AirlinesAeroflot plans to carry 30 million passengers in 2016Russia’s Aeroflot airline plans to carry 30 million passengers in 2016, Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev told Russia’s TV Rossiya 24. The whole Aeroflot Group is expected to handle 40 million passengers. Aeroflot Group includes low-cost Pobeda Airline, which more than doubled traffic in the first quarter to 950,794 passengers. Saint Petersburg-based Rossiya Airlines, Rostov-on-Don-based Donavia and Orenburg-based Orenair are now combining into one airline operating under the Rossiya Airlines brand.
LinkChina Eastern gets EFB approval for Airbus and Boeing jetsChina Eastern Airlines has secured approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to install electronic flight bags on its Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and 777 aircraft. The approval comes after the airline successfully implemented the system on its Airbus A330 fleet in 2014, using the type to conduct trials. It then filed an application with the CAAC to install the system on A320s, Boeing 737s and 777s.
LinkCopa Holdings 1Q net income up 2%Panama City-based Copa Holdings reported first-quarter net income of $115.5 million, up 2% from a net income of $113.2 million in the year-ago quarter.. Copa Holdings—the parent company of Panama’s Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia—said the first-quarter results reflect lower unit revenues driven in large part by the reduction in yields in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia as well as further demand weakness in other markets, partially offset by lower fuel expense and lower ex-fuel unit costs for the quarter.
LinkJetBlue offers Fort Lauderdale-Nashville serviceJetBlue Airways debuted service from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Nashville, Tenn., this week. The carrier is adding several destinations from its Florida hub. "We get to grow at low fares, and that's what customers like in addition to our service," said Dennis Corrigan, JetBlues vice president of sales and revenue management.
LinkQatar To Reducing Flights Because Of Aircraft ShortagesQatar Airways is reducing flight frequency on more than a dozen routes from Doha because of hold-ups in the delivery of new aircraft from Airbus. The 15 affected routes include the carrier's recently launched service to Adelaide in Australia, flights to Boston, Houston and Miami in the United States, and services to Copenhagen, Jakarta and Manchester.
LinkSAS Scandinavian Airlines holds on to ground servicesSAS Scandinavian Airlines has decided to retain control over ground handling services at its three main hubs of Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. The tri-national carrier had initially opened negotiations last year with Aviator Airport Alliance Europe, which provides a range of services including aircraft washing and de-icing, baggage and freight handling, plus airport security throughout the Nordic region and the UK.
LinkZuma Vows To Retain South African AirwaysSouth African President Jacob Zuma ruled out selling South African Airways (SAA), saying the government would never sell the money-losing national flag carrier. Many of South Africa's 300-odd state-owned companies, including SAA, are a drain on the government's finances and a team commissioned by Zuma to review them has recommended that some companies should be sold.
LinkSWISS to fly new 777s to Asian destinationsLufthansa Group carrier Swiss International Air Lines plans to replace Airbus A330 and A340 widebodies on several Asian schedules with new Boeing 777-300ERs. The move to the new aircraft comes as the carrier looks to strengthen its foothold in the Asian market with upgraded schedules to Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.
LinkTAAG Angola Airlines’ new 777-300ER to fly on Portugal routeTAAG Angola Airlines, the national airline of Angola, has taken delivery of another Boeing 777-300ER, which will be used on Angola-Portugal double daily services from June 2. The 293-seat 777-300ER, TAAG’s fourth of the type, has a three-class configuration. “The 777-300ER forms the backbone of TAAG’s long-haul fleet,” TAAG executive chairman Peter Hill said.
LinkLCC Tigerair swings to profit in 4Q 2016Singapore-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Tigerair reported a net profit of S$7.9 million ($5.8 million) for the 4Q 2016, which ended March 31. This was reversed from a net loss of S$18.8 million in the year-ago period. Quarterly revenue rose 4.1% to S$179 million for the 4Q 2016 period. This brought an operating profit of S$14.5 million for the quarter, reversed from an operating loss of S$2.3 million year-on-year.
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