Air Transport World articles from September 2007

Air Transport World archives from September 2007

World Airline Traffic.(TRENDS)
September 1, 2007... WORLD AIRLINE TRAFFICE US Domestic (1) 2007/6 2006/5 Europe International Scheduled (2) 2007/6 2006/5 Asia/Pacific International Scheduled (3) 2007/6 2006/5 US International (1) ...

Jet fuel prices.(TRENDS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... JET FUEL PRICES * July 20, 2007 New York 215.78 US Gulf Coast 212.16 Los Angeles 220.46 Rotterdam 216.04 Singapore 211.43 * Spot cash markets (average). Source: US Dept. of Energy

Top 20 airlines system traffic January-July 2007.(TRENDS)(Brief article)(Statistical data)(Company rankings)
September 1, 2007... RANK AIRLINE RPKs(OOO) 1 American 130,566,961 2 Delta* 114,455,441 3 United 111,784,306 4 Air France KLM 101,234,750 5 Continental 79,372,954 6 ...

Brazil's sad aviation meltdown.(EDITORIAL)
September 1, 2007... No one connected with commercial aviation can watch what is happening in Brazil without feeling a strong sense of dismay and deja vu. A second horrific airline accident within 10 months has thrown the air transport system into chaos and the...

BA, Korean admit fare fixing.(NewsBriefs)(British Airways PLC)(Korean Air Lines Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... British Airways and Korean Air at the end of July pled guilty to participating in conspiracies to manipulate fares and surcharges throughout this decade, while separately Qantas said it set aside $40 million "to cover a potential fine that may...

Brazil air transport in crisis.(NewsBriefs)
September 1, 2007... Brazil's air transport system sank further into crisis following the closing of Sao Paulo Congonhas Airport to much commercial traffic in the wake of the July 17 TAM runway overrun accident in which 199 people were killed including all onboard...

China freezes new entry.(NewsBriefs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... With an eye on the 2008 Olympic Games and potential safety issues associated with saturated skies, CAAC in midAugust announced that it will not approve any new entrants before 2010 and will impose stricter conditions and procedures for new...

Competition watchdog details BAA inquiry.(NewsBriefs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The UK Competition Commission last month outlined its investigation into BAA, citing delays and overcrowding at London Heathrow and other UK airports but emphasizing that no conclusions have been reached regarding possible actions such as...

Virgin America launches service.(NewsBriefs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Virgin America took to the skies Aug. 8 offering service from New York JFK and Los Angeles International to San Francisco International with additional routes soon to follow. Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson, who kept a low profile during...

Coming in October.(NewsBriefs)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Airbus will deliver the first A380 to Singapore Airlines on Oct. 15, with SIA's first flight slated for Oct. 25 from Singapore to Sydney. The aircraft will be configured with 471 seats in three classes. Seats on the inaugural flight will be...

Air Canada.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Air Canada reported a C$155 million ($147.3 million) profit in the second quarter, up 2% from the C$152 million posted in the year-ago period. The result was due largely to a C$160 million gain on the revaluation of foreign currency monetary...

Southwest Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett will step down )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Southwest Airlines announced that Executive Chairman Herb Kelleher and President Colleen Barrett will step down from their positions in 2008 at the conclusion of their contracts and leave the company five years later. CEO Gary Kelly will...

Continental Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(slow capacity growth )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Continental Airlines will slow 2008 capacity growth to 3%-4% from the 5%-7% ASM growth rate originally planned and will sell 10 737-500s to Transaero for delivery later this year and in 2008. It is in discussions with another airline regarding...

American Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(contract between American Airlines and AirCell)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... American Airlines signed an MOU with AirCell to become the first US carrier to test AirCell's high-speed broadband capability for passengers traveling within the continental US. Test will be conducted next year on AA's 767-200s "that primarily...

Northwest Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Northwest Airlines, which was beset by high levels of flight cancellations in June and July that it attributed to weather and "pilot absenteeism," reached an agreement with the Air Line Pilots Assn. on "a variety of contract issues and pilot...

