Airline Business articles from May 2001

Airline Business archives from May 2001

American brings TWA on board.(American Airlines)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Having cleared all the legal obstacles in its path, American Airlines has taken over TWA - one of the most venerable names in aviation - becoming the largest airline in the US.Although it will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of American...

Mexican carriers manoeuvre to stall Azteca.(Azteca Airlines)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Mexico's incumbent carriers are trying to thwart the takeoff of newcomer Azteca Airlines.ESlated to start domestic flights as early as March, Azteca has now delayed its launch while Mexico's secretary of communications and transportation (SCT)...

Canada 3000 buys second rival.(CanJet)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Canada 3000 has taken another step toward consolidating Air Canada's rivals by agreeing to buy the Halifax-based start-up, CanJet.This follows close on the heels of Canada 3000's takeover of Royal Airlines in late March. In a no-cash deal,...

Labour peace comes with a high price tag at Delta.(Delta Airlines' new contract with pilots)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... After a winter in which the US airline labour picture was far from clear, the one certainty which has since emerged is that peace will come at a price. A strike by Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) members against Delta Air Lines was...

Midwest boosts 717 programme.(Midwest Express Airlines orders Boeing aircraft)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The Boeing 717 programme got a substantial boost when Midwest Express Airlines selected the aircraft ahead of the Airbus A318 for its fleet modernisation programme. The new aircraft will replace 24 McDonnell Douglas DC-9s. The carrier,...

In brief.(airline news briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... American charges ticket fee To encourage the use of e-ticketing, and to recoup the costs associated with paper ticketing, American Airlines is adding a $10 fee to paper tickets where the passenger qualified for an electronic ticket. Other...

United-US Airways dealfaces new antitrust delay : US antitrust regulators have once more forced United Airlines and US Airways to delay their combination. The merger was first proposed nearly a year ago.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... United is no longer optimistic that the deal will close in the second quarter, Jake Brace, the airline's senior vice-president for finance, told analysts. The combination, valued at $11.6 billion, including assumption of debt, was unveiled in...

A question of maturity.(forming global airline alliances)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... How urgent is it for carriers to align themselves with a global alliance?The answer, especially in Asia-Pacific, will depend on whether they play in a mature market argues Chris Tarry at Commerzbank.To return to an old theme, the airline...

Bare knuckles fighting in Australia.(airline market)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Australia's skies have become a war zone as airlines slash fares and add flights in a battle to dominate the domestic market.EAmid this fight, predictions have emerged that one or more of the combatants may not survive. Startups Impulse and...

Beijing groups eye more Chinese aviation stakes.(CITIC, China National Aviation Co. plan investments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Two Beijing-backed Hong Kong investment groups have gone public with plans to invest in China's aviation sector as major government restructuring gathers pace on the mainland. CITIC Pacific and China National Aviation Company (CNAC) announced...

US carriers pass on Incheon.(Delta Air Lines, American Airlines in South Korea)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... In a major shift in hub strategy, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have decided not to expand operations at Seoul's new Incheon airport. Both carriers have previously proposed a Seoul hub.EThey lack fifth freedoms beyond Japan but could...

Routes & Fleets.(airline news briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... SIAmakes Chicago connection Singapore Airlines (SIA)is to launch a thrice-weekly service between Singapore and Chicago via Amsterdam on 1 August. The Chicago flights will be operated with Boeing 777-200ERs as an extension to the carrier's...

Air Niugini sale stalls.(partial privatization by government)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Papua New Guinea's government has deferred plans for a partial privatisation of Air Niugini after concluding that none of the bids received met sale conditions. The country's Privatisation Commis-sion says "other options" will now be...

Viljoen seeks to put the passion back into SAA.(Andre Viljoen of South African Airways)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... The new chief executive of South African Airways (SAA), Andre Viljoen, has cut a swath through the executive ranks of the airline less than a month after assuming control.There have been a spate of "resignations", in which Viljoen appears to be...

SIAchallenges the USAto relax foreign ownership.(Singapore Airlines)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Singapore Airlines (SIA) has publicly challenged the USAto follow through on its leadership in opening up world aviation markets by relaxing its "archaic" limits on foreign ownership of UScarriers. SIAchief executive Dr Cheong Choong Kong...

Trouble in Zurich: The near collapse that has taken place at the SAirGroup serves as a cautionary tale of how quickly fortunes can turn sour in the airline business. Even now it is not clear just how far the fallout will reach as the Swiss group fights to steady itself.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... It is hard to recall when an airline last saw its strategy unravel so spectacularly. In the space of a year SAirGroup has seen its world fall to pieces. Not only has it been brought low, but in dramatic fashion. The boardroom battles, which...

Alliance speculation heats up as Alitalia losses grow.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 1, 2001... Inheriting a disastrous financial state of affairs, Alitalia's chief executive Francesco Mengozzi is making a bid to restructure the airline group but has yet to come up with a crucial alliance deal. The flow of bad news out of Rome was capped...

