Recent News

• Read More 21MAY2013: Zest Air becomes first casualty in Taiwan - Philippines standoff
  Zest Air (Z2, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)) has become the first airline to suspend flights between the Philippines and Taiwan amid escalating tensions between the two South East Asian countries following the recent death of a Taiwanese fisherman at the hands of the Filipino Coast Guard. Despite the route proving to be very popular with Taiwanese tourists, Zest Air recently announced the temporary suspension of its Kalibo (KLO) to Taipei Taoyuan International (TPE) charter flights made at the request of the company that chartered them. Prior to the incident, the airline says there was talk of the route being developed into a regular scheduled flight. However, other Filipino carriers have yet to follow suit with Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)), Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)) and Philippines AirAsia (PQ, Clark Diosdado Macapagal International (CRK)) all maintaining their respective Taiwan-bound operations.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Victoria okays Harbour Air's $4mln plans for new sea-plane terminal
  Harbour Air Seaplanes (H3, Vancouver Coal Harbour (CXH)) and its plans to build a new USD3.89million (CAD4million) floating terminal in Victoria Inner Harbour (YWH) have moved forward after Victoria's city council approved requested variances at a public hearing last week. To be built in conjunction with West Coast Air (8O, Vancouver Coal Harbour (CXH)), and Washington-based Kenmore Air (M5, Kenmore Air Harbor Sea Plane Base (KEH)), the two-storey, 460sqm terminal would be located on a water lot owned by the city and would replace the existing terminal made of converted trailers. A plaza, public walkway, benches, trees and bicycle racks would also be built while the passenger pick-up and drop-off area would be redesigned. One key issue still remains - the length of the lease. Vancouver anticipates Harbour Air will be seeking a long-term deal given the investment being made into the new terminal.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Etihad Airways acquires 3 ground-handling companies from ADAC
  Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International (AUH)) has announced the acquisition of three airport services companies from the Abu Dhabi Airports Company as part of a plan that will allow it to simultaneously cut costs and will also provide it with "significant" incremental revenue opportunities. The three companies - Abu Dhabi Airport Services (ADAS), Abu Dhabi In-Flight Catering (ADIFC) and Abu Dhabi Cargo Company (ADCC) - are to be incorporated under Etihad Airport Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Etihad Airways. Both Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Airports Company are owned by the government of Abu Dhabi.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Pakistan's PAKAviation makes a $1.5mln pitch for 1time Holdings
  1time airline (T6, Johannesburg Oliver Reginald Tambo International (JNB)) and its MRO sister company, Jetworx, who collectively form the now bankrupt 1time Holdings, have been thrown a potential life by PAKAfrica Aviation, a Pakistan-based aviation group with Middle Eastern interests in aerospace and aviation. According to South African news reports, the Pakistani outfit has made an offer to buy a USD1.5million (ZAR15million) controlling stake in the holding company though liquidators claim the necessary documents needed to verify PAKAviation's financial footing have yet to be received. Despite a hefty debt of USD45million, 1time still presents an attractive option to foreign investors who eye its operating licences and listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Previously courted by Fastjet (FN, Dar-es-Salaam (DAR)), any prospect of a deal with 1time have cooled substantially following fastjet's recent tie up with Federal Air (7V, Durban Virginia (VIR)). As a result, liquidators have applied to have 1time Holdings' final liquidation date brought forward from October 3.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Serbian government to receive Etihad's offer for minority stake in Jat
  Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International (AUH)) will submit its offer to the Serbian government for a minority takeover bid of Jat Airways (JU, Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG)) by the end of this week. The offer, which will entail Etihad's proposed share acquisition and price offered, comes after the Emirati carrier completed its screening process of Jat's business last week in which experts scrutinised Jat's sales, destination network and overall business operations with particular attention paid to Jat’s most recent 2012/13 winter season. Jat's acting CEO, Velibor Vukašinović, is in Abu Dhabi this week where he will meet up with key member's of Etihad's board regarding the proposed takeover deal. Among the more critical aspects of Etihad's deal with Jat, in addition to naming Jat's board and controlling its finances, Etihad will also provide the pre-delivery payment for a 1998 order made by JAT Yugoslav Airlines (JU, Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG)) for eight A319-100s, which have never been delivered.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Nigeria's FirstNation Airways to tentatively resume flights shortly
  First Nation Airways (FRN, Lagos Murtala Muhammad (LOS)) is to tentatively resume flights following the recent publication of a new three times daily Lagos Murtala Muhammad (LOS) to Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International (ABV) flight schedule on its site. In addition, the carrier is set to finally take delivery of two A319-100s, c/n 647 & 660, on loan from the ILFC. First Nation suspended flights in October last year following the repossession of its previous fleet of three Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A320-200s by lessor, the Aviation Capital Group.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Malindo Air to open second base at Kuala Lumpur Subang from June 3
  Malindo Air (OD, Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)) is set to open its second base, Kuala Lumpur Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (SZB), with effect from June 3. Initial routes will include daily flights to Johor Bahru Senai International (JHB), Kota Bharu Sultan Ismail Petra (KBR) and Penang Bayan Lepas International (PEN). All flights will be operated using brand new ATR72-600s, the first of which is due in the country shortly.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Thai AirAsia to pave way for AirAsia X Thailand?
