ATW Daily News

Air Canada posts C$288 million loss on fuel costs, cargo probe charges

Friday May 9, 2008

Air Canada reported a first-quarter net loss of C$288 million ($287 million), a substantial increase over a C$34 million loss in the year-ago period, blaming high fuel costs and charges associated with ongoing inquiries into potential antitrust violations in its cargo division. [ more ]

Copa still going strong despite tough first quarter

Friday May 9, 2008

Healthy loads and yields helped Copa Airlines and AeroRepublica parent Copa Holdings mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs in the first quarter, when it suffered a relatively mild 18.7% decline in net income to $39.5 million from $48.6 million in the year-ago period. [ more ]

Spring Airlines plans to order 30 A320s

Friday May 9, 2008

Shanghai-based Spring Airlines plans to order 30 A320s and expand its fleet to 100 aircraft by 2015, according to Chairman Wang Zhenghua. [ more ]

Delta, Northwest continue merger push; pilot groups set to meet

Friday May 9, 2008

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines executives continued to push the merits of their proposed merger this week, assuring both federal and state legislators that no "frontline" workers will be cut, while the two carriers' pilot groups plan to meet next week. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Friday May 9, 2008

Atlas Air swings to first-quarter loss
United names Tague COO, McDonald moves to chief administrative officer post
Bombardier boosts 20-year forecast

Fuel, GB integration sink easyJet to heavy first-half loss

Thursday May 8, 2008

EasyJet more than trebled its net loss for the six months ended March 31 to £43.3 million ($85.4 million) from £12.7 million in the year-ago period owing largely to higher fuel costs and the integration of GB Airways. [ more ]

SkyWest's first-quarter income falls 16.2%

Thursday May 8, 2008

SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines parent SkyWest Inc. reported first-quarter net income of $29.2 million, down 16.2% from $34.8 million in the year-ago period, on a 10% increase in revenue to $868 million. [ more ]

Airbus ends site divestiture talks with Latecoere

Thursday May 8, 2008

Airbus "terminated" talks with Latecoere regarding the sale of two industrial plants in France, a setback in its effort to implement the Power8 restructuring program. [ more ]

Sukhoi: Superjet will fly this month

Thursday May 8, 2008

Sukhoi Superjet 100's first flight is expected sometime this month, Superjet International Senior VP-Commercial Aircraft Paolo Revelli Beaumont confirmed at this week's Regional Airline Assn. conference in Indianapolis. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Thursday May 8, 2008

Embraer reports profit, revenue rise on increased deliveries
Tarom to be SkyTeam associate
Hainan courting alliances

Lufthansa eyes stake as Austrian scrambles following investor pullout

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Lufthansa is considering taking a stake in Austrian Airlines Group, a source close to the German carrier told ATWOnline, saying, "We are watching the value of Austrian's shares very closely, especially with the shareholders meeting scheduled for [today] in Vienna." [ more ]

Latest FAA revelation: More than 100 safety assessments at eight airlines missed

Wednesday May 7, 2008

US FAA said that more than five years have elapsed since it conducted assessments on 103 system designs at eight airlines, exceeding the timeframe during which the reviews were supposed to have taken place and the latest in a string of admissions by the agency regarding lapses in its airline oversight. [ more ]

Airbus conducting A380 'review'; Emirates says more delay could cause 'serious damage'

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Airbus confirmed yesterday that CEO Tom Enders sent a letter to A380 customers revealing that the manufacturer is "undertaking a review of the A380 program," and Emirates and Etihad Airways said they had been warned by the company that further delivery delays are possible. [ more ]

Mitsubishi set to partner with Saab on MRJ customer support

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. and Saab said they are working to forge a partnership agreement in which the Swedish manufacturer will provide customer and product support services for the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Wednesday May 7, 2008

ExpressJet sinks to first-quarter loss
China Eastern shareholders to reconsider SIA bid following Olympics
FAA reauthorization bill stalls in Senate

EDS, Microsoft to team up on reservations, flight operations products

Tuesday May 6, 2008

EDS and Microsoft will team up under a comprehensive eight-year alliance being announced today that calls for EDS to use "selected Microsoft tools in the modernization and operation" of EDS's airline solutions including reservations, flight planning, flight operations and "service oriented architecture products." [ more ]

Austrian's first-quarter loss gives Saudi investor second thoughts

Tuesday May 6, 2008

Austrian Airlines Group confirmed yesterday that Saudi-Austrian investor Mohamed bin Iassa Al-Jaber wants to pull out of a deal to buy a 20% stake in the airline company worth €150 million ($231.3 million). [ more ]

Aloha's cargo business kept alive by Seattle's Saltchuk Resources

Tuesday May 6, 2008

Aloha Airlines' cargo operation, which employs 300 and transports 85% of goods moving by air among the Hawaiian Islands aboard six 737-200Fs, reached agreement to be purchased by Seattle-based Saltchuk Resources for an undisclosed sum. [ more ]

Iraqi government finalizes 737 order as key step to fleet renewal

Tuesday May 6, 2008

Boeing yesterday finalized and revealed details of the Iraqi government's order for 30 737-800s plus 10 options and said it is in the process of finalizing an order for 10 787s, calling the aircraft purchase agreements "the first step in reestablishing that country's scheduled commercial aviation operations." [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Tuesday May 6, 2008

EC gives Italy deadline to justify AZ loan
MAS launches low-fare initiative
IATA: March traffic up 5.8%

JAL more than doubles profit forecast

Monday May 5, 2008

JAL Group last week issued a revised full-year forecast for the year ended March 31, 2008, saying that "trends in recent performance" led it to raise expected net earnings to ¥16 billion ($153.9 million) from the ¥7 billion projected in its most recent forecast last November. It reported a ¥16.2 billion loss in the year ended March 31, 2007. [ more ]

AA reportedly alleges agreement with FAA officials on MD-80s was reversed

Monday May 5, 2008

American Airlines and US FAA turned in reports to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters Friday regarding last month's disruptive grounding of AA MD-80s, and the carrier reportedly detailed an inconsistent oversight response by FAA including discord between the agency's Washington headquarters and a Dallas area field office. [ more ]

Korean set to launch domestic LCC, enlarge SkyTeam

Monday May 5, 2008

Korean Air is on target to begin scheduled operations of its new low-cost subsidiary Air Korea by July, VP-International Affairs and Alliances Bang Sun Oh told ATWOnline in Seoul. [ more ]

China Airlines, EVA Air report big first-quarter losses

Monday May 5, 2008

Taiwanese carriers China Airlines and EVA Air reported first-quarter losses of TWD2.97 billion ($97.4 million) and TWD2.29 billion respectively. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Monday May 5, 2008

European Commission: Secondary slot trading acceptable
Emirates reportedly receives up to $110 million in A380 delay compensation
Korean eyes greater penetration in the Americas