CommercialThousands Of US Flights Cancelled As Storm Moves NorthA winter storm that froze the US southeast pushed north on Thursday, with driving winds and heavy snow snarling travel and closing many schools from Washington to Connecticut, creating havoc for winter-weary parents. More than 700,000 people, including residents of Georgia and South Carolina hit by a heavy blast of ice a day earlier, were without power as the storm made its way up the coast, closing much of Washington and threatening to drop up to 18 inches (45 cm) of snow in some areas. About 6,349 US flights were cancelled and another 2,396 were delayed, said flight-tracker FlightAware.
LinkBombardier Reports Q4 Profit, But CSeries Costs RiseBombardier reported a quarterly profit on Thursday, but cut its 2014 earnings forecast as it spends heavily on developing its new CSeries airliner. The company reported net income of USD$97 million for the quarter ended December 31. In the year-before quarter it posted a loss of USD$4 million, mainly due to a charge of USD$119 million related to a plant closure and job cuts in its rail business. Bombardier's fourth-quarter revenue rose 15 percent to USD$5.32 billion.
LinkIAG, Pilots Agree To Link Wages With ProfitsInternational Airlines Group has reached a deal with Spanish pilots to link salary rises to group profitability from 2015, helping to ensure the viability of local carrier Iberia. IAG, which groups British Airways and Spanish carriers Iberia and Vueling, said in a statement on Thursday that Spanish pilots union SEPLA had agreed that wages would be frozen until 2015, and also agreed to productivity improvements. Luis Gallego, Iberia's executive chairman, called the deal "groundbreaking". "A strong and profitable Iberia can protect jobs in the long term and boost tourism, which is a key driver in Barajas (airport) and Spain's economic recovery," he said in a statement.
LinkAirbus confirms Aerolineas A330 purchaseAerolineas Argentinas has signed for four Airbus A330-200s as part of a fleet modernization plan. The purchase agreement follows a tentative deal for four 272-seat twinjets reached towards the end of last year. Aerolineas has yet to disclose an engine selection for the aircraft. It had originally said it intended to take delivery of two in early 2015, and complete deliveries in 2016, but Airbus has not given a delivery schedule.
LinkAmerican to look beyond Envoy for an E-175 operatorAmerican Airlines Group will begin searching for a regional carrier to operate the 60 Embraer 175s that it has on order, following the rejection of an agreement in principle to operate the aircraft by the pilot’s union at its regional subsidiary Envoy. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) American Eagle – soon to be renamed Envoy – master executive council rejected the 10-year agreement in a vote late on 12 February, according to a statement. The agreement included 90 E-175s, a minimum operating fleet of 170 aircraft and improved flow through options to mainline in exchange for a pilot pay freeze through 2018 at the regional carrier.
LinkEmbraer Agrees USD$2.9 Bln Deal With Indian StartupEmbraer clinched its first major Indian deal with an order for 50 E-Jet E2s valued at USD$2.94 billion from start-up Indian domestic carrier Air Costa. Air Costa will become the first customer of the E-Jet E2s in India when it receives its first aircraft in 2018, company officials told a media briefing at the Singapore Airshow on Thursday. It will be the first airline to order and operate a large number of regional jets in India, a market which has seen substantial losses in recent years due to over-capacity and intense price wars among its carriers.
LinkSilver Gulch sampling on Alaska Air Q400 flightsPassengers aboard Alaska Airlines Q400 flights will get a taste of Alaska next month when a sampling of craft brews produced by Fairbanks-based Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling is part of the flight experience. "Silver Gulch is a successful local business based in the Fairbanks area, and we're excited to offer their beer on our Q400 flights within Alaska," said Marilyn Romano, Alaska Airlines' regional vice president – Alaska. Travelers will get to sip the company's Old 55 Pale Ale, which the airline says will arrive fresh daily.
LinkAirbus: Asian carriers will fly wide-body aircraft on local routesAirbus predicts carriers in Asia will turn to larger passenger aircraft to fly shorter routes because of rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific airline industry. "We believe a widebody on local routes up to 2,000 nautical miles [3,700 kilometers] has a huge potential, particularly in China," said Fabrice Brégier, CEO of Airbus.
LinkAt least 3 airlines seek A380 services to India Airbus Group NV said India’s easing of rules that banned its A380 superjumbos operating into the country may prompt several carriers to start services with the plane this year to the world’s second-most populous nation. At least three carriers have sought India’s permission to operate the A380, Kiran Rao, an executive vice president at Airbus, said in an interview today. Flights with the world’s biggest passenger jet to the country may start by end of this year, he said, without naming any airline. Emirates and Deutsche Lufthansa AG are among carriers that are interested in operating the double-decker aircraft to India where passenger numbers are forecast to triple to 452 million by 2020. Airlines will be allowed to fly the plane to the nation’s four airports, including New Delhi and Mumbai, the Aviation Ministry said last month.
LinkCBP should reduce lengthy waits at U.S. airports firstAlthough a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance facility has opened at the Abu Dhabi airport in the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. aviation industry said the move is misguided. Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas Calio said the agency should focus on reducing lengthy wait times for passengers entering the U.S. before opening additional sites overseas.
LinkMiami gets TSA PreCheck for international flightsPassengers making international connections through Miami International Airport may be able to clear security faster through the new Transportation Security Administration PreCheck lane opening this week at the airport. Passengers selected by the TSA will get to pass through the line without removing shoes or taking liquids and computers from bags.
LinkHouse halts FAA weight-test plan The House voted Tuesday to slow down the Federal Aviation Administration's effort to start testing overweight pilots and air-traffic controllers for sleep disorders. The legislation approved by voice vote aims to block FAA from immediately requiring tests for sleep disorders based on a pilot's weight or neck size, as the agency announced in November. Instead, the FAA could adopt the standard as part of a formal rulemaking process, which could take months or years. The Senate must still consider the legislation.
LinkAirport traffic increased 4% across the globe in 2013Passenger traffic at airports around the world rose by 4% in 2013, according to the Airports Council International. Asia-Pacific airports reported growth of more than 7% for 2013, while European airports reported growth of 2.6% for the year. Meanwhile, North American airports reported modest growth of 1.3% for 2013.
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