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[Jaime]

January 20

• SWISS announced completion of squeeze-out procedure, and now Lufthansa and Almea Foundation, through Air Trust, own 100% of SWISS... The de-listing of SWISS shares from the SWX Swiss Stock Exchange is set for January 27.
• GE Aviation earned $2.57b on $11.9b revenues in 2005 vs $2.24b on $11.1b in 2004.
• Volvo Aero increased its stake in the GEnx program, which is expected to generate additional SEK6b in revenues over 30 years.
• UAE's Oasis International Leasing purchased 25 Airbus aircraft -- all leased to various airlines -- from Airbus Financial Services in deal valued at $900m.
• Triumph Composite Systems has $200m Vought contract to supply components for 787 fuselage.
• SR Technics and Shanghai FASCO formed joint venture to offer line maintenance and technical training/consulting at Shanghai Intl. Airport.
• Delta plans in June to begin service from JFK to Kiev, Ukraine.
• Southwest announced its 118th consecutive quarterly dividend.

January 21

• UAL Corporation received US Bankruptcy Court approval for its Plan of Reorganization (POR)... It plans to emerge from Chapter 11 in early February with $3b in exit financing to be provided by JPMorgan, Citigroup and GE Capital.
• China Airlines ordered blended winglets from Aviation Partners Boeing for retrofit on 11 737-800s in Taipei.
• Virgin Nigeria joined IATA, which represents about 265 airlines operating 94% of all international scheduled air traffic.
• Comair pilots ratified a concessionary labor agreement that will save the bankrupt airline $17.3m annually.
• Atlasjet, of Istanbul, Turkey, ordered three 90-seat CRJ900s, and optioned two in deal valued at approximately $107m.

[Jaime]

January 23

• ATR reported that in 2005 it booked orders for 92 new turboprops, delivered 15 new aircraft to seven customers, and sold/leased 48 used aircraft... It plans to deliver 25 new aircraft in 2006 and about 40 in 2007.
• Bombardier made first flight of 12-pax Challenger 605.
• Cimber Air Support was selected by Netherlands-based Interstate Airlines to provide component support for up to three ATR 42s.
• ATA Airlines plans in 2Q06 to increase its service between Hawaii and mainland US, intending to be only carrier to offer nonstop service between Hilo and mainland and nonstop flights between Ontario (ONT) and Honolulu.
• Socata Aircraft plans February 23 to roll out the TBM 850 in Orlando.
• The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) in the US elected Northrop Grumman's Ronald Sugar as Chairman for 2006.

[Jaime]

January 24

• AirTran reported $2.7m net profit for 2005, its seventh consecutive year of profitability; revenues rose 39% and CASM rose 10.8%.
• Pratt & Whitney had $1.45b operating profit in 2005 vs $1.08b in 2004; revenues rose 12%.
• UAL selected NASDAQ to list its new stock issue, to be traded under symbol "UAUA" starting in early February.
• Northrop Grumman reported net income of $1.4b in 2005 vs $1.1b in 2004; sales rose 3%.
• FedEx Express purchased the express business of Shanghai-based DTW Group to expand/build its business in China.
• Hamilton Sundstrand had $675m operating profit in 2005 vs $583m in 2004; revenues rose 12%.
• ExpressJet Holdings reported net income of $98m in 2005 vs $122.8m in 2004; revenues rose 3.7%.
• Alitalia has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights over past week due to wildcat strikes from workers opposed to its restructuring program.

