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Spirit Airlines has purchased 30 additional Airbus A319 aircraft, with new deliveries beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2013.

When combined with Spirit’s existing all-Airbus fleet and current orders, this new order would grow the airline’s fleet to 70 aircraft. The aircraft will be powered by V2500 engines from International Aero Engines (IAE). In addition, Spirit has agreed to purchase eleven spare engines from IAE to support its existing and newly ordered Airbus fleet.

“‘Spirit’s new business model and low cost structure are anchored by the efficiency of the Airbus single-aisle aircraft and the V2500 powerplant,’” said Ben Baldanza, President and CEO of Spirit Airlines. “‘When coupled with high productivity in all parts of our operation, these new airplanes affirm Spirit’s position as the leading low cost carrier to the Caribbean and Latin America as well as provide the basis for a sound and rational growth plan into the next decade.’”

source: BusinessWire

Swiss has been named “Best Airline for Europe” in this year`s coveted Business Traveller Awards. The overall top spot was the result of the airline`s top rankings in various specific areas: the readers of  Germany`s Business Traveller magazine placed Switzerland`s quality carrier first in the “Cabin Crew”, “Ground Services”, “Cabin Comfort” and “Inflight Food & Drink” categories. Swiss also earned third place overall in the “Best Airline to the Middle East and Africa” category.

source: Traveldailynews

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has dismissed as ”pure speculation” a report in the La Stampa daily it is considering bidding for a stake in ailing Italian carrier Alitalia SpA.”This is pure speculation,” a Lufthansa spokesman said.

The Italian government has invited interested parties to present bids for a stake of between 30.1 pct and 49.9 pct in Alitalia by Jan 29.

In early December, Lufthansa’s head of marketing and sales, Thierry Antinori, said his company was not interested in taking a stake in Alitalia because the German airline already has a presence in the Italian market.

source: Forbes

The Transport & General union, representing around 30,000 workers at British Airways, said on Monday cabin crew had voted for strike action over a deal put forward by the airline to tackle its pension deficit.

The airline has agreed to make a one-off contribution of GBP800 million pounds (USD$1.57 billion) into the pension fund in return for changes to benefits as part of a plan to lower its GBP2.1 billion (USD$4.13 billion) deficit to GBP900 million (USD$1.77 billion).

source: Airwise

Lufthansa turned in another record year in 2006. The number of passengers and of operated flights as well as capacity and sales all ended the year at an all-time high.

In 2006, the airlines in the Lufthansa Group carried 53.4 million passengers, an increase on the year-earlier level of 4.2 per cent. Sales rose by 2.0 per cent on an increase of 1.8 per cent in capacity. The passenger load factor was up accordingly by 0.2 percentage points to 75.2 per cent.

source: boarding.no

American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp., four of the five largest U.S. carriers, raised round-trip fares by as much as $10 in the industry’s first major boost this year.

United increased fares across its network, a change matched today by Delta. AMR Corp.’s American changed prices only in markets where it competes with low-fare airlines, adding $6 to tickets for flights of 1,000 miles or less, and $10 on longer routes. Northwest adopted American’s change.

A second new airline for the Caribbean has been born. It is to be called “‘LIAT, The Star of the Caribbean'” and will start up operation at the crack of dawn on Thursday February 1, 2007 – one month after the other new carrier, Caribbean Airlines, took to the skies.

source:  Caribbean360.com

American Airlines might have lost out on its bid to fly to Beijing, but the airline on Tuesday announced two deals to swap passengers with airlines in Hungary and the Ukraine.

American said it applied to the Transportation Department for permission to begin a code share service with Malev Hungarian Airlines, under which the carriers would sell each other’s seats. The code sharing would begin March 25.

American would place its AA designator code on Malev daily flights between Budapest and New York JFK, as well as on flights to Budapest to and from London Gatwick, Frankfurt, Paris de Gaulle, Brussels, Rome and Zurich. Also included are flights beyond Budapest to destinations in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Malev would place its MA designator code on American’s trans-Atlantic flights between Malev’s European gateways and the United States, as well as on AA flights between New York and Toronto and other points in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and South America.

American and Malev also said they plan a reciprocal agreement allowing their frequent flyers to redeem their miles or points on each airline.

United Airlines won tentative approval Tuesday to operate the first nonstop daily flight between Washington and Beijing, a 14-hour trip that links the countries’ capitals as their economies become more intertwined.The Department of Transportation’s final OK would give UAL Corp.’s United a route coveted by executives and government officials and potentially worth $200 million a year.

Washington-based fliers who make regular trips to Beijing applauded the news.

source: Daily Southtown

Deutsche Lufthansa AG plans to hire 3,000 new employees this year, a spokesman for the German flagship airline said.

The total includes 1,200 flight attendants, 800 ground staff, 240 trainee pilots as well as 330 other trainees, the spokesman said. The Lufthansa group currently employs around 94,000 people.

source: hemscott.com