kuijpers resigns)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... SN Brussels Airlines Management Committee Chairman Rob Kuijpers resigned in September. He also was executive chairman of the board of SN Airholding and chairman of the management committee of Virgin Express. He attributed his decision to depart...

Amadeus.(Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A. deal with Norwegian AirShuttle)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Amadeus said Norwegian will be the launch customer for its scaleable Pioneer Customer Management Solution intended to address the requirements of low-cost carriers. According to Amadeus, Pioneer, which uses Unix and Linux technology, is based...

TAP Portugal and bmi.(partnership with OnAir to trial the commercial use of mobile phones onboard A320 family aircraft)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... TAP Portugal and bmi signed up to trial the commercial use of mobile phones onboard some of their A320 family aircraft late next year in partnership with OnAir, the Airbus-SITA joint venture (see article, p. 46). Separately, OnAir...

Russia.(lifts ban on operation of II-96-300 passenger jets)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Russia in October lifted the ban on operation of II-96-300 passenger jets, which were grounded for safety checks in August after problems with the braking system.

Thales.(deal with Air Europa)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Thales announced that Air Europa chose its TopSeries I-4000 IFE system for four A330s.

Airbus.(Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. to install Future Air Navigation System B)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Airbus said Alitalia will install its Future Air Navigation System B on 23 A321s, joining Aeroflot and Finnair as customers for the data link navigation system.

KLM Engineering & Maintenance.(maintenance deal with Luxair)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... KLM Engineering & Maintenance said Luxair signed a 10-year contract covering all maintenance on the CFM65-7s powering Luxair's 737-700s. Separately, KLM E&M said it will overhaul landing gear on 10 737-700s belonging to Germania beginning...

AJ Walter Aviation.(power-by-the-hour support deal with Air Atlanta Icelandic)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... AJ Walter Aviation will provide power-by-the-hour support to Air Atlanta Icelandic under a five-year, $20 million contract covering four 757s and five 767s.

Singapore Technologies Engineering's VT Miltope.(to supply products to provide wireless LAN connectivity on A380 aircraft)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Singapore Technologies Engineering's VT Miltope will supply its Telephony Server and Cabin Access Point products to provide wireless LAN connectivity on the A380. In addition, its Telephony Servers were selected for the Airbus Onboard Mobile...

From Hainan to Chang'An.(Hainan Airlines takes A319)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Hainan Airlines took this A319 that will be operated by its Xi'an local branch Chang'an Airlines. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Lufthansa Systems and Bundesdrukerei.(develops SecBoard, a biometric security solution)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Lufthansa Systems and Bundesdrukerei developed SecBoard, a biometric security solution that uses fingerprint match and smart-card technology to achieve positive passenger identification between check-in and the airport boarding gate.

Swissport.(to sell S. Stuttgart Ground Services to AHS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Swissport is selling its 49% shareholding in its S. Stuttgart Ground Services joint venture to AHS, citing a desire to focus on its majority-owned operations. Terms were not disclosed. Swissport International will provide ground handling to...

Aviareps.(gets Air Austral's deal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Aviareps was chosen by Air Austral as its GSA in Germany and Switzerland, responsible for all sales and marketing activities of the Reunion-based carrier.

Discover the World Marketing.(opens office in Malta)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Discover the World Marketing opened an office in Malta to handle sales and marketing representation for Alitalia, bringing the number of Discover offices to 83 in 54 countries.

Star Alliance.(Star Alliance Services GmbH's deal with Zero Octa)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Star Alliance chose UK-based Zero Octa as the preferred vendor for revenue recovery and protection services. Ten member carriers will be using Zero Octa.

ARINC.(contracts between ARINC., SAS and Finnair)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... ARINC reached separate agreements with SAS and Finnair to provide the carriers with its Globalink satellite voice and data services.

Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke.(contracts between Boeing and Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke was selected by Boeing to provide metallic tubing and ducting for the 787, including the design and manufacture of tubes for the fluid supply for the hydraulic systems.

Moscow Domodedovo.(obtains certification from Federal Air Transport Agency)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Moscow Domodedovo obtained certification from Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency to handle the A300 and ATR 42, opening the door for services by UTair, which plans to begin operating the ATR 42 from the airport this fall.

