Airline News

Airguide Online, July 30, 2004

Frontier Airlines will launch twice-daily service between Denver and Little Rock Oct. 10. The flights will be operated by Horizon Air as Frontier JetExpress with CRJ700s. Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair will realign flights at Huntington, W. Va. Effective Sept. 15, Comair will offer four daily nonstops between Huntington and Cincinnati using 50-seat CRJs, while ASA will discontinue its three daily flights to Atlanta. Jul 2, 2004

Frontier Airlines accepted two new 132-seat A319s last week on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services. With the deliveries, the airline's fleet now consists of nine 737-300s, 31 A319s and six A318s. Jul 5, 2004

Global ePoint said its AirWorks division received initial orders from American Airlines to install laptop power systems in 103 additional MD- 80s. The initial orders are valued at $361,000 with follow-on buys anticipated. AirWorks previously provided laptop power systems to American in 1998. Jul 2, 2004

Brazilian LCC Gol will acquire three 737-300s and launch regular service to Buenos Aires after receiving official authorization from Brazil's Dept. of Civil Aviation, Reuters reported. Following the acquisitions, the airline's fleet will total 25 aircraft. Gol did not specify when it will begin service to Buenos Aires but market analysts expect it to start in Oct., the report said. Jul 7, 2004

Gol confirmed that it was approved by the Brazilian Committee of Studies Related to International Air Navigation to commence regular international flights to Buenos Aires. The airline said it is taking all necessary measures to begin the flights by year end. Jul 9, 2004

Hawaiian Airlines will introduce the APS digEplayer personal entertainment system on its flights next month. The system will be offered on transpacific flights to Hawaii, Sydney, Pago Pago and Papeete. The battery-powered, 3-lb. unit will be available free in first class and for a $10 rental fee in coach, subject to availability. The airline is purchasing 1,500 digEplayers from APS following a two-month test run earlier this year. Jul 15, 2004

IATA applauded Geneva Airport's decision to cancel plans to hike passenger charges for mainline carriers even as it redeveloped an older facility targeted at low-cost airlines. Calling it a "step in the right direction," IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said the organization will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that airlines using Terminal 1 do not end up cross-subsidizing the proposed development of T2, intended for LCCs. KLM, Air France and Lufthansa led the opposition to the plan under which their per-passenger fees would have increased from Sfr19 ($15) to Sfr22 while LCCs would pay just Sfr14 to use a more basic facility to be built in the old Aerogare, which was closed in 1968. EasyJet is the dominant player at Geneva, accounting for 25% of the 8 million in annual passenger enplanements. Jul 7, 2004

Iberia said its franchise partner Iberia Regional Air Nostrum launched twice-daily service from Madrid to Bordeaux using a mix of CRJ200s, F50s and Dash 8-Q300s. Iberia Group now operates 602 flights each week between Spain and seven French cities. Jul 12, 2004