CommercialFlights Cancelled As Storms Hit Northern EuropeHurricane-force winds disrupted transport and power supplies in Scotland and threatened coastal flooding in England as they closed in on northern Europe in what meteorologists said could be one of the most powerful storms to hit the continent in years. Authorities in Germany's northern port city of Hamburg issued public warnings about the winds, which some forecasters are saying could be as powerful as a deadly storm and ensuing flood that hit the city in 1962 and killed 315. The city on the Elbe River was preparing for a direct hit by the storm on Thursday. Hamburg airport cancelled all flights as the storm neared and many schools and Christmas markets were closed.
LinkSouthwest, Virgin America To Buy LaGuardia SlotsSouthwest Airlines and Virgin America will buy the take-off and landing slots at New York's LaGuardia Airport that US Airways and American Airlines must sell as part of their agreement to merge, three sources said on Wednesday. Last month, US Airways and American agreed to divest 17 pairs of slots at LaGuardia, as well as other assets, as part of a settlement of an antitrust lawsuit by the US Justice Department. The sources, who asked not to be named to preserve business relationships, did not say how many of the 17 pairs of slots each airline would purchase. Terms of the sales are not known.
LinkQantas Pleads For Australian Govt. InterventionQantas Airways put fresh strain on Australia's 'open for business' credentials on Thursday, calling for government support after shocking investors with a profit warning. As the national carrier's shares dropped over 10 percent, chief executive Alan Joyce said he placed calls to government ministers seeking urgent action, complaining that rival Virgin Australia's access to foreign funding has created an unfair playing field. Virgin Australia "should not have the benefits conferred by an Australian carrier designation when it has only 20 percent Australian ownership," Qantas said in a statement.
LinkAirbus and Rolls unveil plan to restore A340-600 appealAirbus and Rolls-Royce aim to boost the market appeal of the A340-600 with reconfiguration and support initiatives that address operating costs. The plan was unveiled in London on 4 December to an audience of over 100 delegates, who included bankers, appraisers, brokers, financiers and lessors. "The meeting was to demo"nstrate Airbus, Rolls-Royce and CFM’s joint common commitment to the A340 program," says Andreas Hermann, vice-president of freighters and A340 asset management at Airbus. "The key message is that it is not only one party, it’s all three parties who are very committed to the A340 program."
LinkAirbus Gets Dubai Boost But Loses Freighter OrderAirbus booked over 100 orders in November and potentially extended its lead over Boeing, but the plane makers are neck-and-neck in this year's order race in the wake of a record Dubai Airshow. Airbus increased the number of orders taken since the beginning of January to 1,373, compared to 1,212 in the latest incomplete tally available for Boeing, which runs until November 26. After cancellations, Airbus logged 1,314 net orders in the first 11 months of the year and delivered 562 aircraft.
LinkAirbus close to setting new order recordAirbus is edging towards a record year for net orders, after it ended November with a total of 1,314 – barely 100 short of its all-time high. The airframer secured 1,419 net orders in 2011, a performance driven by the launch of its A320neo. Its order books for November were lifted by Etihad Airways’ firming of 87 jets, a deal disclosed during the Dubai air show. But Emirates’ agreement for 50 A380s has yet to feature in the Airbus backlog.
LinkTatarstan Airlines faces threat of groundingRussia’s federal aviation authority is looking to ground Tatarstan Airlines after an inspection of the carrier discovered a number of operational problems. Rosaviatsia says the findings emerged from an unscheduled inspection of the Kazan-based operator, which suffered the fatal loss of a Boeing 737-500 in November. These included “significant weaknesses” in Tatarstan Airlines’ operations, including training of personnel and organization of crew duty schedules.
LinkVegas air-tour operator files bankruptcyHeli USA, the third largest helicopter tour operator in Las Vegas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month in a move the company asserts was triggered by a commercial dispute with AgustaWestland over leased helicopters. Heli USA had stopped making lease payments after it claimed the Italian airframer failed to deliver a trio of helicopters with ordered equipment, including sightseeing windows and in-flight entertainment systems. Heli USA filed for Chapter 11 in a bid to stop AgustaWestland from repossessing the aircraft.
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