News from FlightGlobal – Page 2125
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News
BA gambles on business class seating strategy...
COLIN BAKER LONDON The bloodletting on the North Atlantic has forced British Airways to take a gamble with a radical alteration of seating plans in favour of business class. An average of 15%of economy seats will be taken out of BA's transatlantic fleet to give more space for a ...
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...and plans to end commissions
ANNIE REDMILE LONDON Plans by British Airways to axe a new travel agency bonus scheme and pay transaction fees instead of commission from next January has damaged a fragile relationship with the UK travel trade and may have repercussions across Europe. According to Sandy McPherson, chairman of the Association ...
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In Brief, Europe
Low-cost boost Most business travellers in the UK cite cost as the most important consideration when choosing an airline. The findings, in a recent survey by Barclaycard, a UK credit card company, provide evidence of a growing trend to the use of low-cost carriers. For the first time, two ...
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SAirGroup buys 39% of TAP Air Portugal
BARRY CROSS LONDON Following months of delay, the SAirGroup has finally purchased a stake in financially troubled Portuguese flag carrier TAP Air Portugal. The size of SAir's holding - 39% - is much larger than the previously mooted 20% stake that the Swiss negotiated in the summer, reflecting the parlous ...
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Freedom's paths
CHRIS LYLE AT ICAO MONTREAL The debate on liberalisation no longer centres on whether it will happen, but on how. Should the air transport industry continue to steer its own path or hand over the process to the World Trade Organisation? When the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) hosted its ...
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Behind the headlines
The first batch of European airline results are in for the December quarter. Chris Tarry of Commerzbank looks at what they really tell investors. From a stock market perspective, there can be little doubt that airlines are out of favour. After a recovery in sentiment in the last two months ...
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Maverick in Brazil
BRIAN HOMEWOOD RIO DE JANEIRO TAM has grown out of its regional status to become Brazil's second biggest airline. Its chief executive wants greater competition, although not an open skies deal with the USA. Every weekday morning between 06.00 and 07.00, TAM president Rolim Amaro can be found on ...
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American gives more room to stretch
KAREN WALKER WASHINGTON DC In a move designed to steal more high yield market share and publicly address growing dissatisfaction among passengers with US airline service, American Airlines will increase leg room in the economy cabin across its entire fleet. Even if the percentage of business travellers who switch ...
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All change at Kennedy terminals
CAROLE SHIFRIN NEW YORK Swissair and Sabena are moving operations at New York's Kennedy Airport from the terminal of former partner Delta Air Lines to the new Terminal 4. The Qualiflyer alliance partners' move will take place on 26 March, with the change of winter-to-summer time flight schedules. ...
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Northwest adds new fare
Jane Levere New York Northwest Airlines is gambling on attracting a larger share of the US business traveller market by creating a new type of discounted advance purchase fare that does not include overnight an Saturday stay requirement. The new tariff, available only on US and Canadian routes, features ...
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Legend take-off renews Love battle
CAROLE SHIFRIN WASHINGTON DC Legend Airlines, a new business-traveller oriented airline, has been cleared for take-off by a US Circuit Court of Appeals after a two-year wrangle over its plan to operate from restricted Dallas Love Field. The carrier's services, which will bring long-haul scheduled flights to Love ...
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In Brief, Americas
Ecuador's SAETA grounded Ecuador's financial and political crisis has claimed SAETA and its domestic subsidiary, SAN, as victims. Both carriers cancelled all flights in early February amid reports that they were unlikely to recover. SAETA's condition worsened a year ago when an investor group discontinued its support for the ...
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Passenger Priorities
ANNIE REDMILE LONDON Corporations may be forcing their employees towards cheaper travel options, but business passengers remain attached to perks. They are also increasingly online savvy In the latest round of business travel surveys airlines have been sent mixed signals - some sobering, others encouraging - about the concerns, ...
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Drafting a new contract
TOM GILL LONDON Europe is rapidly catching up with the USA with its own passenger rights proposals First it was the turn of US politicians to get fired up about passenger rights. In fact, it looks as though the major US carriers have pre-empted that initiative with ...
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A question of choice
Engines Review Airline Business reviews the latest trends in the aero-engine market, including Boeing's decision to sign a single-source deal on its long-awaited long-range 777X and transatlantic battles over noise. Plus, analysis of the current state of orders, deliveries and market share for the main manufacturers. CAROLE SHIFRIN ...
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Pressure rises over delays
KEVIN O'TOOLE BRUSSELS While the European Commission (EC) forges ahead with its single-skies initiative, the pressure is on to avoid a repeat of the record delays which brought Europe close to gridlock last summer. Year-end figures from the Association of European Airlines (AEA) confirm that last year broke all records, ...
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Three's a crowd
MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON In the aero-engines stakes, market dynamics appear to favour a two-horse race. Two may be company, but three is a crowd. It is a message on which the world's three main aircraft engine manufacturers have had cause to dwell. They know only too well the damage that ...
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LMAAS makes bid for A300 cargo conversion work
Guy Norris/CORDOBA Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina (LMAAS) is in discussions with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) Airbus over the opening of an A300 cargo conversion line at its Cordoba site in Argentina. The move comes as LMAAS prepares to support its parent company's L-1011 TriStar freighter programme at Greenville, South ...
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UK all-cargo carrier grows with more 747s
Max Kinglsey-Jones/LONDON Airfreight Express (AFX), the UK's latest all-cargo carrier, is gearing up for expansion as it prepares to triple its Boeing 747 freighter fleet. The London Heathrow-based carrier launched operations last September following the receipt of its air operator's certificate. It is operating a single weekly scheduled trip ...
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BA starts to build short-term 737-500 fleet as it waits for A318s
British Airways has begun to build a short-term fleet of Boeing 737-500s, with the delivery of the first two aircraft. One is an ex-British Midland example leased from Babcock and Brown, and the other on a five-year lease from Indigo Aviation, is ex-Braathens. The airline may acquire up to twenty ...