AirlinesAmerican names exec to oversee Miami hub operations American Airlines appointed Ralph Lopez as vice president of Miami hub operations. Lopez will oversee more than 11,000 employees at Miami International Airport. Lopez will succeed Marilyn DeVoe, who plans to retire this summer.
LinkCopa Holdings net profit down 49% in 2015Copa Holdings—parent company of Panama-based Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia—reported 2015 net profit of $185.4 million, down 49% compared to 2014. Full-year revenue was down 16.8% to $2.25 billion while expenses fell 9.2% to $1.98 billion, producing an operating income of $266.1 million, down 49%.
LinkEmirates touts economic benefits to US; upgauges IAD service to A380Emirates Airline marked the upgauging of its daily service between Dubai and Washington Dulles (IAD) Tuesday with ceremonies at IAD and VIP tours of one of its 76 Airbus A380s. The UAE-based carrier began service to IAD in September 2012, operating Boeing 777-300ERs. Emirates SVP-North America Rob Gurney said the transition to its flagship aircraft, the A380, was made because of “impressive demand” that had made the IAD-Dubai route “one of our most successful.”
LinkJAL 737 Aborts Takeoff After Smoke From EngineA Japan Airlines Boeing 737 aborted a take-off and evacuated passengers at Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, northern Japan after smoke from its right engine entered the cabin.
LinkLufthansa shows A320neo cabin layout changesGerman flag carrier Lufthansa has released seat-layout maps of its Airbus A320neo which illustrate the new higher-density configuration achieved with a cabin interior rejig. The A320neo has a nominal configuration of 180 seats, although the carrier’s map – in the upper diagram – appears to show a 178-seat layout, underlining the adjustable cabin divide between business and economy class.
LinkNorwegian shelves Cork transatlantic plansNorwegian Air International (NAI) has delayed plans for new services from Cork Airport in the Irish Republic to Boston in the light of the continued delay by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in granting a license for NAI flights. NAI’s plans are still in limbo, some two years after it applied for permission from the DOT to operate transatlantic routes. Objections have been raised by US carriers and trade unions, which argue that Norwegian has based NAI in Ireland to avoid Norway’s more rigorous labor laws. Norwegian denies this.
LinkQantas reports record profit for fiscal first-halfQantas achieved the best half-year result in the airline’s history with a net profit of A$688 million ($498 million) for the six months through Dec. 31, 2015, compared with a profit of A$206 million a year earlier. The group’s domestic, international and Jetstar business units all saw significant improvements for the period, which was the carrier’s fiscal first-half. It was helped by a 7% reduction in unit costs, mainly due to lower fuel prices. Qantas expects its fuel bill to be A$600 million lower for the full fiscal year. Revenue was up 5% in the half.
LinkSAS - Swedish airline strike resolvedFlights on several Nordic air routes will return to normal Feb. 24 following a settlement of a dispute between cabin crew and UK-based airline Flybe. Arguments over long-running attempts to agree a collective labor agreement saw around 17 round trips between Stockholm and several Swedish and Finnish destinations cancelled Feb. 22 and 23, affecting some 1300 passengers. Flybe operates the routes under a “white label” agreement with SAS with ATR 72 turboprops.
LinkSouthwest CEO comments on Cuba service Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said the carrier will "in all likelihood" apply for commercial flights to Cuba. "We are very prepared to consider this opportunity and may very well be flying to Cuba in 2016," Kelly said. Under a recent agreement between the US and Cuba, US airlines can use 20 daily slots at the airport in Havana.
LinkSouthwest debuts "Tennessee One" livery Southwest Airlines painted a Boeing 737 in a design inspired by the Tennessee state flag to honor three decades of service in the state.. Southwest launched service in Nashville in 1986 with eight nonstop flights. The "Tennessee One" livery debuted on Monday.
LinkTAP Portugal expands US services, details Airbus cabin upgradesTAP Portugal has announced new flights to the US East Coast and has revealed details on its Airbus A330 cabin upgrades. TAP Portugal will launch daily nonstop service from Lisbon to New York JFK on July 1 and Boston Logan on June 11. The new routes will be operated using two new Airbus A330s, which is scheduled to be delivered in June, increasing its A330 fleet to 20 aircraft.
LinkTara Air Twin Otter missing in NepalA turboprop aircraft carrying 23 people and operated by Nepalese carrier Tara Air has failed to arrive in the town of Jomsom after departing Pokhara. A company spokesperson confirms that the aircraft is missing, with 20 passengers and three crew aboard for the 20-minute flight.
LinkThailand Examines Airline FinancesThailand's civil aviation authority has ordered all Thai-registered airlines to submit reports on their financial positions by March 31 to avoid the risk of having their operating licenses revoked. The move is part of the military government's attempt to improve the country's aviation standards after the US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Thailand's safety ratings in December.
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