BUSINESS

07/23/2008

American Airlines changes instructions for mechanics on lightning damage
The change is intended to end a standoff between the nation's largest airline and some of its mechanics, who complained to federal safety regulators.

07/22/2008

Honeywell extends Southwest Airlines contract
Honeywell International Inc., a diversified manufacturer, said Tuesday it has extended a contract with Southwest Airlines Co. to maintain Honeywell equipment on Southwest's fleet for the next 10 years.

American Airlines and Google settle lawsuit
American sued the search giant last year seeking unspecified damages for trademark infringement. Last week, a federal district court judge in Fort Worth dismissed the lawsuit.

07/21/2008

Southwest Airlines streamlines ticket counter computers

REX C. CURRY/Special

Southwest customer service agents Ally Hyland (left) and Melodie Thomas (second from left) help passengers at the airline’s main ticket counter at Love Field.

Remember that scene from Meet the Parents where actor Ben Stiller waits as an airline agent types in about a million keystrokes to find out if he can get an earlier flight? Southwest Airlines’ customer service agent Pat Stock lives it every day. But not for long.
Honeywell extends Southwest Airlines contract

07/18/2008

American Airlines to cut 1,500 aircraft maintenance jobs
American Airlines Inc. will cut 1,300 aircraft mechanics' jobs as well as 200 management and support jobs in its maintenance area as part of the carrier’s plan to cut close to 7,000 jobs this year, the carrier confirmed Friday

07/17/2008

Continental slides to 2Q loss on fuel costs
Continental Airlines says it swung to a second-quarter loss, hurt by record high fuel prices and weakening economic conditions.

07/16/2008

FAA orders changes to airliner fuel systems
The FAA directive, which goes into affect Aug. 20, requires all new aircraft to have technology that reduces the flammability of their tanks. Carriers say the change could potentially cost millions of dollars.

American Airlines parent posts $1.4B loss on special charges

FILE/DMN

U.S. airlines have struggled to cope with the soaring cost of jet fuel.

American Airlines parent AMR said Wednesday that it lost $284 million in the second quarter excluding special items, a sharp downturn compared to $317 million in net income a year earlier.
American Airlines to cut 200 pilot jobs
Delta Air Lines swings to a loss
Airline Biz blog

Major airlines taking huge one-time charges
The major U.S. carriers will post losses of nearly $5 billion in the second quarter – and that's before they get around to their losses from operations.

07/15/2008

American Airlines to cut 200 pilot jobs
The carrier also proposed to its pilot union, the Allied Pilots Association, some steps to mitigate the number of involuntary furloughs, but did not immediately make public its proposal.

House bill would overhaul relationships between FAA, airlines
WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is pushing stripped-down legislation to overhaul practices that contributed to last year's lapsed oversight of Southwest Airlines.

Airlines to begin selling ads on boarding passes
Several major airlines will begin displaying ads on boarding passes for customers who check in from home. Customers can print the boarding passes without ads if they want.

07/14/2008

Colleen Barrett scaling back to just 'Mom' at Southwest Airlines

BRANDON THIBODEAUX/Special Contributor

Colleen Barrett is stepping down today as Southwest Airlines president but will stay with the carrier for five more years as an employee.

Colleen Barrett has been a primary architect of Southwest's people-friendly culture since she began working full time for the airline in 1981. Ms. Barrett is leaving her position as president but staying with the airline for at least five years, with duties to be defined by chief executive Gary Kelly.
Airline Biz blog

Fitch shifts to negative outlook on airlines

FILE/Getty Images

Jet fuel prices, the largest single cost for most airlines, have risen more than 50 percent this year.

High fuel prices and slowing demand for travel have raised the risk that airlines could default on aircraft leases, Fitch Ratings said Monday.
Top airlines expected to lose about $750 million in second quarter
Blog: Airline Biz

FAA announces runway safety improvements at DFW, other airports
The Federal Aviation Administration announced measures Monday to improve runway safety, including the installation at major airports of lights that signal pilots when a runway is safe to enter.

07/13/2008

Top airlines expected to lose about $750 million in second quarter
A year ago, U.S. airlines were enjoying welcome profits after a half-decade of big losses. The 10 largest carriers together earned $3.7 billion in the second quarter of 2007, the industry's best second quarter since 2000.

07/10/2008

Airline industry launches lobbying campaign to fight oil speculators
The troubled airline industry is launching a lobbying campaign that blames speculators for ballooning fuel prices, but the carriers face stiff opposition to their energy plan from other lobbying powerhouses and some skeptical members of Congress.

07/09/2008

American Airlines jet returns to D/FW with mechanical problem
An American Airlines flight bound for Palm Springs, Calif., returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport this afternoon after the pilot declared an emergency. There were no injuries.

Northwest Airlines to cut jobs, add $15 fee for 1st checked bag

FILE/AP

Northwest said the job cuts – which represent about 8.3 percent of its workforce – will include front-line and management workers.

Northwest Airlines Corp. said on Wednesday it will cut 2,500 jobs because of high oil prices, and will begin charging $15 to check a single piece of luggage and as much as $100 to redeem a frequent-flier award ticket.
Airline Biz blog

07/08/2008

Dallas-bound American Airlines flight makes emergency landing
Little Rock National Airport officials say an American Airlines plane carrying 127 passengers and crew from Indianapolis to Dallas has made an emergency landing at the airport after pilots saw smoke in the cockpit.

