Airline Focus Channel

Featured Articles

Southwest's RNP investment: Is $175 million pledge too far ahead of US government, industry?

By Aaron Karp

Southwest Airlines has committed boldly to investing $175 million to implement Required Navigation Performance fleetwide, an endeavor that includes retrofitting at least 115 737 Classics' cockpits, ensuring its more than 320 737-700s are equipped to be RNP-capable, training its pilots and working with US FAA to develop RNP procedures for the more than 65 airports into which it operates. But will the US government and other airlines similarly move forward, or will SWA within the next 2-3 years have aircraft and pilots capable of operating at a level of efficiency that FAA and much of the rest of the US industry is unable to reach for the foreseeable future?

Liberalizing air transport: Has frustration over ownership restrictions reached a tipping point?

By Aaron Karp and Christine Boynton

As the global airline industry struggles through one of the worst years in its history, with IATA projecting a collective full-year loss of $11 billion, dissatisfaction with restrictive ownership and control regulations is mounting. The complaint that airlines are hamstrung by a limited ability to pursue capital and mergers across borders is certainly not new, but industry leaders believe the current economic environment brings a higher level of urgency to efforts to ease nationality constraints.

Cathay at the Crossroad

By Geoffrey Thomas

The highly successful carrier faces what CEO Tony Tyler believes is its greatest challenge.

Browse more articles on...

White Papers & Speeches

Click here to view our entire white paper library.

Also on ATWOnline

Subscribe Now!
Subscribe to Air Transport World!
Choose from print or digital delivery!

Subscribe to ATW Daily News
Sign up to have ATW Daily News headlines delivery to your email box FREE!

ATW's Airline Maintenance Market Report
Airframes, Engines & Components--Full of new data about the airline industry's preferences in the areas of line, heavy, engine, and component maintenance.

ATWOnline Store
Visit the ATWOnline Store for all of our product offerings.

Previously Published by ATW
Order your copy of the popular ATW World Airline Report
The collectible ATW 40th Anniversary Issue
Previous issues of ATW

People
Industry appointments

Calendar
Find information on upcoming events

ATW Awards
ATW's Airline Industry Achievement Awards

Links

Click here for an extensive list of links to airlines.

ATW Daily News

Chinese carriers return to profit; concerns remain over competition, fuel

Thursday January 14, 2010

Chinese airlines earned a collective profit of CNY7.4 billion ($1.08 billion) in 2009, a big turnaround from the CNY31.8 billion net loss suffered in 2008, CAAC Vice Minister Wang Changshun revealed yesterday at the regulator's annual conference. [more]

Japanese business giant Kazuo Inamori to take JAL's helm

Thursday January 14, 2010

Kazuo Inamori, one of Japan's most prominent business figures, yesterday accepted Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's offer to become CEO of Japan Airlines and guide the troubled carrier through its pending bankruptcy reorganization. [more]

Blue Wings shuts down

Thursday January 14, 2010

Blue Wings suspended operations yesterday, the Dusseldorf-based carrier announced on its website. "The developments of recent weeks and the tense overall economic situation in the aviation industry have forced us to take this step," the airline said. A spokesperson told German press that a re-launch was possible once "economic difficulties have been cleared." Blue Wings said last week that funds promised from investors had not arrived. It operated six A320 family aircraft (ATWOnline, Jan. 8).

Vietnam Airlines full-year profit falls 42.1%

Thursday January 14, 2010

Vietnam Airlines earned a pre-tax profit of $8.1 million in 2009, down 42.1% from the $14 million reported in 2008, according to a statement cited by Agence France Presse in Hanoi. The airline cited the global recession and H1N1 flu as the primary culprits for the drop. Revenue declined 16.7% to $1.3 billion as passengers increased 5.7% to 9.3 million. It expects to carry 11 million passengers in 2010.

Virgin cancels six A340s

Thursday January 14, 2010

Virgin Atlantic Airways cancelled its outstanding order for six A340-600s, according to Airbus's orders and deliveries list. The airline firmed its commitment for six purchased and four leased A330-300s last month (ATWOnline, Jan. 12). It currently operates 19 A340s. There now are seven A340s in Airbus's order book, five -500s and two -600s. The VS cancellation first was reported by Air Transport Intelligence. Airbus took 85 firm orders in December, boosting its full-year total to 310 (ATWOnline, Jan. 13), and delivered a record 61 aircraft, including two A380s to Emirates and one to Qantas.

Thursday January 14, 2010

Astar Air Cargo announced that it will reduce its pilot workforce by 303 to just 153 this year. The carrier's business has been reduced dramatically owing to DHL's withdrawal from the US express delivery market (ATWOnline, April 27, 2009). Astar's primary business was serving as a DHL subservice airline in the US. The furloughs will begin on March 6 and be completed by July 1, the cargo carrier said. "As you know, our primary customer, DHL, has significantly reduced its airlift requirements and Astar has been forced to significantly reduce its flying capacity," it said.

Thursday January 14, 2010

US FAA is ordering airlines to inspect 737 Classics' fuselages every 500 cycles to prevent further occurrences of an incident that took place last summer involving a Southwest Airlines 737-300 that developed a hole in its fuselage while flying from Nashville to Baltimore (ATWOnline, July 17, 2009), according to The Dallas Morning News. FAA's notice requires carriers operating 737 Classics to conduct an inspection within the next five weeks. Inspections then must occur at least once every 500 cycles. If any cracks are found, airlines must install reinforcing metal.

Thursday January 14, 2010

Flybe and Nordic Aviation Capital concluded a sale/leaseback transaction for four new Q400s, the carrier announced. Transaction is worth approximately $100 million at list prices. Senior debt was provided by Export Development Canada. "In 2009 alone we financed the deliveries of 11 new aircraft despite the recent challenging economic and financial climate," Flybe Director-Fleet Planning David Attenburrow said. The airline currently operates 68 aircraft: 54 Q400s and 14 E-195s. It has a further four Q400s on firm order for delivery in 2011 plus 12 options, in addition to options for 15 E-195s.

Webinars

Be sure to check out our webinar archive.

Global Sourcing: Right Sourcing Strategies in Travel and Tourism


Sponsored by NIIT Technologies.