JAL Group.(Japan Airlines Domestic to be merged into Japan Airlines International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... JAL Group said that Japan Airlines Domestic will be merged into Japan Airlines International effective Oct. 1, 2006. JAL Sales, which handles group travel sales, will transfer its activities to JAL International six months earlier, on April 1....

Air New Zealand.(Rob Fyfe succeeds Ralph Norris)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Air New Zealand named Group General Manager Airlines Rob Fyfe as CEO, succeeding Ralph Norris, who left the company in August to become head of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Fyfe joined ANZ in early 2003 as CIO about a year after...

Narita International Airport Corp.(airlines agree with new fee structure )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Narita International Airport Corp. finalized a previously announced agreement with airlines on a new fee structure that the airport authority said will reduce landing charges by an average of 22%. The new structure, which became effective Oct....

SriLankan Airlines Group.(profits)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... SriLankan Airlines Group said it had an after-tax profit of 1.37 billion rupees ($13.57 million) for the fiscal year to last March 31, down 75.6% compared to income of LKR5.64 billion in the prior fiscal year but a strong showing in light of...

AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and MAS parent PMB.(to reduce domestic capacity)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and MAS parent PMB agreed to reduce domestic capacity between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 to address "low travel demand" during the Ramadan period. Action was seen as possibly leading to capacity rationalization in the...

Big ten.(Jet Airways order 777-300ER aircrafts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Jet Airways finalized its order for 10 777-300ERs announced at the Paris Air Show. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

US and Thailand.(open-skies agreement signed)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... US and Thailand signed an open-skies aviation agreement in Washington in September, The accord lifts restrictions on the number of passenger services that may be operated between the countries but has a five-year phase-in period for pricing and...

MTU Aero Engines and Lufthansa Technik.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... MTU Aero Engines and Lufthansa Technik intend to grow their Kuala Lumpur engine MRO joint venture Airfoil Services to a $20 million business by 2010 compared to $5 million in annual sales today by expanding into HPC blades as well as the...

Air France Industries.(to carry out D checks on behalf of Sichuan Airlines)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Air France Industries will carry out D checks on three A320s on behalf of Sichuan Airlines.

Lufthansa Systems.(contracts with Asiana Airlines )
November 1, 2005... Lufthansa Systems said Asiana Airlines decided to deploy its Sirax revenue accounting system. LHS will work closely with Asiana IDT, the carrier's IT subsidiary, to implement the solution.

Weber Aircraft.(contracts with IndiGo)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Weber Aircraft, a subsidiary of Zodiac, was awarded a 100-aircraft seat order by IndiGo for the new Indian startup's A320s.

Boeing.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Boeing said Japan Airlines has become the first licensed user of its Maintenance Performance Toolbox, a secure online service offering electronic assistance and integration for aircraft maintenance and troubleshooting.

Boeing and Malaysia Airlines.(technology application)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Boeing and Malaysia Airlines incorporated a new Jeppesen Terminal Charts application into the Class 3 Boeing Electronic Flight Bag on MAS's two 777-200ERs.

Teledyne Controls.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Teledyne Controls said Japan Airlines selected its Enhanced Digital Flight Data Acquisition Unit and Aircraft Condition Monitoring System software development services for its new 737-800 fleet.

Ultra.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Ultra said its Airport Systems business signed a $9 million contract to provide IT integration services to Shanghai Pudong.

US and Mexico.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... US and Mexico in September agreed to a new aviation bilateral that increases from two to three the number of passenger airlines from each country that can operate between the nations. Under the agreement, the carriers may fly between any US...

European Union and Chile.(LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Report)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... European Union and Chile in October signed an aviation agreement that removes nationality restrictions in the bilateral agreements between EU member states and Chile. It allows any EU airline to operate flights between any EU member state where...

Aer Lingus, KfW IPEX-Bank and Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Aer Lingus, KfW IPEX-Bank and Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank closed structured debt financings for two A320s, jointly arranged with Babcock & Brown.

Emirates.(contracts )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Emirates signed a leasing agreement with two UAE banks, National Bank of Dubai and Emirates Bank Group, for a new A340-500, The $119.5 million financing is for the last of the 10 A340-500s Emirates has on firm order. It is structured as an...

GE Commercial Aviation Services.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... GE Commercial Aviation Services will lease two ex-US Airways A320s to India's Air Deccan for delivery in January. TNT Express signed a contract with GECAS for two additional 737-300SFs. They will be converted to freighters by IAI's Bedek...