Air Transport World articles from October 2007

Air Transport World archives from October 2007

Trends.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... WORLD AIRLINE TRAFFIC US Domestic (1) +2007 +2006 Europe International Scheduled (2) +2007 +2006 Asia/Pacific International Scheduled (3) +2007 +2006 US International (1) ...

A timely arrival.(Boeing Company)(Singapore Airlines Ltd.)(Airbus S.A.S.)(Editorial)
October 1, 2007... Whether by coincidence or divine providence, the fact that Boeing has acknowledged it faces significant challenges to delivering the 787 on schedule just weeks before the first A380 delivers to Singapore Airlines helps to put some perspective...

787 in delivery squeeze.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney last month conceded that flight testing of the 787 will have to "go by the books" in order for first delivery to be made on time to ANA next May. His comments came after the company reported that...

China Eastern finalizes share sale.(News Briefs)(China Eastern Airlines Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Singapore Airlines and its parent Temasek ended months of speculation by agreeing to purchase 15.7% and 8.3% stakes respectively in China Eastern Airlines in early September, giving them a combined 24% holding valued at HK7.15 billion ($917...

AirAsia to start Vietnam LCC.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Malaysian LCC AirAsia signed a letter of intent to launch a budget airline in the country in partnership with Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group, one of the nation's largest state-owned corporations, according to AirAsia. The joint venture...

AeroMexico sale draws interest.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... AeroMexico, which has languished on the auction block for three years, has become the target of a bidding war. In late August, Alberto Saba Raffoul and his son Moises Saba Masri made a $100 million bid to acquire the airline from...

737 inspections ordered.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Emergency inspections of 737NGs were being carried out by operators last month after a China Airlines 737-800 was destroyed in a ground fire on Aug. 20 at Naha Airport in Okinawa. All 157 passengers and eight crew escaped the aircraft with only...

SkyTeam welcomes associate members.(News Briefs)
October 1, 2007... Air Europa, Copa Airlines and Kenya Airways officially became SkyTeam's first "associate airlines" early last month, which the alliance said grows its network by 47 additional destinations and nearly 500 additional daily flights.

Alitalia.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... * Alitalia, which posted a consolidated net loss of [euro]211.1 million ($292.7 million) for the first half of 2007, intends to scrap 150-170 of its 340 daily flights from Milan Malpensa as part of a new business plan, Italian media reported....

SAS.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * SAS said that as a result of a commitment by Danish unions to "work for a total no-strike situation," it is modifying its decision to operate flights between Copenhagen and Stockholm and Oslo with only Swedish and Norwegian crews. It said the...

Aer Lingus.(EUROPE Report)(Aer Lingus Group PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Aer Lingus said it had an underlying profit of [euro]6.8 million ($9.2 million) in the first six months of 2007, a 58% decline from [euro]16.3 million in the year-ago period. It noted that current-period results include an exceptional charge...

Ryanair.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... * Ryanair began charging a [pounds sterling]2/[euro]3 ($4.00-$4.07) fee for passengers using airport check-in desks rather than its online service. It formerly charged travelers [pounds sterling]2/[euro]3 to check in online but now this will be...

Something's missing.(News Briefs)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Caption: Airbus A380 shows off its stuff over Hong Kong minus its wingtip fences, which were removed after one was damaged in a taxi incident in Thailand. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Air Berlin.(EUROPE Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Air Berlin cited industry "sluggishness" and a weather-related downturn in demand as it reported a 59.9% fall in second-quarter profit to [euro]12.1 million ($16.5 million) from [euro]30.1 million in the 2006 June quarter. Revenue climbed...

Virgin Atlantic.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... * Virgin Atlantic profit for its fiscal year ended Feb. 28 dropped 89% to [pounds sterling]6.6 million ($13.2 million) from [pounds sterling]60.3 million in the prior year. It blamed much of the decline on a loss of [pounds sterling]40 million...

Bmi.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Bmi will launch service to 14 international destinations in Africa, Europe and the Middle East on Oct. 28, increase service to two others formerly served by BMED and start flying daily to Cairo on Nov. 4. But it also will postpone its...

Lufthansa and Air Astana.(EUROPE Report)(Deutsche Lufthansa AG)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Lufthansa and Air Astana signed a cooperation agreement that will include code-sharing and schedule coordination beginning next year and a linking of the carriers' loyalty programs that may start as early as this month.

SkyEurope Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * SkyEurope Airlines will close its Budapest and Krakow bases, ceasing operations in both cities from Oct. 28. Freed capacity will be shifted to Prague and Vienna. Parent SkyEurope Holding reported a consolidated net loss of [euro]5.1...

