Newsletter UNAC n° 660 du dimanche 27 août 2006

Sommaire :

SAS vendra bientôt des tickets en supermarchés
MEA transfère ses liaisons internationales...
Northwest Airlines accroît sa perte nette au 2e trimestre
Northwest Airlines, flight attendants' strike

SAS vendra bientôt des tickets en supermarchés

La compagnie suédoise, principale compagnie aérienne scandinave, vendra, à partir de janvier, des tickets et packages touristiques en supermarchés et magasins de proximité du groupe de distribution Reitan.

MEA transfère ses liaisons internationales...

... à Amman (Jordanie). La compagnie nationale libanaise opère désormais ses liaisons internationales depuis Amman, d'où une navette aérienne, opérée conjointement par la MEA et la Jordanian Airlines, assure des vols entre les deux capitales quatre fois par jour.

NDLR : D'ores et déjà planifiés pour fin septembre, les vols AF sur BEY sont prévus en aller retour à deux équipages PNC, selon CREW. Une planification forcément évolutive en fonction de l'actualité.

Néanmoins cela n'exclue pas de faire appel au décret de 1991 pour ne pas assurer ces vols, si cette destination vous angoisse.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - La compagnie aérienne américaine Northwest Airlines, sous la protection du Chapitre 11 de la loi sur les faillites, fait état d'une perte creusée sur le trimestre écoulé par ses coûts de restructuration.

La compagnie du Minnesota, qui a fait jouer en septembre dernier la procédure de sauvegarde, a accusé au deuxième trimestre une perte nette de 285 millions de dollars, soit 3,27 dollars par action, contre une perte de 234 millions (2,69 dollars) un an plus tôt.

Hors éléments liés à la réorganisation, le résultat traduit un bénéfice de 179 millions de dollars.

Le chiffre d'affaires opérationnel a augmenté quant à lui de 3% à 3,3 milliards de dollars.

Dans le communiqué de résultats, le directeur général Doug Steenland souligne que les résultats ont néanmoins bénéficié des réductions de coûts et des améliorations observées au niveau du chiffre d'affaires.

Les grandes compagnies aériennes ont réussi à dégager des bénéfices au deuxième trimestre malgré l'envol de la facture carburant, en réduisant leurs coûts et en améliorant le coefficient d'occupation de leurs avions.

Northwest a indiqué que le prix payé pour son kérosène au deuxième trimestre avait grimpé de 27,6% par rapport au trimestre identique de l'an dernier.

La compagnie, qui fait partie de l'alliance SkyTeam aux côtés de Delta Air Lines et d'Air France-KLM, a ajouté avoir terminé le trimestre avec 1,58 milliard de dollars de trésorerie.

Northwest Airlines, flight attendants' strike

August 25, 2006

Northwest Airlines on Friday won a reprieve in federal court from a possible flight attendants' strike that could have caused widespread delays and cancellations, jeopardizing its exit from bankruptcy.

US District Judge Victor Marrero granted a preliminary injunction against a job action by the Association of Flight Attendants, saying he needed more time to consider the matter.

The AFA had threatened surprise, intermittent strikes starting at 10:01 p.m. EDT (0201 GMT on Saturday) on Friday unless the airline negotiated a contract. The union issued its strike threat after the airline voided its previous contract and imposed new terms that give Northwest USD$195 million in annual savings.

"The court believes time for consideration... is essential," said Marrero in US District Court in Manhattan after hearing arguments from flight attendants and the airline. "The court's rendering of a determination at this time would not be prudent."

Northwest argued in court that the Railway Labor Act requires the two sides to be released from formal mediation before the workers can strike. The carrier also noted that it had bankruptcy court permission to void the contract.

The AFA, however, said that by imposing terms unilaterally, the airline had already effectively abandoned mediation.

Labor experts have long debated the issue, noting the lack of precedent to clarify the matter. Bankrupt airlines frequently ask courts to allow them to void labor contracts, but usually reach deals with unions before judges rule.

Northwest has deals with its other labor groups.

Including concessions from the flight attendants, Northwest has reached a labor savings target of USD$1.4 billion.

The AFA, which represents Northwest's 7,300 active flight attendants, threatened to use a trademarked form of protest known as CHAOS (Create Havoc Around Our System) to pressure airline leaders to resume negotiations.

CHAOS would direct union members to create minor operational disruptions that usually fall short of a mass walk-out.

Marrero's decision only stalls a possible strike. It was unclear when he would deliver a definitive ruling, but representatives from the AFA and Northwest said the judge asked them to return to court on August 30.

A union spokesman in New York called the ruling a "temporary setback," and AFA master executive council president Mollie Reiley said in a statement that members would continue to prepare for strikes.

"Management and the courts can stall us, but they cannot defeat us," Reiley said.

Both AFA and Northwest have said they are willing to resume negotiations, but the two sides have not met outside of court since July.

"We remain committed to negotiating a consensual agreement with our flight attendants and hope to accomplish that goal in the near future," Northwest Chief Executive Doug Steenland said in a statement.

Stuart Klaskin of KKC Aviation Consulting agreed the preliminary injunction is short-term relief for the airline, but said it could lead to a better final ruling later.

"Neither side, despite all the rhetoric and chest-thumping, wants a legal ruling that is questionable," Klaskin said. "A strike in a week will be just as effective as a strike tomorrow."

(Reuters)