I have over 160,000 frequent flier miles on Delta and 100,000 miles on American Airlines. And yet over the last two years, I have not found a way to use the miles, unless I double them. For two people traveling to Europe, it used to cost 25,000 miles each way. So we could have made the round-trip for 100,000 miles. Now the price has double to 200,000 miles. Is there any way to combine Delta and American miles for award travel on a partner airline? Andrea Spurling, New York.
The short answer is no. But you can redeem Delta Air Lines Skymiles on any of the 10 Skyteam Alliance partners that include Air France, KLM, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, and Northwest Airlines; and American AAdvantage miles on any of 20 Star Alliance partners, including British Airways (though not to London), United Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, and Air New Zealand. And you may not need as many miles as you think for round-trip tickets from New York to Paris or London. Depending when you want to travel and how flexible you are prepared to be a round-trip economy ticket with Delta from New York to Paris will cost from 50,000 to 250,000 miles. A similar ticket on American from New York to London will cost 40,000 to 150,000 miles. Click on to 'awards' at each airline site to see how many miles you need for free flights and upgrades.
My wife and I, both 73 years old, were ousted from our pre-assigned seats in the emergency exit row when we checked in for an American Airlines from Buenos Aires to Miami, because we are "seniors." I am an MD and we are both in top shape - we exercise, lift weights three times a week and play tennis. Samuel Borushek, Chicago:
I'm afraid you fell foul of the emergency exit rule exercised by many airlines by which exit rows are reserved for able-bodied passengers who would be capable of helping to open the doors in event of emergency. Ageism has extended to a presumption that older travelers are invariably infirm!
However, it is possible to reserve such roomier economy seats in advance, albeit sometimes for an extra charge.
Air Canada, for example, charges passengers in its lowest fare category, Tango, 15 Canadian dollars for an advance seat assignment, but has not yet taken to selling specific seats on its aircraft. And Northwest Airlines offers Coach Choice on its domestic network, by which passengers can book certain aisle and exit-row seats for $15 extra per flight segment. Coach Choice seats "are offered to all passengers 24 hours prior to departure; WorldPerks and SkyTeam Elite members 36 hours before departure."
KLM now offers passengers traveling from Singapore, Manila, and Curacao to Amsterdam the chance to reserve economy class seats with guaranteed extra legroom for a fee of 50 euros per seat on each flight.
In Europe, EasyJet, which has "free seating" (ie a mad scramble for the best seats), has introduced a Speedy Boarding option allowing passengers who have paid a £5 supplement to be first to board.
It is not easy to figure out the best and worst seats from airline seating plans, but some Web sites offer help. Skytrax Research (www.airlinequality.com) compares seat dimensions and gives seating tips for more than 325 airlines on long-haul flights. Aircraft seat plans at www.seatguru.com show you which seats to ask for, and which to avoid, on more than 30 airlines, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Air France, British Airways, Continental, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Northwest, Qantas, SAS, United and US Airways. The site lists aircraft for each airline and gives color-coded seat descriptions (green designates a "very good seat," yellow, "be aware!" and red, a "poor seat."
Other useful Web sites include Lovemyseat.com, which gives seat charts, scores and reviews for 80 airlines, and Flatseats.com, which compares first- and business-class lie-flat seats and gives "sleep ratings" for airlines around the world.
Many airlines, such as British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic, allow you to check in online, even to print your own boarding card so that you can go straight to the gate when you arrive at the airport.
But this doesn't ensure you'll get a good seat, such as one in the emergency exit row with its extra legroom or an aisle seat where you can stretch at least one leg from time to time.
The snag is that normally you can only check in and book your seat 24 hours in advance by which time the best seats have mysteriously disappeared, and you are stuck in a dreaded middle seat or crushed in an especially narrow row back of the cabin by the lavatories.
Read more of this article's from the source at: International Herald Tribune
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June 07, 2007
Can I combine air miles from different companies?
Bell 212 Helicopter
The Bell 212 Twin Huey (also known as the Twin Two-Twelve) is a medium civilian helicopter that first flew in 1968. The 212 has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the 212 has an internal capacity of 6.23 m³ (220 ft3). An external load of up to 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) can be carried.
Bell 212 helicopter Operational history
Based on the stretched fuselage Bell 205, the Bell 212 was originally developed for the Canadian Forces under the designation CUH-1N which later became CH-135. The original order for the Canadian Forces was 50 with an option for a further 20. At the same time the United States military services ordered 141 Bell 212's under the designation UH-1N.
By 1971 the 212 had been developed for commercial applications. Amongst the earliest uses of the 212 in civil aviation was by Helikopter Service AS of Norway to be used in support of offshore oil rigs. Today the 212 can be found used in logging operations, maritime rescue and resupply in the Arctic on the Distant Early Warning Line or North Warning System.
The 212's main rotor is powered by a PT6T-3 Turbo Twin Pac made up of two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T turboshaft engines. They are capable of producing up to 1,342 kW (1,800 shp). Should one engine fail the remaining engine can deliver 671 kW (900 shp) for 30 minutes or 571 kW (765 shp) enabling the 212 to maintain cruise performance at maximum weight.
Early 212s configured with an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) instrument package were required to have a large and very obvious fin attached to the roof of the aircraft, above and slightly behind the cockpit. This fin was initially determined necessary to alter the turning performance of the aircraft during complex instrument flight maneuvers, but now not required due to revised stipulations of the type certificate. Many aircraft still fly with the modification.
In 1979, with the purchase of eight by the Civil Air Authority, the 212 became the first U.S. helicopter sold in PRC.
The ICAO designator for this aircraft as used in a flight plan is B212.
The Bell 412 is a further development of the Bell 212, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.
Variants
Twin Two-Twelve - Civil utility transport version. It can carry up to 14-passenger.
Agusta-Bell AB 212 - Civil or military utility transport version. Built under licence in Italy by Agusta.
General characteristics
* Crew: 1
* Capacity: 14
* Length: 57 ft 3 in (17.46 m
* Length (fuselage): 42 ft 5 in (12.92 m))
* Rotor diameter: 42 ft 2 in (14.69 m)
* Height: 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)
* Disc area: 1,825 ft² (169.5 m²)
* Empty weight: 5,549 lb (2,517 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 11,200 lb (5,080 kg)
* Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3 or -3B, turboshafts in Twinpac configuration, driving a common gearbox., 1,800 shp (1,342 kW) each
Performance
* Maximum speed: 130 knots
* Range: 237 nm (439 km)
* Service ceiling: 17,400 ft (5,305 m)
* Rate of climb: 1,745 ft/min (532 m/min)
Bell 212 Helicopter Photos
Bell 212 operated by Kachina for the California Department of Forestry
departs from the Mojave Spaceport
German Bell 212 used as air ambulance by the Ministry of the Interior
Bell 212 (C-FOKV) registered to Canadian Helicopters at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada
Airbus A319
This is a shortened, minimum change version of the A320. With virtually same fuel capacity as the A320-200, and fewer passengers, the range with 124 passengers in 2-class configuration extends to 3,900 nautical miles (7,200 km), the highest in its class. The A320 and A319 are the most popular variants of the A320 family.
In 2003 easyJet took delivery of A319s with smaller galleys (as easyJet does not serve meals) and 156 seats in a single class configuration. To satisfy evacuation regulations additional over-wing exits were included.
The direct Boeing competitor is the 737-700.
The massive easyJet order of 120 A319s plus 120 options was among the biggest aircraft sales deals in recent times, rivaled only by chief competitor Ryanair's order for Boeing 737 aircraft.
It is powered by the same types of engine as the A320. JAA certification and service entry, with Swissair, took place in April 1996.
Northwest Airlines holds the record for the shortest scheduled A319 service from Bishop International Airport in Flint, MI to Detroit's Detroit Metro Airport, a distance of about 57 miles (91 km).
