Monthly Archives: July 2010

TAM Airlines firms up order for 20 Airbus A320 Family aircraft and five A350-900s

TAM Airlines (TAM Brasil) (TAM Linhas Aereas) Airbus A320-232 PR-MBO (msn 3156) (Star Alliance) GRU (Marcelo F. De Biasi), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aereas) (Sao Paulo) has signed a firm order for 25 Airbus aircraft, bringing the Brazilian airline’s total Airbus order book to 176. This order for 20 A320 Family aircraft and five A350-900s follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced at ILA Berlin Air Show in June.

TAM’s new A320 Family aircraft will replace existing A320 Family aircraft as part of the airline’s commitment to keep an average fleet age of six years.

As of today, TAM’s total Airbus orders have increased to 134 A320 Family aircraft, 15 A330-200s and 27 A350 XWB. 65 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, two A330-200s and 27 A350 XWB are still in the backlog.

Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi. TAM’s sleek Airbus A320-232 PR-MBO (msn 3156) painted in the Star Alliance motif climbs away from Sao Paulo (Guarulhos).

Hawaiian Airlines’ quarterly profit dips, but it is the 9th consecutive quarterly profit

Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-33A ER N587HA (msn 33421) HNL (Ivan K. Nishimura), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu) reported consolidated net income for the three months ended June 30, 2010 of $9.0 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, on total operating revenue of $315.9 million. This result compares with net income of $27.5 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, on total operating revenue of $292.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2009. Year ago quarterly results benefitted from materially lower fuel costs and a lower effective tax rate. Adjusted net income reflecting economic fuel expense of $11.0 million or $0.21 per share compares to $20.8 million or $0.40 per share in the prior year period.

Boeing appropriately reports a net profit of $787 in the 2Q

Boeing 747-8KZF N5017Q (msn 36136) PAE (Nick Dean) (3rd 747-8F test aircraft), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle, Wichita and Charleston) reported a second quarter net profit of $787 million, down from $998 million in the same quarter a year ago.

For the full report:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. While the 787 Dreamliner captures most of the headlines, the new 747-8 continues to move ahead too. Third test aircraft, 747-8KZF N5017Q (msn 36136) is pictured on the ramp at Everett (Paine Field).

Air France and KLM swing to a fiscal 1Q net profit of $958 million

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 737-8K2 WL PH-BXA (msn 29131) (1959 Retrojet) LHR (Antony J. Best), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Air France (Paris) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) reported a better than expected fiscal first quarter (ending on June 30) net profit of $958 million.

Click below for a full report by the WSJ:

CLICK HERE

Copyright photo: Antony J. Best. KLM’s Boeing 737-8K2 PH-BXA (msn 29131) dressed in the 1959 retrojet livery arrives at London (Heathrow).

LAN Airlines reports a 2Q net profit of $60.6 million

LAN Airlines Cargo (Chile) Boeing 777-F6N N772LA (msn 37708) AMS (Ton Jochems), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago) reported net income of $60.6 million (US) for the second quarter compared to $4.2 million in the same period in 2009.

As previously reported, In July 2010, LAN signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the purchase of 50 Airbus A320 family aircraft to be delivered between 2012 and 2016. The new aircraft will operate regional and domestic flights within Latin America.

LAN also signed an agreement in July with Boeing to adjust the delivery of 2 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft to 2012. This modification to LAN’s fleet plan will allow the company to receive a total of 5 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft in 2012. This is in addition to the anticipated delivery of 10 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner already announced in March 2010. As a result, LAN will be the first airline in the western hemisphere to take delivery of this new and modern aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. This beautiful composure showcases LAN Cargo’s Boeing 777-F6N N772LA (msn 37708) taxiing at Amsterdam.

United-Continental merger receives unconditional clearance from the European Commission

United Airlines (Chicago) and Continental Airlines (Houston) have received unconditional clearance from the European Commission on the airlines’ proposed merger. The Commission noted its investigation found the proposed transaction would not raise any specific concerns in Europe or the trans-Atlantic market.

The companies announced their plans for an all-stock merger of equals in May and expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2010. United Airlines will be the surviving name while retaining the Continental Airlines livery.

American Airlines applies for additional frequencies to Brazil

American Airlines Boeing 757-223 WL N690AA (msn 25696) (Flagship Freedom) IAD (Brian McDonough), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the right to use three weekly regional Brazil frequencies that Delta Air Lines is relinquishing as of September 7, 2010.

If granted, American will begin flying nonstop between Miami and Brasilia on November 18, 2010, as scheduled, and between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Rio de Janiero (GIG).

For the new Miami to Brasilia route, American will fly 182-seat Boeing 757-200 aircraft that accommodate 16 Business Class and 166 Economy Cabin passengers.

American also will begin operating daily service between New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Rio de Janeiro on November 18. This new service is possible because earlier this summer American was awarded the rights to operate 11 new flights between the United States and Brazil.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. “Flagship Freedon” in the form of 757-223 N690AA (msn 25696) arrives at Washington (Dulles).