Air Transport World articles from September 2004

Air Transport World archives from September 2004

Jet fuel prices *.(Trends)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Jet Fuel Prices * Cents per gallon Feb. 97.73 Mar. 99.45 Apr. 109.27 May 115.98 June 104.77 July 115.49 July 17, 2004 New York 114.48 US Gulf...

Top 20 airlines.(Trends)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Top 20 Airlines January-July 2004 Rank Airline RPKs (000) 1 American 122,494,311 2 United 107,238,965 3 Delta 102,323,974 4 Northwest ...

Exchange rate.(Trends)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Exchange Rate Currency units per US dollar Country/Currency 7/30/04 5/28/04 Brazil/Real 3.036 3.122 Canada/$ 1.3267 1.3584...

Vote for safety.(Editorial)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... An important step in the campaign to advance aviation safety and protect it from the threat of criminal prosecution or civil penalty can be taken by ICAO during its upcoming Assembly. Member states will be given a chance to vote on a draft...

Delta, United near showdown with unions.
September 1, 2004... Delta Air Lines' management and its Air Line Pilots Assn.-represented pilots remain far apart on what it will take to save the failing airline, which has lost $695 million in the first half of the current year, excluding special charges. At the...

Guangzhou.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Guangzhou's $2.4 billion New Baiyun Airport opened Aug. 5. It has two runways and can handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of freight a year. A second phase is due for completion in 2010 and will lift yearly capacity to 80...

EC approves bridge loan for Alitalia.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... As expected, the European Commission on July 20 approved rescue aid for struggling Mitalia in the form of a 400 million [euro] ($492 million) bridge loan that the cash-strapped carrier has said it needs to stay in the air. The EC said the loan...

Air Canada.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air Canada lost C$510 million ($384.9 million) in the June quarter, which included C$426 million in noncash reorganization and restructuring items. This compares to a net loss of C$566 million in the second quarter of 2003, which included C$217...

Delta Air Lines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Delta Air Lines reached agreement with Boeing to defer the delivery of two 777s, which it previously said it planned to sell, from 2005 to 2008. It will defer three 777 deliveries from 2006 to 2008 and five 737-800s from 2006 to 2007. However,...

Southwest Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Southwest Airlines' new CEO, Gary Kelly, who took over from James Parker after the latter's surprise resignation in July, announced a realignment and "flattening" of the organizational structure effective this month. Under the new structure,...

US Airways.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... US Airways will discontinue service on 20 routes from its Pittsburgh hub from Nov. 7. Further cuts are possible on the US Airways Express system as well. However, it said it plans to keep nonstop service to more than 50 markets, including...

United Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... United Airlines beginning next month will raise the service ante in the hotly competitive nonstop transcon markets while slicing capacity by more than a third. The carrier intends to introduce a new three-class product using 757s on flights...

ATW media group editorial director J.A. Donoghue.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ATW Media Group editorial director J.A. Donoghue (l) received the Royal Aeronautical Society's coveted Aerospace Journalist Of the Year Award from RaeS Chief Executive Keith Mans. The award program, organized by the London-based World...

American Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... American Airlines will furlough 123 pilots Oct. 1 in a final round of cutbacks related to the restructuring agreement reached in April 2003. According to the Allied Pilots Assn., which represents AA's pilots, the number is less than half the...

More than a dozen US airlines met for three days in Washington last month at the behest of DOT to adjust their flight schedules at Chicago O'Hare in the wake of record and near-record delays at the airport.(North America report)
September 1, 2004... More than a dozen US airlines met for three days in Washington last month at the behest of DOT to adjust their flight schedules at Chicago O'Hare in the wake of record and near-record delays at the airport (see Cover Story, p. 24). Currently,...

JetBlue Airways.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... JetBlue Airways earned $21.5 million in the second quarter ended June 30, down 43.5% from $38 million in the prior-year period, which included $22.8 million in federal security reimbursements. Operating revenues rose 30.7% to $319.7 million...