WestJet.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Clive Beddoe)(revenue report)(WestJet Airlines Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... WestJet Chairman and CEO Clive Beddoe, the charismatic founder of the Calgary-based LCC, will relinquish the CEO role to President Sean Durfy on Sept. 4. He stepped away from the president's role in September 2006, yielding to Durfy, who joined...

New York state.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... New York state last month adopted a "passenger bill of rights" outlining requirements for airlines during extended ground delays. The new law claims to cover flights at New York airports and mandates fines of as much as $1,000 per passenger for...

Oneworld.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Oneworld partners American)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Oneworld partners American, Iberia, Finnair, Malev and Royal Jordanian filed a request for antitrust immunity with the US Dept. of Transportation effective March 30, 2008, the day the US-EU open skies agreement becomes active.

Frontier Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Frontier Airlines President and CEO Jeff Potter will step down on Sept. 6 to accept a position outside the airline industry. The announcement came shortly after Frontier announced a $3.5 million loss for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30....

Hawaiian Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Hawaiian Airlines parent Hawaiian Holdings reported a second-quarter net loss of $3.9 million, narrowed from $26.4 million last year, on an 8.8% rise in revenue to $244.2 million.

Midwest air group.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Midwest Air Group, which had been pursued by AirTran, accepted a buyout offer from TPG Capital and Northwest Airlines valued at around $450 million. NWA said it will be a passive miority investor. Midwest earned $4.9 million in the second...

Quoted briefly.
September 1, 2007... "Personally, when the airplane door closes, I deliver myself to God." --Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Allegiant Travel Co.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Allegiant Travel Co., parent of Allegiant Air, doubled second-quarter net income to $10 million from $4.7 million last year. Revenue rose 49.1% to $88.9 million.

ATA Airlines.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... ATA Airlines parent Global Aero Logistics completed its acquisition of World Air Holdings, parent of World Airways and North American Airlines, for $315 million.

US Airways.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... US Airways announced a tentative agreement with the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers covering 7,700 fleet service employees.

US Transportation Security Administration.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... US Transportation Security Administration ended its ban on common lighters from aircraft cabins. Torch lighters will remain prohibited.

Boeing.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Boeing said it is "confident" it will deliver the 787 on time to ANA next May even if the first flight slips to October, the possibility of which was raised by Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney during the company's second-quarter...

Goodrich Corp.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Goodrich Corp. agreement with Boeing Co.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Goodrich Corp. signed a long-term agreement with Boeing to continue as the exclusive supplier of OE and aftermarket landing gear for the 737, 747, 767 and 777 through 2012.

Pratt & Whitney.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Global Material Solutions earned PMA certification )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Pratt & Whitney's Global Material Solutions subsidiary earned PMA certification from FAA for the CFM56-3 HPT shroud, marking the first certification for the replacement parts it plans to produce for the engine.

Delta TechOps.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Delta TechOps contract with Vision Airlines )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Delta TechOps reached a five-year, $9 million deal with Las Vegas-based Vision Airlines to provide component, APU and landing gear MRO along with inventory support for Vision's 767-200s.

CAE and Air Canada.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... CAE and Air Canada signed contracts valued at C$60 million ($56.4 million) over 15 years giving CAE responsibility for "operation services" at AC's Toronto and Vancouver training centers. CAE also will market excess training capacity. AC will...

ARINC.(NORTH AMERICA Report)(ARINC marketing agreement with Abanco LLC )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... ARINC signed a marketing and reseller agreement with Abanco LLC to introduce an airborne data and payment system to enable passengers to use credit cards for onboard purchases.

STG Aerospace.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... STG Aerospace's Wireless Emergency Primary Power System received an FAA STC for the 737NG family.

