06 Jan 2020
North America Newsletter 6 January
American Airlines Donates Last 2 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Aircraft
American is donating the last two MD-80 aircraft to CareerTech in Oklahoma City, and Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. The airline will ferry the first of the donated planes to Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) today. The other aircraft will be ferried to Lewis University Airport. The donations to the two schools provides aviation maintenance students the opportunity to gain practical experience by working on a commercial aircraft. “As we look to the future of American’s Tech Ops work force, it’s important to train the next generation of aviation maintenance students so we have a development pipeline for skilled technicians,” said Kevin Brickner, Senior Vice President of Technical Operations for American. “Just like the MD-80 inspired our own team members in their career development for more than 35 years, the aircraft will do the same for students for years to come. We are proud to partner with CareerTech and Lewis University on this donation.”
Bain Capital Credit to Invest in Atlas Air Worldwide’s Titan Aircraft Leasing Business
Titan Aviation Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. and Bain Capital Credit, LP announced that they have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture to develop a diversified freighter aircraft leasing portfolio with an anticipated value of approximately $1 billion. The long-term joint venture aims to capitalize on demand for cargo aircraft, underpinned by robust e-commerce and express market growth. Under the joint venture, Bain and Titan have committed to provide $360 million and $40 million of equity capital, respectively, which may be supplemented with additional commitments over time, to acquire aircraft over the next several years.
Boeing Announces Leadership Changes
Boeing announced today that its Board of Directors has named current Chairman, David L. Calhoun, as Chief Executive Officer and President, effective January 13, 2020. Mr. Calhoun will remain a member of the Board. In addition, Board member Lawrence W. Kellner will become non-executive Chairman of the Board effective immediately. The Company also announced that Dennis A. Muilenburg has resigned from his positions as Chief Executive Officer and Board director effective immediately. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO during the brief transition period, while Mr. Calhoun exits his non-Boeing commitments. The Board of Directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders. Under the Company's new leadership, Boeing will operate with a renewed commitment to full transparency, including effective and proactive communication with the FAA, other global regulators and its customers.
Frontier Airlines Announces 25 New Routes, Including Service to Central America
Frontier Airlines announced 25 nonstop routes, including its return to Central America with flights to Guatemala City and San Salvador and service to two new destinations in the Dominican Republic: Santiago and Santo Domingo. In addition, the airline introduced plans for a crew base in Miami. Opening in March 2020, Frontier’s newest base in Miami will grow to more than 100 flight attendants and 30 pilots within the first three months. The base will create new jobs in Miami for pilots and flight attendants, contributing to the area’s economic growth.
LOT Announces New Flights Between Warsaw And Washington D.C
LOT Polish Airlines has announced it will launch a direct service between Warsaw and Washington DC on 2 June. The route marks the flag carrier’s 10th service connecting Poland with the US, with flights due to operate three times a week on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Rafal Milczarski, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines, commented: “A direct flight from Warsaw to Washington DC has long been on our ‘short list’. In the course of extensive business analyses, we focused not only on the very fact of connecting the capitals of Poland and the US, but also on the tourist and business potential offered by this connecting, which has been growing with each year. Moreover, so far Central and Eastern Europe has lacked such a convenient connection to Washington DC. New long-haul flights to the USA are the backbone of our strategy and announcing the new connection to Washington now certainly is not our last word.”
Spirit Airlines Appoints Matt Klein as Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer
Spirit Airlines announced its Board of Directors has promoted Matt Klein to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). In this role, Klein will oversee Marketing, Pricing & Revenue Management, Network Planning & Scheduling, and Commercial & Operational Analytics. He joined Spirit in August 2016 as Senior Vice President and CCO. "For the last three years, Matt has helped guide Spirit’s evolution as an industry leader with a focus to deliver the best value in the sky,” said Ted Christie, President and CEO of Spirit Airlines. “Matt is an innovator who has implemented strategies to further grow our ancillary revenue production, successfully grow our network, and improve our brand positioning.”
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