AirTran Airways.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... AirTran Airways netted $16.8 million for the second quarter ended June 30, down 70.6% versus income of $57.2 million in the year-ago period but its ninth consecutive profitable quarter. Excluding special items, net income in the 2003 quarter...

Midwest Air Group.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Midwest Air Group, parent of Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect, reported a $3.5 million net loss in the June quarter compared to a $3.6 million net profit a year ago, which included around $6.8 million in net special gains, primarily federal...

WestJet.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... WestJet reported earnings of C$7.5 million ($5.7 million) in the second quarter, down 49.4% compared to C$14.7 million earned in the year-ago period owing primarily to higher fuel costs. Total revenue rose 25% to C$257.3 million, but total...

Frontier Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Frontier Airlines lost $6.6 million in the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, net of around $1.4 million in special charges, compared to a net profit of $10.9 million in the year-ago period, which included $15 million in federal security...

Hawaiian Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Hawaiian Airlines reported net income of $4.7 million in June after a $3.4 million provision for income tax, down 51% compared to net income of $9.6 million in the year-ago period. Operating income fell 16.8% to $8.9 million from $10.7 million...

Spirit Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Spirit Airlines reported a $3.8 million operating loss for the second quarter ended June 30. President and CEO Jacob Schorr attributed the loss "entirely to the increased price of fuel." Revenues during the period rose 14.8% to $126 million.

Quote of the month.
September 1, 2004... "The pilots of United Airlines have the following message for the company... we will use every resource at our command and every legal means available to prevent the company from destroying the pilot pension program.--Capt. Mark Bathurst,...

Air Canada.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air Canada is seeking C$220 million in compensation and damages from WestJet and its former VP-strategic planning, Mark Hill, alleging that the carrier secretly logged into a confidential AC website containing sensitive booking information.

ATA Airlines.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ATA Airlines said its flight attendants union narrowly rejected a measure to amend its existing collective bargaining agreement, which would have resulted in savings of several million dollars to the carrier over the next two years.

Boeing.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Boeing reported second-quarter earnings of $607 million versus a loss of $192 million last year. Boeng Commercial Airplanes reported a 22% increase in operating earnings to $382 million for the same three months.

Honeywell.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Honeywell was selected by Boeing to supply the flight control electronics for the 7E7. Honeywell also is providing the aircraft's navigation package and crew information system/management system. Together the systems represent a potential total...

Hamilton Sundstrand.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Hamilton Sundstrand will provide the ram air turbine emergency power system for the 7E7. This represents the seventh 7E7 system awarded to the company.

Lufthansa Systems.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Lufthansa Systems announced that AirTran Airways will be the first customer in the US to deploy its flight management system navigation database for its fleet of 77 aircraft.

Rolls-Royce.(North America report)(engine agreement with Jetsgo)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Rolls-Royce signed a TotalCare engine agreement with Canadian low-fare carrier Jetsgo to cover the airline's 18 Tay 650-powered F100s. The deal is valued at $90 million over seven years, Rolls said.

CAE.(North America report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CAE signed training agreements with Sun Country Airlines, Skyway, TACA, Baron Air, Italy First and TUI Belgium. The agreements are valued at roughly C$15 million ($11.4 million) based on expected training volume, according to CAE.

Nordic Leisure.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Nordic Leisure, charter subsidiary of new Swedish LCC Nordic Airlink, currently operates two MD-80s on flights from Scandinavia to Destinations in southern Europe.

ATA Airlines.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ATA Airlines selected the Sabre Streamline Resource Management Suite from Sabre Airline Solutions.

British Airways Group.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... British Airways Group reported a net profit of 70 million [pounds sterling] ($128.7 million) for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, reversing a 63 million [pounds sterling] loss in the year-ago period when the SARS crisis and Iraq war...

