Airline News

Airguide Online, July 30, 2004

Aer Lingus will launch new routes from Dublin to Liverpool, Las Palmas, Lanzarote and Budapest at the end of Oct., bringing to 17 the number of routes introduced this year. The airline will operate a daily service to Liverpool, while flights to Budapest will operate four days a week and those to Lanzarote and Las Palmas will be weekly. Jul 2, 2004

Aeroflot is expected to announce today an invitation to suppliers to tender offers for the supply of 50 regional aircraft in the 75/100-seat category. Separately, Sibir is expected to make an announcement regarding a regional jet purchase in the next two weeks. Jul 2, 2004

Aerolineas Galapagos took delivery of the first of two ex-Air Malta 737- 200s. The operating lease is provided by Amtec Corp. and the transaction was arranged by Sigma Aircraft Management. Jul 2, 2004

In the first six months of 2004, Air Berlin transported 5.4 million passengers, up 39% versus 2003, while load factor rose 1.5 points to 77.5%. Turnover increased 24.2% to eur453 million ($550.9 million). For the full year it expects to carry around 11.6 million passengers and post turnover of eur1 billion. Jul 2, 2004

Air Berlin may split its planned order for up to 70 aircraft between Airbus and Boeing and a decision could come at this month's Farnborough Air Show. Deliveries would begin in late 2005 or early 2006, which is around the same time that many of Air Berlin's 43 737s begin coming off lease. It also operates two F100s and two BAe 146s. "I can imagine having two separate fleets in the future. Air Berlin has reached a size now where outsourcing, like maintenance, gives us new opportunities. We like to take advantage of market opportunities like this, as well as attractive leasing rates," Managing Partner Joachim Hunold said. The airline plans to extend its network from Germany to Prague, Paris Orly and Scandinavia next year. It is operating a hub in Palma de Mallorca with 240 weekly flights and around 60% of its business comes from routes to and within Spain. The carrier wants to increase Spanish domestic flights and Hunold did not rule out the possibility of establishing a hub on the Iberian Peninsula. Jul 2, 2004

Air Berlin will start an alliance with the charter carrier from travel company TUI, Hapag-Lloyd Flug, by Nov. 2004. The airlines plan to operate 300 codeshare flights a week and will coordinate their schedules from four airports--Nurnberg, Stuttgart, Munich and Palma de Mallorca-- where both have a strong presence. Hapag-Lloyd Flug will concentrate on routes to Egypt and the Spanish Canary Islands while Air Berlin will focus on flights to the Spanish mainland, the Balearic Islands and Portugal. Both carriers hope to increase their load factors through the alliance. Jul 20, 2004

Air Canada this week launched three weekly nonstop flights between Toronto and Bogota and between Toronto and Caracas. In addition, AC recently boosted its service to Santiago and Buenos Aires from three to four weekly flights. Jul 1, 2004

Air Canada took delivery of its first A340-500 on June 29 2004. Jul 1, 2004

Air France and Air Europa agreed to expand their codeshare agreement to include new flights between France and Spain. AF flights between Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse and Madrid, between Bordeaux, Lyon and Barcelona and between Paris CDG2 and Vigo now are operated under the AF and UX codes. In addition, flights between Madrid and Paris Orly as well as three daily CDG2-Barcelona flights are operated under the UX and AF codes, bringing the total number of AF/Air Europa weekly flights between France and Spain to 680. The Spanish airline currently is negotiating to join the SkyTeam alliance as an associate member. Jul 7, 2004

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

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