Archive for February, 2010
February 20, 2010
British Airways cabin crew lost a court bid on Friday to prevent the airline from imposing cost-cutting plans, media reports said.
BA cabin crew had sought a permanent injunction to block the plans, the Press Association news agency said.
(Reuters)
February 20, 2010
A federal appeals court reinstated a lawsuit that accused JetBlue Airways of age and gender bias, creating a hostile work environment, and firing a worker in retaliation for complaining.
The ruling by the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals reinstates claims made by Diane Gorzynski, who was a customer service supervisor at the discount carrier’s operations at Buffalo Airport before being fired in July 2002.
According to the opinion, Gorzynski, who was 54 when she was hired in 2000, was subjected to several sexual comments and treated in an inferior manner compared with younger colleagues. She alleged that she was fired after complaining about this and about race-based discrimination against other employees.
JetBlue argued that it was shielded from liability because the plaintiff failed to avail herself of procedures it offered to address the perceived problems. It said she was terminated because of her “unsatisfactory interpersonal skills.”
The appeals court sent the case back to the US district court in Buffalo, New York, for further proceedings.
(Reuters)
February 20, 2010
American Airlines on Friday flew the first commercial passenger flight into Haiti since the January 12 earthquake, reopening major commercial airline links with the quake-hit Caribbean country.
Flight AA 377 from Miami, a Boeing 737 carrying 136 passengers, touched down at Toussaint L’Ouverture airport in Port-au-Prince and taxied up to the terminal, which was damaged in the quake but has been operating with the help of US military engineers and air force controllers.
The pilots waved a red and blue Haitian flag from the cockpit window to celebrate the arrival of the first major commercial passenger flight to Haiti since it was struck by the magnitude 7 quake last month.
More than 212,000 people were killed in the disaster which destroyed hundreds of buildings in the capital.
On the day of the quake, and despite damage at the airport, American Airlines had flown the last commercial passenger flight out of the shattered city on the evening of January 12.
“We were the last one out and the first one back,” Martha Pantin, American Airlines corporate communications director for the Caribbean and Latin America, told reporters.
She said that since a day after the quake, American and its subsidiary American Eagle had flown 30 relief flights into Haiti, carrying aid and medical and humanitarian personnel.
“BRINGS BACK BUSINESS”
Immediately after the earthquake, the US military assumed air traffic control responsibilities to bring in hundreds of relief and aid flights from some 35 countries around the world. But the US controllers were now gradually handing back responsibilities to their Haitian counterparts.
Air France was to send its first passenger flight to Haiti since the quake later on Friday and three more American Airlines flights were also due to arrive from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and New York.
US Brigadier General Darryl Burke, vice commander of Air Forces Southern, said the resumption of commercial air traffic to Haiti was another sign of transport links starting to return to normal more than five weeks after the earthquake.
“This brings business and commerce back to the nation of Haiti,” he said.
From a peak of 120 flights a day in the days following the quake when aid supplies and personnel were pouring in, the airport was now handling over 40 flights a day and was expected to maintain a level of between 30 and 40 flights daily. This was above the level of 15 flights a day before the quake.
US embassy officials said the resumption of normal commercial air traffic between the United States and Haiti meant that civilian evacuations from Haiti by US military flights would be phased out, except for emergency cases.
Outside the airport terminal, an excited crowd gathered to greet friends and relatives on the flight from Miami.
“I’m happy to be back in my country to help my people who have suffered so much,” said Dr. Joseph Volvick, a Haitian who is a visiting professor at the University of Miami.
(Reuters)
Routes on Monday celebrated the first regional heat of this year’s Airport Marketing Awards and announced the winners for the Americas region. The trophies were presented at the prestigious gala dinner of the 3rd Routes Americas - the only network planning event for all the Americas - where up to 300 delegates enjoyed the celebrations at the beautiful Museo Pedro De Osma in Lima.
Winners were chosen from three categories: North America, Central America/Caribbean and South America. While Edmonton International Airport picked up an award for best airport in North America, Aruba - Queen Beatrix International Airport scooped in the Central America/Caribbean category. Quito International Airport was crowned best of its kind in South America.
The overall winner for the entire Americas region is Edmonton International Airport.
Carol Hutchins, the airport’s Director of Air Service Development, on the achievement: “We are so pleased. We have implemented a lot of really unique innovative ideas that not only recognised our partners, but also our destinations and our community. I think the combination of those and some good cost-saving ideas for our airline partners has helped in winning the award.”
The airport will now automatically be shortlisted for the World Awards, to be held at World Routes, which takes place in Vancouver from 19th to 21st September this year. There they will compete against winners from the other regional Routes events: Routes Asia (Adelaide, 18-20 April), Routes Europe (Toulouse, 9-11 May), Routes Africa (Swaziland, 30 May – 1 June) and Routes CIS (Kharkiv, 7-9 June).