US majors traffic.(Europe)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... US Majors Traffic July 2004 RPMs % chg. ASMs (billions) 2003 (billions) Alaska 1.67 10.1 2.10 American 12.60 5.3...

Lufthansa Group.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Lufthansa Group slipped into the red in the second quarter, reporting a net loss of 23 million [euro] ($28 million) and reducing the half-year profit to 39 million [euro]. The group posted a first-quarter 2004 net profit of 62 million [euro]...

Iberia.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Iberia earned 78.3 million [euro] ($94 million) in the second quarter to June 30, up 50.7% over 52 million [euro] earned in the year-ago period, while first-half earnings surged 157% to 77.3 million [euro] from 30.1 million [euro] in 2003. The...

SAS Group.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SAS Group had second-quarter net income of Sek98 million ($13 million), up 48.9% compared to Sek66 million earned in the year-ago period. But the company had only a breakeven result at the pre-tax level versus income of Sek87 million in 2003...

Ryanair.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Ryanair posted a record profit of 53.1 million [euro] ($64 million) in the fiscal first quarter ended June 30. This was a 21% increase versus 43.8 million [euro] earned in the year-ago period. Revenues climbed 23.5% to 302.8 million [euro]...

Austrian Airlines Group.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Austrian Airlines Group reported a 27.5 million [euro] ($33.8 million) loss after tax for the first half of 2004, slightly improved versus a 28.6 million [euro] loss in the year-ago period. Total revenue rose 11.3% to 1.05 billion [euro], while...

Air Berlin and Hapag-Lloyd Flug.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air Berlin and Hapag-Lloyd Flug are entering an alliance from Nov. with plans to operate 300 codeshare flights a week. They will coordinate their schedules from four airports--Nurnberg, Stuttgart, Munich and Palma de Mallorca--where both have a...

Thales.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Thales was selected by Boeing to supply the Integrated Standby Flight Display for the 7E7. Thales earlier was selected to supply the electrical power conversion system for the new aircraft.

MyTravel.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... MyTravel signed a 10-year contract with Lufthansa Technik for airframe-related component services for its fleet of 27 A320s and seven A330s.

Snecma Services Brussels.(Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Snecma Services Brussels signed an exclusive three-year time-and-material contract covering Flyglobespan's CFM56-3s powering two 737-300s.

JAL Group.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... JAL Group reported a [yen] 40.7 billion ($365 million) net loss for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, much improved compared to a [yen] 77.2 billion net loss in the SARS-battered year-ago period. The company said the March-June period...

Air China Southwest.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air China Southwest recently took the first of tour A319s equipped for operations at high-altitude airports.

Singapore Airlines Group.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Singapore Airlines Group netted S$258.6 million ($150.4 million) for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30 compared to a S$312.3 million net loss last year. Operating profit totaled S$307.1 million, reversing an operating loss of S$377.3...

European airline traffic.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... European Airline Traffic July 2004 RPKs % chg. ASKs (billions) 2003 (billions) AF-KLM (1) 16.13 9.5 19.67 BA Group 9.95 8.3 ...

Cathay Pacific Airways.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Cathay Pacific Airways' first-half profits soared to HK$1.77 billion ($227 million) from a loss of HK$1.24 billion in the first half of 2003. Turnover leapt 48.1% to HK$18.19 billion, more than offsetting a 22.4% rise in operating expenses to...

Shanghai Airlines.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Shanghai Airlines posted a half-year profit of 145.3 million yuan ($17.5 million) compared to a loss of 197.4 million yuan in the year-ago period, which results were impacted heavily by the SARS crisis. The airline carried 2.6 million...

Air-India and Lufthansa signed "an extensive" cooperation agreement in Mumbai last month that will begin Oct. 1 and includes codesharing and reciprocal frequent-flier mileage accrual.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air-India and Lufthansa signed "an extensive" cooperation agreement in Mumbai last month that will begin Oct. 1 and includes codesharing and reciprocal frequent-flier mileage accrual. Codesharing eventually will be extended to "all flights...