[Jaime]

January 25

• Air Europa finalized order for 10 A350-800s for 2010-2012, plus two options.
• Pratt & Whitney and Southern California jointly opened new 67,500 sq ft aircraft maintenance hangar at Victorville, CA.
• Gulfstream Aerospace delivered 89 green aircraft in 2005 vs 78 in 2004, and completed 84 vs 77.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University named Dr. Thomas Connolly as its Daytona Beach Chancellor.
• World Airways and its pilots have reached an impasse in contract negotiations, and pilots could strike as early as January 28.
• China Eastern Airlines took delivery of its first new A330-300 from Airbus. It has 19 more on order.
• ACE Aviation Holdings appointed Chahram Bolouri as President and CEO of Air Canada Technical Services, replacing Bill Zoeller, who is retiring.
• Southern California-based Robinson Helicopter built record 806 new helicopters in 2005, beating previous single-year high of 780 by Bell in 1980.
• Airbus plans to make flight demonstrations of A380 in Singapore Airlines livery at Asian Aerospace 2006 in late February.

[Jaime]

January 26

• Lockheed Martin reported $1.8b net income on $37.2b sales for 2005. It delivered 69 F-16s, 23 F-22s and 15 C-130s.
• Cessna earned $457m on $3.5b sales in 2005, and reported its had $6.3b backlog at end of 2005.
• Honeywell Aerospace earned $1.7b in 2005 vs $1.5b in 2005; sales rose 7.7% to $10.5b.
• SR Technics has contract to support CFM56s for Vietnam Airlines' fleet of 10 A320s.
• Alaska Air Group reported net loss of $5.9m in 2005 vs $15.3m loss in 2004; revenues increased 9%... Alaska Airlines posted operating loss of $10.8m, while Horizon Air earned $6.2m.
• UPS reported $3.9b net income on $42.6b revenues for 2005, and said its international package volume rose 17.2%.
• Rockwell Collins reported $104m net income on $881m sales for first quarter ended December 31; sales for Commercial Systems rose 9.4% to $408m.
• China Southern Airlines carried record 44.12m passengers in 2005.

[Jaime]

January 27

• UAL reported a $182m operating loss in 4Q05 of $182m (vs $570m in 4Q04) and $219m operating loss for 2005 (vs $1.4b)... United confirms it is prepared to exit bankruptcy in early February.
• Turkey's Izmir Airlines leased three ex-Independence Air A319s from ILFC for startup in mid-2006.
• ANA confirmed order from Airbus for three more A320s; it currently operates 28. It also plans to lease two from RBS Aviation Capital.
• Frontier Airlines reported a net loss of $10.3m for its third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2005 vs net loss of $11.1m a year ago.
• Engine Lease Finance named Martin Craigs as Asia Pacific-based Advisor to the President and CEO.
• Cathay Pacific was named the 2005 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World.
• Triumph Group reported net income of $9.3m on $187.2m sales in third quarter ended December 31 vs $2.1m loss on $171.3m a year ago.

[Jaime]

January 28

• World Airways pilots rejected latest contract offer from airline, and could strike as early as today... World Airways will continue to operate its military schedule based on a contract provision that prevents interruption of military service, and plans to operate its commercial schedule unless service is disrupted by the pilots.
• NTSB urged the FAA to prohibit airlines from using credit for use of thrust reversers when calculating stopping distances on contaminated runways... The recommendation is a result of information learned during its investigation into runway overrun of Southwest 737 at Chicago Midway in December.
• Delta renegotiated leases for as many as 88 aircraft that is expected to save up to $200m annually.
• Virgin Nigeria applied to US DOT for authority to operate to the US

[Jaime]

January 30

• Morgan Stanley agreed to sell AWAS to Terra Firma, a European private equity firm, for $2.5b plus assumption of liabilities.
• Boeing and IAM reached an understanding on contract offers for about 1,500 striking IDS employees in Alabama, Florida and California. A vote is planned Feb. 1.
• Continental's flight attendants ratified new contract.
• Boeing announced it is adding carbon brake technology -- supplied by Goodrich and Messier-Bugatti -- to 737NGs starting in 2008 to reduce airframe weight by 700 lb.
• Atlas Air expects to report over $125m in pretax income on about $1.6b revenues for 2005; results will be announced in April.
• Raytheon named S. Michael Scheeringa as CEO of Flight Options.
• Pratt & Whitney Canada received type certification for PW615F for the Cessna Mustang.

