Recent News

• Read More 23MAY2013: Jet Airways to switch hub from Brussels to Amsterdam - Hogan
  Jet Airways (9W, Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International (BOM)) is planning to transfer its ‘scissor hub’ from Brussels National Zaventem (BRU) to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), Etihad CEO James Hogan, said at a press conference in Amsterdam on May 21. The move comes on the back of a new four-month old co-operation agreement between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) and Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International (AUH)), owners of a 24% stake in the Indian carrier. Jet Airways operates flights from Delhi Indira Gandhi International (DEL) and Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International (BOM) in India to Newark Liberty International (EWR), Toronto Lester B. Pearson International (YYZ) in North America via Brussels. Mr. Hogan gave no timescale as to when the transfers would take place.
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• Read More 23MAY2013: Comorian carrier, Inter Îles Air, resumes ops with a Saab 340
  Inter Îles Air (Anjouan Ouani (AJN)) has resumed operations using a Saab 340B. Following Inter Îles Air's inaugural flight on Saturday, May 18, company director, Saifiddine Inzoudine, said the Comorian airline plans to start scheduled flights to Madagascar (likely Nossi-Be Fascène (NOS) and/or Majunga Amborovy Philibert Tsiranana (MJN)) and Dar-es-Salaam (DAR) by early June. In anticipation of the upcoming tourist season, a second unspecified aircraft is also expected to join the fleet. After the suspension of its operations following the crash of its EMB-120, D6-HUA (msn 120149), off the coast of Moroni Prince Said Ibrahim International (HAH), Grande Comore on November 27, 2012, the Comorian government announced plans to supercede Inter Îles Air with a new state-backed initiative that has since gone on to ply local inter-island routes using a Let 410, D6-NHD (msn 072640).
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• Read More 23MAY2013: Air Macau to lease two A321s from ALC; jets due in Q4 2014 and Q1 2015
  Air Macau (NX, Macau International (MFM)) has signed a deal with US lessor Air Lease Corporation for the long-term lease of two brand new Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A321-200 aircraft, scheduled for delivery in October 2014 and March 2015 respectively. The two jets will supplement the Macanese carrier's fleet of eight A321-200s, two A320-200s and five A319-100s used on flights to mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.
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• Read More 23MAY2013: China's Lucky Air applies for rights to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau
  Lucky Air (8L, Dali City (DLU)) has applied to China's civil aviation regulator, CAAC, for permission to begin regional services to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Should the request be granted, it would likely pave the way for Lucky to eventually tap into the international market. Lucky Air, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou Meilan International (HAK)), operates an exclusively domestic Chinese network using a mixed fleet of both Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) and Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) metal.
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• Read More 23MAY2013: Now Ryanair joins the bidding war for Flybe.'s Gatwick slots
  Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) has thrown its hat into the ring with the announcement by company deputy chief executive, Howard Miller, that Ryanair would bid to acquire 25 Flybe. (BE, Exeter International (EXT)) slots at London Gatwick (LGW). The Irish LCC joins easyJet (U2, London Luton (LTN)) and several other unnamed carriers competing for the lucrative slots. Confronted with soaring fuel costs, falling passenger numbers and higher airport duties, Flybe has adopted tough new cost cutting measures which, aside from the Gatwick slot sale, includes the axing of about 10% of its 3'000-strong UK workforce; a move aimed at saving USD50million (GBP35million).
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• Read More 23MAY2013: Thai Lion Air to operate six B737-800s from Bangkok's Don Mueang
  Thai Lion Air (Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK)) is planning to launch operations later this year the Thai civil aviation department has confirmed. Lion Airlines (JT, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International (CGK)) will set-up a joint venture with a yet unknown Thai entity that will own 51% in Thai Lion Air, similar to its Malindo Air (OD, Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)) joint venture that has just launched operations in Malaysia. Thai Lion reportedly plans to initially launch domestic and regional services with initially six B737-800s to be based at Don Mueang where it will join Nok Air (DD, Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK)), Orient Thai Airlines (OX, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)) and Thai AirAsia (FD, Bangkok Don Mueang International (DMK)) which also operate similar routes from Bangkok's old airport. Lion Air is also considering joint venture airlines in Australia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam in coming years.
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• Read More 23MAY2013: Imatong Airlines plans to resume South Sudan charter ops from July 1
  Imatong Airlines (Nairobi Wilson (WIL)) is planning to resume charter operations out of the South Sudanese capital, Juba (JUB), effective July 1. According to The African Aviation Tribune, the airline plans to use a pair of CRJ-100s, the first of which, 5Y-CCT, is currently at Nairobi Wilson (WIL) awaiting the finalization of its paperwork. Planned routes include Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) to Malindi (MYD) and Juba and from Juba to Wau (WUU), Malakal (MAK) and Rumbek (RBX) in South Sudan. Future regional routes are slated to include Entebbe/Kampala International (EBB), Khartoum (KRT) and Addis Ababa Bole International (ADD).
