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-Etihad Airways in expanded codeshare deal with Air France

KLM The two carriers will share codes on more flights starting

-this year, opening more European cities to the Abu Dhabi

based airline's customers.

Etihad Airways has reached a deal to deepen its relationship with Air France-KLM and

separately has agreed to sell its stake in Aer Lingus Group, James Hogan, Etihads chief executive officer said in an interview Sunday. Etihad and Air France-KLM will share codes on more flights starting this year, opening

more European cities to the Abu Dhabi-based airlines customers, Hogan said on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Associations (IATA) annual meeting. The airlines have yet to finalise terms of the deal. Hogan added that Etihad will sell its 4.99 per cent stake in Aer Lingus, the Irish flag

carrier, in a potential takeover bid by British Airways-parent International Airlines

Group. The moves reflect Etihads strategy to grow its route map through airline partnerships. With codeshares on French domestic flights imminent, Etihad also is looking to add

destinations via codeshares with Philippine Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Malaysia

Airlines, Hogan said. Were keen to maintain a relationship with (IAG). Indications are that theyre interested in doing so too, Hogan said. Kevin Knight, Etihads chief strategy and planning officer, said in the same interview that Etihad hopes to expand its codeshare with Air France-KLM as broadly as possible. Etihad currently lists its flight code on nine Air France cities and 21 KLM destinations. Hogan said sharing frequent-flier rewards would be the next step in the airlines partnership with Air France-KLM. It has not discussed or considered taking an equity

stake in the European carrier, although saying this would never happen is not possible, Hogan said. Across the Atlantic, Knight said Etihad does not have plans to introduce new service to

the United States for 24 months. The decision to focus on existing U.S. routes contrasts

with competitors Emirates and Qatar Airways, which have announced new flights to

seven U.S. cities this spring. Recent expansion of Gulf-carrier service to the United States has caused tensions with

U.S. airlines to boil. U.S. airlines say their Gulf competitors have received more than $40 billion in subsidies

from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which has allowed them to add excess

capacity on key routes, drive down ticket prices and steal market share. The Gulf airlines deny the claims. Etihad said it is required to repay loans not subsidies to its sole shareholder, the government of Abu Dhabi.

http://gulfbusiness.com/

Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr says that the

German air carrier's new project Eurowings will incorporate

Germanwings brand, and is expected to become third

largest carrier in Europe and Asia. MIAMI (Sputnik) German air carrier Lufthansa's new project Eurowings

will incorporate Germanwings brand, and is expected to become third

largest carrier in Europe and Asia, Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Carsten

Spohr told journalists. "We are bundling our smaller operations under the brand of Eurowings

to become not just the second tier of Lufthansabut also to become the number one port to port carrier in our home markets Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium eventually to become the third biggest port to port carrier in Europe, Asia," Spohr stated at the International Air

Transport Association (IATA) summit on Sunday.

Lufthansa CEO added that in the fourth quarter of 2015 Germanwings

will complete re-branding process and will be called Eurowings. "By the end of this year we will move from the Germanwings brand to the

Eurowings brand," Spohr said. "That is also the plan we had before the accident, you might want to say

that there is another argument now to do it, but with basically untouched

booking numbers, that thing would not apply," Spohr added. On March 24, the Germanwings Airbus A320 flying from Barcelona

to Dusseldorf crashed in a remote area of the French Alps killing all 150

people on board. According to the information from the planes black boxes, copilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane

after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.

http://sputniknews.com

Lufthansas reputation not damaged by Germanwings' aircraft crash: CEO

New Delhi, The crash of a Germanwings' aircraft two months ago has not

affected Lufthansas reputation of being a safe airline, Carlson Sophr, airlines Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board, said here on Sunday evening. Germanwings is the low-cost affiliate of

Lufthansa. On the count of safety, Lufthansa has a reputation which even by the tragic accident has not been hurt or damaged. This is not just the

CEO trying to sell the company but our April figures were record

figures in the history of Lufthansa days and weeks after the

accident, Sophr said in response to a question from this newspaper. The CEO was addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the

