British billionaire Richard Branson of Virgin Group is touted to be taking a stake in Malaysia’s new AirAsia long-haul budget airline.
Branson will take a 20 pct stake in Fly Asian Express (FAX), teaming up with Asia’s aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes to run flights from Malaysia to China, Europe and Australia, the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
source: Forbes
Airline manufacturers should aim for 40% cuts in C02 emissions from present levels thanks to new technology available by 2015, the European Commission said Wednesday.
The ambitious target is part of the commission’s campaign against climate change and its recently announced EUR1.6 billion
public-private “‘Clean Sky'” plan to help the air transport industry develop environmentally friendly technology for planes.
Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik announced the emission-cut goals at the Le Bourget Air Show, the commission said in a statement.
In addition to the 40% cut in CO2, the commission said it was aiming for a 60% cut in Nitrogen Oxide emissions and a 50% reduction in noise. The aviation industry accounts for 4% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, the commission said.
source: CNN
Spanish travel firm Marsans is looking at floating its Aerolineas Argentinas airline unit to help finance its eventual purchase of Spanish airline Spanair.
A spokesman said Aerolineas would likely come to market at the end of 2007 or early in 2008.
source: Reuters
The European Union and the United States said Monday they would cut emissions from aircraft by improving air traffic control systems.
But the agreement announced Monday does not head off a fight over the EU’s separate plan to make all airlines that fly to Europe trade carbon permits.
The European Commission and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the plan they announced Monday would let them quickly put in place new emission-reduction technologies and methods that would reduce greenhouse gases released from aircraft.
fuente: Forbes
Britain’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says it will take action against airlines that don’t reveal full price fares.
Several low-cost airlines are still quoting fares without including extras such as taxes.
The OFT has already given carriers a warning on misleading pricing, with an edict to include all costs in their basic advertised prices.
The extra costs which concern the OFT include items such as air passenger tax and fuel surcharges, all of which can significantly change the price of a flight.
source: malaysiasun.com
The new day-to-day leadership at JetBlue Airways Corp. is beginning to make itself felt, revealing to analysts that the low-cost carrier intends to take a new and a hard look at its expansion plans over the next two months in an effort to make a turnaround.
At a Merrill Lynch conference in Manhattan on Wednesday, JetBlue’s new chief executive, David Barger, told analysts that the Forest Hills-based carrier will evaluate the need for the airplanes it has already ordered and the 16 new markets it added last year. The company is aiming to create the best match it can between expansion and profitability, he said.
JetBlue posted a $22 million loss in the first quarter. The airline is expected next week to disclose preliminary information about its second quarter financial results.
Like all other airlines, JetBlue has been grappling with higher fuel costs. But JetBlue also is facing increased competition from legacy carriers who have shaped up their balance sheets and otherwise trimmed costs. Delta Air Lines, for example, a major JetBlue competitor on the heavily traveled East Coast routes, has recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is adding flights at Kennedy, JetBlue’s home base.
Boeing Co. forecast on June 13 that airlines worldwide would take delivery of nearly 30,000 new jets in the next two decades amid surging demand for air travel. The company’s annual report forecast that the worldwide aviation sector would deliver 28,600 commercial aircraft over the next 20 years worth a total $2.800 trillion. The bullish outlook came despite growing concern about the impact of airline pollution and EU plans to impose carbon dioxide emissions quotas on the industry from 2011.
source: industryweek.com
Operations of Mexicana de Aviacion in Cuba is showing good results, with a sustained demand for capacities and a high occupation index, authorities of the Mexican airline said.
The airline operates daily Mexico City-Havana flights, with additional routes, including Varadero, in high tourist seasons.
source: Prensa Latina
Chile-based carrier LAN Airlines SA said Friday its May traffic rose 29.9 percent on a 24.1 percent capacity expansion.
The Latin American airline said occupancy also improved to 68.7 percent from 65.7 percent. LAN gave no details on its traffic growth, only percentage gains.
LAN said its long-haul capacity grew due to increased offerings to the United States, south Pacific and Europe, partially offset by trimmed capacity to the Caribbean.
source: Forbes
India’s largest private airline, Jet Airways, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Belgium’s Brussels Airlines to provide travellers a seamless connection between Europe, the US, Canada, Africa and India.
Jet Airways has signed a MoU with Brussels Airlines implementing code-sharing, a frequent flyer partnership and through check-in facilities, a company statement said adding, Brussels Airlines would code-share on Jet Airways’ flights between Brussels and Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto.
