ATW Daily News

ANA adds five 787s to order, to issue nearly $2 billion in new stock

Thursday July 2, 2009

ANA raised its firm 787 commitment to 55 aircraft from 50, according to a document released yesterday detailing the company's plan to issue 575 million new shares worth an estimated ¥182.62 billion ($1.9 billion) that will be used largely to finance new aircraft. [ more ]

EC extends Austrian/Lufthansa investigation; focus is on concessions

Thursday July 2, 2009

The European Commission extended the deadline of its investigation into the takeover of Austrian Airlines Group by Lufthansa by at least 14 days, or up to a maximum 90 days although a decision is expected to come in about two weeks. [ more ]

No additional Yemenia survivors found; EC threatens blacklisting

Thursday July 2, 2009

French military aircraft and boats are continuing to search the Indian Ocean near Comoros for debris and survivors from the Yemenia Yemen Airways A310-300 that crashed late Monday, while the European Commission demanded that the airline "urgently provide" information on its maintenance program to avoid being placed on the EU's list of banned carriers. [ more ]

Arab carriers, SITA join forces to negotiate EU emissions trading

Thursday July 2, 2009

Eleven member airlines of the Arab Air Carriers Org. will be the first users of SITA's new Aircraft Emissions Manager when the solution becomes available commercially in October, AACO and SITA revealed yesterday at the latter's Air Transport IT Summit in Cannes. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Thursday July 2, 2009

France claims crashed A310 failed 2007 inspection; teenaged passenger survives

Wednesday July 1, 2009

The Yemenia Yemen Airways A310-300 carrying 153 passengers and crew on its way from Sanaa to Moroni in Comoros that crashed in the Indian Ocean late Monday night specifically was barred from operating to France owing to safety concerns, a senior French official said yesterday, but the airline was not on the EU's list of banned carriers and Yemeni officials insisted the plane was safe to operate. [ more ]

Continental, United remain 'confident' in ATI approval

Wednesday July 1, 2009

Continental Airlines and United Airlines told ATWOnline yesterday that they remain "confident" their application for antitrust immunity will be approved despite the vehement objections raised recently by the US Dept. of Justice. [ more ]

Austrian fears potential postponement of Lufthansa takeover

Wednesday July 1, 2009

Austrian Minister of Finance Josef Proell said this week that "the situation facing Austrian Airlines Group is too serious to delay a decision from the EU regarding the takeover by Lufthansa," Der Standard reported as speculation increased that the EU may postpone its ruling. [ more ]

United terminates some agents' right to process its credit card transactions

Wednesday July 1, 2009

News from Travel Technology Update: United Airlines told some travel agencies that they would "no longer have continued access to United's credit card merchant agreements," effective July 20. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Wednesday July 1, 2009

Royal Jordanian's Majali steps down

Tuesday June 30, 2009

Royal Jordanian President and CEO Samer Majali will leave the airline Aug. 1, the company announced, saying only that he resigned "upon his request," while he told ATWOnline that "after 30 years at the airline and eight years as chief executive, I decided it was time for me to move on." [ more ]

US Dept. of Justice says Star ATI would cause 'substantial' harm

Tuesday June 30, 2009

US Dept. of Justice strongly opposed extension of antitrust immunity to Continental Airlines when it joins Star Alliance this October, arguing that the immunity request is "unprecedented in scope and breadth" and would "sanction collusion" between current Star member United Airlines and Continental "on all international service." [ more ]

East Star continues to solicit takeover as frustration builds

Tuesday June 30, 2009

East Star Airlines remains committed to attracting new investors despite a Wuhan court's rejection of takeover offers from Shanghai YuField and China National Aviation Fuel Co. [ more ]

Climate bill passes US House, could cost airlines billions

Tuesday June 30, 2009

The US House of Representatives on Friday passed by a vote of 219-212 the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, which now moves to the Senate for consideration and could, if passed, prove to be an onerous financial burden on airlines, according to the US Air Transport Assn. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Tuesday June 30, 2009

Qantas cancels 15 787s, defers delivery on 15 more

Monday June 29, 2009

Qantas Friday became the latest customer to cancel and/or postpone orders for the Dreamliner, reaching an agreement with Boeing to drop orders for 15 787-9s scheduled for delivery in 2014-15, reducing its order book for the aircraft to 50, and also deferring 15 787-8s by four years. [ more ]

Austrian Airlines looks to make additional cuts

Monday June 29, 2009

Austrian Airlines Group may have to extend its cost-cutting program aimed at reducing spending by €225 million ($314 million) and will look for additional savings by lowering capacity and expanding work-hr. reductions among other actions, Executive Board member Peter Malanik told ATWOnline. [ more ]

NTSB investigating two A330 incidents with echoes of AF447

Monday June 29, 2009

The US National Transportation Safety Board last week said it is investigating two recent incidents involving A330s operated by TAM and Northwest Airlines in which the airspeed and altitude indications "may have malfunctioned." [ more ]

New Vueling set to take off after completion of Clickair merger

Monday June 29, 2009

The Clickair/Vueling merger is expected to be completed by mid-July, when the combined entity will start flying under a unified designator code and a single name (Vueling) and all Clickair assets will be transferred to the listed Vueling Airlines company. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Monday June 29, 2009

IATA: Industry may have reached traffic 'floor' but revenues still suffering

Friday June 26, 2009

IATA said yesterday that May passenger and cargo traffic figures revealed a stabilization in demand declines but warned that airline revenue is still falling sharply. [ more ]

Fitch downgrades DL, warns of possible UA, AA, US bankruptcy filings

Friday June 26, 2009

Delta Air Lines' credit facility rating was downgraded yesterday by Fitch Ratings, which cited "the continued erosion of the airline's near-term cash flow generation" and the expectation that it will "report another year of substantially negative free cash flow in 2009 as the airline struggles to adjust capacity to a diminished level of demand." [ more ]

RAM repositioning to contend with European competition

Friday June 26, 2009

Royal Air Maroc will pull its own low-cost brand Atlas Blue and launch a regional airline as part of its strategy to fend off competition from no-frills carriers that has increased since the 2006 signing of the open skies agreement between Morocco and the EU. [ more ]

Air China goes own way as another East Star takeover is rejected

Friday June 26, 2009

Air China launched its Hubei branch company yesterday, officially abandoning its pursuit of East Star Airlines and opening service from Wuhan to Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Shenzhen. [ more ]

Today's Other Headlines

Friday June 26, 2009

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