Voting for the Routes Americas Airport Marketing Awards started in mid January and was open for two weeks. During this period airlines nominated their preferred airports on Routesonline using criteria such as the airport’s market research activities and marketing communications activities. The shortlisted airports then had to submit a case study to support their nominations to the judging panel.
Roll call of winners:
North America
Winner: Edmonton International Airport,
Highly Commended: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Southwest International Airport
Central America/Caribbean
Winner: Aruba – Queen Beatrix International Airport
Highly Commended: Curacao-Hato International Airport
South America
Winner: Quito International Airport
Highly Commended: Lima Airport Partners
Overall Winner
Edmonton International Airport.
February 18, 2010
Air travel recorded its second safest year in 2009, with one accident for every 1.4 million flights made in Western-built jets compared with one per 1.2 million in 2008, IATA said on Thursday.
Last year’s global accident rate equated to 0.71 aircraft hulls lost per million flights, an improvement on the 0.81 in 2008, but short of the 2006 record of 0.65, the International Air Transport Association said in a report.
IATA said the 2009 rate was a 36 percent improvement on 2000 levels.
“Having made aviation the safest way to travel, further improvements will come only with careful data analysis,” said IATA Director-General Giovanni Bisignani.
“We must understand the underlying safety risk trends, not just from the handful of accidents each year, but by bringing together and analysing data from millions of safe flights.”
Bisignani said the industry had improved its safety record in a decade when airlines together lost an average USD$5 billion a year.
IATA, which groups about 230 airlines, said 2.3 billion people flew safely on 35 million flights in 2009.
The year saw 19 accidents involving Western-built jets after 22 in 2008, and 90 accidents for all types, eastern and western, against 109 the year before.
Of the accidents, 18 involving all aircraft types resulted in deaths against 23 in 2008. But total deaths rose to 685 from 502.
An Air France jet that crashed off the coast of Brazil last June 1, killing all 228 people on board, was among them. The search for the wreckage will resume in mid-March, French officials said on Wednesday.
Africa and the Middle East had the worst accident rates, with 9.94 and 3.32 hull losses per million flights respectively. North Asia, Latin America and the Commonwealth of Independent States had no western-built losses in 2009.
Runway incidents accounted for 26 percent of all accidents in 2009 and pilot handling was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all accidents, IATA said.
(Reuters)
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, February 19, 2010 – Livingston airlines will significantly increase its direct charter flight services to Antigua and Barbuda from Milan, Italy this year, to bring more tourists from that market into the twin-island nation. The agreement to extend the weekly charter was the outcome of successful discussions between the CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Colin C James, and CEO of Livingston Airlines GianCarlo Celani, at BIT, Borsa Internazionale del Turismo (International Tourism Exchange) , the largest Italian Tourism trade and travel fair in Milan. “This news will be welcomed by the Italian tour operators and local hotels who over the last few years have been clamouring to get the service extended,” said James. He indicated that, the new extended charter schedule will commence on Sundays and now allows the destination to actively target the Italian wedding and honeymoon market. Last year, the Ministry of Tourism’s statistics showed a growth of 9.68 percent from the Italian Market, in spite of the global declines in other markets. “In this time when airlines are cutting back it is great to know that our partnership with our operators continues to be strong and this latest development shows that the Government’s investment in the tourism industry is now yielding positive results for the country in growing markets like Italy,” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism Civil Aviation and Culture, John Maginley. The once a week charter which commenced this season’s service in November 2009 would usually run until April. Service has now been extended to run until the first week in September. Livingston also committed to resume its winter schedule even earlier than previously at the end of October this year. |
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PARIS, France, February 18, 2010 – Air France has announced that it too will be resuming passenger flights to Haiti from tomorrow. American Airlines has said it will restart flights to Port-au-Prince following the announcement by Haitian authorities that the airport would be partially opened to commercial traffic on February 19th. On that date, Air France will also resume flights to and from Haiti. Initially, Air France will operate two flights daily, five times a week: one between Port-au-Prince and Miami, and the other between Port-au-Prince and Pointe-à-Pitre, with an onward connection for Paris-Orly. From March 1st, the schedule will be increased to daily flights. Air France added that it has put a special fares structure in place to facilitate travel to and from Haiti. These fares allow passengers a free baggage allowance of up to 40 kg per passenger. Air France has had an operational presence in Haiti since 1947. It noted that the airline has served the country without a break for 42 years, but its flights had to be suspended following the January 12th earthquake that devastated the capital. The airport had been reserved for flights bringing aid to the country. |
