NEWSSAS eyes new cost-cutting measures
SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK), which has been working to return to profitability, is considering more cost-cutting initiatives. “We still need to find a way to further strengthen our profitability and generate more cash,” SK president and CEO Rickard Gustafson told ATW on the sidelines of last week’s IATA annual general meeting and summit in Beijing. He said the carrier has a “very strong financial base today” but it also relies on credit. Gustafson said it needs to be more self-sufficient, which “means even more cost-saving efforts.” He believes employees will endorse the plan as it seeks to create a profit-making business model.
LinkResidents reject third runway at Munich
Local residents have voted against development of a third runway at Munich Airport (MUC), Germany's second-biggest airport. Just over 54% of polled voters were against the new runway and 45.7% in favor, according to Sunday’s preliminary results.
LinkChinese carriers report $216 million net loss in May
Chinese carriers posted a collective net loss of CNY 1.37 billion ($216 million) in May, reversed from a net profit of CNY1.88 billion year-over-year. The industry attributes the reversal to the slowdown of domestic market demand and exchange losses resulting from yuan depreciation.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), domestic carriers transported 25.4 million passengers, up 5.5% over the year-ago period; cargo traffic volume rose 0.6% to 450,000 tonnes.
LinkTurkish to dispose of 49% stake in B&H Airlines
Turkish Airlines is planning to end its partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s B&H Airlines by disposing of its 49% stake in the carrier.
Turkish became a B&H shareholder in December 2008, when it took a 49% stake from the Bosnia and Herzegovina government as part of a recapitalization of the airline.
LinkKenya amends flight schedules to optimize capacity
Kenya Airways (KQ) is suspending services to Muscat (MCT) and Rome (FCO) as part of its capacity optimization plans aimed at increasing frequency on some existing routes, and introducing new destinations in Africa and the Middle East.
LinkAir Transat, flight attendants reach accord on wages
Air Transat and its flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, have reached a pact that amends the collective agreement signed in November 2010. The agreement calls for a deferment of planned wage increases and a variable compensation formula after the airline adopted a plan hastening a return to profitability, Air Transat said in a statement.
LinkICAO Will Have Emissions Plan By March 2013The ICAO's secretary-general said he expects to have a draft proposal on measures to tackle emissions from aviation by March 2013, rather than at the end of 2012 as he had said previously.
LinkSAA Agrees 'Under Protest' To EU CO2 Rules
State-owned South African Airways (SAA) will increase prices on all European flights to offset the costs of the EU's Emission Trading Scheme, it said on Monday.
LinkDelta Won't Sell Jet Fuel On Open MarketDelta Air Lines, which took the bold step of bidding for a refinery to keep a handle on fuel costs, said on Monday it would not be selling jet fuel on the open market once the deal closes.
LinkIndian Carriers To Cut Domestic FaresIndian carriers have proposed cutting airfares in the highest fare bracket on domestic routes by 5-20 percent, a government statement said on Monday.
LinkANA converts order for four 787-8s to -9 variant
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has converted its order for four Boeing 787-8s, due to be delivered from the 2013 fiscal year, to the -9 variant. "The decision to order more of the larger 787-9 variant will give ANA greater flexibility as it expands its international route network," the carrier said in a statement. The launch customer of the 787 has 55 of the aircraft type on order. This consists of 36 -8s and 19 -9s.
LinkSpeedbrakes not armed before Southwest 737 excursionUS investigators have determined that the speedbrakes on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 were not armed before the twinjet slid off the runway at Chicago Midway. The crew did not deploy the thrust reversers until 16s after touchdown on runway 13C, which was damp as a result of rain showers. In an update to the inquiry the National Transportation Safety Board says the braking action was reported as "fair" by a preceding Southwest 737 crew.
LinkSources: Too soon to rule out toxins in Raptor case Informed sources say that it may be too soon to rule out toxins as the cause of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor's oxygen woes because potentially vital information may have been missed. But the US Air Force is almost at the point where it has ruled out toxins as the cause of a series of hypoxia-like incidents suffered by Raptor crews, instead the prime suspect is the Combat Edge upper-pressure garment.
LinkEx-TNT BAe 146s enter conversion for Royal Air Force
The UK Royal Air Force is on track to field two converted BAe 146-200QC transports by March 2013, with both aircraft now in work at Hawker Beechcraft Services' Broughton site in north Wales. Acquired from TNT Airways, the quick change passenger/freighter aircraft have been painted in RAF colours and transferred from Belgium under an urgent operational requirement (UOR) deal for use in Afghanistan. BAE Systems Regional Aircraft was awarded a contract worth £15.5 million ($24.3 million) to prepare them for military use, and has subcontracted the conversion work to Hawker Beechcraft.
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