A British Airways Airbus A319 landing at London Heathrow Airport
Source: Wikipedia
June 06, 2007
Airbus A318
The A318 has a passenger capacity of 109 in a two-class configuration. It is intended to replace early Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-9 models, though it is also a rival to the 737-600. Boeing also offered their 717 aircraft as a competitor, although it was suitable primarily for regional routes and did not have the A318's range capabilities.
The A318, also known as the "Mini-Airbus" or "baby 'bus", is the smallest member of the A320 family. It originated from the AVIC1 and AIA cooperation program AE31X. During development, it was known as the "A319M3," thus indicating its history as a direct derivative of the A319. "M3" indicates "minus three fuselage frames." The aircraft is six metres shorter and 14 tonnes lighter than the A319. Pilots who are trained on the other A320 variants may fly the A318 with no further certification, since it features the same type rating as its sister aircraft.
The A318 is available with a variety of different maximum take-off weights (MTOW) ranging from a 59 tonne, 2,750 km (1,500 nautical mile) base model to a 68 tonne, 6,000 km (3,250 nautical mile) version. The lower MTOW enables it to operate regional routes economically whilst sacrificing range and the higher MTOW allows it to complement other members of the A320 family on marginal routes. The lighter weight of the A318 gives it an operating range 10% greater than the A320, allowing it to serve some routes that the A320 would be unable to: London-Jerusalem and Singapore-Tokyo, for instance. Its main use for airlines, however, is on short, low-density hops between medium cities.
During the design process, the A318 ran into several problems. The first one was the decline in demand for new aeroplanes following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Another one was the new Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, which burned more fuel than expected: by the time CFMI had a more efficient engine ready for market, many A318 customers had already backed out, including Air China and British Airways.
America West Airlines, which had selected the Pratt & Whitney engines, amended its A318 orders, opting instead for A319 or A320 aircraft. Trans World Airlines canceled a significant order for 50 A318 after being acquired by American Airlines, which does not operate any A320 family aircraft (although, neither did TWA when the order was originally placed).
While Airbus was hoping to market the A318 as a regional jet alternative, laws in both the U.S. and Europe have kept it in the same class as larger aircraft for calculating landing fees and the like, so regional operators have avoided it.
It is powered by two CFM56-5 or Pratt & Whitney PW6000 with thrust ranges between 21,600 to 23,800 lbf (96 to 106 kN) thrust. Launch customers Frontier Airlines and Air France took deliveries in 2003, with Frontier receiving their models in July of that year. The price of an A318 ranges from $39 to $45 million, and operating costs are around $3,000 for a 500 mile flight.
While designing the A318, Airbus included a number of technology upgrades, many of which have been integrated into the rest of the A320 family. Some are also finding their way to the A380 jumbo aircraft. These upgrades include:
Orders for the A318 have been quite slow, only slightly better than for its direct competitor the B737-600. Airbus had received 100 orders (May 14, 2007) for this model compared to 69 for the B737-600. The sales pace has been influenced by the strong sales of the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E-Jets series.
Notable customers were Air France, 18; Frontier Airlines, 10 (+ 1 order); LAN Chile, 20 orders; Mexicana, 10; and US Airways, 15 orders. In October 2006 an A318 was successfully tested at London City Airport for steep approach compatibility, which will allow operators to serve airports constrained by noise restrictions, tall buildings or difficult terrain.
A318 Elite
On 10 November 2005 Airbus announced the A318 Elite. The Airbus A318 Elite is aimed at the medium-range market for flights of up to 4,000 nm range, with a choice of two cabin layouts seating up to 14 and 18 passengers, and will be powered by CFM engines. Comlux Aviation became the launch customer by ordering three A318 Elite aircraft.
Airbus A318 Photos
US Airways still ranks last, but improves
US Airways bobbled fewer bags in April and landed more planes on time than in the month before, but the Tempebased carrier still sank to the bottom of the rankings for overall consumer complaints.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, which compiles and publishes airline and airport performance statistics, released the April results on Tuesday. With nearly 18,000 arrivals and just as many departures in April, 79 percent of the planes came and went on time at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
That compared with fewer than 60 percent on-time arrivals at New York’s three major airports.
The New York area airports’ dismal performance could help explain US Airways’ less-than stellar results.
Severe storms swept through the Northeast in April, causing numerous flight delays.
That followed the mid-March weather disaster that swamped the East Coast, especially US Airways’ Philadelphia hub, causing flight delays, cancellations and lots of luggage separated from owners.
A month earlier, the situation was almost as bad, but US Airways’ February woes were overshadowed by those of JetBlue, which snagged the most notoriety by leaving passengers stuck in parked planes for up to 10 hours.
US Airways landed fewer than 56 percent of its planes on time in March, improving in April to 63 percent for on-time arrivals.
“It’s still not acceptable,” said US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder. “But it’s reflecting improvement.”
May looks even better, Wunder said, The carrier landed 80 percent of its planes on time during the last week of May, which included the busy Memorial Day weekend traffic, she said.
“We’re encouraged by those numbers,” Wunder said.
As for mishandled baggage, in April US Airways scooted up to a tie for 14th place among the 20 airlines tracked.
The company lost or abused an average eight bags per 1,000 passengers in April, according to the government’s statistics, much better than March’s 11 bags per 1,000 passengers.
In April 2006, the Tempe-based airline earned a better six-per-1,000 record of lost or damaged luggage.
Rival Southwest Airlines mishandled six bags per 1,000 passengers in April compared with five per 1,000 a year earlier.
As for overall complaints, US Airways earned 245 of them in April.
By Donna Hogan, Tribune
Read more from this article's source at: East Valley Tribune
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Airbus lands US$2.4b Aer Lingus plane deal
LONDON : Irish airline Aer Lingus announced on Wednesday an order for 12 new Airbus airliners worth 2.4 billion dollars (1.78 billion euros) to boost its expansion on transatlantic routes.
Aer Lingus will take delivery of six new wide-bodied A350 XWBs and six new A330 300E aircraft from 2009 onwards, the company said in a statement which added that it had obtained "substantial discounts."
The A330s will be delivered between 2009 and 2011, while the A350s will be delivered between 2014 and 2016. The carrier added that it has the option to purchase a further six A350 XWB jets for delivery by 2018.
The order brings troubled European group Airbus a new customer for its long-haul A350, which was designed to compete with the 787 Dreamliner manufactured by US rival Boeing.
Last week, Boeing had won an order for 27 Boeing 737-800 jets from Aer Lingus' key low-cost rival Ryanair in a deal worth 1.9 billion dollars at list prices. Ryanair owns about one quarter of Aer Lingus stock.
"We are pleased to announce this investment in new long haul aircraft," said Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion in the statement.
"These aircraft are key to our growth ambitions which include new routes to the United States following the Open Skies agreement."
The push into the US market has been made possible after EU transport ministers earlier this year cleared plans to free up transatlantic routes between Europe and the United States under a so-called "open skies" deal.
Read the rest of this article's at: Channel NewsAsia
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British Airways, a well integrated brand campaigns
Google is using British Airways as an example of how integrated brand campaigns could run across its media properties.
The airline recently overlaid the price of air fares to destinations such as Spain over its Google Earth satellite imaging website. TV, online branding and search advertisements ran as part of the campaign.
Google's vice-president for Asia-Pacific and Latin American operations, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, confirmed the company's trials to auction audio and print advertising for radio networks and newspaper groups in the US would be extended to Australia.
"That is an example of one of the most innovative campaigns we have run," Ms Singh Cassidy said.
By Lara Sinclair
Read more this article's source at: Google searches for offline dollars
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Up, up and away: Look in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a glider
If you thought Tuesday was a beautiful day from the ground, imagine what it looked like from the sky. Well, pilots in 36 glider planes didn’t have to imagine as gliders from around the country competed for the second week.
The weeks of competition encompassed both regional and national contests at the Albert Lea Municipal Airport where gliders would soar for hours on end through the picturesque southern Minnesota airways, hoping to be the fastest glider in the bunch.
