RYANAIR Love it or hate it, you have to respect the gravity-defying low-cost carrier. After turning a €105 million ($153 million) profit in its year to end March, last week it said it expects to eclipsethat for 2009-10 and rake in between €200 million and €300 million owing to rising passenger numbers. Meanwhile, the airline's cash reserves have risen from €2.5 billion to €2.8 billion, prompting speculation that it may pay its shareholders a dividend for the first time ever.
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES In July the carrier announced 1,000 full-time job cuts to take its complement down to 6,500, but now it sees the "necessity" and the "potential" to further reduce staff numbers to closer to 6,000 employees. Austrian, which wasrecently taken over by Lufthansa, will notreveal the amount of savings targeted by higher staff cutbacks or other policies, but it hints that maintenance workers may bearthe brunt of thejob cuts.
US investigators believe loss of power in the outboard left-hand engine of a Douglas C-54, and the subsequent feathering of its propeller, initiated a chain reaction of events including a fuel explosion and fatal loss of control. The inquiry into the accident, which occurred in Alaska on 23 April last ...
Porter Airlines is the latest Canadian carrier to tweak its schedule based on weakening demand for US travel, though it pledged to maintain a substantial operation to the USA during the summer air travel season.
Airbus believes there will be no impact on A350 aircraft deliveries after a fire damaged equipment at its Illescas plant south of Madrid. The fire broke out on 25 March in one of the production halls. FlightGlobal understands that the blaze affected an autoclave in the area of section 19 ...