FAA tells Southwest to check planes
Federal regulators on Tuesday directed Southwest Airlines Co. and other carriers to expand their checks for cracks on older Boeing planes, the latest safety rule to emerge since the Dallas carrier was fined for violating a similar directive last year.

American Airlines warns of 209 job cuts at Texas airports

FILE/DMN

The cuts include 158 at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

In a letter dated Monday, American executive Kevin Cox told the Texas Workforce Commission that the Fort Worth-based carrier will need to cut the jobs permanently in reaction to the industry’s problems.
AMR releases details on American Eagle to potential buyers
Airline Biz blog

Southwest Airlines finds Canadian partner for route system
Southwest Airlines Co, left without a code-sharing partner after the collapse of ATA Airlines Inc., said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Canadian carrier WestJet to work together.

07/07/2008

American Airlines again ranks last in on-time arrivals

FILE/AP

Only 67.3 percent of American Airlines' flights arrived within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival.

For the third straight month, American Airlines Inc. finished last among 19 U.S. carriers in on-time arrivals in May, with one third of its flights arriving at least 15 minutes late. Next worst were United Airlines and Continental Airlines.
Airline Biz blog: June brings emptier airplanes for U.S. airlines

AMR releases details on American Eagle to potential buyers
AMR has provided financial and operating information to potential buyers of American Eagle, indicating that it is moving forward with plans to jettison the regional airline.

Airlines may be pushed to be greener
Airlines may face new regulatory and economic pressures, not just because of the cost of the jet fuel their flights consume but also because of the carbon emissions those planes generate.

07/04/2008

Waiting to buy winter airfare is a gamble, experts say
Airfare increases and capacity cuts by the nation's airlines have left would-be winter holiday travelers with a troubling dilemma.

07/03/2008

D/FW Airport expects fewer passengers next year
With airlines nationwide cutting back on flights this fall, officials said Thursday that they expect passenger totals at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to drop to 54.1 million next year.

Virgin Atlantic objects to American Airlines alliance
An alliance between British Airways PLC, American Airlines and Iberia SA should be blocked, competitor Virgin Atlantic Ltd. said on Thursday, amid reports the trio are close to applying for U.S. antitrust immunity to form a trans-Atlantic joint venture.

07/02/2008

American Airlines' parent AMR to cut 6,500 or more jobs

LARA SOLT/DMN

American Airlines may furlough 900 flight attendants as of Aug. 31.

AMR Corp. will shrink to its smallest workforce in two decades by reducing its headcount by 6,500 or more jobs by year's end. The 8 percent cut in jobs will leave AMR, parent of American Airlines Inc., with fewer than 80,000 jobs, a level it hasn't seen since 1988.
Blog: Airline Biz

Dallas Love Field federal security director leaving
Mr. Dodson, who took the position at Love Field a year ago, previously spent 29 years working for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's public safety department.

Report: FAA hasn't done enough to ensure safety concerns are investigated
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general recommended Wednesday that regulators establish an independent watchdog within the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate inspectors’ safety concerns.

American Airlines parent to take $1.1B-$1.2B charge for aircraft

FILE/DMN

American Airlines plans to park 40 to 45 jets later this year, the majority from its fleet of 300 MD-80s.

AMR will write down the value of its smallest regional jets and its aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft in the second quarter. AMR said it will also incur severance-related expenses of $70 million as it cuts its workforce by about 8 percent.
American Airlines may lay off 900 flight attendants in August

Southwest Airlines, Continental see emptier planes in June
Southwest Airlines Co. and Continental Airlines Co. are both reporting more empty seats in June, the first full month of the summer season, than they recorded in June 2007.

06/30/2008

Airlines to crack down on oversize carry-ons
Checked bags are now a moneymaker for US Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines, and officials say they're going to keep a closer watch on how much you take on board as they begin their new baggage fees.

Airlines have lost much of their market value
Over the past year, the combined market capitalization – the price of a share of stock multiplied by the number of shares outstanding – of the 10 largest airlines has plummeted 57 percent, losing $23.5 billion in value.

06/27/2008

Delta Air Lines to add fuel surcharge to frequent-flier awards
Delta announced Friday it will begin adding a fuel surcharge of $25 for free frequent-flier tickets in the United States and Canada and $50 to all international destinations except Canada.

Transportation Department launches probe into FAA oversight
The department said its probe will examine the FAA's system for reviewing flight risk, its air carrier compliance measures and its oversight of maintenance practices.

American Airlines, flight attendants end efforts for a quick deal
American Airlines Inc. and its flight attendants’ union ended their attempt to negotiate a short-term contract extension Thursday night, and now will start regular negotiations later this summer, the two sides said Friday.

06/26/2008

Airlines pay $504M to settle price-fixing scam
Four international airlines have agreed to pay $504 million in fines to settle charges they conspired to fleece consumers by driving up cargo shipping prices.

Denver wins big in Southwest Airlines' schedule changes
Dallas Love Field is not scheduled to pick up or lose any flights in the new schedule. The big winner is Denver, where Southwest intends to add 22 flights to 13 cities while cutting two flights in two other cities, for a net increase of 20 flights in November.

American Airlines to reduce management, support ranks 8%

FILE/AP

American Airlines announced May 21 that it was reducing its flying in response to skyrocketing prices for jet fuel.

Each department will be able to decide whether to offer ways to reduce its payroll costs 8 percent without involuntary layoffs. An American Airlines spokesman declined to put a number on the actual number of jobs to be cut.
Airline Biz blog

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