US Majors traffic July 2007 *.(FACT FILE)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Airline RPMs (bil.) %chg ASMs (bil.) %chg. LF (%) +/- chg. 2006 2006 2006 AirTran 1.81 30.1 2.10 23.0 86.0 4.7 Alaska 1.83 4.3 ...

The First American Virgin.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Virgin America took to the skies Aug. 8, offering a two-class product with seatback IFE featuring live television and movies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Ukraine bound.(NORTH AMERICA Report)
September 1, 2007... Aerosvit-Ukrainian Airlines ordered seven blended winglet-equipped 737-800s with purchase rights for an equal number. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Air France KLM.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Air France KLM's fiscal firstquarter profit jumped 70.1% on significant one-time gains to [euro]415 million ($571.4 million) from [euro]244 million earned in the three months ended June 30, 2006. During the period it recorded a gain of [euro]40...

Lufthansa Group.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Lufthansa Group reported a net profit of [euro]992 million ($1.37 billion) in the first six months of 2007, up from [euro]85 million a year earlier and a record for the company. It credited record passenger traffic, a [euro]503 million gain on...

British Airways.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... British Airways reported a profit of [pounds sterling]269 million ($546.5 million) for its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, a 74.7% jump over a profit of [pounds sterling]154 million in the year-ago period, a performance with which the...

Iberia.(EUROPE Report)(Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana S.A. revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Iberia posted a second-quarter profit of [euro]62.6 million, up 75.2% on year-ago earnings of [euro]35.7 million, and a half-year profit of [euro]74.8 million that marked its "best performance in the last five years." For the quarter it managed...

SAS Group.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SAS Group had second-quarter income of SEK607 million ($90.5 million), up 9.8% over SEK553 million in the yearago period. Quarterly revenue was ahead 0.8% to SEK16.29 billion while operating income improved 38.7% to SEK932 million from SEK672...

Ryanair.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Ryanair's fiscal first-quarter profit surged 20% to a record [euro]138.9 million ($189.7 million) from the [euro]115.7 million earned in the three months ended June 30, 2006. Revenue rose 22% to [euro]693 million and ancillary revenue climbed...

Swiss International Air Lines.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Swiss International Air Lines, which became wholly owned by Lufthansa on July 1, posted a net profit of CHF295 million ($244.8 million) in the first six months of 2006, nearly four times higher than the CHF76 million reported in the year-ago...

Austrian Airlines Group.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Austrian Airlines Group CEO Alfred Oetsch said the company is "on the right course" as it reported a [euro]7.7 million second-quarter profit that represented a turnaround from a [euro]3.9 million loss in the yearago period. Revenue fell 4.9% to...

Finnair.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Finnair is "heading in the right direction," according to CEO Jukka Hienonen, as it reported a second-quarter profit of [euro]25.8 million ($35.5 million), up from just [euro]0.4 million a year ago. Secondquarter revenue rose 8.8% to...

TAP Portugal.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... TAP Portugal narrowed its first-half loss to [euro]30 million ($41.1 million) from [euro]52 million in the first half of 2006 on an 11.4% increase in revenue to [euro]806 million.

Alitalia.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Alitalia named former Finmeccanica executive Maurizio Prato chairman Aug.1 following the resignation of Berardino Libonati.

12 freighter.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... An-12 freighter belonging to Russian cargo carrier Atran crashed shortly after takeoff from Moscow Domodedovo July 29, killing all seven crew onboard. Flight 9655 was en route to Omsk.

German Federal Cartel Office.(EUROPE Report)(Air Berlin acquired Lufttransport-Unternehmen Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung und Company KG)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... German Federal Cartel Office approved Air Berlin's acquisition of LTU. AB reached a deal in March to buy LTU for [euro]140 million plus assumption of [euro]200 million of LTU's debt.

Aer Lingus.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Aer Lingus said it will establish its first base outside the Republic of Ireland in December by basing three A320s at Belfast International Airport and launching the first three of eight new routes. The move is opposed by its pilot unions.