“It was a good flight,” said glider pilot and competitor Roy Bourgeois after he finished a four and a half hour flight. “I’m happy to be back at this point.”
Tuesday’s competition had gliders taking off from Albert Lea, flying to Sleepy Eye, Osage, Iowa; almost to Faribault and back. Roy was the first to take off in the open class and the first to get back, but he said he felt his time was a little slow.
“I saw a good piece of Minnesota today,” said Roy, who is originally from Boston. “It’s a pretty state.”
The picturesque scenes from the sky aren’t the only reason the gliding competitors often find themselves in Albert Lea. Roy and his son Dan, who is from Denver, said they have met only friendly and supportive faces in town.
“The people are just a pleasure to meet and speak with,” Roy said.
While the friendly people are a plus, the gliders have been coming to Albert Lea since 1992 to compete, and unfortunately this year brought frustrating weather conditions. Last week was intended for the Region 7 Competition, but those gliders only saw one day of decent weather and two are needed to make an official contest. Dan, who intended to fly in the regionals, didn’t get to compete.
“We just got unlucky on the weather,” said Paul Remde of Cumulus Soaring, who managed the competition.
The U.S. Open Class Nationals Championship and the 18-Meter Class Nationals Championship flew this week, ending today, and had three good days of flying so far. Four are needed to make an official contest and glider pilots are hoping today brings them good weather. These particular competitions had the largest outcome Remde had ever seen, at 58 gliders competing in both races.
A gliding competitions is much like any other race. Contestants have to hit a few different marks on the flight plan and then return home with the fastest time. However, most gliders do not have an engine so they must be towed up into the air to start and soar on thermals, much like a hawk. To gain altitude the glider circles around in a thermal and then glides to the next thermal until it reaches its destination.
Some gliders reach up to 100 mph between thermals, depending on the weight of the plane. The heavier the plane the better so most carry water weight, which they then dump as they come to a landing. Tuesday’s competition saw gliders stay in the air for four and a half hours, flying almost 300 miles.
By Sarah Kirchner
Read more of this article's from the source at: The Albert Lea Tribune
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Airlines slip as oil steadies
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Airline shares drifted lower Wednesday as crude-oil futures steadied, with the sector slipping along with the broader equity market.
The Amex Airline Index was down 0.7% at 50.43 points in early action. All 11 of the benchmark's component shares traded to the downside. Investors cued off, among other things, carriers' latest traffic data from U.S. Airways Group, Northwest Airlines Corp. and Alaska Air Group.
U.S. Airway said Wednesday its traffic in May rose 0.1% as capacity fell 1.8%, translating to a rise in load factor, or the percentage of seats filled with paying passengers, to 81.5% from 79.9%. The Tempe, Ariz., airline operator also said its unit revenue fell in May.
Also Wednesday, Alaska Air Group said May passenger traffic for its Alaska Air operations rose 5.7% and its capacity rose 6.2%. The Seattle-based company's Horizon Air unit had a May traffic increase of 6.1% and a capacity rise of 7.9%.
Late Tuesday, Northwest said May traffic was flat compared with the year-ago period as capacity rose 1.9%. Load factor fell 1.6 percentage points to 84.3%, the Eagan, Minn.-based carrier said.
Meanwhile, MAIR Holdings Inc. said Wednesday fourth-quarter loss narrowed to $1.2 million, or 6 cents a share, from $54.1 million, or $2.63 a share, in the year-earlier period. The Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.-based regional operator of Big Sky Airlines said it benefited from the resolution of Mesaba Aviation bankruptcy claim with Northwest.
By Padraic Cassidy, MarketWatch
Read the rest of this article's at: MarketWatch
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Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to study airway bypass treatment for emphysema
LOS ANGELES - Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center announced today the start of the EASE (Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema) Trial, an international, multi-center clinical trial to explore an investigational treatment that may offer a new, minimally-invasive option for those suffering with advanced widespread emphysema. The study focuses on an experimental procedure called airway bypass designed to create pathways in the lung for trapped air to escape with the goal of relieving shortness of breath and other emphysema symptoms.
Emphysema is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible lung disease characterized by the destruction of lung tissue. The loss of the lungs' natural elasticity and the collapse of airways in the lung combine to make exhalation ineffective, leaving the emphysema sufferer with hyperinflation because they can’t get air out of their lungs. With hyperinflation, breathing becomes inefficient and the patient is always short of breath. Even the most nominal physical activities become difficult for emphysema patients and many become dependent on oxygen therapy.
“We are excited to be part of this study because currently there are limited treatment options for the emphysema patients,” said Zab Mosenifar, M.D., Medical Director of Cedars-Sinai Center for Chest Diseases and principal investigator of the study at Cedars-Sinai. “Patients are often in poor physical condition, struggling with each breath. By creating new pathways for airflow with the airway bypass procedure, we hope to reduce hyperinflation and improve lung function. If patients can breathe easier it is likely to improve their quality of life.”
During airway bypass, physicians will use a flexible bronchoscope to go through the mouth into the airways. There the physician will create new small pathways and place an Exhale® Drug-Eluting Stent – manufactured by Broncus Technologies, Inc. - to allow the trapped air in the lung to escape.
“The airway bypass procedure could be a good option for those who would possibly spend years on a lung transplant list or not be suitable candidates for lung transplant surgery, which is one of the only other treatment options available for patients with this type of emphysema,” said Mosenifar.
Physicians commonly use bronchoscopes to examine the airways within the lungs. During the airway bypass procedure physicians will first use a Doppler probe inserted through the bronchoscope to identify a site in the airway that is away from blood vessels. A special needle is then used to make a small opening and an Exhale® Drug-Eluting Stent is placed in the passageway to keep it open. The procedure involves placing up to six drug-eluting stents. The total time of the procedure is approximately one to two hours.
This procedure is still under clinical investigation, but early data suggest it may be beneficial to patients with emphysema.
Emphysema affects an estimated 60 million people worldwide with more than 3 million sufferers in the United States. There is no cure for emphysema.
Contact: Sandy Van at sandy@prpacific.com or 800-880-2397
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Read more from the article's source at: www.eurekalert.org
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Greenhouse gas plan will cripple us: EU airlines
BRUSSELS – European airlines claimed Wednesday a European Union plan for a mandatory greenhouse gas cap and trading system would cripple the industry with extra costs of 4 billion euros ($5.71 billion) a year.
Groups representing low-cost airlines such as Ryanair Holdings PLC joined major carriers such as British Airways and Lufthansa in saying the plan would diminish mobility, hurt the overall economy and cut off remote areas from tourist traffic, citing a report the airlines commissioned from global accounting group Ernst & Young and air transport consultants York Aviation.
Buying enough carbon permits to operate between 2011, when the program would begin, to 2022, will cost more than 45 billion euros ($64 billion), the airlines said.
"Airline profits would be reduced by over 40 billion euros ($57 billion) over the period to 2022," the report said. "The introduction of the EU emissions trading scheme will result in a reduction in consumer choice in terms of the range and frequency of air services.''
European airlines said they are committed to a trading system to cut emissions. However, they said they will ask EU lawmakers and governments to consider a higher limit for the carbon trading cap, as the current level – based on 2004-2006 emissions – does not take into account growth in the industry before the program would be initiated in 2011.
Because of stiff competition, airlines say they would be unable to pass costs on to customers, which would in turn prohibit investment in new routes and technology. It could also quash up to 42,000 new jobs needed to handle anticipated industry growth, the airlines said.
Europeans have been flying greater numbers in recent years as low-fare, short-haul airlines pushed ticket prices downward.
As more people fly, the European Union has committed itself to cutting overall levels of carbon dioxide by 20 per cent by 2020. Regulators say the cap-and-trade program would accomplish that without damaging the economy.
Read more from the article's sorce: thestar.com
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Airline Industry Boosts Fares
The airline industry boosted many one-way fares by up to $10 late Monday, as carriers struggle with weakening domestic results, though most have had scant success in making increases stick recently.
