The 25 per cent rise in oil prices over the past month has sent shivers through the airline industry as it struggles to cope with the ongoing depressed cargo and passenger traffic. The CEOs of both AMR, parent of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines said market fundamentals – including a glut of crude oil on the world market – don’t support prices as high as US$62 a barrel, a six-month high. But both American’s Gerard Arpey and … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Airlines concerned over oil price rise

IATA director-general Giovanni Bisignani has called on governments to deliver a “global and sectoral” approach to reducing aviation emissions in the so-called Kyoto 2 packagescheduled for discussion this December. “Air transport is a global industry with a good track record and ambitious targets for environmental performance. But to achieve them, we need governments to take a global approach,” Bisignani said. Bisignani called on governments to define a sectoral … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: IATA reiterates carbon neutral growth goal

Airbus COO-customers, John Leahy said recently that the manufacturer may ramp up A320 family aircraft production to 40 per month as early as the end of 2010 or early 2011, a signal that the industry has some confidence in an impending economic recovery. Leahy said that a ‘best case’ outlook saw a two per cent year-on-year drop in RPKs this year, four per cent growth next year and a six per cent increase in 2011, while a ‘worst case’ scenario featured a four … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Possible 2011 ramp-up of A320 production

Finnair’s third A330 aircraft will make its first commercial flight to Delhi on 20 May after which it will start regular scheduled flights between the Indian capital and New York. The new A330 aircraft are part of a major long haul fleet renewal which will see Finnair take delivery of a total of five new A330s this year. … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Finnair’s latest A330 on Delhi route

Swiss WorldCargo, the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines, has announced plans to implement short-time work for its personnel from June 1, in response to what it said were “continuing substantial declines in airfreight volumes.” The carrier, now part of the Lufthansa Group, which earlier this year put its staff on shorter working hours, has said that the adoption of short-time working is intended to retain jobs in the current global economic crisis, and is … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Swiss WorldCargo to implement short-time work