71st IATA Annual General Meeting here. At the end of March this year, a Germanwings aircraft had crashed in

the French Alps killing all 150 passengers and crew members on

board. The CEO said that there will be a very emotional moment coming up next week when the first 30 victims of the crash will be

flown to their home country. Sophr added that days after the crash there was some downturn in Germanwings bookings. He, however, added that Germanwings numbers were positive for the past two months. The group, which includes Swiss and Austrian apart from Lufthansa,

operates 67 weekly international flights from various Indian cities. Sophr said that the decision to cut back on flights to Russia was

based on fall in demand. For sure being a consequence of the sanctions and less international economic relations between Russia

and the markets that Lufthansa serves in Europe and beyond, he added. (This correspondent is in Miami at the invitation of International Air Transport Association (IATA))

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

International Jet Management and Mena

Aerospace in joint venture

Austria-based International Jet Management (IJM) and Bahrain-based MAE

Aircraft Management WLL, a subsidiary of MENA Aerospace have entered

into a Joint Venture in Bahrain. MAE Aircraft Managements operation is based at its Private Hangar at Bahrain International Airport, and holds an Aircraft Operating Certificate

issued by the Kingdom of Bahrains Civil Aviation Affairs. The Joint Venture will promote, sell and coordinate V-VIP and corporate travel on chartered

business jets. The cooperation allows IJM to further develop its business in the Middle

East Region together with a well established and well respected aviation

player in the region with an existing regional infrastructure and business

network. The Joint Ventures objective is to expand the aircraft management business and to provide superior service to the regional business jet charter

market. Felix Feller, founder and CEO of IJM said: The cooperation and partnership with MENA Aerospace is the next step in our strategic and measured

expansion. We believe there is a huge demand for aircraft management and

charter solutions that are tailored to the growing Middle Eastern market. The

know-how and experience of IJM in the field of aircraft management and

charter services combined with MENA Aerospace regional infrastructure, local insight and business network will allow us to achieve our strategy for

mutual growth. The existing business of IJM and its Austrian Air Operator Certificate will be

not affected by this new partnership. Dr. Mohamed Juman, MENA Aerospaces managing director said: We are certainly excited at the prospect of implementing this Joint Venture and

offering the region superior private and business aviation solutions. We see

our customers benefiting from the best of both worlds; An experienced

European aircraft management and charter service provider, partnering with

a mature, well-developed aviation services provider with regional presence

and infrastructure. We are also very eager to support the Joint Venture

operation with our technical support services and aircraft hangar facilities.

http://www.arabianaerospace.aero

British airlines 'face multiple toxic air claims'

Seventeen former and serving cabin crew are planning legal

action against British airlines saying they have been poisoned

by contaminated cabin air. The cases are funded by the Unite union which represents

20,000 flight staff. Workers believe they have fallen sick after breathing in fumes

mixed with engine oil and other toxic chemicals. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says incidents of smoke or

fumes on planes are rare and there is no evidence of long-term

health effects. Oxygen masks The Unite union, which is calling for a public inquiry into

contaminated cabin air, has recently opened a dedicated legal

unit to record and process claims from its membership. Its lawyers are now working on 17 "definite" individual

personal injury claims against British airlines in the civil

courts, although these are still at an early stage. Uncensored safety reports submitted to the CAA, and obtained

, show that between Victoria Derbyshire programmeby the

April 2014 and May 2015 there were 251 separate incidents of

fumes or smoke inside a large passenger jet operated by a

British airline. The BBC has, where possible, chosen not to include cases

which could be blamed on an internal fault like a broken toilet

or air conditioning system.

http://www.bbc.com

The statistics do not include international airlines, such as Lufthansa

and Ryanair, even when travelling in British airspace. An illness was reported in 104 of the 251 cases, and on at least 28 of

those flights oxygen was administered. The programme has also seen first-hand testimony from a pilot working

for a major UK airline who believes he was affected by toxic fumes while

landing at Birmingham Airport in 2014. "Almost instantly myself and the captain became very unwell and

decided it was bad enough to place our oxygen masks on," he said. "We didn't declare a mayday - mostly due to not being able to think of

the words needed to say - and ended up auto-landing the plane and

simply briefing, 'Whoever is alive or conscious, pull back the thrust

levels after touchdown.' It was that serious."