Norwegian.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Norwegian reported second-quarter net earnings of NOK44.7 million ($7.8 million), up from NOK18 million earned in the year-ago period. Revenue climbed 33.3% to NOK1.02 billion and operating profit doubled to NOK161.5 million from 79.6 million.

Vueling Airlines.(EUROPE Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Vueling Airlines posted a loss of [euro]33.7 million ($46.1 million) in the first six months of 2007, widened from a deficit of [euro]6.5 million in the yearago period, according to press reports from Madrid.

EU General Affairs and External Relations Council.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... EU General Affairs and External Relations Council approved the agreement reached in June with the US covering the transfer of PNR data.

EADS.(EUROPE Report)(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... EADS reported a 93% decline in first-half net income to [euro]71 million ($97.8 million) from [euro]1.06 billion in the year-ago period. Airbus's first-half EBIT plunged 98.7% to [euro]19 million compared to [euro]1.5 billion in the first six...

Rolls-royce trent 1000.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, launch engine for the 787, received its joint airworthiness certification from EASA and FAA, becoming the first engine to be validated concurrently under new regulatory procedures.

Lufthansa Technik.(EUROPE Report)(Lufthansa Technik contract with Aegean Airlines )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Lufthansa Technik signed eight-year, $100 million Total Component Support and Total Engine Support deals with Aegean Airlines covering up to 27 A320 family aircraft and IAE V2500s. Separately, LHT and Austrian Airlines Technik firmed an...

MNG Technic.(EUROPE Report)(MNG Technic signed an agreement with UM Air )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... MNG Technic signed agreements with Ukraine operator UM Air for a C check on a DC-9 and with British operator Flightline for an MD-83 C check.

Lufthansa Systems.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Lufthansa Systems signed a five-year-contract with Italian cargo carrier Ocean Airlines for its FMS database. LHS will help Air Dolomiti implement e-ticketing.

SITA and CarTrawler.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... SITA and CarTrawler agreed to integrate CarTrawler's car rental distribution platform within the SITA Horizon portfolio of passenger management solutions.

Aviapartner Handling.(EUROPE Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Aviapartner Handling secured contracts to handle seven European airlines in Lyon. In Marseille, it added BA and Lufthansa. BA also contracted the group to handle its flights in Nice and Toulouse.

ARINC.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... ARINC delivered nine SelfServ check-in kiosks to Moscow Sheremetyevo, the first common-use airline passenger kiosks deployed in the Russian Federation, it said.

Aviareps.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Aviareps was appointed by Albanian Airlines as its GSA for the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK.

Quintiq's.(EUROPE Report)
September 1, 2007... Quintiq's Advanced Planning and Scheduling Suite was chosen by Brussels Airport to improve planning and capacity studies of check-in desks and gates.

European Airline Traffic July 2007.(FACT FILE)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... European Airline Traffic July 2007 Airline RPKs %chg. ASKs %chg. Load +/- (billions) 2006 (billions) 2006 factor(%) 2006 AF KLM 19.75 6.8 22.92 5.6 86.2...

ANA group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... ANA Group posted a record fiscal first-quarter profit of [yen]87.3 billion ($736.6 million) for the three months ended June 30 driven by gains from the sale of its hotel business. It earned [yen]7.6 billion in the year-ago quarter. Group...

Japan Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Japan Airlines parent JAL Group's strategy of focusing on high-yield business traffic appears to be paying dividends, evidenced by a narrowed fiscal first-quarter net loss of [yen]4.2 billion ($36.8 million) for the three months ended June 30,...

Singapore Airlines Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Singapore Airlines Group earned S$424.1 million ($280.3 million) during the three months ended June 30, down from 2006 earnings of S$575.1 million that were boosted by a one-time gain of S$223 million from the sale of the SIA Building. Net...

Cathay Pacific.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Cathay Pacific lifted its profit attributed to shareholders for the six months ended June 30 by 54.7% to HK$2.58 billion ($329.57 million) from HK$1.67 billion last year, boosted by the addition of Dragonair accounts into its books along with...

