AirlinesWestJet to increase its summer links

Calgary, Canada - To face demand raise

Canadian air carrier WestJet, in order to be able to face next summer foreseeable demand increase, decide to augment its flights. The routes interested by the summer raise include Victoria, Comox, Kelowna,... more

AirlinesAir Canada ready to expand operations of its two low cost carriers

Toronto, Canada

Canadian carrier Air Canada is ready to expand its two discount airline operations in the domestic market as part of its attempt to return to profitability in this year. The airline launched Zip in mid-April... more

AirlinesRoyal Brunei Airlines: Pengiran Ali Ahmad to resign

Brunei, Indonesia - Executive director and CEO at the rich sultanate flag air carrier

Pengiran Ali Ahmed, executive director and CEO at Royal Brunei Airlines, resigned even though will keep its place until a substitute will be found. According to Pehyn Yahya, Royal Brunei Airlines president... more

AirlinesVirgin Atlantic to raise its capital

London, Uk - With USD 36m

Virgin Atlantic shareholders are planning to raise carrier capital with a USD 36m injection financed in part by Singapore Airlines (owner of a 49% stake of British airline) and in part by Virgin Investments... more

AirlinesQantas new low-cost subsidiary ready for bookings

Canberra, Australia - Starting from next May 8th

Qantas, Australian flag airline, is ready to launch its new low-cost division. Bookings for the first flights, which initially are going to serve exclusively East Asian countries, will start next May... more

AirlinesAir New Zealand (ANZ): foresees to improve its financial situation

Auckland, New Zealand - Breakeven get closer

Pushed by the international air sector recovery, Air New Zealand appears to be on the right way to get out of its financial crisis. For ANZ, the airline witnessed a "significant" improvement both in... more

AirlinesAmerican Airlines will be sued by New York's accident victims families

U.S. carrier American Airlines is to be sued by the families of 15 Dominican passengers who were killed when one of the carrier's Airbus A300-600 planes crashed shortly after take-off last November. They... more

AirlinesWestJet to order two more Boeing 737-700

Washington, Usa - An operation worth USD 100m

The Canadian airline WestJet ordered two more Boeing 737-700, in an operation worth USD 100m. Thanks to these aircraft, whose delivery is scheduled from April 2003 to July 2003, next year the Calgary-based... more

AirlinesAir Canada defines first quarter losses as "encouraging".

Montreal, Canada

Canadian carrier Air Canada posted an operating loss of USD$102.3 million but the carrier welcomed the quarterly results, describing them as "encouraging". The figures represented a USD88 million improvement... more

AirlinesFully booked first AfricaOne flight

Kampala, Uganda - First intercontinental flight to take off

All 267 seats of AfricaOne Dc 10 have been booked in. The first AfricaOne flight will depart from Lagos, Nigeria, next May 5th. It will make a stop over at Entebbe, Uganda, and will finally land at Dubai,... more

AirlinesDelta recovers codeshare with Korean Air

USA

After the positive definition of a series of concerns over Korean Air Lines safety record, both Delta Air Lines and Air France, Skyteam members, dropped code-sharing arrangements after a series of crashes. the... more

AirlinesCrossair great exit

Zurich, Switzerland - Before it became "Swiss"

Crossair, the largest regional carrier in Europe, registered smashing results before assuming the brand "Swiss". In last quarter of 2001 in fact, Crossair registered an amazing +66,6% in the number of... more

AirlinesJetBlue to order two new Airbus A-320s

Washington, Usa - Delivery between December 2002 and May 2003

Us carrier JetBlue ordered two new Airbus A-320s by converting two of its options. Delivery of the IAE 2500 powered-by aircraft will start next December 2002 and will be completed in May 2003. "JetBlue... more

AirlinesEmirates wants more and bigger aircraft

Dubai, Dubai - As A-380s and B-777-300s

Maurice Flanagan, Emirates managing director, confirmed Dubai air carrier to be interested to enlarge its fleet. Emirates, recently awarded as "best airline of the year 2001", would likely purchase new... more

AirlinesA new pan-African airline is born, AfricaOne

Uganda, Africa - The first totally-private air carrier in Africa

AfricaOne is the name of the new pan-African airline. AfricaOne, the Uganda-based air carrier, is the first African airline to be completely privately-owned. At the very start, on board of its DC-9s... more

AirlinesA large Air France pilot strike canceled

Paris, France - It was announced yesterday by Union

A four day strike, who was announced yesterday by the Air France pilots union, has been canceled. Unions said that the strike was programmed answering to refuse of the management to examinate their requests.... more

AirlinesBritish Midland operates a "teledoctor" system

London, Great Britain

The UK's bmi British Midland airline announced it has installed a instant medical diagnostic equipment on its long haul flights. The device , installed on the first time in the world on airliners, provides... more