http://www.bbc.com

Around half the air on board most modern commercial jets is drawn

through the engines. Campaigners say when a fault occurs in the engine seals, a cocktail of

potentially poisonous gases can reach the cabin. This includes TCP, an

organophosphate known to be dangerous to human health in high enough

quantities. It is repeated exposure to such fume events - combined with long-term,

low-level exposure to chemicals - which some cabin crew believe has

damaged their long-term health. The problems are said to affect the central nervous system and brain. The CAA says there is no evidence that chemicals appear at high enough

concentrations to cause harm. How safe is air quality on planes? Lawyers and campaigners are closely watching a series of inquests which

could influence the outcome of a much larger number of civil cases. Pilot Richard Westgate died in December 2012, aged 43, after complaining

of long-term health problems. Last February, the coroner in the inquest into his death wrote to British

Airways and the CAA saying that examinations of Mr Westgate's body

"disclosed symptoms consistent with exposure to organophosphate

compounds in aircraft cabin air". He asked them to take "urgent action to prevent future deaths". Both organisations have since replied to the coroner implying he

overstepped the mark and had relied on "selective and contentious

evidence". A second inquest is due to open into the case of 34-year-old Matthew

Bass who died suddenly in January 2014 after suffering unexplained

health problems. His family says a specialist post-mortem examination found high levels of

toxins in his nervous system linked to organophosphates.

http://www.bbc.com

British Airways said in a statement: "We would not operate an

aircraft if we believed it posed a health or safety risk to our

customers or crew. "There has been substantial research into questions around

cabin air quality over the last few years. In summary, the

research has found no evidence that exposure to potential

chemicals in the cabin causes long-term ill health". Airbus and Boeing both maintain cabin air is safe to breathe. 'Nocebo effect' In 2013, an independent group of scientists, the Committee on

Toxicity, looked at the evidence of long-term health effects for

the government. a link between contaminated cabin air could not establishIt

and ill health. "The levels [of harmful chemicals in planes] were as low or

even lower than those in the home or the workplace," said Prof

Alan Boobis, current chairman of the committee. "We can't be sure what the levels are in fume events, which are

very rare, but we do have some information which would

indicate that even in those circumstances levels are probably

below those which would affect health in humans." The committee believes one explanation could be the so-called

"nocebo" effect, a psychological condition where exposure to

a harmless substance can lead to nausea, fatigue and other

medical symptoms.

http://www.bbc.com

share-Istanbul co-EVA Air and Turkish Airlines initiate Taipei TAIPEI - Star Alliance members EVA Air and Turkish Airlines have initiated

a code-share agreement on the Taipei-Istanbul route, effective on June 4,

2015. EVA has added its code to Turkish Airlines current daily flights. When EVA launches service on the route in 2016, Turkish Airlines will

reciprocate by placing its code on those flights. And once both airlines are

flying Taipei-Istanbul, passengers can use the combined frequencies to

plan itineraries with more flexibility and connectivity between Taiwan and

Turkey. As the route develops, the two airlines will collaborate to use Istanbul as a

hub for travel to more distant destinations. Extending the code-share and

commercial agreement beyond Istanbul will enable EVA to offer

passengers more convenient choices for travel to Europe and for Turkish

Airlines to give those on its flights easy access to popular destinations

throughout Asia. EVA and Turkish Airlines will also cooperate in efforts to boost tourism and

cultural exploration between Taiwan and Istanbul and promote business

travel between the two regions. The route is especially attractive to leisure

and business travelers from Taiwan and Asia because it takes no more

than 2~3 hours to make smooth onward flight connections to major cities

in Europe, including Frankfurt, Barcelona, Lisbon, Copenhagen and

Stockholm. The two airlines are also entering into a Special Prorate

Agreement (SPA) to enable passengers who book connecting flights to

travel with one ticket and check baggage all the way through to their final

destination. Turkish Airlines links 226 international destinations with more than 100 of

them in Europe. Istanbul is the only city in the world on two continents and

serves as a main hub for travel between the east and west. It offers the

transcontinental advantages of its location in Eurasia and makes

connecting flights to destinations throughout Europe and the Middle East

easier than ever for EVA passengers. Istanbul is at the heart of Turkeys economy, culture and history. With its many historical architectural sites, tourism attractions and thriving

businesses, travelers from every corner of the globe visit the city every

year. The route and code-share arrangement gives passengers inviting

new travel choices and will attract more travelers from Taiwan with the

increased convenience of visiting Istanbul and more destinations

throughout Europe.