Late Monday, Continental Airlines Inc. raised one-way fares in 30 percent of the top U.S. markets by $5 for advanced-purchase tickets and by $10 for last-minute seats, according to farecompare.com, an airfare tracking Web site. That triggered competitors American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways to match on overlapping routes, as well on some routes out of hub airports.
It's the industry's fifth or sixth attempt to increase fares this year, said Rick Seaney, chief executive of farecompare.com. If it succeeds, it would be the year's first, as prior attempts unraveled within a week after low-cost carriers refused to join in, he said.
Last year, when carriers were flush amid strong demand and relatively flat capacity of airplane seats, Seaney said almost all the industry's attempts succeeded. There were about seven.
By the count of Jamie Baker, a JP Morgan analyst, the big network airlines have tried to raise fares seven times this year, with two successes. Baker also wrote in a research report that low-cost carrier AirTran Holdings Inc. was the first to raise fares Monday, increasing one-way fares by $5 to $10 by midday.
He described the industry's most recent attempt as a small fare increase. American Airlines raised about 6,000 fares. A typical broad-based increase covers about 300,000 fares, he wrote.
"Given increasingly poor sector sentiment, news of AirTran's fare increase may lift the spirits of some, though we ascribe little fundamental value to the effort," Baker wrote.
Investors have hammered airline stocks recently amid flagging domestic results, hurt by sharp competition from low-cost carriers and higher fuel costs.
Read the rest of this article's from the source: SFGate.com
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Aussies deported from UAE
Two Australian businessmen have been deported from the United Arab Emirates following a nightmare six weeks in a desert jail over accusations of sexual assault and drunkenness on an airline flight.
Mining executives Jeremy Snaith and David Evans, who received suspended sentences, flew out of Abu Dhabi at 2200 today local time (0400 AEST) aboard an Etihad Airlines service to Bangkok, sources said.
The pair and a third Australian businessman, William Sargent, who was acquitted of charges on Monday, have been in custody in UAE since their arrests on arrival in Abu Dhabi from Sydney on April 27.
Mr Sargent, also a mining executive, was booked on a flight to London, due to leave Abu Dhabi two hours later at midnight (Tuesday) local time (0600 AEST).
The trio have been detained in UAE since their alleged mid-air antics in first-class aboard an Etihad flight.
The men's lawyer Ross Hill said earlier on Tuesday that problems with seats, airconditioning and refrigeration on the original flight had been "a recipe for disaster".
"It was inevitable that people were going to be angry when they paid more than $10,000," he told the Nine Network.
But Etihad Airways spokesman Iain Burns said there was no excuse for the boorish behaviour.
"Anyone who goes to a restaurant and complains about the food or doesn't like the chair they've got doesn't allow them to behave in such an intolerable manner that they strip half naked and offer money for sex.
"The two just don't equate," he said.
Mr Burns said three hostesses, all aged about 24, were harassed by the men, but two had decided against giving evidence in court.
Read the rest of this article's from the source: The Sydney Morning Herald
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Low-cost fleet set to fly
A low-cost international airline will soon make its way to the city.
Tiger Airways, a low-cost airline from Singapore, has been granted permission to fly between the island nation and six Indian cities — Calcutta Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
While the rates for the India leg have not been finalised yet, market sources said “a 50-60 per cent slash” from “legacy airline” rates was expected. In money terms, that would mean a Calcutta-Singapore ticket for Rs 6,000 (approx), against the present norm of Rs 14,000 (approx).
Singapore Airlines controls 49 per cent of Tiger Airways, which has been granted Foreign Carrier Air Permit by the civil aviation ministry.
“We have established Tiger Airways as the largest international low-fare airline to serve China. The link between Singapore and India represents another significant opportunity to expand our business in Asia,” said Tony Davis, CEO of the airline.
“Our strategy of expansion in Asia and establishment of the first truly low-fare airline in Australia will create new opportunities to link various cities with points across Asia,” added Davis.
Read more of this article's from the source: www.telegraphindia.com
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No Pact Yet for US Air Pilots
A controversial ruling on seniority integration for pilots at US Airways (LCC - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) and the former America West Airlines is threatening to delay the full operational implementation of the airlines' merger.
The May decision by a federal arbitrator came after an interpretation the merger policy of the Air Line Pilots Association. Many pilots at the former US Airways say it favors less experienced pilots at America West, and they may seek to delay or prevent it from going into effect.
"A specific goal of the ALPA merger policy is to avoid windfalls to one group at the expense of the other, but this integration policy does not do that," says Arnie Gentile, spokesman for the US Airways chapter of ALPA, which for now remains separate from the America West chapter.
Last month, US Airways pilots convinced ALPA's executive council to postpone passing the arbitrator's seniority list to the company, which would have implied endorsement. The next step is unclear, but various scenarios are possible, and most of them are time-consuming.
For instance, US Airways pilots could move to leave ALPA. Or they could seek to delay the pact on a joint contract, which must come before members of the two groups can work together in the cockpit or fly aircraft from the other carrier.
To get an idea of how tedious the process can be, consider that at UPS (UPS - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating), it took four years to reach an agreement on the contract signed last year, partially as a result of intraunion battles.
Bill Swelbar, a research engineer in MIT's International Center for Air Transportation and an airline industry consultant, says US Airways pilots have made sacrifices in salary, schedule and pension benefits, and now face making more. But to impede the merger process would raise questions about future combinations, which "would be harmful to labor long-term" Swelbar says.
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Paramount Airways on the prowl
Madurai-based Paramount Airways is looking at acquiring a west India-based airline this year and plans to follow it up with at least two more acquisitions in the north and east.
Paramount Airways managing director M. Thiagarajan said his company was considering taking over an airline whose operations were based in the west, but refused to confirm or deny rumours that the target was the Wadia family-owned Go Air.
Thiagarajan said by 2009, his company would consider acquiring outfits in the north and by 2011, would look at a pan-India presence. Sources said he was also looking at acquiring an airline network in the east by 2011.
There are, however, few small airlines in the north or east with a sizeable market presence that may interest Paramount.
Thiagarajan refused to reveal the amount set aside for his takeover plans. But banking sources said the airline may spend up to Rs 500 crore on the current acquisition target of Go Air.
Paramount, which has a 24 per cent share of the southern market, wants to grow inorganically as well as organically, officials said.
The airline specialises in flying on less frequented feeder routes.
Thiagarajan also plans to buy 40 Embraer 70-seater jets for $2 billion.
Source: www.telegraphindia.com
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family of short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft are manufactured by Airbus S.A.S.. Family members include the A318, A319, A320, and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet. First delivered in 1988, the A320 pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems in a commercial aircraft. With 3000 variants of the A320 family built, it is the second best selling jet airliner family of all time, after the family's primary competition, the Boeing 737.
Airbus A320 Background
After the initial success of the A300, Airbus began developing a new model aimed at replacing the world's most popular aircraft at the time, the Boeing 727. The new Airbus would be of the same size, yet offer improved operating economics and various passenger capacities. The digital technology in the A320 would herald a two-generation technological leap over the all-analog Boeing 727 and be a generation ahead of the Boeing 737-300/-400/-500 series. The A320 was targeted at the global fleet replacement requirements for the 727 and early variants of the 737.
A bmi A320-200
After the oil price rises of the 1970s, Airbus needed to minimise the trip fuel costs of the A320. To that end, Airbus incorporated advanced features including fly-by-wire flight control, composite primary structures, centre-of-gravity control using fuel, glass cockpit (EFIS) and a two-person flight deck. The end result was that the A320 consumes 50% less fuel than the 727.
Airbus A320 Production
Components from various Airbus plants are transported to the final assembly plant at Hamburg Finkenwerder for the A318/A319/A321 and to Toulouse Blagnac for the A320. Nearly all assemblies are moved using Airbus' A300-600ST 'Beluga' outsized transporters.
