Airline News May 2005

Delta Air Lines opens sparkling Boston terminal: Delta Air Lines' new Terminal A at Boston's Logan International Airport features color video screens with weather conditions at destinations, famous Boston restaurants and orderly inspection lines. The $400 million terminal was conceived before the 2001 terrorist attacks. May 6, 2005

Berlin is now finally linked to New York by a scheduled air service (and yes the Hindenburg and other airships flew the route before WWII but they took considerably more than 8 hours 40 minutes). In what is a major leap forward, both for the city and Tegel Airport, Delta Air Lines has introduced a daily nonstop flight to New York JFK operated by a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with the capacity to carry up to 204 passengers in a two-class configuration. Delta has served the German market for the last 25 years and is the leading US carrier in that country offering Mumbai. Delta currently operates daily nonstop flights to Frankfurt from JFK and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and two daily nonstop flights to its hub at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world's busiest airport. Delta also offers daily nonstop service from Atlanta to both Munich and Stuttgart. http://www.delta.com May 6, 2005

Delta must pay $3.15B into pension; signs agreement with Freedom Air. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Delta Air Lines said it must pay $3.15 billion into its worker retirement plans during the next three years. Its obligation to retired employees will grow to $1.6 billion in 2008. Delta and other carriers want Congress to pass a law that would give them more time to fund their pension programs. Separately, Delta said Mesa Air Group's Freedom Airlines will fly regional jets for Delta under a new 12-year agreement. May 5, 2005

Some of Delta's Dallas workers find soft landing: Thousands of Delta Air Lines workers lost their jobs or relocated when the airline closed its Dallas hub earlier this year, the Dallas Morning News reports. More than 30 mechanics have found new positions at Verizon, which is installing a new fiber-optic network in North Texas. May 5, 2005

Delta chief has no plans for additional employee pay cut. Delta Air Lines executives said they will not ask workers to take any more pay cuts, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The airline continues to suffer from high fuel prices and large losses, but chief executive Gerald Grinstein said further pay cuts would hurt morale and customer service. May 2, 2005

EasyJet will have to find a new chief executive following the early retirement of current boss the literally easy going New Zealander Ray Webster, who in fact celebrates ten years with the Luton based airline. During his tenure easyJet has expanded from a small three aircraft carrier with not even its own Air Operator's Certificate, to one of Europe's major airlines with currently something around 100 aircraft in its fleet, last year confirming an order for 120 Airbus A319's with options for a further 120. On the appointment of his successor Ray will resign from the Board and, up until 30 November 2006, will report to the Chairman, carrying out specified tasks for the company. In the meantime the airline's founder and largest shareholder Stelios Haji-Ioannou returns to the board. http://www.easyjet.com May 20, 2005