The organization that runs LAX Airport(LAWA) has lost the lawsuit brought against them by several airlines involving the increasing of maintenance and operation fees to airlines not under a long-term lease. The Cranky Flier has a great synopsis of the situation. “Sounds like they’re just trying to get the airlines in T1/T3/TBIT to cover some of the costs they can’t pass on to the other airlines in long term leases. And the judge won’t have any of that.”
Lufthansa is interested in acquiring Iberia, however they have said the price is too expensive to justify a takeover. British Airways has also decided to join in a bid for Iberia.
American Airlines announced its schedule for its Las Vegas-JFK flight. The flight is timed to make international connections at JFK.
Delta Airlines is continuing its growth at LAX, and its plans to make it a Delta gateway to Latin America. New nonstop service to Leon, Mexico will begin July 1st, operated by Expressjet.
United Airlines is continuing to offer low-fare tickets for travel from LA/Palmdale Regional Airport. United starts the service June 7th with two daily roundtrips to San Francisco.
The Embraer 170 and 175 are going to gain new advanced range versions. The Advanced Range versions incorporate reinforcements that allow an average additional range of 300 nautical miles and an increase of 1,543lbs of additional weight, depending on model, conditions, and configuration. The new versions will be certified by December 2008, and retrofits will be available to exisiting customers. Northwest Airlines will be the launch customer…with the first ten retrofitted after delivery and an additional 26 incorporating the new modifications.
Airtran has ordered 15 new Boeing 737-700 aircraft, with delivery set for 2011-2012. Airtran currently operates 45 of the aircraft, as well as 87 Boeing 717-200s.
US Airways has announced they will no longer charge Dividend Miles Preferred members a $25 fee to receive a confirmed standby seat. It may be too little, too late for the carrier, which has alienated a large nunber of its frequent flyers.
United Airlines is scheduling earlier flights this summer…on average 15 minutes sooner and some as earlier as 5:40AM. United hopes to ease congestion forecasted for this summer. Other airlines, such as Delta and American, will not be matching the move, citing a lack of customer demand for flights earlier than 6AM…
Delta will be replacing 14 older CRJs with upgraded CRJ900s with 12 First-Class seats, citing a demand for more first class amenities and a more “seamless travel experience with mainline jets.” The aircraft will be operated by Delta subsidiary Comair. We can’t fault Delta for realizing if they must have people travel on smaller planes…they must feel like larger ones.
Jetblue resumed daily service from New York to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic yesterday. It will add a second daily flight on June 1st. Jetblue also inaugurated service to Nantucket, which will run through September 24th with additional weekend flights during the summer. Otherwise, connecting service with Jetblue partner Cape Air is available year-round.
Airtran launched service yesterday to Charleston, South Carolina from its hub at Atlanta. Airtran also launched service yesterday from San Diego, to Atlanta and Orlando.
Spirit announced nonstop service from Ft. Lauderdae to Managua, Nicaragua three times weekly effective August 2nd and will increase to daily November 15th.
