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The race to be the world’s biggest passenger jet maker has taken a new turn as Ryanair, one of Boeing’s biggest customers, hints at switching to Airbus, the US group’s European rival.

The Irish no-frills carrier, which said it was looking at ordering up to 300 jets, said it would be foolish to disregard Airbus as the manufacturer weighs plans to upgrade its best-selling A320 aircraft with new engines, a move Airbus said could cut fuel bills by as much as 15 per cent.

No formal talks are under way, and the prospect of such will seem distant to some, given the chilly relations since Ryanair abandoned talks with Airbus for a lucrative aircraft order it eventually placed with Boeing nearly five years ago.

source: FT.com

Southwest Airlines announced today that it will purchase AirTran Holdings in a $1.42-billion deal that will expand the nation’s largest low-cost airline to 37 new cities.

The merger, if approved by regulators, would create an airline with 685 aircraft that will serve about 100 million passengers annually in nearly 100 airports. The company will remain headquartered in Dallas and keep the Southwest name.

Southwest, the largest airline based on domestic passenger load, has grown quickly since it was founded in 1971, capitalizing on no-frills service, low fares, no first-class seating and no baggage fees.

source: Los Angeles Times

Easyjet has become the first low cost carrier to protect passengers under the Package Travel Regulations by way of insurance.

On September 2 2010, Easyjet switched its financial security obligations provider from the Travel Trust Association to International Passenger Protection (IPP).

All passengers booking packages (flights plus other travel components) online with Easyjet will benefit from financial protection in the event of its insolvency.

Easyjet is the first low cost carrier to protect its passengers through insurance arranged with IPP.

source: postonline.co.uk

German low-cost airline Germanwings, a unit of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said Friday it expects it will have to eliminate some routes  as a result of the country’s new air travel tax.

Germany introduced a levy on air travel included in an EUR80 billion package of budget cuts.

The low-cost carrier will therefore analyze which routes are still worth  being operated after taking account of the new tax, which according to the company management puts German airlines at a disadvantage compared with others.

source: wsj.com

Air France has unveiled its new business class cabin, saying that the new two-meter bed is one of the longest on the market.

The airline, which is investing some €110 million in its business class cabin, will offer the new seat on long-haul services from the end of this year.

Air France says that by investing in its business class cabins during  the economic crisis, it’s now in a perfect position to look after  premium passengers during the recovery – which the International Air  Transport Association (IATA) says is well underway.

source: independent.co.uk

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary wants to ditch co-pilots as part of a bid to slash costs.

He accepts co-pilots are needed on longhaul flights, but says on shorter trips their only role was to “make sure the first fella doesn’t fall asleep and knock over one of the computer controls.

“‘It could save the industry a fortune. In 25 years with over 10 million flights, we’ve had one pilot who suffered a heart attack in flight and he landed the plane.'”

But a British Airline Pilots’ Association spokesman said: “‘His suggestion is unsafe and his passengers would be horrified.'”

source: Mirror.co.uk

Virgin Atlantic has held last-ditch talks with the union representing the airline’s pilots aimed at averting the first-ever strike in the company’s history.

Virgin Atlantic pilots are currently guaranteed 120 days off a year on top of holiday – which corresponds approximately with time off such as weekends and bank holidays.

However, management at the airline, which posted a £132 million loss last year, is looking to trim the figure as part of cost-cutting measures.

source: dailymail.co.uk

A Ryanair passenger has been arrested after he complained about the quality of a £3.80 sandwich.

The man was detained by police when his flight landed after crew complained he had become disruptive.

But Henrik Ulven (52), from Oslo, said he merely asked for a refund after he bought a sandwich and was unhappy with its quality. He was shocked when arrested upon arrival at Rygge Airport near Oslo on Tuesday.

source: Belfast Telegraph

A flight attendant working for Air France has been charged with 26 counts of theft. For more than a year, she operated stealthily as business class passengers slumbered; an apparently comforting flight attendant who poured tea for travellers with one hand and swiped their bank cards with the other.

But the game is finally up for an Air France flight attendant, who allegedly took to rifling through passengers’ pockets in mid-air to solve her money problems. She was arrested on the runway of Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport on Friday, and faces a prison sentence if found guilty of a string of robberies on flights from France to Asia.

Police said the items that the 47-year-old stole ranged from credit cards and cash – in multiple currencies – to jewellery and designer watches.

source: Guardian.co.uk

Air Berlin expects to start flying as part of the Oneworld alliance of airlines in early 2012 in a move analysts said would bolster its position against German flagship carrier Lufthansa.

In a first step, Air Berlin has entered code-sharing agreements with Oneworld members American Airlines and Finnair. Bilateral agreements with British Airways and Iberia will follow.

Joining the Oneworld alliance would allow Air Berlin to share pricing, scheduling and other information within the alliance.

source: Reuters