The Airbus A320s sold to China to be delivered between 2009 and 2012 will be assembled in the People's Republic of China in Tianjin. Airbus intends to relocate Toulouse A320 final assembly activity to Hamburg as part of its Power8 organization plan begun under ex-CEO Christian Streiff.
The A320 family has the highest production rate ever for any commercial airliner. In response to continuing strong demand, Airbus continues its steady production ramp-up programme from 30 aircraft per month reached at the end of 2006, to 32 in early 2007, 34 in March 2008, 36 in December 2008, 38 in mid 2009 and 40 by the end of 2009. Tianjin production is included in these numbers.
Airbus A320 Design
Compared to other airliners of the same class, the A320 features a wider single-aisle cabin and larger overhead bins along with fly-by-wire technology. In addition, the aircraft has a spacious cargo hold equipped with large doors to assist in expedient loading and unloading of goods. These features have resulted in orders from airlines including Northwest Airlines (launch customer for United States), United Airlines, and British Airways. The A320's low maintenance and operating costs have appealed to low-cost carriers, as well. JetBlue, for example, has orders and options for up to 233 jets of the A320 family. Other low-cost carriers with significant orders include Kingfisher Airlines, IndiGo Airlines, EasyJet, Frontier Airlines, Tiger Airways, Cebu Pacific Air and AirAsia.
The A320 features a computerised on-board maintenance system. The avionics system is designed for easy upgrade without major rework. With the exception of the very earliest A320s, most can be upgraded to the latest avionics standards, keeping the aircraft advanced even after almost 2 decades in service.
An Airbus A320 of Air Blue in Karachi
The flight deck is equipped with EFIS with sidestick controllers. At the time of the aircraft's introduction, the behavior of the fly-by-wire system (equipped with full flight envelope protection) was a new experience for many pilots. Rigorous pilot training and modification of the fly-by-wire system has greatly reduced incidents related to the EFIS system.
Two suppliers provide turbofan engines for the A320 series: CFM International with their CFM56, and International Aero Engines, offering the V2500.
Airbus A320 Technology
Technology used in the A320 includes:
* The first fully digital fly-by-wire flight control system in a civil airliner.
* Fully glass cockpit rather than the hybrid versions found in A310, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767
* The first narrowbody airliner with a significant amount of the structure made from composites
* The ECAM (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring) concept, which is included in all Airbus aircraft produced after the A320. This system constantly displays information concerning the aircraft's engines, as well as other key systems such as flight controls, pneumatics and hydraulics, to the pilots on the two LCD displays in the centre of the flightdeck.
* Airbus recently has started installing LCD (liquid crystal) display units in the flight deck of its new A318, A319, A320, and A321 flight decks instead of the original CRT (cathode ray tube) displays. These include the main displays and the backup artificial horizon, which was an analog display prior to this. LCDs weigh less and produce less heat than CRT displays.
* Even though the A320 family is technologically advanced, the computers at the heart of the aircraft are built around CPUs roughly equivalent to the Intel 8086. While these chips may not offer anywhere near the power of modern processors, they are incredibly stable, and allow engineers to examine literally decades of information related to their operation.
Airbus A320 New winglets
In 2006, Airbus tested three styles of winglet, intended to counteract the wing’s induced drag and wingtip vortices more effectively than the previous wingtip fence. Adoption of the new winglets was expected to reduce fuel consumption by one to two percent. The first design type to be tested was developed by Airbus and was based on work done by the AWIATOR program. The second type of winglet used a more blended design and was created by Winglet Technology LLC, a company based in Wichita, Kansas as well as the third type.
Two airplanes were used in the flight test evaluation campaign. F-WWBA, the first A320 produced, has been retained by Airbus for testing, and was fitted with both the first type and second type of winglets. JetBlue Airways provided the second aircraft, retrofitted by Airbus with both types of winglet.
Despite the anticipated efficiency gains and development work, Airbus announced that the new winglets will not be offered to customers, claiming that the weight of the modifications required would negate any aerodynamic benefits. In addition, the change in forces from winglets add additional stress to the wing which would require long-term study to determine if structural integrity is compromised.
Operational service
The JAA issued the type certificate for the A320 on 26 February 1988. After entering the market in March 1988 with Air France, Airbus expanded the A320 family rapidly, launching the 185-seat A321 in 1989, the 124-seat A319 in 1993, and the 107-seat A318 in 1999.
An Airbus A320 of Air Blue in Karachi
The A320 family was developed to compete against the Boeing 737 Classics (-300/-400/-500) and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 series, and has since faced challenges from the Boeing 737 Next-Generation (-600/-700/-800/-900) and the Boeing 717 during its almost two decades in service. As of February 2006, the only remaining competitor to the larger A320 variants is the Boeing 737 Next-Generation series, as the other models have ceased production. Embraer's 195 jet is also a major competitor to the A318.
Airbus has shipped 3,092 A318/A319/A320/A321s since its certification/first delivery in early 1988, with another 1,984 on firm order (30 April 2007). Boeing has shipped 5,379 737s since late 1967 with a further 1,557 on firm order (30 April 2007). Based on these figures Airbus delivered on average 160 A320 series aircraft per annum, compared to 133 for Boeing's 737.
Airbus is studying a replacement for the A320 series, tentatively dubbed NSR, for "New Short-Range aircraft.
The planform of an A320 is well shown on this Finnair A320-200 takeoff
Source: Wikipedia
June 05, 2007
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium to long-range widebody airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It was Airbus' second model to be introduced, and is a shortened derivative of the A300. The A310 is marketed as an introduction to widebody operations for developing airlines. With the Airbus A330 now a success, further orders for the A310 are unlikely. Between 1983 and 1997, 255 A310s were delivered by Airbus. The A300 and A310 established Airbus as a competitor to Boeing and allowed it to go ahead with the more ambitious A330/A340 family.
Airbus A310 History
The A310-300 range exceeds all A300 models and the -200 exceeds all A300 models in range except the A300-600. This quality has led to the aircraft being used extensively on transatlantic routes. The A300 and A310 introduced the concept of commonality: A300-600 and A310 pilots can qualify for the other aircraft with one day of training.
Royal Jordanian Airbus A310-300
Like its sister aircraft, the A300, the A310 is reaching the end of its market life as a passenger and cargo aircraft. There have been no new A310 passenger orders since the late 1990s, and only a few freighter orders remain. The A310 (along with the A300) will cease production in July of 2007. Freighter sales are to be fulfilled by a new A330-200F derivative.
At the end of 1998 there had been 260 A310 orders and 255 delivered. The five unfilled orders were from Iraqi Airways.
A310 VIP transport aircraft for the leaders of the German government
The aircraft was formally launched in July 1978 for Lufthansa and Swissair. A further development of the A300, the aircraft was initially designated the A300 B10. Essentially a "baby" A300, the main differences in the two aircraft are:
* Shortened fuselage - same cross section, providing capacity of about 200.
* Redesigned wing - designed by British Aerospace who rejoined Airbus consortium
* Smaller vertical fin
The A310 is marketed as an introduction to widebody operations for developing airlines. With the Airbus A330 now a success, further orders for the A310 are unlikely. Between 1983 and 1997, 255 A310s were delivered by Airbus. The A300 and A310 established Airbus as a competitor to Boeing and allowed it to go ahead with the more ambitious A330/A340 family.
The A310 has also been used with the armed forces of many countries, including but not limited to:
* Belgium
* Canada - designated CC-150 Polaris
* France
* Germany
* Spain
* Thailand
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Airbus A310-300
Source: Wikipedia.org
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short to medium range widebody aircraft. Launched in 1972, it was the first twin-engined widebody in the world, and the first aircraft created by the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully owned by EADS. The A300 (along with the A310) will cease production in July 2007. Freighter sales are to be fulfilled by a new A330-200F derivative. By the end of February 2007 a total of 561 A300 had been ordered and 556 delivered.