http://www.traveldailynews.asia

Mideast airline chiefs set to clash with US, Europe peers

A multi-billion-dollar market is at stake when airline executives from the

Middle, Europe and the United States meet in Miami this week. At the heart of the talks is a slew of contentious issues over subsidies

and market access, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Billion of dollars in aircraft orders to Boeing Co. and Airbus Group, as

well as wider global trade issues, are also high on the agenda, the report

said, citing John Strickland, director of aviation advisory JLS

Consulting. The three major US carriers Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines and Europes Air France-KLM and Deutsche Lufthansa, have urged their governments to block further market access

to three Middle East carriers they accuse of receiving US$42 billion in

government backing. The subsidies allow them to compete unfairly, they said. Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways deny they are

subsidized and say their rivals have received hefty handouts. Airline representatives from about 150 carriers are gathering Monday

and Tuesday in Miami for the annual meeting of the International Air

Transport Association, the airline industrys biggest trade group, amid intensifying acrimony between the Persian Gulf carriers and their critics. This has now become a global debate, said Carsten Spohr, chief executive of Lufthansa, which has long argued for curbs on growth of

the Persian Gulf rival. Having the US airlines join the German carriers argument makes our discussion more credible, he said. James Hogan, chief executive of Etihad Airways said opponents of the

Mideast carriers are a minority. It is two airlines in Europe and it is three airlines in the U.S.A. Does that represent the world of aviation?, he said.

http://www.ejinsight.com

IATA -April air numbers higher, domestic tops

Monday, June 08, 2015 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for April showing robust demand growth compared to April 2014. Total revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) rose 5.9 per cent. April capacity (available seat kilometres or ASKs) increased by 6.1 per cent, and load factor slipped 0.1 percentage points to 79.4 per cent. Domestic demand grew by 7.2 per cent, outpacing international demand which grew by 5.2 per cent compared to April 2014. Demand for connectivity remains strong. Thats positive news. But the performance of the industry is multi-tiered. Middle East and Asia-Pacific based carriers led with growth well above the 5.9 per cent average, while carriers in Europe and the Americas were below it. And African airlines reported a contraction compared to the previous year, said Tony Tyler, IATAs dg and ceo (pictured left). Apr 2015 vs. Apr 2014 RPK growth ASK growth PLF International 5.2% 5.9% 78.6% Domestic 7.2% 6.4% 80.8% Total market 5.9% 6.1% 79.4% YTD 2015 vs. YTD 2014 RPK growth ASK growth PLF International 6.4% 6.1% 78.2% Domestic 6.1% 5.4% 80.3% Total market 6.3% 5.8% 79.0% International passenger markets April international passenger demand rose 5.2 per cent compared to April 2014. Airlines in all regions except Africa recorded growth led by the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. Capacity climbed 5.9 per cent and load factor dipped 0.5 percentage points to 78.6 per cent. Asia-Pacific airlines April traffic jumped 9.0 per cent compared to the year-ago period. Capacity rose six per cent and load factor surged 2.2 percentage points to 78.3 per cent. To date the sharp reversal in regional trade activity after strong gains in late 2014 has not had an adverse impact on business-related international air travel.

www.impactpub.com

European carriers experienced a 3.7 per cent demand increase in April versus April 2014. Capacity rose 4.7 per cent

and load factor declined 0.8 percentage points to 80.7 per

cent, still the highest among the regions for the month.

