Market News

Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK)

Inflight WiFi provider Aircell scored a coup with Alaska Airlines, which has dropped plans to deploy Row 44's on-board satellite-based WiFi system in favor of Aircell's Gogo system for fleet-wide WiFi service, according to FierceBroadbandWireless.com. Alaska Airlines had originally favored Row 44's satellite-based WiFi system because it could provide service over oceans and in Alaska, Hawaii and parts of Mexico. Its goal was to deploy the service by the end of 2009. While Aircell's Gogo service is terrestrial-based, the equipment was priced cheaper, according to an airline spokeswoman cited in InformationWeek.
Alaska Airlines' move makes sense given the fact that airlines are still determining what price passengers are willing to pay for Internet access. The airline cannot afford to bypass inflight Internet access altogether given the fact that competitors such as Delta, American and United are all deploying the Gogo service. Alaska Airlines expects to roll out the service across its 115 aircraft by the end of 2010.

Mar 1 · 7:47:00 AM · Source: FierceBroadbandWireless.com
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

China Eastern Airlines (CEA)

China Eastern Airlines (NYSE:CES) announced Thursday that it will launch a business integration between its Beijing branch and Beijing-based Shanghai Airlines (SAL), according to the China Business News and Alibaba.com. The integration will include route networks, marketing management and security services. The action will ensure flight operations in Beijing during the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
"Shanghai Airlines will shift from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 in Beijing Capital International Airport before March 28. And CES and SAL will operation on a combined basis", said Qiu Hongping, an official with CES responsible for the project. CES and SAL aim to expand the market share in Beijing through their consolidation. And the joint operation which is expected to be finished in March in Beijing marks the beginning of a new China Eastern Airlines, said Qiu.

Feb 26 · 3:38:00 PM · Source: Alibaba.com
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

US Airways (LCC)

US Airways (NYSE: LCC) customers will soon enjoy greater access to Europe and Africa inpart to a new codeshare agreement with Brussels Airlines. The agreement is subject to both U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Belgium government approval. The two Star Alliance carriers have agreed to a bilateral codeshare relationship which means that each airline may market flights operated by the other carrier as if the flying were its own.
For US Airways customers, this agreement will eventually provide single-source booking, ticketing and baggage connection options for more than 20 new destinations in Europe and Africa, including points in Gambia, Senegal, Cameroon and Kenya.

Feb 26 · 3:16:00 PM · Source: Company Press Release
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today received notification from the National Mediation Board (NMB) that a majority of eligible flight simulator technicians rejected union representation by the International Association of Machinists (IAM). Ninety-one flight simulator technicians were eligible to vote in this election. Of those, only 40 voted in favor of IAM representation.
"Our flight simulator technicians have made a decisive choice not to have IAM representation,” said Mike Campbell, Delta's executive vice president of Human Resources and Labor Relations. “We take our responsibility to do right by our people very seriously and we’ll continue to do everything we can to make Delta a great place to work."

Feb 26 · 3:03:00 PM · Source: Company Press Release
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

China Eastern Airlines (CEA)

China Southern Airlines (NYSE: ZNH) is set to receive another ¥1.5 billion ($1 = ¥6.83) in government funding after an injection of the same size last month, the nation's biggest carrier said Tuesday, according to The China Perspective. The news is an impetus to the Guangdong province-based airline's talks for a partnership with Air France that has dragged on for two years. The joint venture is expected to operate the Guangzhou-Paris flight in October.
China Southern Airlines is Chinas largest airline and operates 342 jet aircraft serving destinations to 841 cities in 162 countries

Feb 26 · 2:55:00 PM · Source: The China Perspective
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

Continental Airlines (CAL)

Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced the expansion of its mobile boarding pass service to London's Heathrow Airport, becoming the first carrier to offer paperless boarding passes on nonstop flights from the United Kingdom to the U.S. The service allows customers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs and eliminates the need for paper boarding passes. Mobile boarding passes display a two-dimensional bar code along with passenger and flight information, which scanners at the security checkpoint and boarding gate validate. The technology prevents manipulation or duplication of the boarding passes and heightens security.
Continental was the first carrier to offer paperless boarding passes in the U.S. in a pilot program with the Transportation Security Administration that began in December 2007. The airline currently offers mobile boarding passes at 42 airports, including its hubs in New York, Houston and Cleveland. Continental was the first U.S. carrier to offer mobile boarding passes from an international destination when it launched the service at Frankfurt Airport late last year.

Feb 26 · 1:48:00 PM · Source: Company Press Release
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

AMR (AMR)

AMR Corp. (NYSE:AMR) subsidiary American Airlines, and all of the major US airlines are taking a more cautious, though varied, approach to fuel hedging this year, after incurring blistering losses from hedges in 2008 when oil prices spiked then tumbled, according to AirWise. At the beginning of this year, American Airlines had hedged 24 percent of its full-year fuel requirements, down from 35 percent at the same time last year for the whole of 2009. Currently for 2011 only a small percentage is hedged.
"We know what can happen when market conditions change or market sentiments change. We still cast a very cautious eye on oil prices," Tom Horton, chief financial officer of American Airlines parent AMR, told the Reuters Travel and Leisure Summit this week.

Feb 26 · 1:38:00 PM · Source: AirWise
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Steve Wieczorek

Fluor (FLR)

Fluor Corporation reported for the full year 2009 earnings of $148.7 million, or $0.83 per share, on sales of $5.479 billion. That compares to the prior year earnings of $189.5 million, or $1.04 per share, on sales of $6.071 billion.
"Fluor's strong earnings in 2009, including great performance from the Oil & Gas, Power and Government segments, were surpassed only by our record results in 2008," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Boeckmann. "Regarding current market conditions, while we are encouraged by the notable uptick in front-end engineering activity, we continue to experience uncertainty as overall capital investment in most industrial markets lags behind pre-recession levels."

Feb 25 · 10:34:00 PM · Source: Company Press Release
Track · email · face · Twitter · digg · COMMENTS
by Michael Oliveto

Previous · Next