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KINGSTON, Jamaica, February 18, 2010 – Prime Minister Bruce Golding has torn into the plan Air Jamaica pilots have submitted in their bid to take over the national airline, saying that it is seriously flawed in multiple areas. He said yesterday that despite the Jamaica Airline Pilots Association’s (JALPA) intense campaign to press government to sell the carrier to workers instead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines, it hasn’t proven it can either execute such a takeover or sustain the operation. “JALPA has not up to now presented any credible evidence of its ability to secure the financing required to operate the airline which it estimates to be US$100 million. US$40 million of that amount is to come from redundancy payments to which the workers will be entitled,” Golding said, adding that while the association has submitted the names of two overseas private equity firms that it claims have offered to source the remaining US$60 million, it admits in a letter to him, dated January 26th, that the firms have not yet reviewed the pilots’ business plan. “It is therefore a gross exaggeration to suggest that it has identified sources of financing if this is to mean anything more than identifying sources that it hopes will seek to indentify sources of financing. All of this is subject to a review of its business plan and the necessary due diligence, neither of which has yet been done.” Further, the Prime Minister said, JALPA had made some incorrect assumptions in the plan it had submitted to government. According to Golding, the plan assumes that total redundancy payments will amount to US$47 million and that US$40 million or 85 percent of that amount would be converted to equity. The JALPA letter to the Prime Minister states that “in excess of 80 percent of the employees have signed on indicating their interest in participating”. But he indicated yesterday that the estimated cost of redundancy payments is actually just over half what JALPA believes it will be – US$27 million – and even with the participation they project, there would still be a cash shortfall of US$17 million which would severely undermine the viability of the association’s operational plan. The Prime Minister also criticised other aspects of the plan. He noted that while it speaks of a “lean but focused workforce”, that is contradicted by the implied intention to retain 85 percent of the current workforce of 1,607 to operate a fleet of seven aircraft. Golding said this would result in an employee/aircraft ratio of 195, an uneconomic ratio when compared to American Airlines (113), United Airlines (126), Delta Airlines (109), Continental Airlines (116), Southwest Airlines (65), Northwest Airlines (91), US Airways (92), Air Trans (61) and Jet Blue (72). He added that even Caribbean Airlines operates with a ratio of 96 which is diluted even further if its five Dash 8-300 inter-island planes are included in the calculation. “There are other operating forecasts in JALPA’s business plan including passenger loads, unit costs and revenues that are overly optimistic, given the current realities of the airline industry and the intensity of competition from low-cost carriers operating under the Open Skies Agreement. These forecasts would most certainly be revised once the lender or investor conducts the required due diligence and this will impact significantly and negatively on the viability and sustainability of its proposal,” Golding added. The Jamaica leader said that while the insistence on keeping the airline in local hands is desirable and patriotic, it does not take precedence over the two fundamental considerations driving government’s divestment of the airline – the necessity to relieve the public purse of the burdensome losses being sustained; and the need to ensure continued operation of the routes that are of strategic value to the economy. Despite the clear signal from the Prime Minister that JALPA’s proposal was not viable, JALPA has indicated it will press ahead with its takeover efforts. Source: Caribbean360 |
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FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines will resume service into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, beginning Friday, Feb. 19. The first flight will depart from American’s hub at Miami International Airport at 6:40 a.m. EST, arriving at Port-au-Prince at 8:35 a.m. EST. This flight marks the first commercial passenger aircraft into Haiti since the earthquake that devastated the country on Jan. 12.
“All of us at American Airlines and American Eagle have been eager to restore our normal operations into Haiti,” said Peter Dolara, American’s Senior Vice President – Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America. “These flights serve as major milestones toward helping the country rebuild. With commercial air service restored, we can better connect loved ones and provide consistent transportation to and from Haiti.”
American will offer three daily nonstop flights – two from Miami International Airport and one from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. In addition, American will offer one flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport four times per week. American will operate flights into Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport with its Boeing 737 and 767 aircraft.
Starting March 12, American Eagle will begin new service into Haiti from its San Juan, Puerto Rico, hub. The airline will offer a daily nonstop flight as well as two flights through two cities in the Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo and Santiago. American Eagle will operate its ATR-72 aircraft on flights into Haiti.
“We have begun our journey to recover from the catastrophic earthquake, but with support from companies like American Airlines, we hope it won’t be nearly as long,” said Ralph Latortue, Consul General of Haiti in Florida for the Southern U.S. “We are very grateful to American Airlines and American Eagle for their continued commitment to Haiti. Not only are they the first passenger airlines to return to Haiti, they were the first commercial airlines to start bringing relief supplies to help our people.”
