Ailing Austrian Airlines to cut 1,000 jobs by mid-2010 to boost competitiveness

October 3rd, 2009 China's XAC is majority owner of Austria's FACCVIENNA — China's Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd. has become the majority owner of Austrian aviation supplier FACC AG, the Austrian company said Saturday.

September 14th, 2009 NEC, Casio, Hitachi to merge handset businessesTOKYO — Japanese electronics makers NEC Corp., Casio Computer Co. and Hitachi said Monday they will combine their mobile phone handset-manufacturing operations by April next year in a bid to boost their competitiveness at home and abroad.

September 8th, 2009 DOT releases airline delay list for AugustThe percentage of airline flights in August that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, according to the U.S. Transportation Department: 1.

August 28th, 2009 EU clears Lufthansa's Austrian Airlines takeoverFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Friday the European Commission has approved its takeover of Austrian Airlines Group, allowing it start integrating the company in September. Cologne-based Lufthansa is taking over about 42 percent of the shares of Austrian Airlines owned by the government for about €336,000 ($480,000), according to the European Commission.

August 24th, 2009 Report: Japan Airlines mulls cutting 5,000 jobsTOKYO — Struggling Japan Airlines Corp., which is in the midst of major restructuring, is considering slashing 5,000 jobs in three years, a news report said Monday. The planned job cuts would be equal to about 10 percent of the company's work force, Kyodo News agency said, citing unnamed industry sources.

August 21st, 2009 Southwest Airlines to provide onboard Wi-FiDALLAS — Southwest Airlines is on its way to providing in-flight Wi-Fi access on all of its aircraft. The airlines and Internet Wi-Fi service provider Row 44 have plans to roll out the program in the first quarter of 2010.

August 4th, 2009 Austrian Airlines runs up 1H, Q2 lossesVIENNA — Austrian Airlines, the ailing carrier due to be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa, reported losses for the second quarter and first half of the year on Tuesday, blaming the slump in demand affecting the global aviation industry. The airline experienced a loss of euro78.5 million ($113 million) in the April-June period, compared with a profit of euro11.7 million ($16.8 million) a year earlier, a company statement said.

July 31st, 2009 EU to OK Lufthansa bid for Austrian AirlinesBRUSSELS — The European Union's antitrust chief says she will clear Lufthansa's bid for Austrian Airlines. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said Friday that EU governments and the European Commission would still have to formally approve the takeover.

July 28th, 2009 Lufthansa seeks Austrian merger deadline extensionFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Tuesday it has applied for a month-long extension to the deadline to merge with Austrian Airlines in order to fulfill certain obligations for the deal. In a brief statement, the Cologne-based airline said it had applied to the Austrian Takeover Commission for the extension — to Aug.

July 17th, 2009 EU: Lufthansa makes new offer for AustrianBRUSSELS — Lufthansa has made a new offer to try and soothe antitrust concerns over its bid for Austrian Airlines, European Union regulators say. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said last week that chances of Lufthansa winning regulatory approval for the deal by July 31 were fading fast because the company was not doing enough to eliminate competition concerns that the deal would reduce choice and hike fares on some routes.

July 13th, 2009 China Eastern Airlines to acquire local rivalBEIJING — China Eastern Airlines Corp., one of China's three major state-owned carriers, will acquire a local rival, the companies announced Monday, as money-losing China Eastern tries to boost its competitiveness. China Eastern, based in Shanghai, will acquire Shanghai Airlines Co.

July 10th, 2009 EU warns Lufthansa on Austrian takeoverBRUSSELS — European Union regulators charged Friday that Lufthansa AG has not done enough to allay antitrust concerns over its bid for Austrian Airlines and they are now unlikely to approve it by the end of the month. Lufthansa has the right to pull out of the takeover if EU approval doesn't come through by July 31.

June 15th, 2009 Air Nostrum 1st customer for Bombardier's CRJ-1000PARIS — Spanish carrier Air Nostrum was confirmed Monday as the launch customer for Bombardier Inc.'s CRJ-1000 jet, with firm orders for 35 planes worth $1.75 billion at list prices. Airlines often negotiate substantial discounts to the catalog price, particularly in tough economic times.

June 8th, 2009 China Eastern, Shanghai Airline shares suspendedSHANGHAI — Trading in shares of China Eastern Airlines and smaller rival Shanghai Airlines was suspended Monday, though neither carrier would comment on reports they plan to merge. China Eastern has gotten hundreds of millions of dollars in government aid as it struggles through the economic slowdown.

April 9th, 2009 VIENNA - An Austrian court stopped a case of motherly love gone too far by fining a 73-year-old woman for calling her son up to 49 times per day, the daily Kleine Zeitung reported Thursday. The court in the southern Austrian town of Klagenfurt convicted and sentenced the woman to a fine of 360 euros ($476) for stalking her grown son for two and a half years.