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U.S. airlines carried fewer domestic passengers but more international travelers during the first half of this year.

The overall number of scheduled passengers fell by 1.5 million, or 0.4 percent, to 378.2 million compared to the first six months of 2007, the Transportation Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said.

BTS said U.S. airlines carried 1.1 percent fewer domestic passengers and 5.1 percent more international passengers during the first half of the year.

source: IHT

United Airlines’ stock fell more than 75 percent Monday morning after a link to a nearly six-year-old Chicago Tribune news report was circulated through Bloomberg News Service.

United stock, which had closed Friday at $12.30 a share, hit a low of $3 a share before the confusion was cleared up. The stock closed Monday at $10.92.

In a statement Monday morning, United said it is launching an investigation. United exited bankruptcy in February 2006.

source: Sun Sentinel

A JetBlue flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted Saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom, federal officials said.

One passenger aboard JetBlue Flight 455 was taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina after the plane landed about 5:45 p.m.

The jet was held at the North Carolina airport for about two hours while FBI investigators interviewed passengers.

Virgin Atlantic has held talks with financial partners over a possible bid to buy Gatwick Airport.

A spokesman for the airline said that the talks were at a very early stage but that it intended to approach other airlines about forming a consortium to table a bid, once it had secured suitable backing.

Sir Richard Branson’s airline already owns a seventh stake in a consortium that owns NATS, the UK’s system of air traffic control and the entrepreneur believes consortium-ownership could be suitable for an airport, now that the Competition Commission has signalled its intention to force BAA to sell up to three of its seven airports.

source: Times Online

The International Air Transport Association on Wednesday significantly cut its air traffic forecast for domestic and international markets, reflecting weakening economic conditions and waning demand.

Global passenger traffic is now expected to grow on average by 2.8 percent this year, compared with a 3.9 percent growth prediction in June.

For 2009, traffic volume growth of 2.9 percent is expected, compared with a previous prediction of 4.5 percent growth.

source: BusinessWeek

Spain is considering changing commercial airline routes to make them shorter and more direct in order to offset high fuel prices, Public Works minister Magdalena Alvarez said Saturday.

Alvarez said she would ask the defence ministry to alter airspace currently reserved for military use in order to make this possible.

“‘If the problem is the rise in fuel prices, the best measure to support airlines is to study how to reduce fuel consumption,'” the minister told reporters in the southern port of Malaga.

source: AFP

Passengers of US Airways, Arizona based American airline, would better bring a book on-flight.

That’s what the airline’s operators suggest after the hard and unusual decision to cut movies on domestic flights, to contain costs after last increase of fuel’s prices.

US Airways says it will start removing in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights in November to save about USD 10 million annually in fuel and other costs.

source: Avionews

A union represending thousands of ground and cabin staff at Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Friday that members will vote next week on a possible strike, which could start at the end of this month ” in Germany’s busy summer vacation period.

source: iht.com

Thomas Cook has cancelled plans to merge its German charter airline Condor with rival Air Berlin after discussions with the competition regulator.

The German Cartel Office had expressed concerns that the deal could reduce holidaymakers’ choice of flights to popular Mediterranean destinations.

Thomas Cook said Condor was still a “‘strong business'” and was looking for an alternative deal.

The two airlines announced plans to merge in September 2007.

source: BBC News

The board of Spanish low-cost airline Vueling Airlines SA has agreed to a merger with rival Clickair after months of negotiations.

In a filing to the Spanish market regulator, Vueling said the combined company would continue to fly under the Vueling name and would remain listed on the Spanish market.

The merger, which will require clearance from antitrust regulators, will give Spain’s flag carrier, Iberia Líneas Aéreas de Espana SA, a tighter grasp on the country’s low-cost segment, which has been besieged by discount carriers Ryanair Holding PLC and easyJet PLC.

source: Wall Street Journal