  Thai AirAsia (FD, Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK)) is to help give birth to a Thai subsidiary of the AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)) brand following news that Thai AirAsia CEO, Tassapon Bijleveld, recently diluted his stake in Asia Aviation Plc (AAV) (which owns 51% of Thai AirAsia) from 33% to 28.05% to raise USD50million (THB1.5billion) for three new projects needed to support TAA's growth plan. The projects include two budget hotels in Bangkok, the settling of personal debts, and an investment in a sister airline of long-haul discount carrier AirAsia X (AAX) in Thailand, tentatively known as "AirAsia X Thailand". At this stage, it is claimed that AirAsiaX has sought Thai authorities' endorsement for an air operator's certificate to operate regular flights from Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK) to South Korea and Japan with plans to use two A330-300s. The airline's formation, however, is still subject to Thai government approval.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Aerolineas Argentinas to lease four 737-800s from CIT Aerospace
  Aerolineas Argentinas (AR, Buenos Aires Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini (EZE)) has signed a deal with New York-based CIT Aerospace for the lease of four brand new B737-800s, set for delivery from January 2014 onwards. Together with six other 737-800s, leased from Air Lease Corporation that are due from November 2014 through to February 2016, the Argentinian national carrier plans to use the 737s to reinforce its four-year business plan whose core objective is to build a strong, viable domestic and regional route network. At present Aerolineas Argentinas has four 737-800s and twenty-two B737-700s.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Zagreb considers Croatia Airlines' future as strike over cuts drags on
  Croatia Airlines (OU, Zagreb Pleso (ZAG)) is faced with the prospect of bankruptcy if critical cuts that entail a 20% workforce reduction coupled with 40% wage cuts does not come into effect, Croatian Transport Minister, Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, has said. Mr Dončić made the revelation amidst an on.going strike by Croatia Airline pilots and cabin crew to protest the impending cuts which has caused mass disruptions to the airline's network. The walkout began early Tuesday, May 14 as management and unions failed to reach a deal on new contracts after two days of negotiations. The strike also has forced Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International (FRA)) and Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National Zaventem (BRU)) to temporarily suspend all of their codeshare agreements with the Croat carrier. So dire has the situation become that the Government has now reportedly looked beyond the bankruptcy and is considering a future in which a renewed national carrier is borne, albeit with half the current staff and with Zagreb holding a 49% stake. Reportedly, a foreign carrier, ideally non-European, would be preferred for the remaining majority stake, though with Croatia's upcoming entry into the European Union, it is uncertain how this would proceed given EC regulations regarding foreign ownership of EU airlines.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: ACG's bankruptcy to hit Frankfurt Hahn operator hard
  ACG Air Cargo Germany (6U, Frankfurt Hahn (HHN)) is incapable of repaying a EUR5million loan availed to it by Frankfurt-Hahn Airport GmbH, the operator of Hahn airport, the company has revealed. The news comes as German development bank, Förderbank ISB, has also been forced to write off a similar loan to the bankrupt cargo carrier, who officially suspended operations this month.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Alitalia denies tie up talks with Meridiana as EC rules for Ryanair
  Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) has welcomed the European Union Court’s ruling which confirmed that the European Commission had failed to investigate Italian government aid to Alitalia (AZ, Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO)) granted in 2006. The Irish LCC added that the ruling reaffirmed the 2011 decision of the European General Court, which also ruled that the Commission had failed in its duty to investigate this "State Aid". With the Italian national carrier having posted a 2012 net loss of EUR280million and an overall debt of more than EUR1billion, a ruling forcing it to repay state aide would further exacerbate its already poorly financial state. Alitalia has also been forced to deny rumours that a possible tie up with Meridiana (IG, Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB)) was on the cards calling them "unfounded and imaginative".