AirlinesSmashing 2001-2002 for Emirates

Dubai - Net profits for USD 164m

Emirates, the air carrier that, as recently reported by AVIONEWS, has been awarded airline of the year 2001, announced today to have registered USD 164m net profits in the business year 2001-2002, +13,5%... more

AirlinesVirabongsa steps down from Thai Airways presidency

Bangkok, Thailand - To avoid pilot's strike

Virabongsa Ramangkula quit the chair of Thai Airways International to avoid the risk of a pilot's strike. THai pilots requested Mr Virabongsa -former Minister of finance- to step down for having appointing... more

AirlinesIberia to cancel its flights to and from Cancun and Mexico City

Madrid, Spain - From May 1st to May 3rd because of its employees strike in Mexico

Because of the strike of its employees in Mexico, the Spanish air carrier Iberia is going to cancel its Cancun and Mexico City flights from May 1st to May 3rd. According to Iberia, "negotiations for a... more

AirlinesNorthwest Airlines reached a tentative agreement with its pilots

Washington, Usa - To extend present collective bargaining for another year

During last week-end, the Us air carrier Northwest Airlines reached a tentative agreement with its pilots to extend of another year the current collective bargaining. The deal which is going to protract... more

AirlinesA good start for China Eastern Airlines

Beijing, China - Profits for USD 8,8m in the first quarter of 2002

China Eastern Airlines posted USD 8,8m profits in the first three months of 2002, thus strongly improving in comparison with results registered in the same period of last year, when it recorded a USD... more

AirlinesEight Virgin subsidiaries to be listing

London, Uk - The group's founder also announces his retirement

The Virgin group's founder, Richard Branson, forecasts at least 8 subsidiaries to be listing in the next 5 years and announces his consequent decision to quit. "I will quit all companies's chair after... more

AirlinesVirgin Atlantic to surf the waves of recovery

London, Uk - The carrier ready to employ 300 workers

Virgin Atlantic, Richard Branson owned-by airline, as a confirmation of the recovery signals affecting the international air sector, announced its intention to employ 300 new workers in the incoming 12... more

AirlinesNew link Palermo-Naples-Brussels for Volare Airlines

Palermo, Italy - Starting from May 1

The Italian air carrier, Volare Airlines, will provide a new daily flight Palermo-Naples-Brussels with an Airbus 320, starting May 1. Takeoff at 6.55 am from Palermo, Italy, stop over at Naples at 7.55... more

AirlinesAir Afrique into liquidation

Paris, France - Air France's rescue efforts met cool response

Air Afrique, the multi-national flag carrier for 30 African countries, has gone into liquidation. It was declared bankrupt in February this year with debts of USD 458m. Rescue efforts by Air France met... more

AirlinesMore Rome-Moscow Alitalia flights

Moscow, Russia - Italian junior minister's claims to Moscow

Italian transport junior minister, Mario Tassone claimed more Alitalia flights from Rome to Moscow to his Russian counterpart. "We claimed three more flights to replace Delta's ones. Furthermore Aeroflot... more

AirlinesAir France pilots on strike

Paris, France - From Thursday to Sunday included

Three of the main Air France pilots unions announced that the strike they originally planned for Thursday 2nd, Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th of May, will include Sunday 5th as well. The strike is about... more

AirlinesUnited in difficulties after flight assistant refuse to collaborate

USA

The requests of the U.S. carrier United Airlines to its employees to make concessions to help a recover of the situation of the loss-making carrier back to financial health have been rejected by the... more

AirlinesJapan antitrust authority gave its ok to JAS-JAL merger

Tokyo, Japan - It's now time to shareholders to approve

Merger project between the two Japan air carriers Japan Air System (JAS) and Japan Airlines (JAL) has been approved by the Japanese antitrust authority. It's now time for the shareholders to decide whether... more

AirlinesCathay Pacific to enlarge its fleet

Hong-Kong - With 3 Airbus A330-300s and 3 Boeing 777-300

Cathay Pacific, the Hong-Kong-based air carrier, announced today its decsion to enlarge its fleet by the acquistion of six new planes, three A330-300s and three B777-300s, whose deliveries will start from... more

AirlinesBritish Airways opens its new headquarters in the Us

London, Uk - In New York

The London-based air carrier British Airways inaugurated its new Us headquarters at the Bulova Corporate Center in Jackson Heights, State of New York. The renovated structure, which costed British Airways... more

AirlinesBritish Midlands: a gloomy 2001

London, Uk - No recovery until 2003

Within 2001, British Midlands registered an operating loss for GBP 12m, anyway posting pre taxation profits for GBP 12,4m (+51,2% in comparison with 2000). Bad news come also from air traffic, a sector... more

AirlinesDOT to confirm Swiss-AA code-share agreement

Basel, Switzerland - To come into force as from May 15th

DOT confirmed Swiss-American Airlines code-share agreement, signed at the end of last March. The agreement concerns 182 Swiss and 243 AA flights and is becoming effective starting May 15th. (004) more