American has proudly served Haiti since 1971 and employs more than 100 people in Port-au-Prince. Since Jan. 13, just one day after the earthquake, American Airlines and American Eagle will have flown 30 missions into Haiti, transporting relief workers, medical personnel, more than 400,000 pounds of humanitarian aid and evacuating more than 700 people. These special relief flights, which are not a part of normal passenger operations, have been coordinated in conjunction with relief organizations including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Yelé Haiti and Airline Ambassadors International.
In conjunction with the Haitian government and international construction firm Odebrecht, American immediately began the process of repairing its airport facilities. Odebrecht’s team, along with 30 American employees who became assistants to the construction team, worked around the clock in order to repair the airline’s Port-au-Prince terminal so that within six weeks American could resume commercial service.
Thanks to the efforts of American’s AAdvantage members, more than $1.4 million has been donated to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief since Jan. 14. American has been collaborating with the American Red Cross to provide aid to earthquake victims. AAdvantage members can earn a one-time award of 250 bonus AAdvantage miles for a minimum donation of $50 or 500 bonus miles for a donation of $100 or more to the American Red Cross through March 31. Donate now at www.AA.com/DisasterRelief.
The American Airlines schedule between the United States and Port-au-Prince (pending government approval – all times local) is:
Miami to Port-au-Prince (MIA-PAP)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
377 |
6:40 a.m. |
8:35 a.m. |
Daily |
|
1291 |
9:55 a.m. |
12:05 p.m. |
Daily |
Port-au-Prince to Miami (PAP-MIA)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
880 |
9:40 a.m. |
11:45 a.m. |
Daily |
|
886 |
1:15 p.m. |
2:35 p.m. |
Daily |
Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince (FLL-PAP)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
2285 |
2:25 p.m. |
4:35 p.m. |
Daily |
Port-au-Prince to Fort Lauderdale (PAP-FLL)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
2288 |
5:30 p.m. |
7:35 p.m. |
Daily |
JFK to Port-au-Prince (JFK-PAP)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
837 |
9:10 a.m. |
1:30 p.m. |
Thurs-Sunday |
Port-au-Prince to JFK (PAP-JFK)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
896 |
2:45 p.m. |
7:20 p.m. |
Thurs-Sunday |
The American Eagle schedule between Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Port-au-Prince (pending government approval – all times local) is:
San Juan to Port-au-Prince (nonstop)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
4890 |
2:05 p.m. |
3 p.m. |
Daily |
|
4890* |
1:05 p.m. |
2 p.m. |
Daily |
Port-au-Prince to San Juan (nonstop)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
4887 |
3:30 p.m. |
6:20 p.m. |
Daily |
|
4887* |
2:30 p.m. |
5:20 p.m. |
Daily |
Santiago to Port-au-Prince (STI-PAP)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
4828 |
1:30 p.m. |
1:09 p.m. |
Wed., Fri., Sun. |
|
4828* |
12:13 p.m. |
11:50 a.m. |
Wed., Fri., Sun. |
Port-au-Prince to Santiago (PAP-STI)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
*The flight times change on March 14 due to Daylight Savings
Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince (SDQ-PAP)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
4804 |
9:35 a.m. |
9:33 a.m. |
Daily |
|
4804* |
8:35 a.m. |
8:35 a.m. |
Daily |
Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo (PAP-SDQ)
|
Flight |
Departs |
Arrives |
Days |
|
4807 |
10:05 a.m. |
12:02 p.m. |
Daily |
|
4807* |
9:05 a.m. |
11:01 a.m. |
Daily |
*The flight times change on March 14 due to Daylight Savings
In order to ensure that all customers’ luggage and relief supplies are accommodated on their scheduled flights, each passenger may check up to three additional pieces of baggage for flights into Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic. Excess baggage charges will apply. Oversized and overweight bags may also be accepted with applicable charges. In order to best accommodate all customers, American and American Eagle will be unable to donate seats or provide free cargo space on commercial flights. Individuals who are interested in sending aid or volunteering in Haiti are strongly encouraged to contact relief organizations to learn more about where assistance is needed most.
About American Airlines
American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American’s award-winning Web site, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)
February 16, 2010
Asian airports, with Seoul’s Incheon top of the list for the fifth year in a row, have been voted the world’s top five for passenger service, the global airports body ACI said on Tuesday.
Singapore’s Changi was second in 2009 and Hong Kong third, both also for the second year in a row, in its annual Airport Service Quality survey, said ACI, the Geneva-based Airports Council International.
But two newcomers — Beijing and India’s Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International — moved into fourth and fifth place, edging out Japan’s Nagoya and Canada’s Halifax who held those places in 2008.
“All (these airports) have learned to focus on key performance factors that their passengers appreciate,” said ACI Director General Angela Gittins in a statement.
The ACI survey is based on regular monthly questionnaires filled in by passengers passing through well over 100 world airports in some 45 countries. A total of 118 airports were involved in the 2009 survey.
(Reuters)