Although signs are that a positive response to the European

Central Bank stimulus has faltered owing to firming in the

Euro and oil prices, economic stimulus is helping ease

downward pressure on demand. North American airlines had just a 0.7 per cent rise in traffic compared to April a year ago. US economic growth turned

negative in the first quarter of 2015 while the stronger dollar is

likely hampering inbound leisure travel. Capacity rose 4.1 per

cent and load factor fell 2.6 percentage points to 78.1 per cent. Middle East carriers demand climbed 8.2 per cent in April but this was exceeded by a 13.3 per cent jump in capacity with

the result that load factor dropped 3.6 percentage points to

77.2 per cent. Economies in the region are reasonably well

positioned to withstand the plunge in oil revenues and

regionally-based carriers continue to gain market share. Latin American airlines saw a 6.3 per cent rise in traffic compared to April 2014. Capacity rose 7.3 per cent, however,

causing load factor to slip 0.7 percentage points to 77.7 per

cent. Regional trade volumes have been improving but Brazils economy remains a trouble spot. African airlines traffic fell 3.2 per cent in April year-to-year, while capacity dropped 5.0 per cent, resulting in a 1.3

percentage point rise in load factor to 67.5 per cent. Negative

economic developments in parts of the continent, including

Nigeria, which relies heavily on oil revenues, probably

contribute to the depressed results.

www.impactpub.com

Domestic passenger markets Domestic travel demand rose 7.2 per cent in April compared to April

2014, with the strongest growth occurring in India and China. Total

domestic capacity also was up 6.4 per cent, and load factor was 80.8

per cent, up 0.6 percentage points. April 2015 vs April 2014 RPK growth ASK growth PLF Australia 0.1% -1.8% 76.8% Brazil 2.3% 0.9% 80.8% China P.R 15.5% 13.2% 81.5% India 20.7% 8.7% 82.0% Japan 6.4% 2.6% 63.3% Russian Federation 1.7% 13.2% 67.2% US 4.3% 4.4% 85.2% Domestic 7.2% 6.4% 80.8% Indias domestic demand jumped 20.7 per cent in April compared to a year ago likely owing to continued market stimulation by local carriers

as well noteworthy improvements in economic growth. Chinas domestic traffic climbed 15.5 per cent year-over-year but the strong momentum may not be maintained in the face of indications of

slowing economic growth. Russian air travel remains weak, with just a 1.7 per cent rise over the year-ago period, consistent with the economy being in recession. The bottom line: As we head into the traditionally strong summer travel season in the Northern Hemisphere, the outlook for aviation is a mixed picture.

Lower oil prices are helping to keep the cost of air travel down. The

stronger US dollar, however, may dampen demand in some markets.

And it remains to be seen how long robust travel demand can stand

up in the face of a trio of bad economic news: Unexpectedly poor first

quarter performance in the US, continuing weakness in the eurozone

and slowing regional trade in Asia Pacific, said Tyler. Strong passenger demand and cargo weakness will set the scene for

the 71st IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit

which will be held in Miami 7-9 June 2015.

www.impactpub.com

LOT CEO seeks to step up Star involvement

LOT Polish Airlines is focused on how to reap more benefits

from its 10-year membership with the Star Alliance, CEO

Sebastian Mikosz told ATW. "My personal feeling is that we are not fully leveraging our

cooperation with our Star Alliance partners. We have a lot of

untapped potential with partners such as Air India or Ethiopian

Airlines and which are very attractive, Mikosz said. Mikosz added that the global alliance model has changed

significantly. After a period of polite smiling, we started to put our real things on the table, he noted. LOT, which hosts the next Star Alliance board meeting in

Warsaw June 22-24, hopes to use that opportunity to explore

greater partnership opportunities with its fellow Star members.

Im very happy that the event will in Poland and I would like it to create new opening for LOT to have a more active presence

in the alliance, Mikosz said. If you are a small airline, and I believe we still are, it becomes a real question mark if some of the most important alliance]

members are dont codeshare with you [on long-haul flights]. Then it becomes an alliance made only of competitors, Mikosz said. "Even though I understand that there are individual

interests this is a real challenge for us. Mikosz said it also makes sense to team with airlines that are

not Star Alliance members. "We are just talking with Garuda

and also with Japan Air Lines in terms of a cargo. We see

multiple ways that we could cooperate and create mutual

benefits and we are going to continue that, he said.

