AirlinesAirBaltic seeks CSeries reassurances AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss has sought reassurance from Bombardier on the future of the CSeries program following the breakdown of partnership talks between Airbus and Bombardier. While airBaltic remains very keen on the CS300 as the ideal replacement for its Boeing 737 fleet, Gauss is concerned about the lifespan of the program. AirBaltic is due to take its first CS300 in September 2016 and is the launch customer for the variant.
LinkAtlas Air, Inc. Celebrates One Millionth Military PassengerAtlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. today announced that its Atlas Air, Inc. unit celebrated the flying of its one millionth military passenger on Tuesday, October 13. The lucky service member checked in to board a flight from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to a military base in Germany aboard one of the company’s eight passenger aircraft. The service member and his family received a first-class welcome and several mementos commemorating the flight.
Link Donghai Airlines to launch IPO Donghai Airlines plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in May 2016 on the Shanghai Stock Exchange to fund its rapid fleet expansion. The Shenzhen-based carrier is making various preparations for its IPO launch next year despite a suspension of an IPO application in July. The airline operates a fleet of seven aircraft and has on order 10 Boeing 737-800s and 15 737 MAX aircraft.
LinkFedEx Express pilots approve labor contractThe pilots of FedEx Express, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), approved a new contract with FedEx Corp. management that goes into effect in November and will extend to 2021. The agreement provides across-the-board increases to hourly pay rates and new-hire compensation, a significant signing bonus, retirement plan enhancements, work-rule improvements and other modifications.
LinkEASA lays out plan to prevent Germanwings crash recurrenceEuropean safety regulators are to host an aircrew medical fitness workshop by the end of this year, as part of an action plan aimed to prevent a repetition of the Germanwings Airbus crash last March. None of the 150 occupants of the A320 survived after the first officer, alone in the cockpit, adjusted the jet’s altitude selector and placed it on a collision course with high terrain in the French Alps.
LinkHawaiian doubles 3Q net profit; CFO defends fuel hedgingHawaiian Airlines parent Hawaiian Holdings reported a third-quarter net profit of $70 million, nearly doubling net income of $35.6 million in the 2014 September quarter. The company generated $631.74 million in revenue during the quarter, down 1.2% year-over-year, while expenses lowered 10.5% to $477.1 million. Operating income was $154.7 million, up 45.7% over an operating profit of $106.2 million in the 2014 third quarter.
LinkLATAM Beefs Up Lima Hub, Adds Africa RouteLATAM Airlines announced a swathe of new international routes as it bolstered its hub in the Peruvian capital and promised a transatlantic route to Africa. LATAM, Latin America's largest airline, which was formed in 2012 in a tie-up between Chile's LAN and Brazil's TAM, has been cutting back on capacity in the struggling domestic Brazilian market, where recession and currency headwinds have hurt it.
LinkLufthansa cabin crew negotiations fail, strike possibleLufthansa’s flight attendant union, UFO, has announced the latest round of talks between the airline and cabin crew workers have failed, and further strike actions could be possible. UFO, rejecting Lufthansa’s latest offer, said in a statement that elementary points such as job security were missing and negotiations “failed completely.”
LinkExperts Say MH370 Sonar Images Should Be Re-ExaminedAustralian authorities searching for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 should urgently re-investigate two areas in the remote Indian Ocean where sonar pictures show what could be debris from the plane, deep-sea search experts said. An Australian-led underwater search, the most expensive in aviation history, has so far found no trace of MH370, which went missing with 239 passengers and crew during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014.
LinkQatar CEO sees IFE systems disappearing; pleased with IATA NDC testsThe need for installed IFE systems onboard airliners will disappear as personal smart devices proliferate and connectivity services broaden, the head of Qatar Airways believes. Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker shared his views on the future of commercial air travel Oct. 20 at the IATA World Passenger Symposium in Hamburg. He said he could foresee a day when IFE systems would no longer be needed. “People will bring along their own smart devices, hook them into the seat and select whatever content they want to see,” he said.
LinkSIA subsidiaries to increase route sharingSingapore Airlines (SIA) group is consolidating its network among its subsidiaries, with long-haul low-cost offshoot Scoot adding one of its Boeing 787s to an existing Tigerair schedule to Guangzhou, China. Tigerair, the regional low-cost subsidiary of SIA, currently operates a single daily flight from Singapore's Changi Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International using Airbus A320 aircraft. From January 2016, Scoot will add a parallel 787-9 service to the route to "jointly serve the market more efficiently," Tigerair CEO Lee Lik Hsin said.
LinkSpirit Airlines Explains Their Bare Fare, A-la-Carte Pricing ModelI am a big fan of Spirit Airlines. They offer some of the lowest fares and push to promote their a-la-carte-style pricing. Although it seems that many customers see them as the enemy and “extorting” people out of their money, I see them as a viable, cheap option to get from point A to point B. Are they going to be like riding in business class on a Qatar A380? No… not even close. But that is not what they are about, nor should that be the expectation flying them.
LinkUkrainian airlines ask for permission to fly into RussiaAtlasjet Ukraine and UTair Ukraine airlines have asked Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, for permission to launch services between Russia and Ukraine in IATA winter season 2015/2016. Atlasjet Ukraine wants to start Kiev-Moscow, Odessa-Moscow and Kiev-Moscow services, while UTair Ukraine plans to perform Kiev-Moscow and Lviv-Moscow routes.
LinkUnited names Hart acting CEO, says Munoz’s recovery time unknownUnited Airlines parent United Continental Holdings has named EVP and general counsel Brett Hart acting CEO following president and CEO Oscar Munoz’s heart attack. United confirmed Oct. 16 that Munoz, who became United’s CEO just last month, had been hospitalized, but gave no details. In an Oct. 19 statement, the airline said Munoz had suffered a heart attack on Oct. 15 and is now on medical leave. “At this time, it is too soon to know the course of treatment and timing of recovery,” United said.
LinkVolaris triples 3Q result with $67 million net profitMexican ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) Volaris reported an MXP1.15 billion ($67.4 million) net profit during the 2015 third-quarter. Compared to the airline’s MXP347 million take in the 2014 third-quarter, the company more than tripled its profit. “During the third quarter Volaris responded to an increase in demand by accelerating its capacity growth,” CEO Enrique Beltranena said. “[Our] ULCC model continues to penetrate the domestic and international markets, resulting in a strong quarter from commercial, operational and financial standpoints.”
LinkWestJet increases service to OrlandoWestJet announced it will add a second weekly flight between Vancouver and Orlando , effective January 2016 . This is in addition to the new weekly service to Orlando announced earlier this year. "With the addition of a second weekly flight to Orlando , we continue to provide additional non-stop and connecting options for British Columbians looking for affordable, flexible-length getaways to Walt Disney World and a host of other spectacular attractions," said Chris Avery , WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Planning.
Link 
