Airline News

Airguide Online, July 30, 2004

Air New Zealand began three weekly flights between Auckland and San Francisco using a 392-seat 747-400. Jul 1, 2004

Air Senegal International announced its decision to buy a 737-700 with delivery scheduled for July 2005. The CFM56-powered aircraft will have a two-class configuration with 114 seats. It will replace the carrier's 737-200s. Air Senegal also operates Dash 8s. The airline finished FY03 with a positive net result after only three years of operation and carried 360,000 passengers, up 44% over 2002. Jul 23, 2004

Air Wisconsin announced a restructuring of its senior leadership. Executive VPs and Directors William Jordan and Pat Thompson will become vice chairmen and remove themselves from the day-to-day operation of the company. Chairman, President and CEO Geoff Crowley will retain those titles but along with Thompson and Jordan will focus on long-term strategic and policy issues, the company said. Doug Horn, AWAC's current senior VP-customer service, will assume the role of executive VP and COO. Jul 2, 2004

AirAsia will add several key tourist destinations to its network next month. Beginning Aug. 5, the carrier will launch service from Kuala Lumpur to Bali. On Aug. 27 it will begin direct Kuala Lumpur-Medan flights. Separately, Thai AirAsia, an affiliate of AirAsia, launched daily nonstop service between Bangkok and Macau. Jul 9, 2004

AirCell this week successfully completed the initial phase of testing for its next-generation airborne telecommunications link aimed at permitting passengers to use certain kinds of cellphones and other wireless devices on commercial aircraft while in flight. The company plans to deploy a nationwide network in the continental US in the next 18-24 months. It said it is maintaining discussions with "major US airlines" regarding the services and has plans for commercial deployment. Initial testing of AirCell's system aboard scheduled airlines is targeted to begin early next summer. The initial phase of testing was completed in the Rocky Mountain West using a specifically equipped business jet and a modified ground-based cellular station. The testing was conducted on air-to-ground frequencies under Special Temporary Authorization from FCC. Data uploads and downloads were demonstrated and the results were confirmed with the aircraft operating at a variety of altitudes, airspeeds and configurations, the company said. Jul 8, 2004

AirTran Airways completed construction of its first maintenance hangar at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The hangar is 65 ft. tall and can fit two of the airline's new 737-700s parked wing-to- wing. The structure also houses more than 76,000 sq. ft. of work space and features a computerized atmosphere control system. Jul 1, 2004

AirTran Airways began two daily nonstop flights between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Los Angeles. Jul 2, 2004

Alaska Airlines celebrated the opening of its new state-of-the-art Concourse C at Anchorage. Jul 1, 2004

Alitalia expected to receive EC approval for bridge loan The European Commission is expected to approve at its July 20 meeting the Italian government's plan to provide a guaranteed bridge loan amounting to eur400 million ($492.7 million) to Alitalia. "Next week it should be possible to give the green light to this demand from the Italian government," Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio told reporters after a meeting with Italian ministers who included Transport Minister Pietro Lunardi. She said the likely approval follows a "strong commitment" from Italy that its flag carrier will be privatized. According to the Associated Press, Italian European Affairs Minister Rocco Buttiglione said Rome will relinquish control in the airline by reducing its stake to less than 50%, "possibly before six months" but at the latest "within a year." EC spokesperson Amador Sanchez Rico stated that the bridge loan cannot be used by the carrier for investments or to expand its activities. "We need to be sure the bridge loan they receive respects the market," he said. Meanwhile, the government still seems divided on the airline's fate. Italy's Northern League party intends to try to block the bridge loan. "We will do everything so that this decree doesn't come into force," said Welfare Minister Roberto Maroni, who is a senior member of the Northern League. The decree allowing a government- guaranteed bridge loan to Alitalia was approved by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government last month, but it still must be voted on in Parliament in the coming weeks. Jul 14, 2004