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• Read More 23MAY2013: Air Algérie details its planned Amsterdam, Joburg, São Paulo flights
  Air Algérie (AH, Algier Houari Boumediene (ALG)) has detailed its planned route expansion plan, part of its ambitious long-term goal of transforming Algier Houari Boumediene (ALG) into an international hub. According to the airline, B737-800 flights to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) will début from July 2013, while A330-200 flights to Johannesburg Oliver Reginald Tambo International (JNB) and São Paulo Internacional Guarulhos (GRU) will commence in December 2013 and February 2014 respectively. Further routes to North America, China and West Africa are also expected at some stage, though Air Algérie is likely biding its time in preparation for the arrival of its fleet of Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A330-200s and Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) 737-800s.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Iran's Qeshm Airlines planning to add five ex-Onur Air A300-600Rs
  Qeshm Airlines (QB, Tehran Mehrabad International (THR)) is planning to add five Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A300-600Rs, formerly with Turkey's Onur Air (8Q, Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST)). The Iranian operator, which specializes in operations from Qeshm Island to various cities around Iran and the United Arab Emirates, currently operates four Fokker 50s and leases four Fokker 100s from Ukrainian charter specialists, Bukovyna Airlines (BQ, Chernovtsy (CWC)).
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Maldivian to début in China with Chongqing flights from June 23
  Maldivian (Q2, Malé Ibrahim Nasir International (MLE)) has signed an agreement with Chinese travel company, Chengdu Universal International Travel Service, to begin flights to Chongqing Jiangbei (CKG) effective June 23. Under the deal, Maldivian will operate two flights per week to China using its Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A320-200. The announcement marks Maldivian's first venture outside the sub-region where it currently serves domestic routes as well as Chennai Meenambakkam (MAA), Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International (BOM) and Thiruvananthapuram International (TRV) in India and Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International (DAC) in Bangladesh.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: One less 737-600 in the skies as Easter Jet retires its only aircraft
  Eastar Jet (ZE, Seoul Gimpo (GMP)) has announced the retirement of its only B737-600, HL7781 (msn 28302), leaving just five operators of the type left in the world: Air Algérie (AH, Algier Houari Boumediene (ALG)), SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH)), Tunisair (TU, Tunis Carthage International (TUN)), URS Federal Services (Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS)) and WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)). Designed as a replacement for the B737-500 and a competitor to the A318-100, the 737-600 sold just sixty-nine of the aircraft. As of 2012, Boeing has removed the 737-600 from its aircraft price list, presumably indicating the variant is now out of production.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Iranian start-up, Atrak Air, to wet-lease a Khors Aircompany A320
  Khors Aircompany (KO, Kiev Borispol (KBP)) has signed a contract with Iranian start-up, Atrak Air (Tehran Mehrabad International (THR)), for the wet-lease of its 20-year old Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) A320-200, UR-MUS (c/n 393). Khors already leases another of its A320-200s, UR-REZ (c/n 414), to another Iranian operator, Zagros Airlines (Iran) (ZV, Abadan (ABD)).
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Air Management Solutions wins bid for Romania's Blue Air
  Blue Air (Romania) (0B, Bucharest Otopeni Henri Coanda International (OTP)) has been acquired for EUR30million by another Romanian firm, Air Management Solutions, Blue Air general manager George Racaru has revealed. Air Management Solutions is run by four Romanian citizens; an agricultural entrepreneur, a specialist in tourism, and two Blue Air pilots. The group plans to grow the airline into a business worth "at least EUR150million" while investing in the training of 400 Blue Air personnel. It also plans to 'secure the fleet using new guarantees contributed by the business' partners.' In the short/medium term, AMS envisages a 3-5% turnover increase in 2014/15; a tall order given the airline's turnover of EUR145million and an aircraft occupancy rate of 92% in 2012.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Denmark's Jet Time to add its first 737-400 of ex-SAS vintage
  Jet Time (JTG, Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH)) is set to add its first B737-400 to its growing family of thirteen Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) 737s. Reports state that the Danish carrier will now add an ex-SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup (CPH)) B737-400, LN-BRI (msn 24644), to its fleet in the near future. Founded in 2006, Jet Time specializes in contract and ad-hoc passenger and freight charters throughout Europe as well as short-notice wet-leases for scheduled airlines.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Russia's Ural Airlines to acquire two ex-Gulf Air A319s from ILFC
  Ural Airlines (U6, Ekaterinburg Koltsovo (SVX)) is set to bolster its fleet with the upcoming acquisition of two ex-Gulf Air (GF, Bahrain Muharraq International (BAH)) A319-100s, (c/n 1884 & 1901), from global lessor, the ILFC. According to Ural Airlines' CEO, Sergei Skuratov, the A319s, its first of the type, will be deployed onto its "thinner" routes. The Russian airline currently has twenty-nine aircraft: nineteen A320-200s and nine A321-200s.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Skywest signs deal with Embraer for up to 200 EMB175s due from Q2 2014