[Jaime]

January 31

• Bombardier says market conditions do not justify launch of CSeries program, and is redirecting its efforts toward regional jet and turboprop opportunities... Bombardier will keep a small team on the program to further develop business plan with emphasis on teaming with "fast-growing major aerospace markets."
• Spirit AeroSystems agreed to acquire UK-based BAE Systems Aerostructures, with facilities in Prestwick and Samlesbury.
• ATA Holdings received confirmation on its Plan of Reorganization, and is expected to emerge from bankruptcy in late February.
• Boeing launched the 737-700ER, a commercial airline version of the BBJ to fly up to 5,510 nm with nine auxiliary fuel tanks and blended winglets... ANA converted order for two -700s to -700ERs.
• Swiss-based Jet Aviation Group agreed to acquire Midcoast Aviation from Sabreliner.
• IATA estimates scheduled international pax traffic rose 7.6% in 2005, and international freight traffic grew 3.2%.
• L-3 Communications had $508.5m net income in 2005 vs $381.9m in 2004; sales rose 37%.

[Jaime]

February 1

• Boeing reported net profit of $2.6b on $54.8b revenues in 2005 vs $1.9b on $52.5b in 2004; its 4Q05 net income more than doubled to $460m... Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ contractual backlog rose 37% during 4Q05 and 89% during full year to $124b, representing over 61% of Boeing's total backlog of $202b.
• JetBlue reported net losses of $42.4m in 4Q05 (despite 7.4% increase in RASM) and of $20.3m for full year 2005. It is expecting a negative operating margin of 3-5% in 1Q06.
• AerCap formed joint venture with Kuwait-based LoadAir to acquire, manage and market 70 A320 Family aircraft ordered by AerCap in December 2005.
• Boeing plans to deliver 395 commercial aircraft in 2006 and 440-445 in 2007. It delivered 290 in 2005.
• Heath Tecna has China Southern Airlines contract to supply an upper deck and main deck bar for five A380-800s.
• LAX handled 61.5m passengers in 2005 (up 1.3% from 2004), including record 17.5m international passengers.
• EADS announced it plans to build UH-145 Light Utility Helicopters -- being offered to US Army -- in Columbus, MS.

[Jaime]

February 2

• UAL (United Airlines) formally exited bankruptcy on February 1, and its new stock has begun trading on NASDAQ, opening at $41.
• Singapore Airlines Group reported net profit of S$397m for fiscal third quarter vs S$465m a year ago. Revenues increased 11%.
• Frankfurt-based DVB Bank agreed to invest in 13 Engine Lease Finance-owned large commercial jet engines on lease to 10 operators.
• Goodrich reported net income of $264m on $5.4b revenues in 2005 vs $172m on $4.7b in 2004. Earnings for 4Q05 rose 87%.
• Qantas opened widebody maintenance hangar at LAX.
• Raytheon Aircraft earned $142m on $2.85b revenues in 2005 vs $63m on $2.42b in 2004.
• ACE Aviation successfully completed IPO of Jazz Income Fund for C$235m for 19.1% of Jazz Air.
• Alaska's Northern Air Cargo was acquired by the Saltchuk Family of Companies.

[Jaime]

February 3

• Aloha Airlines received approval for modifications to its Plan of Reorganization, and expects to exit Chapter 11 in mid-February.
• Austria's FACC received contract from Goodrich to supply thrust reverser components and movable door blockers for the A350 in deal valued at $300m over life of program.
• B/E Aerospace reported net income of $84.6m on $844m sales in 2005 vs $22m loss on $733.5m sales in 2004... B/E has record backlog of $1.1b.
• Bulgaria has approved plan to privatize Bulgaria Air, which operates eight 737s.
• Japan Airlines ordered a ninth CRJ200 for J-AIR, and Japan Air Commuter (JAC) ordered a 10th Q400.
• Porter Airlines is being formed by REGCO for 2H06 startup of service from Toronto City Centre Airport using Q400s.
• British Airways reported GBP164m pretax profit for third quarter ended Dec. 31 vs GBP151m a year ago. Revenues increased 9% to GBP2.1b.