Icelandair Group.(EUROPE Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Icelandair Group reported a ISK205 million ($3.1 million) second-quarter profit that represented an 84% plunge from pro forma earnings of ISK1.25 billion in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose 11.8% to ISK16.19 billion. The scheduled airline...

Norwegian.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Norwegian will open its seventh base at the new airport in Rygge just south of Oslo. It initially will launch operations with a 737-800 on Feb. 14, with a second aircraft entering service March 13.

Aegean Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Aegean Airlines reported a [euro]6.4 million ($8.6 million)profit for the six months ended June 30, its first reporting period as a publicly listed, a nearly sixfold increase over the [euro]1.1 million earned in the year-ago semester. Revenue...

Cyprus Airways.(EUROPE Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Cyprus Airways reported a [euro]11.7 million ($16 million) loss in the first six months of 2007, narrowed from a deficit of [euro]40 million in the year-ago period that included the results of charter subsidiary Eurocypria Airlines.

TUIfly.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... * TUIfly in April will close its Bremen base, where it currently operates nine routes.

European Commission.(EUROPE Report)(European Commission released the fifth update of its list of airlines banned in the European Union)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * European Commission released the fifth update of its list of airlines banned in the EU. Two new carriers appeared: Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines and Mahan Air of Iran.

Finnair Technical Services.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Finnair Technical Services and Lufthansa Cargo signed a maintenance agreement covering MRO on two LH MD-11Fs with an option for two more visits in 2008-09. FTS will perform maintenance on two DC-10-30s belonging to World Airways under a...

Aeroflot, Snecma Services and Russian MRO provider BAP3-400.(EUROPE Report)(Aeroflot Russian Airlines)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Aeroflot, Snecma Services and Russian MRO provider BAP3-400 signed an MOU to look into creation of a joint venture for CFM56 MRO in Russia next year.

Lufthansa Technik.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Technik and Hamburg International Airlines signed Total Component Support and Total Engine Support contracts covering the carrier's soon-to-be-delivered 10 A319s. Deals are 10 years and worth approximately [euro]50 million ($68.2...

Repeat customer.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... Caption: Norwegian ordered 42 189-seat 737-800s with blended winglets, adding to 11 ordered in May. It secured purchase rights for an additional 42. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

European Airline Traffic August 2007.(FACT FILE)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... European Airline Traffic August 2007 Airline RPKs % chg. ASKs % chg. Load +/- (billions) 2006 (billions) 2006 factor 2006 (%) ...

Lufthansa Systems.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Systems, citing "commercial reasons," said it is dropping further development of its Future Airline Core Environment passenger management platform. FACE was intended to support the core processes of passenger airlines, such as...

ITA Software.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... * ITA Software announced that its airfare pricing and shopping system QPX was implemented by LOT.

Swiss International Air Lines.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Swiss International Air Lines announced that it will increase its stake in Swiss Aviation Training to 100%, buying out the 50% held by GCAT Flight Academy UK.

Aviapartner.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Aviapartner signed a threeyear "network contract" with Vueling Airlines for the provision of ground handling services valued at around [euro]20 million ($27 million). It signed a three-year network contract with Martinair for full cargo...

CTT's.(EUROPE Report)
October 1, 2007... * CTT's Zonal Drying System will be installed on six First Choice Airways 767-300s.

Qantas Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Qantas Group reported a record net profit of A$719.4 million ($595.4 million) for the fiscal year ended June 30 as a robust domestic economy offset a 19.1% increase in its fuel bill. The profit was up 50% on the previous year's A$479.5...

China Southern Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * China Southern Airlines benefited from a CNY1.27 billion exchange gain as it reported 2007 first-half net income of CNY226 million ($29.7 million) under IFRS, a reversal from a loss of CNY784 million in the year-ago semester that benefited...

Malaysia Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * Malaysia Airlines recorded a second-quarter net profit of MYR113 million ($32.4 million), improving its performance from a MYR177 million loss a year earlier and marking its fourth straight profitable quarter. Sales leaped 17% to MYR3.55...

Air New Zealand.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * Air New Zealand reported its best result in a decade, a NZ$214 million ($154.7 million) net profit in the fiscal year ended June 30 that represented a 123% increase over the prior year's NZ$96 million. Revenue rose 13% to NZ$4.3 billion....

An MD-82.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * An MD-82 operated by One- Two-Go Airways crashed on Sept. 16, while attempting to land in heavy rain and wind at Phuket, Thailand, killing 89 of the 130 people on board including both pilots. Many of the 41 survivors were injured, some...

Virgin Blue Holdings.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Virgin Blue Holdings' net profit for the fiscal year ended June 30 surged 92.9% to A$216 million ($172.6 million) on a 16.3% rise in revenue to A$2.16 billion helped by an 8.1% lift in yield. Expenses climbed 9.3% to A$1.84 billion. Operating...