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Air India to deploy 787 on Sydney, Birmingham and Melbourne flights
  Air India (AI, Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International (BOM)) is to begin B787-8 flights from Delhi Indira Gandhi International (DEL) to Birmingham International (BHX), Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) and Melbourne Tullamarine International (MEL) in August followed by Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) in October, India's Civil Aviation minister, Ajit Singh, has revealed. Singh also added that Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO) Dreamliner flights would début in January 2014. Currently, the Indian national airline plans to resume international 787 flights on routes to London Heathrow (LHR), Frankfurt International (FRA) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) in the coming weeks.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: KLM elaborates on its B777-300(ER)s deal due in 2015
  KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) has elaborated on previously announced plans to acquire an additional B777-300(ER). According to the Dutch airline, the aircraft is part of a delivery of two 777-300(ER)s due in spring 2015: one direct from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) due in April 2015 and the other on lon- term lease from Los Angeles-based aircraft lease specialists, Air Lease Corporation, due in March 2015. Further to that, KLM plans to extend leases for three B737-800s and a B777-200(ER) currently operating in its fleet.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: LATAM suspends flights to Argentina for a day in protest at Intercargo
  LAN Argentina (4M, Buenos Aires Aeroparque Jorge Newberry (AEP)) and its affiliated LATAM Group carriers on Friday halted all flights to and from Argentina for the time being in protest at Argentine state-run groundhandling operator, Intercargo's, unilateral decision to stop providing services to the carrier, effected on Friday May 17. Operations have gradually resumed again from Saturday morning. Reuters reports that Intercargo said LATAM "doesn't want to pay more than what was agreed initially" and said it is owed a debt of nearly 40 million Argentine pesos (USD7.6million). In its defense, LATAM claims that Intercargo was flouting two separate judicial decisions ordering it to get back to work. Sources privy to the conflict state that Intercargo was demanding the equivalent of USD18million a year to resume the provision of services. LAN Argentina operates 12 A320-200s and two B767-300s on domestic from Aeroparque and international services from Buenos Aires Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini (EZE) to Lima Jorge Chávez International (LIM), Miami International (MIA), Punta Cana International (PUJ), Santiago de Chile Arturo Merino Benítez International (SCL) and São Paulo Internacional Guarulhos (GRU).
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Airwing to start Notodden to Florø via Stavanger from May 21
  Airwing (NWG, Notodden (NTB)) will start five weekly flights to Florø (FRO) from Notodden (NTB) southwest of Oslo via Stavanger Sola (SVG) beginning Tuesday, May 21. Flight will operate using an Beech King Air B200. The inaugural marks the routes first service since DAT - Danish Air Transport (DX, Kolding Vamdrup (EKVD)) abandoned the Stavanger-Florø route in early May.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Qingdao Airlines gets greenlight from CAAC for establishment
  Qingdao Airlines (Qingdao Liuting International (TAO)) has received approval from the CAAC Southeast Regional Administration to proceed with its planned creation, with the CAAC now soliciting submissions. The carrier is backed up a capital base of USD161million (CNY1billion) of which 55% is invested by Nanshan Group with CNY550million, 25% by QMTD with CNY250million and 20% by Shandong Airlines (SC, Jinan Yaoqiang International (TNA)) who will also provide aircraft and personnel. Fleet plans include either Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) 737s or Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A320s to be used on a domestic network.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Biman Bangladesh issues tender for two 50-seater turboprops
  Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International (DAC)) has issued an international tender for the supply of two 50-seater turboprops for use on a 5 year long dry-lease contract. The aircraft are for likely use on the carrier's domestic operations to Chittagong Shah Amanat International (CGP) and Sylhet Osmany International (ZYL). At various times in its past, Biman has operated the Fokker 27 and Bae ATP turboprop types.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Shandong Airlines to offload five 737-300s to China Postal Airlines
  Shandong Airlines (SC, Jinan Yaoqiang International (TNA)) has announced plans to sell its five of its six remaining B737-300s to China Postal Airlines (8Y, Tianjin Binhai International (TSN)) for likely conversion into freighters. Operational since 1997, China Postal Airlines was founded by the Chinese Postal Bureau (51%) and China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN)) (49%). It was originally set up to operate domestic postal services, but in 2006 introduced international scheduled services to South Korea and Japan. Its fleet currently includes eight B737-300(F)s, two AC737-300(QC)s and eight B737-400(F)s.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Ukraine's Motor Sich Airlines to reintroduce Yak 40 flights
  Motor Sich Airlines (M9, Zaporozhye (OZH)) are set to begin Kiev Zhulyany (IEV) to Krivoj Rog Lozovatka (KWG) flights using their fleet of two Yak-40s, marking the Russian aircraft type's first return to active scheduled service in Ukraine after most, if not all, of its previous civilian operators moved to retire it for economic reasons. The three times weekly flights will début from May 20. Motor Sich Airlines is a division of the aero engine manufacturer Motor Sich based in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, who are renowned for making the famous D-18T turbofan which powers variants of the Antonov An-124 and An-225 freighters.