[Jaime]

February 4

• ALPA leaders authorized a strike vote by Northwest Airlines pilots.
• Mesaba Airlines filed a motion in Bankruptcy Court requesting authority to reject its collective bargaining agreements with ALPA, AFA and AMFA.
• Delta Air Lines retained Ernst & Young as its independent auditors for 2006.
• CIRRUS Design delivered 600 new aircraft and booked 701 new aircraft orders in 2005.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University purchased 16 Cessna 172s with the Garmin G-1000 glass cockpit suite and ADS-B for training.

[Jaime]

February 6

• Adam Aircraft made first flight of production A700 AdamJet.
• World Airways reached agreement with its striking pilots and has resumed commercial cargo and passenger operations.
• Virgin America appointed Donald J. Carty as Chairman. He was previously Chairman and CEO of AMR and also serves as Chairman of Canadian startup Porter Airlines.
• Ryanair reported Eu36.8m net profit for third quarter ended December 31 vs Eu34.8m a year ago. Revenues increased 27%.
• Japan's JAL Group lost 11b yen in third quarter ended December 31 vs loss of 3.7b yen a year ago. Revenues rose 3.9%.
• Aermacchi delivered its 2,000th shipset of inlets/fan cowls to Goodrich Aerostructures for CFM56-5B nacelles.
• Saudi Arabia-based Sama plans to begin LCC operations in mid-2006 with leased 737-300s... The airline was founded by Investment Enterprises Ltd, chaired by HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid al Faisal, with the support of UK-based Mango Aviation Partners.
• AEA member airlines flew 693.8b RPKs in 2005, up 6.3% vs 2004. Capacity rose 4.3% to 913.2b ASKs.
• The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer plans this week to attempt to set record for flying further than any other aircraft or balloon without stopping.

[Jaime]

February 6

• Kaiser Aluminum has US Bankruptcy Court approval for second amended Plan of Reorganization. It plans to emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of 1Q06.

February 7

• Ryukyu Air Commuter, Okinawa (JAL Group) ordered one Q300.
• Icelandair selected Trent 1000s for up to five 787s (two firm). Rolls-Royce will also provide service under TotalCare agreement.
• Pemco Aviation was selected by Futura International to convert 737-300s being leased from RPK Capital Management Group to freighters.
• AIA says proposed US federal FY07 budget "dramatically" underfunds NASA R&D.
• Gulf Air announced 3-year "Smart Airline, Successful Business" plan. It is expected to announce orders in mid-2006 to replace nine 767s.
• Connexion by Boeing was selected by Air China to supply airborne Internet access for up to 15 747-400s and possibly other long-range aircraft.
• Boeing began integrating subsystems for EA-18G following US Navy approval of two test readiness reviews.

[Jaime]

February 8

• WestJet reported net profits of C$1m for 4Q05 and C$24m for all of 2005, compared to losses of C$46m in 4Q04 and C$17m in 2004.
• Rockwell Collins agreed to acquire the simulation assets of Evans & Sutherland.
• Stellex Precision Machining has Spirit AeroSystems contract to supply the Section 41 floor assembly for 787.
• Japan Airlines signed MOU setting up framework for remaining steps to be taken for joining oneworld.
• JAL's Ryukyu Air Commuter ordered one Q300.
• Rolls-Royce was selected by Icelandair to supply Trent 1000s for up to five 787s (two firm)... Deal includes TotalCare support agreement.
• Pemco was selected by Futura International to convert an undisclosed number of 737-300s to freighters.
• Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in attempt to make longest nonstop flight ever.

