AirlinesAir France pilots to strikePilots at Air France have given notice of a four-day strike next week, in protest at what they say are deteriorating working conditions. The walk-out by two unions, the SNPL and SPAF, is scheduled to run from June 11-14. The strike will begin the day after the start of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, hosted in France, and which is expected to see tens of thousands of extra passengers flying in from around the continent to watch matches. The unions said that further walk-outs were possible.
LinkAmerican Airlines offers daily service from Idaho to DFWAmerican Airlines launched daily nonstop service from Boise, Idaho, to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. "We're extremely pleased to add Dallas to our network of 20 nonstop routes, and continue our strong partnership with American Airlines," said Rebecca Hupp, director of the Boise Airport.
LinkAvianca Brasil chief says "door open" for interested airlinesSouth American airlines group Avianca's doors are open to any opportunities presented by interested partners to help it grow when economic conditions in its region improve, the head of Avianca Brasil said on Saturday. Avianca said in a filing on Friday it was taking advice from investment banks after Reuters reported HNA, Delta Air Lines and United Continental Holdings were among parties interested in making an acquisition.
LinkAvianca shares soar on report United, Delta may buy itShares of the Avianca soared almost 24 percent Friday after a published report listed United and Delta among the possible buyers of the Central American airline. Avianca, based in Panama City, Panama, has 180 planes that fly to 105 destinations in 28 countries. Avianca sent letters to potential bidders, according to The Wall Street Journal , citing sources it did not identify, seeking capital of $500 million.
LinkBrussels Airlines CEO Hopes Lufthansa Proceeds With TakeoverThe chief executive of Brussels Airlines told the IATA annual meeting that he is hopeful Lufthansa will acquire the part of the Belgian carrier that it does not own. "I hope for it," CEO Bernard Gustin said when asked at the meeting in Dublin. Lufthansa owns 45 percent of Brussels Airlines owner SN Airholding and has a call option for the remaining 55 percent.
LinkDelta Becomes First US Based Airline To Offer Free IFE According to a press release, Delta Studio, the airline's onboard entertainment suite, will be free for all customers on two-class aircraft by July 1. This includes nearly 90 percent of Delta's fleet. Meanwhile, Delta Studio offers up to 300 movies, 750 TV shows, 100 foreign film titles, 2,400 songs, 18 channels of live satellite TV on select aircraft and a selection of games on aircraft with seat-back entertainment systems. The airline said customers can enjoy a range of popular movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; The Jungle Book as well as premium TV options like Showtime's Billions and HBO's Vinyl. Live TV is available on more than 240 aircraft.
LinkEmirates' Clark Says More Needs To Be Done On SafetyEmirates' President Tim Clark slammed the aviation industry's inability to quickly locate lost aircraft, and said more needed to be done to ensure air passenger safety in general. "As far as aircraft tracking is concerned, it's a disgrace," Clark told IATA members on Thursday.
LinkFastjet narrows losses for 2015, but draws more shareholder criticismAfrican low-cost carrier (LCC) fastjet narrowed its net losses in 2015, recording a deficit of $16.9 million compared to its $58.5 million loss a year earlier. It achieved the result on revenue on continuing activities up 21% to $65.1 million, up from $53.8 million for the year-ago period. Passenger numbers rose 32% to almost 788,000 in 2015.
LinkFinnair wants local ownership limitations removedFinnair president and CEO Pekka Vauramo continues to lobby for ownership restrictions to be removed so that his company can participate in European airline consolidation. Earlier this year, the Finnish government made statements about disposing stakes in some state-owned companies. It later clarified it wants to keep its 55.8% shareholding in Finnair for the time being. There is a specific Finnish law in place that requires majority ownership in the airline, in addition to the usual European Union regulation mandating majority European ownership.
LinkJAL will keep growth in check, Onishi saysJapan Airlines (JAL) will continue to follow a conservative growth strategy, even after expansion restrictions are removed by regulators, according to chairman Masaru Onishi. JAL’s capacity constraint in recent years has been a factor in its dramatic return to profitability, Onishi said at the IATA AGM in Dublin. The carrier recorded a net profit of ¥174.4 billion ($1.6 billion) last year, and an operating margin of 15.7%. Investing in product quality, rather than adding scale, has been an important part of the airline’s new philosophy, Onishi says.
LinkLATAM's Brazilian unit sees recovery once govt stabilisesLATAM Airlines Brazil is significantly cutting capacity in its economically troubled home country, but is optimistic that corporate travel could recover quickly once the government stabilises. LATAM Airlines Brazil will cut domestic capacity by 10% to 12% in 2016, more than the initially planned cut of 8% to 10%.
LinkMalaysia and Lufthansa to set up joint MRO operationMalaysian flag carrier Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) is to enter into a joint venture MRO operation with Lufthansa Technik AG, based at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The facility will service aircraft for regional operators, with special provision for Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
LinkQatar CEO Calls Delta ‘Wicked’ for Ruined Doha-Atlanta TripQatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker branded Delta Air Lines Inc. “wicked” over what he said was the U.S. carrier’s part in ruining the Middle Eastern company’s first flight from Doha to Atlanta. Qatar’s Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet wasn’t allocated a gate when it arrived at the world’s busiest airport this week, forcing passengers to disembark via mobile stairs and shuttle buses, Al Baker said. A much smaller A320 was parked at the hub’s only A380-ready gate when the Doha flight arrived. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said the airline failed to provide adequate notice it would use the bigger jet.
LinkSouthwest swims with the sharks with new liverySouthwest Airlines partnered with the Discovery Channel to create a shark-themed livery for Shark Week on a Boeing 737-700. "Now more than ever, brands have to be creative and unique in their approach to reach new customers," said Linda Rutherford, a spokeswoman for Southwest. Shark Week begins June 26.
LinkSouthwest Airlines starts building Dallas training centerSouthwest Airlines held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for a new training center in Dallas. "Our current flight training center is at capacity and we need more space to accommodate pilot training needs for future fleet growth," Southwest said.
LinkVolotea to open new base in Genoa, Italy in 2017Spanish low-cost carrier (LCC) Volotea is to open a new base in Genoa, Italy. It will be its fourth base in the country and its ninth in Europe. The Barcelona-based LCC will station an as-yet-undecided number of Boeing 717-200s at Genoa, a major seaport and industrial centre in Italy’s northwest Liguria region. A firm date for the opening of the new base has not been set, but it is likely to be in spring 2017.
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