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• Read More 20MAY2013: Royal Air Maroc to wet-lease an Air Italy 767 this summer
  Air Italy (I9, Milan Malpensa (MXP)) is to wet-lease its B767-200(ER), I-AIGH (c/n 208), to Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Mohamed V International (CMN)) for the duration of this summer. The 767 will help bolster the Moroccan national carrier's long haul fleet which at present, is limited to one B747-400 and four B767-300s. Royal Air Maroc plans to mainly use the aircraft on routes from Casablanca to Jeddah King Abdul Aziz (JED), Riyadh King Khalid (RUH) and Tunis Carthage International (TUN).
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• Read More 20MAY2013: TACA announces mass route cancellations, lay offs at its San Jose hub
  TACA International Airlines (TA, San Salvador Cuscatlán International (SAL)) has announced the immediate cancellation of more than half of its flights to and from San José Juan Santamaría International (SJO) effective May 17, in line with a new Avianca Colombia (AV, Bogotá El Nuevo Dorado International (BOG)) regional policy designed to meet market demand concentrating on hubs at Bogotá and San Salvador going forward. Additionally, 261 staff, all of them employed by TACA's subsidiary, LACSA Costa Rica (LR, San José Juan Santamaría International (SJO)), are to be laid off. Routes axed out of San Jose include: Quito Internacional (UIO) via Guayaquil José Joaquín de Olmdeo International (GYE), New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Medellín José Maria Córdova International (MDE) via Panamá City Tocumen International (PTY), Havana José Marti International (HAV) and Monterrey General Mariano Escobedo International (MTY). From June 16, TACA will also cut its route from Tegucigalpa Toncontín Interational (TGU) to Miami International (MIA). TACA will continue to serve Bogotá El Nuevo Dorado International (BOG), Caracas Simón Bolívar International (CCS), Guatemala City La Aurora International (GUA), Lima Jorge Chávez International (LIM), Managua International (MGA), México City Benito Juárez International (MEX), Miami International (MIA), San Pedro Sula Ramón Villeda Morales International (SAP), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa and Toronto Lester B. Pearson International (YYZ) from San José. Flights to Los Angeles International (LAX) will continue to be served daily via Guatemala City. Managua and Lima will however see a drop in their respective frequencies. Tegucigalpa will continue to have domestic and regional service to Guatemala City, La Ceiba Golosón International (LCE), Roatán Juan Manual Gálvez International (RTB), San Pedro Sula, San Jose and San Salvador.
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• Read More 18MAY2013: Western Global Airlines to launch with one MD11(F) later this year
  Western Global Airlines (Sarasota/Bradenton International (SRQ)) has applied to the US Department of Transportation for permission to begin domestic and foreign operations. Established by a former Southern Air (9S, Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International (CVG)) founder and CEO, James K. Neff, the company plans to launch with a single MD-11(F), growing to 4 by the end of its first operational year. Overall, commencing late 2013, it plans to provide widebody cargo capacity and to offer ACMI services to clients using MD-11 aircraft.
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• Read More 18MAY2013: CAAC gives Ruili Airlines go ahead to launch
  Ruili Airlines (Kunming Changshui International (KMG)) has received approval for its planned launch of operations by the CAAC. Ruili is owned and backed by Yunnan Jingcheng Group, a privately-owned construction & tourism enterprise based in Ruili, Yunnan province. Using start-up capital of USD96million (CNY600million), the airline plans to acquire a fleet of B737-700s and B737-800s to ply an exclusive domestic network from Kunming Changshui International (KMG). Personnel are to be sourced from Sichuan Airlines (3U, Chengdu Shuangliu International (CTU)) and the Civil Aviation Flight University of China.
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• Read More 18MAY2013: Memphis-based Southern Airways Express outlines its planned network
  Southern Airways Express (Memphis International (MEM)) has outlined its initial route network which it plans to operate using three Cessna Caravans. According to the airline, inaugural routes will include routes from Olive Branch (OLV) and DeWitt airport in Memphis to Panama City Bay County International (PFN), Destin Fort Walton Beach (DSI) and Gulf Shores Jack Edwards (GUF). Thereafter, Memphis to New Orleans Lakefront (NEW) will launch followed by Oxford University (UOX) to Panama City via Destin and New Orleans. While flights are scheduled to begin from May 29 on, that could be delayed as Southern Express has yet to submit a sublease agreement to Miracle Strip Aviation, one of the fixed-base operators at Destin airport, for use of premises there. Operations can then only begin once the local County Commission has approved the sublease.
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