AirlinesUal: reached tentative contract deal with unions

Chicago, Usa - After 28-month negotiations

After 28-month negotiations, UAL Corp's (UAL) United Airlines said it has reached a tentative contract deal with the union representing over 20,000 ramp, customer service and other workers. The ramp workers... more

AirlinesJetBlue doubles its profits

New York, Usa - A net income of USD 13m in the first quarter 2002

JetBlue, the low cost Us airline, announced it had doubled its profits in the first quarter of this year. The New York-based airline, which flies services out of JFK airport, posted net income of USD... more

AirlinesLufthansa: EUR 633m net losses in 2001

Frankfurt, Germany - "2002 will show big improvements over 2001" - CEO

Germany's leading airline, Lufthansa, claimed that it was "on the way up" after reporting an operating profit of EUR 28m (USD 25.1mn) last year. 2001 net losses were EUR 633m -Eur 689m gains in 2000. The... more

AirlinesProtest of Air France subsidiary's employees at Paris-Roissy airport

Paris, France - Frequence Plus' workers to claim higher wages

Eighty employees of Frequence Plus, the company handling fidelisation programmes for Air France, gathered yesterday at 2,45 pm in front of Air France's head office at Paris-Roissy airport. They decided... more

AirlinesFLS Aerospace will take care of Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium's A-320s

Brussels, Belgium - By the provision of maintenance services

Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium reached an agreement with FLS Aerospace on assistance and maintenance operations on its A-320s. FLS Aerospace, through the end of 2004, will provide technical services and... more

AirlinesVirgin Express to launch its new online booking engine

Brussels, Belgium - For travel agents and corporate travel managers

Richard Branson owned-by Virgin Express launched its new Internet-based booking system addressed to travel agents and corporate travel managers. Thanks to this new engine, approachable through a password... more

AirlinesRyanair celebrates its success at the South-Charleroi airport in Brussels

Brussels, Belgium - With more than 940.000 passengers

Ryanair, the Irish low-cost airline, celebrates its smashing results registered at the South-Charleroi Airport in Brussels, first European base of the carrier. Within the first year of operation at the... more

AirlinesNew route for VLM Airlines

Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Two daily flights Antwerp-Manchester via Rotterdam

As of May 1st, the Dutch regional air carrier VLM Airlines will start operating its new Antwerp-Manchester link via Rotterdam. At the same time, VLM will cancel its Antwerp-Geneva route because, according... more

AirlinesSn Brussels Airlines: net losses for EUR 207 million in 2001

Brussels, Belgium - When its name was still Dat

As far as 2001 is concerned, the Belgian air carrier Sn Brussels Airlines, when its name was still Dat, registered net losses for EUR 207 million and operational losses for EUR 24 million. These negative... more

AirlinesBritish Airways to cancel 12 regional routes

London, Uk - To save up to EUR 33,3 million by 2004

British Airways (BA), the London-based air carrier, announced today its decision to cancel 12 of its regional routes operated by BA CitiExpress, its subsidiary regional airline. These measures, aiming... more

AirlinesAir Madagascar to fly to Paris via Milan

Antananarivo, Madagascar - A flight a week starting May 6th

After one-month stop of all its international flights, Air Madagascar announced the launch of its weekly link Antananarivo-Milan-Paris, starting from next May 6th. The first flight will be carried out... more

AirlinesNorthwest Airlines to improve its Appleton-Detroit service

Washington, Usa - Replacing its Saab-340 aircraft with CRJs

Starting from next August 1st, Us air carrier Northwest Airlines will replace its Saab-340 aicraft in service on the route Appleton-Detroit with CRJs flights operated by its partner Express Airlines I. Furthermore,... more

AirlinesJAL-JAS to convince Japan antitrust authority

Tokyo, Japan - With their new merger plan

After Japan antitrust authority showed its strong doubts on the merger between Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air Systems (JAS), an agreement able, according to the competition defender, to violate free... more

AirlinesAmerican Trans Air will supply Funjets Vacations (Mark Travel Corp) with four B737-800s

Washington, Usa - Through December 2003

Us air carrier American Trans Air (ATA)decided to provide Funjets Vacations, a Mark Travel Corp. subsidiary, with 4 of its B737-800 aicraft, through December 2003. According to ATA chairman and Ceo John... more

AirlinesAir France will fly again to Cincinnati

Paris, France - In code-share with Delta Airlines

Air France, the Paris-based French air carrier, announced its decision to re-operate its Paris Charles de Gaulle-Cincinnati by serving the route with 14 daily flights in code-share with its SkyTeam partner... more

AirlinesNew link for AA

Washington, Usa - A non-stop daily New York-Tokyo

American Airlines now flies non-stop daily between New York-Jfk and Tokyo-Narita. The Us air carrier also announced the enhancement of its web site aa.com. (004) more