Korean air.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
September 1, 2007... Korean Air lost KRW214 billion ($229 million) in the June quarter owing to the $300 million fine it agreed to pay to the US Dept. of Justice for antitrust violations regarding fares and surcharges. It earned KRW14.9 billion in the yearago...

Asiana Airlines.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Asiana Airlines earned KRW38 billion ($41.5 million) in the second quarter, more than double the KRW15 billion earned in the year-ago period owing to investment gains and the appreciation of the won, according to a regulatory filing cited by...

Qantas.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Qantas Airways Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Qantas unveiled an overhaul of its international long-haul cabin product. A new premium economy class featuring 42-in. pitch, a Panasonic IFE system, enhanced connectivity in all cabins and upgraded lie-flat business class beds are the main...

Thai Airways.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
September 1, 2007... Thai Airways reported a profit for its third fiscal quarter ended June 30 of THB405 million ($12.8 million), down 14.4% from THB473 million earned in the year-ago period. Revenue growth of 5.7% to THB44.53 billion was outpaced by a 7.9% rise in...

Jet Airways.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
September 1, 2007... Jet Airways posted a INR309 million ($7.6 million) profit in its first fiscal quarter ended June 30 compared to a INR450 million loss in the year-ago period. Revenue climbed 19.8% year-over-year to INR19.83 billion. Jet's domestic operation had...

CAAC.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... CAAC, in response to the increasing competition posed by railroads, asked Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Hainan Airlines to cooperate on the Golden Route of Beijing-Shanghai and help make...

Virgin Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Virgin Group acquired FlyAsianExpress)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Virgin Group purchased a 20% share of Malaysia's FlyAsianExpress, which will operate low-cost, long-haul flights as AirAsia X. Price of the stake was not disclosed. AirAsia X expects to launch service next month with three leased A330s pending...

Air Moorea.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Air Moorea DHC-6-300 Twin Otter crashed Aug. 10 on initial climb from Moorea Temae Airport, where it departed for a 10-min. flight to Tahiti, killing all 20 persons onboard.

Garuda Indonesia.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Garuda Indonesia swung to a half-year profit of IDR148 billion ($15.9 million) from a IDR361 billion loss in the first six months of 2006, according to press reports from Jakarta. Revenue rose 12% to IDR5.8 trillion.

SriLankan Airlines Group.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(revenue report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SriLankan Airlines Group, parent of the namesake airline and SriLankan Catering, posted a net profit of LKR862.2 million ($7.7 million) in the financial year ended March 31, marking its fifth consecutive profitable year but a 50% plunge from...

Qantas.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Qantas Airways Ltd. acquired Pacific Airlines)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Qantas took the first 18% of what eventually will be a 30% stake in Vietnam's Pacific Airlines. Remaining 12% will be acquired over the next two years.

V Australia.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Virgin Blue Airlines Proprietary Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... V Australia is the name chosen for Virgin Blue's new long-haul airline that will commence transpacific services to the US late next year with a 777-300ER.

Goodrich.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
September 1, 2007... Goodrich will provide asset management services on Goodrich-made components and systems onboard 19 A380s ordered by Singapore Airlines.

OEMServices.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(OEMServices contract with Singapore Airlines Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... OEMServices, a joint venture company formed by A380 suppliers Diehl Aerospace, Liebherr-Aerospace, Thales and Zodiac, was selected by SIA to provide A380-800 component support services under a 14year agreement.

Air New Zealand technical operations.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)
September 1, 2007... * Air New Zealand Technical Operations signed a five-year, $45 million deal with Hawaiian Airlines covering heavy MRO on the carrier's 18 767s.

Amadeus.(ASIA/PACIFIC Report)(Amadeus AG contract with Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... * Amadeus announced a 10-year deal with Cathay Pacific under which CX and Dragonair will adopt the Altea Customer Management Solution for reservations, inventory and departure control.