  Skywest Airlines (USA) (OO, Salt Lake City International (SLC)) and Brazil's Embraer (São José dos Campos Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf (SJK)) have announced a firm order for forty EMB-175s with delivery due to commence from the second quarter of 2014 onwards. For its part, Skywest plans to operate the aircraft under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) with another 60 firm orders subject to SkyWest being awarded CPA contracts with major US airline partners. The agreement also includes options for another one hundred E-175s, taking the total order potential up to two hundred aircraft. The deal is supplementary to a contract Embraer signed with United Airlines for thirty firm E-175s with 40 options.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Ryanair sweettalking Belfast International over proposed return
  Ryanair (FR, Dublin International (DUB)) is understood to be in the early stages of negotiations with Belfast Aldergrove International (BFS) over the planned re-establishment of operations from Belfast. The move comes after the Irish LCC abandoned a small base at Belfast George Best City (BHD) in 2010 in a huff over purported delays in runway expansion works. No exact details of any proposed routes have been revealed however. Ryanair originally operated flights to London Stansted (STN), Liverpool John Lennon (LPL), East Midlands (EMA), Bristol International (BRS) and Glasgow Prestwick (PIK) with flamboyant owner Michael O'Leary pledging to launch a series of European routes once a proposed 600-metre runway extension was given the go ahead at Belfast City. When this failed to materialize, Ryanair abruptly pulled out of the airport outright but still continued to serve Northern Ireland, albeit out of Londonderry Eglinton (LDY).
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Ethiopian granted rights for Maputo - São Paulo says CEO Gebremariam
  Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa Bole International (ADD)) has been granted rights to the potentially lucrative Maputo (MPM) to São Paulo Internacional Guarulhos (GRU) route by the Mozambican government, the company's CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam has announced. In an interview with industry publication, Airline Weekly, Mr. Gebremariam stated that his airline had indeed been given rights to the route but did not expand any further regarding dates or frequencies. The news comes as the Brazilian government is preparing to ratify a revised air services agreement with Mozambique which would likely have provision for a 3rd party carrier to operate the routes, a given since LAM - Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (TM, Maputo (MPM)) has not the means to do it itself. For its part, defunct Brazilian carrier Varig (RG, Rio de Janeiro Galeão Antônio Carlos Jobim International (GIG)) last served Maputo via Luanda 4 De Fevereiro (LAD) in the mid/late 1980s.
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• Read More 22MAY2013: Switzerland's Darwin Airline confirms plans for Cambridge, UK hub
  Darwin Airline (F7, Lugano Agno (LUG)) has confirmed reports that it is planning to open its first British hub this September. According to the airline, beginning September 2, the following routes are to be served from its new Cambridge (CBG) hub: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) - 12x weekly, Geneva Cointrin (GVA) - 3x weekly, Milan Malpensa (MXP) - 4x weekly and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - 6x weekly. Reservations for all routes are now open. All routes will be operated by the airline’s 50-seat Saab 2000. As part of its business model to support growing regional markets, Darwin also plans to launch operations from new bases in Ancona Falconara (AOI) from June 1 and Leipzig/Halle (LEJ) from September 2.
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• Read More 21MAY2013: Filipino airlines hesitant about Laguindingan's planned June opening
  Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)) along with Zest Air (Z2, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)), Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)) and PAL Express (2P, Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)) have all expressed their displeasure at the Philippine Department of Transportation and Communications' decision to forge ahead with the June 15 opening of the new USD190million Laguindingan International Airport, set to replace the smaller Cagayan de Oro Lumbia (CGY) airport as the gateway to the northern Mindanao and Misamis Oriental provinces. According to the PhilippineFlightNetwork blog, the carriers had originally succeeded in pushing back the original launch date of April 30 to June by asking the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to delay the transfer of flights until after the summer season in order "to minimize disruption to passengers and to permit more time to rearrange flight schedules". The airlines also complained that "they were experiencing difficulties in communicating changes to passengers who had bought their tickets for flights in April and May". In addition, locals in Cagayan de Oro are not convinced the airport is ready following revelations that its infrastructure is not up to scratch. Among the shortcomings are navigational aides, necessary for night flights, that will only be installed by the CAAP in late 2014, as well as a critical shortage of electrical power needed to adequately run the airport's facilities.
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• 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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