NEWSChinese carriers shun EU ETS rules warning; signals retaliationChinese carriers are refusing to join European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) despite EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard’s warning Tuesday oftheir violation of new reporting rules.
LinkGulf Air bailout plan rejectedGulf Air (GF) is awaiting the result of deliberations in the upper house of Bahrain’s National Assembly after the lower house rejected a government proposal to recapitalize the beleaguered national carrier. The proposed bailout of BD664 million ($1.75 billion) came after several years of heavy losses for GF, which has gradually shrunk over the past two decades as former partners Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar pulled out of the airline to set up their own carriers.
LinkSouthwest defers delivery of 30 737-800sSouthwest Airlines (SWA) has deferred deliveries of 30 Boeing 737-800s from 2013-2014 to 2017-2018, as it focuses on hitting its profit target, the carrier confirmed to ATW. The deferrals, 20 in 2013 and 10 in 2014, will save more than $1 billion for the carrier.
LinkBerlin Airport Delayed To March 2013Berlin's new Brandenburg airport will probably not open before March 2013 because of problems with fire regulations, sources said on Wednesday, further embarrassing authorities who had predicted a three-month delay from the original date of June 3.
LinkLufthansa To Focus On Cost Cuts Before DealsLufthansa said on Wednesday it had no plans to veer from its cost-cutting path to focus on acquisitions but would still look at assets up for sale, such as Portugal's flag carrier TAP.
LinkFirst A380s with line-fit wing-fix to be delivered in 2014 Airbus is expecting one-off charges to implement a retrofit solution to the A380 wing-rib cracking problem to reach €260 million ($330 million) over 2012. The airframer's parent, EADS, revealed in its first-quarter results that it had already taken a €158 million charge relating to fixing 71 in-service A380s - a fix which, it says, is "more complex" than originally anticipated in March this year. "This charge is now treated as a one-off since the anticipated retrofit costs go beyond the recurring warranty levels," it adds.
LinkUSAF: F-35B cannot generate enough sorties to replace A-10The US Air Force has concluded that the short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) Lockheed Martin F-35B- model aircraft cannot generate enough sorties to meet its needs; therefore the service will not consider replacing the Fairchild Republic A-10 Warthog close air support jet with that variant. Meanwhile, the USAF and the US Navy are hoping to more closely integrate their forces as part of the US Department of Defense's (DoD) new AirSea battle concept.
LinkDelta Air Lines, pilots reach tentative deal on contractDelta Air Lines and its pilots union have reached a contract accord seven months before the deadline, a rare feat in the airline industry. "Reaching a tentative agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association has been a high priority for Delta since negotiations began in March," said Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin. The agreement will need to be approved by a vote from the pilots before it takes effect.
Link5 work groups accept contract from American AirlinesFive of seven work groups in the Transport Workers Union accepted an American Airlines contract with union workers. "Today's ratification announcement demonstrates American's willingness to address the TWU's interests and the union's willingness to negotiate new contracts that achieve the cost savings needed for our successful restructuring," said American Airlines.
LinkAlaska Air Group names Brad Tilden as CEOAlaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines, named Brad Tilden as its new CEO. Tilden will replace Bill Ayer, who is retiring after serving as CEO since 2002. Tilden, 51, is president of Alaska Airlines and has worked for the carrier since 1991.
LinkAirTran Airways marks 15 years of service in Flint, Mich.AirTran Airways marked its 15th anniversary of operating out of Bishop International Airport in Flint, Mich., on Tuesday. "Before they came, we had less than 200,000 passenger boardings a year. Now we have a million," said airport Director Jim Rice. AirTran began service with three flights a day on DC-9 aircraft, this feature says.
LinkBoeing and Airbus fiercely compete for market shareEuropean aircraft manufacturer Airbus has accused U.S. rival Boeing "of trying to start a price war," this feature says. "There they go again. Starting another price war to try to maintain 50% market share," said John Leahy, Airbus' chief operating officer for customers. Boeing declined to comment on the remarks from Leahy. Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh said, "We are not going to let Airbus position themselves where they have a disproportionate amount of the market share." The Boeing 737 Max plane and the Airbus A320neo are competing for the market for fuel-efficient planes.
LinkEADS takes financial hit over A380 wing problemsEADS, the parent company of Airbus, said the company took a $203 million charge in the first quarter for fixing problems with A380 wings. Airbus delivered four A380s in the quarter, and has 71 A380s in service. The aircraft manufacturer said seven airlines fly the A380, which can seat 500 passengers.
LinkMajority of airlines are complying with ETS data reporting, Europe saysThe European Commission said the majority of airlines are conforming with the European Union's emissions-trading scheme. The aviation industry contributes about 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Ten airlines from China and India refused to participate in the scheme.
LinkLos Angeles airport submits plan to DOT about diverted flightsLos Angeles International Airport has submitted a plan to the Department of Transportation about dealing with diverted flights. "We already had these contingency plans in place, but it was the first time we had to formally hand them to any agency," said Barry Rondinella, LAX director of operations.
LinkNew Jersey airport undergoes $27M expansionThe Atlantic City International Airport in Atlantic City, N.J., is completing a $27 million expansion. The airport, which does not have international flights despite its name, is looking to attract new carriers. Spirit Airlines is the only regularly scheduled carrier to serve the airport.
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