Share offeringreleases Iberia from affairs of state.(Iberia's initial public offering )(International Pages)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Iberia's initial public offering (IPO) may not have been a great success in terms of sale price, but management is already exercising its new-found freedom from state control with plans for a major corporate restructuring. This will see Iberia...

In brief.(airline news briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Balkan looks to restart Grounded Balkan Bulgarian Airlines was hoping to restart international services to London and Dubai in early May, according to trustees appointed to run the carrier. Balkan, which is co-owned by majority shareholder...

Corti battles to stem the fallout at SAir.(Mario Corti of SAirGroup)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... As he announced annual results that were just as dire as everyone had feared, SAirGroup chairman Mario Corti pledged to concentrate on sorting out the company's financial woes before tackling any major strategic decisions. Although it is...

Pilots remain bullish over push to catch up on pay.(Labor unions may strike airlines)(International Pages)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... A summer of labour action and discontent could be looming as several European pilots' unions follow the US lead and push to claw back pay concessions made during the 1990s. The unions are seeking significant salary increases to make up for pay...

Crunch : Global distribution systems face an ongoing challenge to create a sustainable, profit-making role for themselves in an environment increasingly dominated by the Internet and online distribution.(Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo and Worldspan )
May 1, 2001... The past 18 months have been a EEEEEEEE tumultuous period for the four global distribution systems (GDS) - Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo and Worldspan - with the latter two currently standing at a particularly crucial crossroads. Galileo, the...

The new.(Gulf Air's new president )
May 1, 2001... Ibrahim Al Hamer is nothing if not focused. At 49, and with notable career achievements in banking and civil aviation already under his belt, if Gulf Air's new president and chief executive says he is going to instill new vigour, pride and...

Facing: Italy is finally embracing airline industry deregulation after years of high fares and poor service. New carriers and new alliances reveal a market in transition.(Air One, Meridiana and Air Europe)(Government Activity)(International Pages)
May 1, 2001... Trailing behind most of Western Europe, the Italian Government has finally begun deregulating transport market. Since the long-delayed process started to kick in seriously last year, the skies over Italy have become crowded with newcomers...

Atlantic.(Airlines' code-sharing alliances)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... A study of the summer schedules suggests that capacity growth on the North Atlantic may be about to ease. It may also hold lessons about the winners from open skies As the summer season opens once more, eyes will again be trained on the key...

The tortoise and the hare.(Sonic Cruiser )(International Pages)(Product Development)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... For now, Boeing is leaving the superjumbo market to Airbus, preferring to dream of speed rather than size with the futuristic Sonic Cruiser conceptIn the race between size and speed, the victory goes to the clever. That is the lesson in the...

Could SIAride to Ansett's rescue?: Air New Zealand (ANZ) is seeking ways to raise capital for a major fleet order needed for its subsidiary, Ansett Australian. Singapore Airlines (SIA), which already owns 25% of ANZ, could provide the answer.
May 1, 2001... Ansett suffered the embarrassment and expense of a second grounding of its Boeing 767 fleet over the busy Easter holidays.EAustralia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) ordered the grounding, the second in five months, over safety...

Cancelled 747X leaves cargo void.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... While Boeing's decision to cancel development of the 747X may have made sense on the passenger side, it is depriving the air cargo market of what could have been a useful freighter aircraft. The 747XF would have offered the world's major...

In brief.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2001... Canada 3000 finds new ally Canada 3000, fresh from taking over both Royal Airlines and CanJet (see related story on page 18), started a frequent-flier alliance with American Airlines on 1 May. Analysts believe the move is the first step...

Jet.(Airlines buy more aircraft)
May 1, 2001... The regional jet revolution continued apace last year, with the new breed of RJs chalking up their highest order tally to date. Yet the first great wave of RJorders may be about to subside, at least in the USA. As it does, the focus switches to...

Counting on.(Frequent Flier Programme )
May 1, 2001... No airline would seriously doubt the value of keeping its best customers loyal. That is, after all, the fundamental reason for setting up a Frequent Flier Programme (FFP). Yet few have taken the next logical step and begun to count the true...

How does your airline.(Regional jet carriers contract talks)
May 1, 2001... The US flying public has already made clear its love affair with the regional jet. The major carriers too have been enthusiasts, expanding their express jet fleets at a breakneck pace. However, that is not the end of the affair. Mainline pilot...

Top 100 Regional Airline Directory.(Directory)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2001... This alphabetical listing provides ownership, alliance and fleet data for the carriers which made up this year's Airline Business Top 100 Ranking (see pages 62-64). Data is compiled by Air Transport Intelligence but also sources the Airclaims...

Two's: Having taken over the reins at under-fire Northwest Airlines, co-heads Richard Anderson and Doug Steenland will use rare peace with labour to put the carrier back on the right track.(Richard Anderson and Doug Steenland )(Company Profile)
May 1, 2001... Co-regents, so the historians tell us, run the risk that their reigns are spent either avoiding or tripping over each other. However, in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St Paul the two who now run Northwest Airlines - Richard Anderson and Doug...