ATW Daily News

ATW Daily News covers the latest news and developments affecting the global airline industry.

• Lufthansa adds Brussels Airlines to consolidation wish list

  Lufthansa is in "constructive negotiations" with SN Airholding, parent of Brussels Airlines, about an equity investment worth 45% of the Belgian company with an option to take it over fully later.

• AirAsia remains undeterred despite plunging profits

  Rising revenue and demand were little match for soaring fuel prices and the reduced value of the Malaysian ringgit as AirAsia posted a second-quarter profit of MYR9.4 million ($2.8 million) that represented a 95% plunge from the MYR185.1 million earned in the year-ago period.

• Aer Lingus swings to first-half loss, predicts full-year deficit

  Citing unprecedented fuel costs, slowing economic growth in its main markets and weakness in the US dollar and UK pound, Aer Lingus reported a net loss of €20.6 million ($30.3 million) for the first half of 2008, reversed from a €6.8 million profit in the year-ago semester.

• Air Berlin increases profit, credits low-cost model, fuel hedging

  Air Berlin's second-quarter net profit rose 38.3% to €8.3 million ($12.2 million) compared to €6 million in the year-ago period if the 2007 results of LTU, AB's acquisition of which was approved in last year's third quarter, are included.

• AF KLM commits to Alitalia investment as rescue plan details emerge

  

• EgyptAir orders two 777-300ERs

  

• Zoom Airlines shuts down

  

• Air China's first half features falling profit, operating loss

  Air China's first-half net income fell 20.7% to CNY1.24 billion ($180.8 million) on surging oil prices and softening traffic resulting from May's Sichuan earthquake and heightened security surrounding the recently completed Olympics.

• While waiting for 787, Qantas turns attention to 777-300ER

  Qantas is understood to be moving toward an order for the 365-seat 777-300ER as Boeing pulls out all stops to thwart a commitment to the rival A350-1000.

• Spanair MD-82's engines recovered, to be studied for thrust problems

  Spanish authorities have recovered the engines of the Spanair MD-82 that crashed on takeoff last week and will disassemble them "screw by screw" to try to determine whether a thrust problem contributed to the accident, the head of the crash investigation said yesterday.