http://m.atwonline.com

IATA Air Transport Association : LatAm Aviation

Growth Delivers Economic and Social Benefits

Potential for 385 Million Passengers by 2025 Smarter Regulation

and Global Best Standards and Practices Needed Miami - The

International Transport Association (IATA) announced that

passenger growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LatAm)

could reach 385 million within ten years if the region's

governments address infrastructure bottlenecks, embrace smarter

regulation, and observe global standards and best practices. In

2014, passenger numbers in the region were 242 million. "Air transport is the mass transit system of the global economy; it

drives economic growth, creates jobs, and facilitates business

opportunities. Already, the Latin American and Caribbean region

supports 4.9 million jobs and contributes $153 billion to regional

GDP, including the benefits of travel and tourism. While this is a

sizable contribution to the region's economic well-being, the

region has the potential to extract much more value from aviation,"

said Peter Cerda, IATA's Regional Vice President, during the

Association's Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport

Summit. Latin America and the Caribbean are well-positioned to unlock the

transformative social and economic benefits robust air

connectivity provides, but the region will have to overcome

various obstacles to achieve it. The region is home to more than

8% of the world's population yet only accounts for 5% of all global

air traffic. Latin America and the Caribbean could therefore

increase air traffic more than 50% before the region reached even

its minimum potential global share. Certainly, there is considerable

room for air traffic growth in the region if the roadblocks are

removed.

http://www.4-traders.com

Overcoming Obstacles The lack of adequate infrastructure, primarily

airport infrastructure, is provoking capacity constraints in the region.

For this reason, only two countries in the region, Panama and

Barbados, rank among the best 35 countries in the world for the

quality of their air transport infrastructure. Among the region's larger

economies, Brazil is ranked 131, Colombia 105 and Mexico 64. There

are some bright spots: the future Mexico City airport is an excellent

opportunity to create a world-class hub that strikes the correct

balance between passenger comfort and a facility that keeps costs

reasonable for airlines and the flying public. Another area of concern in the region is the need for Smarter

Regulation aligned with global standards and best practices.

Governments in the region-with the notable exception of Panama and

Chile-tend to view airlines as purveyors of luxury services and an

easy target for levying taxes or applying onerous regulation. An

unfortunate illustration of this is Brazil, where its consumer protection

regime is not aligned with global standards and best practices and

places an unfair burden on the industry. Airlines with trans-national brands in the region struggle to optimize

efficiency in their network operations. For example, in the absence of

mutual recognition by the region's civil aviation authorities of fleet

registration and crew licensing airline resources cannot be utilized

flexibly to deliver maximum efficiency. "It is important for the region's governments to understand that the

real value of aviation is the global connectivity it provides and the

growth and development it stimulates. Aviation is highly susceptible

to increases in taxation, onerous regulation, and the inconsistent

application of rules and regulations. However, when governments

adhere to global standards and work in partnership with the aviation

industry, the positive economic repercussions aviation brings are

easily attainable. The efforts by air carriers to create a dynamic and

thriving aviation industry will only be realized if governments work to

ensure excessive taxes and regulations don't stunt its excellent

growth prospects," said Cerda.

http://www.4-traders.com

News Brief: IATA Signs MOU with Mexican

Government to Support Future Mexico City Airport Agreement Includes Ensuring Efficiency of Current Airport Miami The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Mexicos Ministry of Communications and Transportation signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) in which IATA will provide technical and operational

assistance for the design and construction of Mexico Citys new airport. The agreement also encompasses IATA offering technical and

professional advice for the current Mexico City airport to ensure it

continues to operate efficiently until the new facility is completed around

2020. The MOU further strengthens the already strong ties between IATA and air transport in Mexico. We are proud of a partnership that will help make

sure the future Mexico City airport meets the needs of the growing flying

public and is a facility that is comfortable, efficient, and cost-effective both

for air travelers and airlines, said Tony Tyler, IATAs Director General and CEO. The MOU will allow the Mexican government to understand and adopt global best practices in the design of large-scale hub airports, just what

we are looking to achieve with the new Mexico City airport. Additionally,

IATAs experience analyzing the management of slots will improve the process and align it with global best practices and be very helpful ahead

of the increased air traffic in the country, said Gilberto Lpez Meyer, Director General of Mexicos General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The MOU was co-signed by General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) of