United Airlines and Northwest Airlines received route rights under the US-China aviation agreement signed in June.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... United Airlines and Northwest Airlines received route rights under the US-China aviation agreement signed in June. Northwest will operate a daily service from Detroit to Guangzhou over Tokyo, while United will begin daily nonstop service...

US and Indonesia signed an open skies aviation agreement in late July that removes all restrictions on air services to, from and beyond each other's territory.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... US and Indonesia signed an open skies aviation agreement in late July that removes all restrictions on air services to, from and beyond each other's territory, replacing a restrictive bilateral dating back to the 1960s.

Nok Air.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Nok Air, Thailand's latest LCC, took to the air July 23. The airline, which is 39% owned by Thai Airways International, launched flights from Bangkok to Udon Thani, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. It plans to operate 20 domestic sectors a day with its...

Garuda.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Garuda low-cost subsidiary Citilink will lease 12 737-300s from GECAS to grow from a feeder airline into an LCC. Seven of the 737s will be delivered this year with the balance next year. The airline currently operates three 737-300s and five...

Lufthansa Group and Air China will invest $100 million in their jointly owned aircraft maintenance and engineering company Ameco Beijing over the next four years as part of the previously announced agreement to extend their cooperation for another 25 years.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Lufthansa Group and Air China will invest $100 million in their jointly owned aircraft maintenance and engineering company Ameco Beijing over the next four years as part of the previously announced agreement to extend their cooperation for...

GE Engine Services.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... GE Engine Services will maintain GE90-90Bs powering China Southern Airlines' 777-200s through at least 2013 under a five-year extension to their current Maintenance Cost Per Hour agreement. The work will be performed at GE's Nantgarw, Wales,...

Air New Zealand selected Rockwell Collins.(Asia/Pacific report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air New Zealand selected Rockwell Collins to supply eTES audio and video on demand inflight entertainment equipment on its eight new 777-200ERs. The first aircraft is expected to be in service by Sept. 2005.

LAN Airlines.(Latin America/Caribbean report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... LAN Airlines, formerly LanChile, enjoyed record net income of $31.5 million for the three-month period ended June 30, its seasonally weakest quarter. In the year-ago period, it earned $4.1 million. Operating revenues rose 28% to $462.8 million...

Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol.(Latin America/Caribbean report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol reported net income of 73.2 million reais ($24.2 million) and operating income of R$92.8 million for the 2004 second quarter ended June 30. The airline said its results were boosted by a 20.9% jump in revenue to...

Israel Aircraft Industries'.(Latin America/Caribbean report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Israel Aircraft Industries' Bedek Aviation Group received an FAA STC for its 767-200 freight conversion program at the end of July. Aircraft was delivered to ABX Air (see article, p. 45).

Government of Trinidad.(Latin America/Caribbean report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Government of Trinidad assumed control of BWIA temporarily and hopes to come up with a plan to make the struggling airline profitable again, the Associated Press reported. The carrier was government-owned until 1995, when it was privatized....

Iberia and TACA signed a code-sharing and said they plan to extend it to other areas of cooperation in the future.(Latin America/Caribbean report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Iberia and TACA signed a code-sharing and said they plan to extend it to other areas of cooperation in the future. The move follows Iberia's decision to close its Miami minihub in light of new US security-related requirements that have made...

Ghana Airways.(Africa/Middle East report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Ghana Airways' service into the US was interrupted at the end of July after US DOT revoked its authority, citing "serious questions surrounding the safety of its aircraft" and the fact that it had failed to renew its US operating certificate....

El Al.(Africa/Middle East report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... El Al reported a gross profit of $4.5 million for the first quarter of 2004, reversing a net loss of $35.5 million in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 33% to $302.6 million. Positive cash flow totaled $13.1 million.