[Jaime]

February 9

• Trans States Airlines announced plan to retire its six J41s (exiting five markets from St. Louis) and transition to an all-ERJ 145 fleet by late 2006.
• Bombardier plans in April to restart production of CRJ200s and Challenger 850s.
• ILFC ordered four more A350s, and has now ordered 16.
• Rolls-Royce reported £347m profit on £6.6b sales in 2005 vs £264m on £5.9b in 2004... Its civil aerospace business earned £454m on £3.5b vs £194m on £3b, and delivered 881 engines vs 824.
• Boeing began final assembly of the last 717, to be delivered in May to AirTran.
• SAS Group had SEK255m net profit in 2005 vs SEK1.8b loss in 2004; revenues increased 6.5%.
• US-based Global HeavyLift Holdings is pursuing $1.4b private placement to fund acquisition of 10 BC-17s.
• SkyWest had $112.2m net profit on 70% higher revenues, mostly due to increase in ASMs from acquisition of ASA.

[Jaime]

February 10

• Alaska Airlines ordered three additional 737-800s for 2007-2008.
• WestJet finalized order for three more 737-700s for 2008.
• ACE Aviation Holdings (Air Canada) reported an operating profit of C$452m in 2005 (despite C$35m loss in 4Q05) vs C$117m profit in 2004... It will pay employees a total of C$54.8m through the company's Profit Sharing Plans for 2005.
• Bombardier plans in April to restart production of CRJ200s and Challenger 850s.
• US Airways amended its aircraft order with Embraer by converting 57 undelivered EMBRAER 170s into EMBRAER 190s, of which 32 are subject to reconfirmation. Deliveries start in November 2006.
• Aer Lingus signed LOI to order two A330s for delivery in mid-2007.
• A joint team of management and labor leaders from the American Airlines Maintenance & Engineering Base announced "breakthrough" goal to turn the base into a profit center by the end of 2007.
• ACE Aviation Holdings (Air Canada) plans, in view of the difficult fuel cost environment, to reduce non-unionized staffing levels by 20%.
• Iceland's Avion Group, parent to Air Atlanta Icelandic, purchased Star Airlines of France, which operates four A320s and two A330s.
• Horizon Air purchased two ex-Changan Q400s from Hainan Airlines. Aircraft are being modified in Canada by Field Aviation.
• Sir Freddie Laker, founder of low-cost Skytrain service between US and London, has died in Miami at 83.

[Jaime]

February 11

• ALPA announced that Northwest pilots will begin voting on Feb. 13 to authorize a strike; strike ballots will be counted on Feb. 28... If the majority of NWA pilots authorize a strike, union leadership will have the authority to call a strike if Northwest management imposes terms and conditions of employment on the pilot group.
• Delta cut its savings demand on its pilots to $315m annually from $325m, and has offered the group $300m if it agrees to drop its current pension plan.
• The Memphis Group has five year agreement with Thales Avionics to provide third party repair management.
• Mooney delivered 85 airplanes worth about $36.5m in 2005 vs 36 in 2004 and 34 in 2003.
• Ted, United's low-fare service, was formed two years ago on Feb. 12, 2004.

[Jaime]

February 13

• Boeing delivered its 5,000th 737 to Southwest Airlines.
• American Airlines announced that SVP and CFO James Beer is leaving the company to take a position with a software firm.
• Hamburg International ordered 14 A319s, and optioned six.
• Germany's dba announced that private investor acquired 25.1% of the airline, doubling its capital resources to Eu20m.
• Brazil's TAM reported net income of R$187m for 2005 vs R$341m in 2004. Revenues rose 25% to R$5.6b.
• Atlantis Systems International established US subsidiary in Orlando, FL.
• Aviation Partners Boeing has Royal Air Maroc order to supply blended winglets for 29 737NGs.
• Reed Exhibitions is moving Asian Aerospace show from Singapore to Hong Kong; next show is planned for September 3-6, 2007.