Mexico, the Mexico City Airport Group (GACMrepresenting the future airport) and the Mexico City International Airport (AICMrepresenting the existing airport), on the sidelines of the 71st IATA Annual General Meeting

and World Air Transport Summit, which is taking place in Miami, 7-9 June

2015. IATA is pleased to be working with the Mexican authorities from the early stages on one of the regions most significant air transport infrastructure projects. By working together we can ensure that the right decisions are

made. The key to success is consultation, so that what is built meets the

needs of the airlines at a cost they can afford. We look forward to the

collaboration that will make Mexico Citys new airport an example other regional developments can emulate, said Tyler

http://www.iata.org

Slot Allocation at Mexico City International

Airport The MOU has a provision for the study of the

slot management at the existing Mexico City

International Airport. Mexico Citys current airport is saturated. Effective slot

management helps to maximize capacity so

that the greatest economic and social benefits

can be derived from the airports limited capabilities. Under this MOU, IATA will

continue its work with local authorities to

ensure slots at Mexico City International

Airport are optimized and global best

practices are implemented in accordance with

the IATA World Slot Guidelines.

http://www.iata.org

s for Rouge unit321Air Canada CEO says considering more A

MIAMI (Reuters) - Air Canada is considering adding

around 10 Airbus A321 narrowbody jets to the fleet of its

low-cost vacation carrier Rouge, up from previous plans

for five, the Toronto-based carrier's chief executive said

on Sunday. Rouge currently has 32 planes - 20 of the narrowbody

A319s made by Airbus and 12 wide-body Boeing 767 jets

- and plans to increase this to 50 in 2018. "The ultimate objective is to have 25 narrowbodies, and

up to 10 of those could be larger A321s," Calin

Rovinescu said on the sidelines of the annual meeting of

the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in

Miami. He said Air Canada could look at getting the A321s from

the secondary market and not necessarily buy them new. In April last year, Air Canada finalized a deal to buy up to

109 narrowbody jets from Boeing to replace Airbus

narrowbody aircraft in its main fleet, in a major switch of

supplier. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan, Editing by Tim Hepher)

http://ca.reuters.com

% stake in Kuwait Airways75Government to retain per cent of the airline's shares will be 20 Under a new proposal,

per cent to current and retired 5 offered to Kuwaiti citizens and

employees.

Kuwaits government has approved a new structure for the privatisation of Kuwait Airways under which the state will own 75 per

cent of the carrier, it said on Sunday, excluding potential investors

such as Jazeera Airways. Under the new proposal, approved by Transport Minister Issa Al-

Kandari, 20 per cent of the airlines shares will be offered to Kuwaiti citizens, 5 per cent to current and retired employees, and the

government will retain the rest, a statement on Kuwaits news agency (KUNA) website said. Parliaments Financial and Economic Committee will meet to vote on the approved proposal before it is finalised. Previous proposals put governments stake at 20 to 40 per cent and allowed strategic investors to own up to 35 per cent. Kuwaits parliament first approved a plan to privatise the loss-making Kuwait Airways Corp. (KAC) in 2008, but the process has been

repeatedly held up. Privatisation was initially delayed as the company

planned to first restructure the airline. Kuwait Airways agreed during 2014 to purchase 10 widebody Boeing

777-300ER and 25 new Airbus aircraft including the A320-neos and

A350s, in an attempt to launch new routes. The acquisitions raised the asset value to KD 2 billion ($6.61 billion),

the statement said. Kuwaits low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways on May 31 said it filed an interest to acquire 35 per cent stake in the state-owned carrier. The new proposal would exclude domestic carrier competitors, such

as Jazeera Airways as potential bidders.

https://gulfbusiness.com

Etihad Airways selects Accenture to provide HR,

finance and procurement/supply support

) a 2015-Jun-07signed ( Etihad Airways

collaboration agreement with Accenture to

support the implementation of its business

transformation program to improve productivity

and efficiency and enable growth. Accenture will

provide strategy and management consulting

services in the areas of human resources, finance,

and procurement and supply management to

Airways' corporate processes Etihadstreamline

and enable the development of best-in-class

capabilities within those functions. To support

this, Accenture will work with the airline's

, to implement a new SAPtechnology partner,

enterprise resource planning software solution. It

will also set up and operate a new 'Testing Centre

of Excellence' for these solutions, which will be

as part of Etihad Airways' Abu Dhabilocated in

existing operations.

http://centreforaviation.com

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