Corporate Travel News For The Americas

Bombardier VP communications and public affairs Mike Nadolski issued (20-Dec-2017) the following statement in response to tariff determinations issued by the US Department of Commerce:

• Evidence presented at the US International Trade Commission "demonstrated that Boeing's petition is an unfounded assault on airlines, the flying public, and the US aerospace industry";
• The US Commerce Department decision is "divorced from this reality and ignores long-standing business practices in the aerospace industry, including launch pricing and the financing of multibillion dollar aircraft programs". Bombardier is "deeply disappointed that the Commerce Department did not take this opportunity to rectify its past errors";
• Bombardier remains confident that "at the end of the process" the US International Trade Commission will "reach the right conclusion, which is that the C Series benefits the US aerospace industry, US airlines, and the US flying public";
• The C Series "simply does not threaten Boeing" and Boeing did not compete in the Delta Air Lines sales campaign;
• Bombardier estimates the new Alabama assembly line, developed in partnership with Airbus to manufacture the C Series in the US, will add 400 to 500 direct jobs in the US, along with thousands more indirect and induced US jobs. It will also bring approximately USD300 million in new foreign direct investment to the US. [more - original PR]

TAP Portugal announced (20-Dec-2017) plans to resume services from Porto to Milan, Barcelona, London City and Ponta Delgada, effective 25-Mar-2018, and to reinforce operations to Brazil and Canada. Details as follows:

• Porto-Barcelona: Twice daily service;
• Porto-Milan: Twice daily service;
• Porto-London City: Six times weekly;
• Porto-Ponta Delgada: Daily service;
• Lisbon-Florence: 10 times weekly, effective 10-Jun-2018.

The carrier also plans to add four weekly services to Campinas and one each to Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Toronto, effective Jun-2018. Plans for Lisbon-Nouakchott service are also under consideration, pending governmental approval. [more - original PR]

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) welcomed (20-Dec-2017) Qantas plans to launch Melbourne-San Francisco service from late 2018. The carrier already operates Sydney-San Francisco service. SFO reported Australia represents a" significant source of travel and tourism", with 290,770 arrivals from Australia in 2016, ranking it eighth among international inbound markets. Australian Visitors to San Francisco spent over USD298 million in 2016, a rate which is expected to grow at a rate of 11.5% in 2017. [more - original PR]

Brazil's Lower House (Chamber of Deputies) approved (19-Nov-2017) the Open Skies agreement signed with the US in Mar-2011. The framework will now be sent to Brazil's Senate for due diligence. [more - original PR]

Air Canada rouge launched twice weekly Montreal-Lima service on 17-Dec-2017, operating Boeing 767-300ER equipment (Portalde Turismo, 19-Dec-2017). The service complements Air Canada's Toronto-Lima service and "strategically positions Air Canada as an important player in the growing market between Montreal and Latin America", according to Air Canada president of passenger airlines Benjamin Smith.

CAPA - Centre for Aviation stated (19-Dec-2017) Southwest Airlines received a new Boeing 737-800 (N8558Z, MSN 63602), as recorded by the CAPA Fleet Database. The aircraft is the sixth 737-800 to be delivered to the airline in Dec-2017.

SATA Air Acores plans to replace A310 with new A321neo aircraft on Ponta Delgada-Boston service effective 12-Jan-2018, Terceira-Boston service effective 18-Jan-2018 and Ponta Delgada-Toronto service effective 25-Mar-2018 (Presstur, 18-Dec-2017).

Fort Myers Southwest Florida International Airport reported (19-Dec-2017) the following traffic highlights for Nov-2017:

• Passengers: 767,064, +5.4% year-on-year;
• Cargo: 1327 tonnes, +3.2%;
• Aircraft movements: 6983, +3.5%.

The top five airlines in Nov-2017 were Southwest Airlines (147,420 passengers), Delta Air Lines (122,900), American Airlines (112,620), JetBlue (106,422) and Spirit (81,373). [more - original PR]

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Kevin McAllister warned the 737 MAX 7 may not survive if Bombardier continues to sell aircraft below fair market value (Bloomberg, 19-Dec-2017). "Our Max 7 is at extreme risk... If you don't level the playing field now, it will be too late," he said.

Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon said destinations such as New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are "all within our frame" as it takes delivery of new generation aircraft and considers orders for new ultra long range aircraft (New Zealand Herald, 20-Dec-2017). Mr Luxon said as new aircraft technology arrives "we think we'll have better aircraft that can fly to those destinations" and the carrier is "interested in getting our customers much more to the eastern seaboard of America".