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U.S. airlines are pulling out of their financial tailspin but most are not paying close enough attention to customer service, especially when it comes to providing useful information on delays and cancellations, a government watchdog reported on Wednesday.

Additionally, the Transportation Department is doing a better job of overseeing consumer protection issues, including civil rights complaints. But the agency almost always forgives fines or other penalties if the airline agrees to correct the problem, and there is little or no follow-up, the agency’s inspector general, Calvin Scovel III, said in his report.

source: Reuters

Iberia will start flying daily between Madrid and Gibraltar on December 16^th. The new schedule flight will leave Madrid Barajas airport at 11:50 a.m. and will arrive at Gibraltar at 13:00. The return flight will be at 13:50, while it will land at Madrid at 15:00. From there, passengers will be able to fly to the other Iberia’s Spanish and international destinations.

source: touristikpresse.net

The Company has reviewed its guidance to account for the negative impacts of the recent problems with the air traffic in Brazil. As a consequence, GOL’s net revenues are expected to be reduced due to a higher number of delayed and cancelled flights. Such scenario has inhibited passengers to fly, impacting industry demand in the short term. Also, expenses should register variations due to a reduction in the effective flight hours, as well as an increase in the travel time as a result of longer periods to take off and lower flight speed. Those factors contribute to lower dilution of fixed costs and higher fuel consumption.

source: earthtimes.org

Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines has told Delta Air Lines and US Airways Group it would buy any assets they sell if they merged, according to a report Monday.US Airways made an unwanted $8 billion bid for Delta last week. Delta, which has operated under bankruptcy protection since September 2005, said it aims to emerge from Chapter 11 as a standalone airline.

Southwest wants to buy any aircraft and airport gates put up for sale, especially on the East Coast, and it has told Delta and US Airways of its interest.
source: CNN

Rome’s second-largest airport, Ciampino, briefly closed early on Tuesday following an anonymous phone call claiming that a bomb was on board a cargo plane, airport officials said.

Inspections of aircraft found no evidence of a bomb and Ciampino was reopened about an hour later, officials said. Six flights had been rerouted east to the city of Pescara.

Ciampino Airport is primarily used by low-cost airlines, charter flights and private aircraft. It is also the closest to central Rome.

source: Airwise

Southwest Airlines will add twice-daily nonstop service between San Diego and Reno/Lake Tahoe beginning March 11, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) announced today.

The flights will be on a Boeing 737 aircraft with 137 seats, according to the SDCRAA.

A Norwegian airline on Friday said it will sue a unit of Scandinavian Airlines Systems in civil court for allegedly stealing trade secrets.

Norwegian Air Shuttle said it wants “hundreds of millions of kroner” – or tens of millions of euros (dollars) – from SAS Braathens for allegedly misusing information received by e-mail and through a booking system about its rival’s business strategy.

source: Chron.com

Kuwait’s first private low-fare airline Jazeera Airways marked its first anniversary Saturday by saying it flew more than half a million passengers in its first 12 months.

source: Khaleej Times Online

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended airline operating certificates of five domestic carriers to sanitize the ailing aviation industry, local media reported on Sunday.

The affected airlines are Sosoliso, IRS, Space World, Fresh Airand Dasab. The NCAA revoked ADC’s certificate on October 30 after its B737-200 aircraft crashed in Abuja one day earlier, killing 98 people.

source: China View

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has expanded its code-sharing agreement with Virgin Atlantic Airways to provide more choice in flying between Australia, Britain, the United States, the Middle East and the city-state, the carrier said Friday.

Starting December 1, SIA passengers are to be able to fly from London to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dubai on Virgin Atlantic airplanes, SIA said in a statement.

Effective January 1, Virgin Atlantic passengers are to be able to travel on SIA flights between London and Sydney via Singapore.

source: Playfuls.com