Airline News April 2005

Airguide Online, April 30, 2005

Standsted could have at last a new transatlantic carrier by August. Following now long forgotten American Airlines and Continental Airways decisions to drop their services into the Essex airport (all be it for different reasons) US registered SkyLink Airways, still a paper airline, is recruiting staff for a start-up during the summer. A two class Boeing 767 operation is initially envisaged with Washington-Baltimore as the base airport in the United States. In its application to the Department of Transport Skylink has named Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Taiwan as potential destinations. http://www.skylinkairways.com Apr 22, 2005

SkyTeam Steering Committee announced that passengers traveling via the alliance's Round the World (RTW) and Europe Pass products will have greater options, in terms of schedules and destinations, with the addition of Continental's, KLM's and Northwest's route networks. Effective April 15, RTW customers can select flight options from any of the nine member airlines, while Europe Pass customers have their choice of routes operated by the alliance's four European carriers. For RTW passengers, the new options provide greater access to destinations in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as key cities in Africa. In Europe, passengers with a trans-Atlantic or inter-continental ticket can now extend their trip with discounted fares to destinations such as Belfast, Northern Ireland and Berne, Switzerland under the Europe Pass product. Apr 13, 2005

Song, the Delta low-cost operation, has survived a strategic review and will expand with 12 more jets this year. Song president Joanne Smith said the airline's operating costs are lower than the Delta's mainline costs. Last year the airline lost money, but Smith said the airline is on a "very short track and timeline" to post profits. http://www.flysong.com Apr 4, 2005

Southwest hedges aggressively to protect against high fuel prices. Discounter Southwest Airlines has hedged its jet fuel consumption through 2009, a move that helps protect it from soaring fuel prices, the Dallas Morning News reports. Meanwhile, other airlines are posting large losses because of soaring fuel costs. On Thursday, oil was $54.11 a barrel on the spot market; Southwest has hedges in place for $26 a barrel for about 85% of the fuel it needs. Apr 8, 2005

Southwest Airlines will open its new D concourse at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Tuesday. The new facility will feature eight new gates, a six-lane security checkpoint and new concessions. Southwest will continue to operate an additional 16 gates in the C Concourse for a total of 24 total gates at Sky Harbor. The airline will no longer use the B concourse. Southwest said the new facilities will allow it to expand, and also to further expand its code-share agreement with ATA. Apr 7, 2005

Swiss International is optimizing various key aspects of its product in order to make travel even more enjoyable for customers. The new user concept at Zurich Airport is the starting point, with faster, smoother and more comfortable procedures for travelers now in place. In the same spirit, Swiss International has also upgraded the seating on its Airbus A320 fleet and earlier this year launched an exclusive business-class-only service between Zurich and New York that is closely tailored to the needs of business travelers. The latest initiative sees the introduction on May 25 of a complimentary foodservice in economy class on flights within Europe. Passengers in Swiss Economy will soon be able to enjoy a warm "pain au chocolate" on a morning flight to Berlin or savor a warm "calzone" (pastry turnover) as a snack on a midday flight to Copenhagen. A selection of warm or cold snacks and drinks, varying according to the time of day and length of the flight, will be available. Apr 28, 2005