AirAsia.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(AirAsia Sdn. Bhd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * AirAsia reported net earnings of MYR498.1 million ($142.1 million) for the fiscal year ended June 30, more than double the MYR201.7 million earned in the prior 12 months. Revenue rose 52% to MYR1.6 billion and operating profit soared 139% to...

Shanghai Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * Shanghai Airlines reported a loss for the January-June period of CNY134.5 million ($17.9 million), improved from a CNY137.1 million deficit in the year-ago half-year, on a 26.8% lift in operating revenue to CNY5.58 billion.

Hainan Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(China Hainan Airlines Company Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Hainan Airlines posted a CNY189.71 million ($25.18 million) net profit in the first half of 2007, a betterthan- eightfold increase over CNY20.8 million earned in the year-ago period, on a 13.1% lift in operating revenues to CNY6.53 billion....

Air India and Indian Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Air India and Indian Airlines took the final regulatory step toward their merger as the Ministry of Corporate Affairs issued its final approval to the application, thus establishing the new National Aviation Co. of India Ltd. that will fly...

SpiceJet.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * SpiceJet reported a INR185.4 million ($4.5 million) profit in the June quarter, reversed from a pro forma INR36.8 million loss in the year-ago period. The Indian LCC reconfigured its fiscal calendar to a year ending March 31 from a year...

From Singapore to Louisville.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Singapore Technologies Aerospace last month celebrated the redelivery of the 30th MD-11 freighter conversion to UPS.

Indian government.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Indian government granted Jet Airways the right to fly to a number of Gulf destinations from Jan. 1, ending a three-year prohibition against private Indian carriers operating to the region. Jet may fly to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain and...

Philippine Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * Philippine Airlines reported a "better than expected" $34.5 million profit in the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, double the $17.2 million earned in the year-ago period. First-quarter revenue grew 13% to $373.4 million while costs climbed...

CAAC.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * CAAC plans to open some secondary airports near larger domestic markets and relax its control of airfare and route licensing in an attempt to boost the growth of Chinese LCCs.

Australia and South Korea.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Australia and South Korea reached an expanded air services agreement under which Korean carriers initially will be allowed to operate up to 8,500 seats each way each week to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, up from the previous limit of...

Dragonair.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * Dragonair officially will join oneworld as an affiliate member on Nov. 1, more than doubling the alliance's destinations in mainland China.

Air China.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Air China said it will invest CNY5 billion ($657.9 million) to establish the country's largest flight simulator training base in Shunyi District in suburban Beijing with 30 full-motion flight simulators.

Alteon Training.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Alteon Training said it will open a training center at Shanghai Pudong by year end that eventually will house China's first 787 full flight simulator and a 757/767 FFS for center partner Shanghai Airlines and "other regional operators."

ST Aerospace.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * ST Aerospace signed a joint venture agreement with Aviation Training Academy Singapore to establish a commercial pilot training academy. The JV, to be called ST Aviation Training Academy, will be 70%-owned by ST Aerospace with ATAS holding a...

Lufthansa Technik.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * Lufthansa Technik signed a five-year, $10 million Total Component Support contract with China's East Star Airlines covering its new A320 fleet.

GMF AeroAsia and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * GMF AeroAsia and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, a joint venture between MTU Aero Engines and China Southern Airlines, entered into a threeyear, $100 million partnership focusing on CFM56-3 MRO.

Sabre Travel Network.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Sabre Holdings Corp. Sabre Travel Network)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Sabre Travel Network announced that Qantas is the launch customer for Sabre Branded Fares, a tool it said will "enable the airline to package and brand a variety of fares featuring different attributes."

STG Aerospace.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
October 1, 2007... * STG Aerospace said Oasis Hong Kong Airlines ordered five shipsets of the latest ColorMatch variant of STG's floorpath marking system for its 747-400 fleet.

Continental Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Continental Airlines will expand capacity at its Cleveland Hopkins International Airport hub by 40% over the next two years, starting with 50 new flights operated primarily by regional jets and the addition of 20 new nonstop destinations by...

Delta Air Lines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(appointments)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Delta Air Lines named current DL board member and former Northwest Airlines CEO Richard Anderson to succeed Gerald Grinstein, who had said he would retire after Delta emerged from bankruptcy. CFO Edward Bastian, who also had been...

Babcock & Brown.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Babcock & Brown filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to spin off part of its commercial aircraft leasing business in an IPO that could raise more than $440 million. The newly created lessor will be known as Babcock & Brown...

Aviation Capital Group.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Aviation Capital Group completed a private debt offering of $270 million of senior unsecured notes to institutional investors. Merrill Lynch & Co. and Calyon Securities were the joint lead placement agents and HSH N Financial Securities LLC...