After the launch, sales of the A300 were weak for some years, with most orders going to airlines that had an obligation to order the locally-made product - notably Air France and Lufthansa. At one stage, Airbus had 16 "whitetail" A300s - completed but unsold aircraft - sitting on the tarmac.
Indian Airlines was the world's first domestic airline to purchase the A300. Some are still flying today for the airline.
In 1977 U.S. carrier Eastern Air Lines leased four A300s as an in-service trial. Frank Borman, ex-astronaut and the then CEO, was impressed as the A300 consumed 30% less fuel than his fleet of Tristars and then ordered 23 of the type. This was followed by an order from Pan Am. From then on, the A300 family sold well, eventually reaching the current total of 858 on order or delivered.
The aircraft found particular favour with Asian airlines, being bought by Japan Air System, Korean Air, Thai Airways International, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, China Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Indian Airlines, Trans Australia Airlines and many others. As Asia didn't have restrictions similar to the FAA 60-minutes rule for twin-engine airliners which existed at the time, Asian airlines used A300s for routes across Bay of Bengal and South China Sea.
By 1981 Airbus was growing rapidly, with over 300 aircraft sold and options for 200 more planes for over forty airlines. Alarmed by the success of the A300, Boeing responded with the new Boeing 767.
The A300 provided Airbus the experience of manufacturing and selling airliners competitively. The basic fuselage of the A300 was later stretched (A330 and A340), shrunk (A310), or modified into derivatives (A300-600ST Beluga Super Transporter).
The A300 is reaching the end of its market life and is now mainly sold as a dedicated freighter. The largest freight operator of the A300 in the United States is Federal Express, which, at January, 2006, had 95 A300/310 aircraft. United Parcel Service (UPS) also has started using freighter versions of the A300. The current version is the A300-600R and is rated for 180-minute ETOPS. The A300 has enjoyed renewed interest in the secondhand market for conversion to freighters. The freighter versions - either new-build A300-600s or converted ex-passenger A300-600s, A300B2s and B4s - account for most of the world freighter fleet after the Boeing 747 freighter.
In March 2006 Airbus announced the closure of the A300/A310 line making them the first Airbus aircraft to be discontinued. The final production A300 made its initial flight on 18 April 2007. It is an A300F freighter for FedEx. Airbus has announced a support package to keep A300s flying commercially until at least 2025.
Lufthansa A300B4-600
Airbus A300 Development history
The mission requirements were given by Frank Kolk, an American Airlines executive, in 1966, for a Boeing 727 replacement on busy short to medium range routes such as US transcontinental flights. His brief included a passenger capacity of 250 to 300 seated in a twin-aisle configuration and fitted with two engines, with the capability of carrying full passengers without penalty from high altitude airports like Denver. American manufacturers responded with widebody trijets, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, as twinjets were banned from many routes by the FAA.
French president Charles de Gaulle resented the US domination of civil aviation and wanted a European airliner that could compete with American designs. Concorde was part of the answer, designed for intercontinental routes; the other was the A300, designed to meet Kolk's US domestic requirements.
In September 1967 the British, French and German governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start development of the 300 seat Airbus A300. An earlier announcement had been made in July 1967 but had been complicated by the British government's refusal to back British Aircraft Corporation's (BAC) proposed competitor, a development of the BAC 1-11, and instead supported the Airbus aircraft.
In the months following this agreement both the French and British governments expressed doubts about the aircraft. Another problem was the requirement for a new engine to be developed by Rolls-Royce, the RB207. In December 1968 the French and British partner companies (Sud Aviation and Hawker Siddeley) proposed a revised configuration, the 250 seat Airbus A250. Renamed the A300B the aircraft would not require new engines, reducing development costs. To attract potential US customers, American General Electric CF6-50 engines powered the A300 instead of the British RB207. The British government was upset and withdrew from the venture: however, the British firm Hawker-Siddeley stayed on as a contractor, developing the wings for the A300, which were pivotal in later versions' impressive performance from short domestic to long intercontinental flights.(Years later, through British Aerospace, the UK reentered the consortium.)
Airbus Industrie was formally set up in 1970 following an agreement between Aérospatiale (France), the antecedents to Deutsche Aerospace (Germany) (joined by CASA of Spain in 1971). Each company would deliver its sections as fully equipped, ready-to- fly items.
In 1972 the A300 made its maiden flight. The first production model, the A300B2, entered service in 1974. Initially the success of the consortium was poor but by 1979 there were 81 aircraft in service. It was the launch of the A320 in 1981 that guaranteed Airbus as a major player in the aircraft market - the aircraft had over 400 orders before it first flew, compared to 15 for the A300 in 1972.
The A300 was the first airliner to use just-in-time manufacturing techniques. Complete aircraft sections were manufactured by consortium partners all over Europe. These were airlifted to the final assembly line at Toulouse-Blagnac by a fleet of Boeing 377-derived Aero Spacelines Super Guppy aircraft. Originally devised as a way to share the work among Airbus's partners without the expense of two assembly lines, it turned out to be a more efficient way of building airplanes (more flexible and reduced costs) as opposed to building the whole airplane at one site. This fact was not lost on Boeing, which, over thirty years later, decided to manufacture the Boeing 787 in this manner, using outsized 747s to ferry wings and other parts from Japan.
The A300 cemented European cooperation in aviation. Its first flight was commemorated on a French three-franc stamp.
Olympic Airways Airbus A300B4-600R
Airbus A300 Technology
Airbus partners employed the latest technology, some derived from the Concorde. On entry into service, in 1974, the A300 was very advanced and influenced later subsonic airliner designs.
The technological highlights include:
* Advanced wings by de Havilland (later BAE Systems) with:
supercritical airfoil section for economical performance
advanced aerodynamically efficient flight controls
* 222-inch diameter circular fuselage section for 8-abreast passenger seating and wide enough for 2 LD3 cargo containers side-by-side
* Structures made from metal billets, reducing weight
* First airliner to be fitted with wind shear protection
* Advanced autopilots capable of flying the aircraft from climb-out to landing
* Electrically controlled braking system
Later A300s incorporate other advanced features such as:
* 2-man crew by automating the flight engineer's functions, an industry first
* Glass cockpit flight instruments
* Extensive use of composites for an aircraft of its era
* Center-of-gravity control by shifting around fuel
* The first airliner to use wingtip fences for better aerodynamics
All these made the A300 a perfect substitute for the widebody trijets such as McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 for short to medium routes. On the early versions, Airbus even used the same engines and similar major systems as the DC-10.
American Airlines A300
Source: Wikipedia.org
Shareholder watchdog backs AirTran's hostile bid
AirTran Airways' hostile takeover bid for Midwest Air got a boost Monday when a corporate governance watchdog backed the effort.
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended Midwest shareholders vote for three AirTran candidates seeking election to Midwest's board of directors at its June 14 annual meeting.
"Three dissident nominees on Midwest's board may help a more objective evaluation of the company's strategic alternatives," the ISS reports said. "While we recognize that the dissident nominees may represent the platform with a bias towards a merger . . . this concern is outweighed by the need to exhibit a willingness to explore strategic alternatives that would increase shareholder value in light of the market events surrounding the AirTran offer."
AirTran has been seeking to buy Midwest since 2005 and launched a hostile takeover bid in December. AirTran has twice increased its offer to $389 million or $15 a share in cash and stock. More than 56 percent of Midwest shareholders backed AirTran's tender offer on May 16, but Wisconsin law gives Midwest the power to block hostile takeovers.
AirTran is seeking a hub outside Atlanta, where two-thirds of its flights now originate. Midwest is within easy driving distance of Chicago's northern suburbs, it has few overlapping routes and operates Boeing 717s — the same planes that make up the backbone of AirTran's fleet.
Midwest has rejected AirTran's overtures and managers believe their stand-alone growth plan will provide better returns for shareholders and has urged shareholders to reject AirTran.
ISS faulted Midwest for having almost no turnover in its board. Directors at the Milwaukee-based carrier have served an average of 14 years, and the company's chairman and CEO Tim Hoeksema has been in the top job 23 years.
