Airlines
Air Canada, IAMAW to return to the negotiating table
Air Canada and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) have agreed to re-commence negotiations. The parties have agreed to a 10-day negotiation period to begin following the appointment of an arbitrator by the Minister of Labour in accordance with the provisions of the Protecting Air Service Act. Air Canada and the IAMAW will ask that the arbitrator facilitate the negotiations process pursuant to section 31 of the Act that allows for negotiations to take place. The IAMAW represents 8,600 mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents employed by Air Canada, and...
Air Namibia set for fleet expansion
Air Namibia is getting ready to enlarge its fleet. The airline has ordered two new Airbus A319s that will have two classes of service and are to be delivered in November or December. They will be used on regional routes. As well, Air Namibia has acquired a fourth Embraer ERJ 135. The airline says the Embraer offers "generous legroom, faster travel times and cabin service on board, giving passengers an overall warm and excellent customer service."Meanwhile, the airline will have new flights between the Namibian capital of Windhoek and Harare, Zimbabwe; Gaborone, Botswana; and Ondjiva, Angola,...
Air Canada by the numbers
Air Canada has released the following update on the expected impact related to Aveos Fleet Performance Inc.'s (Aveos) filing for creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act on its first quarter 2012 results and progress on transitional and long-term arrangements following Aveos's cessation of operations. In that update, AC notes that Aveos was a separate and independently owned and managed supplier to Air Canada that provided aircraft, engine and component maintenance services to airlines, including Air Canada. As for its first quarter 2012 results -- which will be...
UK urged to use aviation to drive economic growth
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) encouraged the UK government to use the opportunity of the national aviation policy consultation to enable aviation to generate more economic growth and jobs. Specifically, IATA asked the government to address high taxes and severe capacity constraints while developing policies to support the industry's commitments on climate change. "The UK is the world's second largest market for international air travel, bringing enormous benefits to the economy. Aviation in the UK is at the centre of over GBP 90 billion of economic activity and supports...
LOT on the ball for EURO 2012
Ten LOT Polish Airlines airplanes are set to receive a special decorative addition in celebration of the upcoming European Football Championship, to be held this year in Poland and Ukraine. The initiative will see the addition of a unique football logo on the rear fuselage and wingtips of the aircraft. Designed in-house at LOT, the logo echoes the style and colour scheme of the company's new graphics, launched at the beginning of April. Last weekend saw the first of the planes, Embraer 175 SP-LIA, receive its decal and, on Sunday, it took off for Odessa flying the "new LOT livery."The other...
Emirates launches official Facebook page
Emirates has officially launched its Facebook page -- attracting more 300,000 fans within the first three weeks. Millions of Emirates fans around the world can now connect and engage with the airline directly through Facebook. Incredibly, in its first two weeks Emirates was also established as the number one airline in Facebook in the MENA region. The Emirates Facebook page soft launch took place March 25 in preparation for the April 2 launch of the airlines' new global brand platform "Hello Tomorrow."A series of teaser quizzes highlighting vignettes from one of the new TV commercials were...
WestJet unveils electric baggage tug
WestJet showcased its newest environmental innovation yesterday (April 22), a baggage tug which runs on rechargeable lithium polymer batteries. The tug, which resembles a small tractor, pulls baggage carts to and from the aircraft and is the first of its kind to operate on this type of battery. As part of a pilot project, the airline worked alongside Corvus Energy, a Richmond-based technology company, to re-engineer the tug to be powered by lithium polymer batteries, removing the need for any fossil fuel to power the equipment. The tug, which began operating in October at Calgary...
Unions back US Airways-American merger
In a joint statement issued late last week by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) and the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the three unions -- which represent 55,000 American Airlines employees -- have indicated their support for a possible merger between American and US Airways. The unions' statement reads, "On behalf of nearly 55,000 American Airlines front-line employees -- including the 17,000 members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the 10,000 members of the Allied Pilots Association and the 26,000 members of...