Eos Airlines.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Eos Airlines, the all-business-class carrier operating 757s between London Stansted and New York JFK, announced that it secured an additional $50 million in equity capital "from institutional and private sources."

ILFC.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * ILFC announced the following lease deals: Bangkok Airways for a new A319- 100 for six years with delivery in January 2009; Zoom Airlines for a used 757- 200ER for 56 months with delivery in February 2008; Air Austral for two new 777-300ERs...

Focus Aviation.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2007... * Focus Aviation, acting on behalf of Central Air Leasing, managed the sale to UPS of an MD-11 formerly operated by Varig.

Ethiopian Airlines.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2007... * Ethiopian Airlines signed a six-year lease for one 757-200ER from GECAS.

Etihad Airways.(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2007... * Etihad Airways will lease two Trent 772Bpowered A330-200s from CIT Aerospace with deliveries scheduled in January and March 2009.

VGS Aircraft Holding (Ireland).(LEASING & FINANCE BRIEFS)
October 1, 2007... * VGS Aircraft Holding (Ireland), through its wholly owned subsidiary VGS Investments One, acquired two MD-82s from GECAS on lease to American Airlines.

American Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * American Airlines in August inaugurated its $1.3 billion terminal complex at JFK, which has opened in stages since the summer of 2005. The terminal boosts AA's passenger capacity at JFK from 8 million per year to 12.8 million. The...

US Airways.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(appointment of Robert Isom )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * US Airways named former Northwest Airlines executive Robert Isom to the newly created position of executive VP and COO. Isom comes to US from GMAC, where he last served as chief restructuring officer.

British Airways and Korean Air.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Korean Air Lines Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * British Airways and Korean Air both officially pleaded guilty in late August to pricefixing charges in a US federal court, which levied a fine of $300 million against each. The carriers previously had agreed to pay that amount.

Midwest Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Midwest Airlines mergers with TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Midwest Airlines, which accepted a buyout offer of $17 per share from TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines in August, entered into a codeshare agreement with NWA for tickets purchased beginning Nov. 3 for travel starting Nov. 17.

Canada's Skyservice Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Skyservice Airlines mergers with Gibralt Capital Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Canada's Skyservice Airlines announced it will sell a "majority" of its charter business to private equity firm Gibralt Capital Corp. of Vancouver. No financial details were disclosed.

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, whose term ended Sept. 13, was named president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Assn. effective Nov. 12. She will succeed the retiring John Douglass, who has held the positions since September 1998 and will...

ITT Corp.-led team.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * ITT Corp.-led team was selected by FAA as the prime contractor to develop the ground surveillance network for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. ITT said the initial contract is for three years and is valued at $207 million, rising...

Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems received both Supplemental Type Certification and Technical Standard Order Authorization from FAA on 757s for SafeRoute, its ADS-B-based program that provides on-ground situational awareness and...

Honeywell Aerospace and Sensis Corp.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Honeywell Aerospace )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Honeywell Aerospace and Sensis Corp demonstrated that technology exists to combine Sensis's Airport Surface Detection Equipment Model X ground-based system with Honeywell's Mode S and TCAS avionics. Result would be to transmit ASDE-X aural...

Sensis.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
October 1, 2007... * Sensis announced that Continental Airlines will subscribe to the Sensis Aerobahn Service for Newark.

Pratt & Whitney.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Pratt & Whitney said it has begun testing the fan drive gear system on its Geared Turbofan engine for the next-generation narrowbody. Flight testing is scheduled for next year with entry into service possible for 2012.

Galileo parent Travelport.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(acquisition of Worldspan)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Galileo parent Travelport completed its $1.4 billion acquisition of Worldspan in late August after the deal was given regulatory clearance by the EC, which concluded it is "unlikely to result in unilateral price increases by the merged firm."...

Boeing.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contracts)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Boeing will supply GoldCare lifecycle support services to Rolls-Royce for the Trent 1000 engine TotalCare program. Boeing said Honeywell Aerospace joined its Integrated Materials Management initiative under which Boeing and suppliers...

Jeppesen and Continental Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... * Jeppesen and Continental Airlines finalized an agreement for Class 2 and 3 electronic flight bag applications and data for the carrier's entire fleet of 368 aircraft.

Sabre Airline Solutions.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
October 1, 2007... * Sabre Airline Solutions will provide four of its solutions to Aloha Airlines. Sabre said Southwest Airlines Cargo selected the CargoMax Revenue Manager system.

ARINC.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
October 1, 2007... * ARINC announced the introduction of SkyBuy, an inflight payment and inventory control system that combines Abanco's MDT In-Flight sales application with ARINC's wireless technology.