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Ryanair Poised to Win Price Wars, Squeeze Competitors
Ryanair Holdings Plc's shares have plunged as higher costs, stiffer competition and slower growth in demand cut into profit. The airline, which reports earnings tomorrow, may emerge victorious from the turbulence.
A capacity glut is making it harder for Ryanair and rivals including EasyJet Plc to fill seats. That prompted the carriers to start a price war last month aimed at luring travelers. While lower ticket prices may drive down revenue, it's also offering an opportunity for Ryanair, Europe's biggest discount carrier, to squeeze out smaller competitors that can't afford to cut fares.
``Ryanair wants the price war'' to drive out rivals, said Stefan Halter, an analyst at HVB Group in Munich with a ``hold'' rating on the stock. ``They want to gain market share.''
Twelve of 19 analysts with ratings on Ryanair's shares, surveyed by Bloomberg, recommend buying the stock, which has dropped 14 percent from a record on April 20.
``Investors are at greater risk if they short-sell Ryanair stock and it was to rally,'' than if they buy and it falls further, said Howard Wheeldon, an analyst at BGC Partners in London.
Dublin-based Ryanair threw down the gauntlet to its rivals on May 9, saying it would sell 10 million seats for as little as 10 pounds ($20). The same day, Luton, U.K.-based EasyJet said it expected average fares to fall through the middle of the year. Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Leary said his airline would drive down its own yields, or average ticket prices, with the promotion.
Riding It Out
With more cash on hand than its closest low-fare rivals and the best operating margin of any European airline, Ryanair can ride out the storm, analysts said.
``This industry is cyclical,'' said Ryanair's chief financial officer, Howard Millar, at a May 31 press conference in London. ```The fundamental of this business is that it is going to grow.''
Ryanair has grown from operating a single 15-seat airplane in 1985 to being Europe's third-largest carrier by market value. The airline pioneered ``no-frills'' air travel in the region, offering flights for as little as 0.01 euro (1.3 cents), or sometimes for free, to undercut competitors.
Like other discount carriers, Ryanair makes up for low fares by charging passengers extra money for everything from snacks and drinks to checking baggage. The strategy earned it 307 million euros in the year ended March 2006, compared with 11 million euros in 1997, the year it first sold shares to the public.
Attracting Competition
Its success has attracted more than 60 low-fare airlines to operate in Europe, resulting, at least for now, in excess capacity and bruising competition. Discount carriers accounted for about 24 percent of total seating capacity in 2006, up from 6 percent in 2002, according to OAG Worldwide, a schedule publisher.
Ryanair aims to fly 52.5 million passengers this fiscal year and to double the number by 2012, overtaking Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe's second-largest airline, in terms of passengers.
Such vaulting ambition means it plans to nearly double its fleet to 262 jets by 2012 from 136 as of April. EasyJet, the second-largest European discount carrier, has 138 aircraft and 192 firm orders for Airbus SAS planes, with options on a further 123. Germany's Air Berlin Plc, the third-biggest, boosted its fleet to 88 planes in 2006 from 79 the year before.
``They've gone a little bit over the top in terms of expanding capacity and ordering future aircraft,'' said BGC's Wheeldon.
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June 04, 2007
Advisory services make recommendations for AirTran takeover
AirTran Airways announced Monday another boost to its aggressive takeover attempt of Midwest Airlines: Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis & Co., both advisory services, have recommended Midwest shareholders vote for AirTran's slate of directors to Midwest's board.
The Orlando-based airline is set to make its next takeover move June 14, when Midwest holds its annual meeting. Both airlines are running competing slates of three directors. If AirTran prevails, it will bring the airline a step closer to pushing through its merger plans.
Management at Midwest, however, has strongly advocated that its shareholders buy into its plan to remain a standalone company.
Source: www.orlandosentinel.com
Paramount Airways woos GoAir for buyout
GoAir reluctant to respond to overtures.
After Air India-Indian Airlines, Jet Airways-Sahara and Kingfisher-Deccan Aviation, another aviation merger is in the air. Madurai-based Paramount Airways is interested in acquiring the Mumbai-based budget carrier GoAir, promoted by the Wadia group.
Sources close to the developments said the investment bankers of Paramount Airways have expressed their interest and initiated discussions with GoAir representatives. The talks, however, have not made much headway as yet as GoAir is reluctant to move ahead.
Paramount Airways, which currently operates only in south India, has firmed up plans to enter the western region. GoAir has only four leased aircraft but Paramount is more interested in its slots, parking bays, pilots and other infrastructure, sources said.
GoAir had earlier indicated its plan to dilute 26-40 per cent equity through a private equity placement.
Paramount Airways Managing Director M Thiagarajan was not available for comment, while GoAir chief Jeh Wadia denied any such development.
“This is baseless speculation. We are going ahead with our expansion plans,” Wadia told Business Standard.
Wadia had said earlier that GoAir was working on a flexible fleet management plan to achieve growth. The airline is scheduled to receive the first of its 20 new aircraft in October. “We plan to expand our current fleet to at least 18 by March 2009 and to 34 by March 2011,” he said.
GoAir operates Airbus A320 aircraft with 180 seats, while Paramount operates Brazil’s Embraer aircraft with 60 to 90 seats.
The business models are also different for the two airlines. GoAir is a low-cost carrier competing with Air Deccan, SpiceJet and IndiGo, while Paramount Airways is positioned as a high value carrier, with only business class and first class seats. It is competing with full-service carriers such as Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines.
Paramount Airways is promoted by Madurai-based textile manufacturing and export house Paramount Mills, while GoAir has been floated by the Wadia group, with well known brands like Britannia and Bombay Dyeing.
Read from the article's source: www.business-standard.com
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Qatar Airways to make profits
Idoha: Qatar Airways expects to make its first profit by 2010 and could sell shares to local and foreign investors three years after that, its chief executive said yesterday.
The rapidly expanding carrier signed a deal on May 30 to buy 80 A350xwb aircraft from European planemarker Airbus with a total list price of $16 billion.
"We will be privatised in the first half of the next decade and the IPO will be offered to local and international companies," Akbar Al Baker said.
The IPO will not exceed 49 per cent of the company's stock, so existing agreements between Qatar and other countries would not be compromised, said Al Baker, adding that he expected the airline to hit a profit by 2010 to 2011.
"We should be able to go to an IPO by the time of the delivery of the A350s," he said.
Qatar airways is the largest all-airbus operator in the Middle East and is a customer of the A380 superjumbo.
Last week, it added an additional 20 A350 aircraft to an existing order of 60.
"The first deal was about $13bn and now with the 20 A350-1000s, it will rise to just over $16bn," Al Baker said.
Source: www.gulf-daily-news.com
June 03, 2007
Mallya to place $1 bn order at Paris Air Show
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who acquired 26 per cent stake in the country’s largest budget carrier, Air Deccan, for Rs 550 crore on May 31, is still in high spirits.
The Mallya-promoted full service airline, Kingfisher Airlines, is all set to place an order for at least five wide-bodied Airbus aircraft at an estimated value of $1 billion for its international operations.
Sources close to the development said Kingfisher Airlines might opt for the world’s longest commercial passenger aircraft in operation, the Airbus A340-600, which has a seating capacity between 380 and 419 seats.
The estimated price of an A340-600 variant is over $200 million. This aircraft has a 75.3 metre overall length, while the A380 — the world’s largest airplane — is 73 metres. Kingfisher had earlier placed orders for five A380s, with an option for five more.
Besides five A380s, Kingfisher Airlines had placed orders for five A350-800s, five A340-500s and five A330s. These wide-bodied aircraft are meant for long-haul non-stop flights as well as for short-haul international services.
“Mallya, the chairman and CEO of Kingfisher Airlines, is expected to make an announcement in this regard at the International Paris Air Show scheduled to be held between June 18 and 21,” sources told Business Standard.
