- Hilton to Introduce Dynamic Ebrochures[Jun. 08, 2006]
As part of its plans to increase its online business to 25 percent over the next three years, Hilton International announced the launch of its new personalised, dynamic Ebrochures. (6/8/2006)
- Ferrovial Moved Closer to BAA Takeover[Jun. 09, 2006]
Ferrovial Group moved closer to completing its takeover of BAA yesterday as rival Goldman Sachs pulled out after the Spanish firm purchased an additional 12.9% of the UK airports operator's shares.Goldman had been considering increasing its rival bid for BAA but announced yesterday that it no longer was interested after Ferrovial upped its stake to 28.7%.
- Varig Faces Liquidation for Only One Bid[Jun. 09, 2006]
Varig received just one bid at yesterday's bankruptcy auction, a BRL1.01 billion ($446.4 million) offer during the second round from a consortium of employees, well below the minimum bid for just the domestic routes, which was $700 million (ATWOnline, May 22).The bankruptcy court judge said he would take a day to decide whether to approve the sale anyway. A $75 million deposit would be required, the Associated Press reported. The judge also may liquidate the carrier. There will not be another auction.
- First Airbus A330-200 Joins CA Fleet[Jun. 10, 2006]
Graph 1: The first Airbus A330-200 aircraft (Rego: B-6070) based at western China, reached down at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to join into Air China Southwest Company's fleet. The first Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft introduced by Air China Southwest Company landed at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport from Airbus headquarter in France at 9am on the 8th June. It's the first time for an airline company based at western China as well as Air China to introduce this type of aircraft. This new plane chooses high-performance engines that have been through special technological modification to cope with plateau flight operations. This aircraft will service Lasa plateau airport and Beijing, Shenzhen routes principally.
- Tianjin Will Be Site of Assembly Line[Jun. 09, 2006]
Airbus and the National Development & Reform Commission of China announced the selection of the Tianjin Binhai New Coastal District as the site for a potential A320 final assembly line should Airbus decide to move forward with the project.The selection follows the signing of an MOU between Airbus and NDRC last December. In a statement, Airbus said that Tianjin, which has a population of more than 10 million, was one of four cities considered and was chosen "after a thorough evaluation including multiple criteria such as, facility site and land, seaport proximity, airport characteristics, labor and industrial capability."
- Cathay Buying Out Dragonair in $1.75bn[Jun. 08, 2006]
HONG Kong-based Cathay Pacific should have been the international airline that gained most from China's relentless economic rise. Instead, it has been limited to two flights a day to Beijing and three a week to Xiamen.
- The Rating for Qantas Is Negative[Jun. 08, 2006]
FUEL prices and the unwinding of hedge positions have taken a toll on Qantas, with credit rating agency Standard & Poor's switching its outlook for the airline to negative.
- Pilots Present Proposal to Air Canada[Jun. 07, 2006]
On June 6, the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) formally met with negotiators from Air Canada as part of the Wage and Pension Re-Opener process.
- InterConti Plans Aggressive China Move[Jun. 07, 2006]
Intercontinental Hotels Group is to expand aggressively in China on the back of an infrastructure boom similar to President Eisenhower's road-building programme that opened up America's Midwest, its chief executive said in a Financial Times interview.
- Leisure Travel Will Boom in 2010[Jun. 07, 2006]
By 2010, Amadeus will have sold its major stake in pan European travel site, Opodo, to a retailer-such as Tesco's, according to Henry Hardevelt, a senior researcher with Forrester Research.