European Commission approves German airline Lufthansa’s takeover of Austrian Airlines

October 3rd, 2009 CHENNAI - Chennai-based business-class airline Paramount Airways Saturday denied reports that it was in talks with GoAir for a takeover. A Paramount spokesperson termed media reports on this as "speculation".

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.

September 8th, 2009 Sector Snap: Airlines shrug off oil price jumpMINNEAPOLIS — Airline investors didn't seem to mind that oil prices jumped on Tuesday. Airline shares have often moved opposite of oil prices, since jet fuel is one of an airline's biggest expenses.

August 22nd, 2009 NEW YORK - Passengers from India and some European countries travelling on American Airlines will have to pay more after Sep 15 if they have a second bag to check-in, the carrier has said. "Customers who purchase certain economy class tickets on or after the effective date will be able to check one bag for free and will pay $50 for a second checked bag," the carrier said in a statement.

August 10th, 2009 Southwest bids on Frontier AirlinesSouthwest Airlines is making a firm bid to buy Frontier Airlines out of bankruptcy protection. That sets up a Tuesday auction with regional airline operator Republic Airways Holdings Inc.

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 approves German bad bank programBRUSSELS — Germany won European Union approval Friday for a program that purchases troubled assets from banks to encourage them to keep lending. Many banks have curbed new loans when they were forced to put aside large amounts of capital to cover huge potential losses from the sliding value of risky securities and other investments such as those based on U.S.

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 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.

July 2nd, 2009 Austrian Airlines to cut 1,000 jobsVIENNA — Austrian Airlines, the ailing carrier due to be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa AG, said Thursday it will cut about 1,000 jobs by mid-2010 as part of an effort to boost its competitiveness. In a statement, the airline said the downsizing would happen in stages and include layoffs.

June 16th, 2009 Vietnam Airlines orders 16 Airbus A320 jetsLE BOURGET, France — Airbus announced two firm orders from Vietnam Airlines and Philippines low-cost airline Cebu Pacific worth $1.8 billion on Tuesday, giving the European airline a boost at the Paris Air Show, which is overshadowed by recession and a slumping industry. Airbus said Vietnam Airlines has ordered 16 Airbus A321 single-aisle jets worth $1.4 billion and pledged to buy two more A350-XWB planes.

June 10th, 2009 Lufthansa May traffic falls 4.4 pct to 6 millionFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Wednesday the company's group passenger levels in May fell 4.4 percent to 6 million people, as the global recession cut into demand. The Cologne-based company saw 6.3 million passengers in May 2008.

January 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Travel agents across the country will launch a fresh round of protests Jan 30 against those foreign carriers which have refused to pay them commission, an agents body said Tuesday. Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) president Rajender Rai told IANS that 12 foreign airlines, including Singapore International Airlines (SIA), were not paying commission to the agents.