When asked about further orders, Mallya said, “We always reserve some news for the Paris Air Show. Wait till then.”
Sources said that post-Air Deccan acquisition, Kingfisher Airlines was planning to position itself as an international carrier and is planning to acquire more wide-bodied aircraft.
“The airline is currently reviewing the fleet structure so as to include more bigger aircraft. Kingfisher would focus more on the international routes while Air Deccan will give it a wider domestic reach as it has over 350 flights covering 65 airports,” sources said.
Read more of this article's at: www.business-standard.com
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A380 costs airports millions
ROISSY, France -- How will airports accommodate the world's biggest passenger jet?
At Paris' leading Charles de Gaulle airport, where the hulking Airbus A380 landed for the first time Friday, preparing for its arrival meant enlarging runways and bridges and building a new boarding lounge -- at a cost of $134 million.
Airports in San Francisco, London, Sydney, Australia, Singapore and Frankfurt, Germany, are already prepared to receive the 555-seat plane, having also spent millions. Other hubs are following suit, Airbus officials say.
The superjumbo, scheduled for delivery to airlines later this year, has been plagued by a series of scandals that have caused shares of Airbus' parent, EADS, to plunge, wiped billions of dollars off profit forecasts and set back delivery by two years.
"This airplane has created a lot of debate," Airbus Chief Executive Louis Gallois said after the glitch-free arrival in Paris. "Now we know it is here, it is beautiful, it is excellent."
Plane-spotters bedecked with cameras and telescopes lined roads near the airport to greet the A380's arrival. Two giant water cannons sprayed the plane as it taxied in at the airport, where it will remain for two days of tests before heading to Japan, Australia and Taiwan.
The superjumbo carried its "VIP" passengers -- six Parisian schoolchildren and their teacher -- from Airbus' headquarters in the southwestern city of Toulouse.
Charles de Gaulle airport's new lounge, designed to handle up to six passenger loads of A380s at the same time, will be operational by the summer.
Each plane will have three jetways, for speedier boarding. The airport has strengthened its runways and widened taxiways.
The first deliveries of the A380 are scheduled to be made in October to Singapore Airlines Ltd. Air France-KLM, the first European carrier to fly the plane, is slated to take its first delivery in April 2009.
Read the rest of this article's at: seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/318236_airbus02.html
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Virgin begins Kenya flights
British entrepreneur Richard Branson landed in Kenya on Saturday on Virgin Airlines' maiden flight to the east African country and vowed to help protect some 2,000 elephants threatened by encroachment.
The Virgin chairman said the endangered beasts were hemmed in by small farms mushrooming around Mount Kenya, stifling centuries-old migratory routes and sending some crashing across homesteads, threatening lives and damaging crops.
He said the airline would fund the construction of a safe passage to let about 2,000 elephants follow their natural path north of the snow-capped mountain.
"The African elephant has roamed across the continent from South Africa to the Mediterranean coast but its population is under serious threat," Branson told reporters gathered in a tent by the runway at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
"We can create a vital lifeline for the entire animal and human population in the region."
Kenya once boasted more than 100,000 elephants, but that number has plummeted by more than two-thirds in recent years, activists say. Human encroachment is blamed for most of that.
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Qatar orders 80 Airbus planes but Boeing isn't green with envy
The climate debate may rage, but it has done nothing to sate the appetite of airlines for new planes.
Last week saw a raft of orders, the biggest of which was a massive $16bn (£8bn) request by Qatar Airways for 80 of Airbus's new A350 XWB. The model is the struggling European group's answer to Boeing's wildly successful 787 Dreamliner.
Even so, Airbus is still being beaten nearly two to one on firm orders for new planes this year.
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Source: news.independent.co.uk
Long wait to join the club class
HAMISH Taylor made his name introducing flat beds into British Airways. Back then the concept of sleeping horizontally while flying 35,000 feet above the Atlantic was not only seen as radical, it catapulted the airline into a whole new league.
Ten years on, from his base on the north side of Edinburgh, Taylor is again attempting to blow away the competition. For the past two years he has been busy raising money for a business class-only airline, Fly First, that will operate a 48-seat aircraft between London Luton and Newark, near New York. The idea is simple: because the economy passengers - paying loss-leading low fares - are absent, the traveller pays less for the privilege of lying back in business class. There is only one snag: this time Taylor has been beaten to it.
Since he first mooted the idea in 2005 the skies have filled up with competitors. With the low cost sector reaching saturation, analysts now say that the next battleground will be the battle for the big spenders.
Last month Maxjet, one of three airlines that now shuttles well-heeled passengers across the Atlantic, announced it will float on the Alternative Investment Market. This follows last year's flotation of Silverjet, an airline that flies 100 business class travellers, on the very route Taylor wants to crack: Luton to Newark. Meanwhile Willie Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways, has also said he is considering all-business class flights between the United States and continental Europe.
Taylor is in the final stages of fund raising. A document, seen by Scotland on Sunday, says the company is planning an autumn launch. Privately, Taylor admits an announcement in 2008 is more likely.
But many are now asking whether Taylor has left it too late. Can Fly First muscle in on a market that some analysts say already appears overcrowded? Tiny new airlines face massive hurdles to survive, having to compete against the frequent-flyer programmes and other perks offered by the major carriers. How will Taylor make Scotland's first business class airline pay?
"Of course we are disappointed that other people beat us to it because we were in the market first," he admits. "But at the same time there is a lot we can learn from those already operating. It is not always a bad thing to be second."
One clue lies in Silverjet's business plan. Last year its founder and chief executive Lawrence Hunt raised more than £25m in a public offering on the London Stock Exchange. He combined it with money from venture capitalists, and bought the operating licence of an existing airline. The start-up has been costly - he recently raised an additional £25m in a second offering - but speaking from his office in Manhattan he says the potential is enormous.
"Inevitably, we are going to see more growth in business class airlines. There are 4.2 million people a year that fly between London and New York. For us to make a 20% operating profit we only need to sell 50,000 seats of those 4.2 million, in other words just over 1%, so there is plenty of room. But it is a question of whether you can get that price advantage and also radically change that customer experience."
It is a view echoed by Jim Smith, editor of Jane's Transport Finance. "There's going to be massive growth in this sector," he says. "When you look at the price of a business class-only airline seat to New York compared with a business seat on a major carrier you are not paying an awful lot more for something that is infinitely better.
"It used to be that you put on a suit, you put on a tie to travel; now it's no longer a glamour form of travel and business customers are sick and tired of being treated like cattle. If you have a few extra pounds in your pocket then you will go for it. I see a big market for these business-only flights."
Business class-only airlines are not new. Lufthansa, Swiss, KLM, Alitalia and others have flown smaller aircraft for that purpose on trade routes such as Stuttgart to Detroit. What's new is the hunger for private investors into the transatlantic market. Along with Silverjet, Eos and Maxjet, in January L'Avion began a service between Paris and New York.
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BA to get option to take over Iberia
British Airways will be guaranteed the right to take over Iberia under a crucial agreement among the consortium bidding for the Spanish flag carrier.
British Airways will be guaranteed the right to take over Iberia under a crucial agreement among the consortium bidding for the Spanish flag carrier. According to sources close to BA, the company has agreed with its partners that it should have the option to take sole control of the rival airline in three to five years.
A source close to the airline said: "It is part of the deal they are working on with Texas Pacific and the other Spanish investors. "
British Airways is thought to be keen to postpone a potential takeover of Iberia while it restructures its business and completes its move into Terminal 5. With Iberia going through a similar process of change with the expansion of Madrid airport and a raft of low-cost airlines competing for European traffic from Spain, BA executives are understood to be happy to leave the current Iberia management in place for the short to medium term.
The source said: "Now is not the time to take on the challenge of restructuring another business. BA has enough to do in the UK. If they don't want it they could sell it to another partner or they may even look to refloat the business in a few years' time."
By Jonathan Russell, Sunday Telegraph
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2007.
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