Virgin Atlantic.(Africa/Middle East report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Virgin Atlantic is examining the possibility of setting up an airline in Nigeria, with a decision expected by year end. The new airline would fly to destinations in Europe and the US if approvals are received.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings.(Cargo)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the end of July having discharged more than $600 million of pre-petition debt and reduced financial costs through the...

Lufthansa Cargo and US Airways entered into a "wide-ranging cargo agreement" covering select routes from Europe to the US.(Cargo)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Lufthansa Cargo and US Airways entered into a "wide-ranging cargo agreement" covering select routes from Europe to the US. Under the agreement, which begins Sept. 1, LHC will assume responsibility for marketing US Airways freight capacity on...

ABX Air.(Cargo)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ABX Air earned $5.8 million in the three months ended June 30, up 63.6% over earnings of $3.5 million in the prior-year period. Revenues declined 7.5% to $274.7 million while operating expenses fell 6.9% to $266.9 million, resulting in...

Virgin Atlantic Airways.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Virgin Atlantic Airways ordered 13 Trent 500-powered A340-600s bringing its total firm orders to 25 of which seven are in service, with options for a further 13. Deliveries of the newly ordered aircraft begin in 2006 and the order is valued at...

Thai Airways International.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Thai Airways International announced an order for six A380s plus one additional A340-500 and one A340-600. In addition, the airline placed an order for six medium-range aircraft, which are thought to be 777-200s. Total value of the 14 aircraft...

Air China Cargo.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air China Cargo ordered two PW4056-powered 747-400Fs valued at approximately $400 million at list prices with deliveries in Nov. 2005 and March 2006.

ANA.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ANA finalized its launch order for 50 7E7s, choosing 20 7E7-8s and 30 short-haul dash 3s. The first 7E7-8 arrives in 2008 and the first dash 3 in 2010.

Independence Air.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Independence Air ordered an A319 for delivery in March 2006, bringing its firm Airbus orders to 28.

Air Senegal International.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Air Senegal International said it will buy a 737-700 with delivery scheduled for July 2005.

Tarom.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Tarom selected the CFM56-5B to power four A318s set for delivery in 2006-07.

Japan Airlines.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Japan Airlines ordered a CAE 777-200ER simulator with delivery in spring 2006 valued at C$16 million ($12.2 million) at list prices.

America West.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... America West formalized a previously announced commitment for 10 A320s and seven A319s. It also will lease four A320s from various lessors and either purchase or lease one more A320, bringing the total to 22 aircraft. Deliveries of the...

All Nippon Airways.(Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... All Nippon Airways ordered 45 shipsets of blended winglets from Aviation Partners Boeing for its 737-700s currently on order. Deliveries begin in Oct. 2005.

Mesaba parent earnings fall.(Regional News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... MAIR Holdings, parent of Mesaba Airlines and Big Sky Transportation, reported net income of $2.9 million for its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, a 17.1% decline from $3.5 million in the year-ago period. Total revenue dipped 3.8% to $109.7...

US Airways firms up RJ financing.(Regional News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... US Airways said it reached agreements with GECAS, Bombardier and Embraer to continue providing the company with regional jet financing through the end of the third quarter. The new agreements became necessary after the company's credit rating...

PSA pilots agree to Jets for Jobs protocol.(Regional News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Pilots at PSA Airlines, a Regional subsidiary of US Airways, reached an agreement on the so-called Jets for Jobs provision that calls for half of new positions in larger jets to be awarded to furloughed US Airways pilots. PSA pilots will fill...

Styrian Spirit.(Regional News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Styrian Spirit will get a capital injection of 3 million [euro] ($3.7 million) under a deal in which Slovenian company Prefent p.p. will take a 26% stake in the Austrian Regional. The new funding will help with Styrian's network expansion and...

Spain's Air Nostrum.(Regional News)
September 1, 2004... Spain's Air Nostrum announced a firm order for 20 CRJ200s with options on a further 20. The firm aircraft are valued at $512.6 million.