Espero lo puedas subir, felicidades SI
ATW Daily News
Wednesday December 16, 2009 British Airways said it is "commencing legal action" in an effort to forestall the 12-day flight attendants strike set to begin on Dec. 22 (ATWOnline, Dec. 15). It also claimed that "irregularities" in Unite's balloting of union members may render the strike vote invalid. It did not outline those issues and said it is working on "establishing which cabin crew might wish to work normally during the strike period." CEO Willie Walsh said the carrier is "absolutely determined to do whatever we can to protect our customers from this appalling, unjustified decision from Unite."
The union, meanwhile, blamed BA's "macho management, which prefers imposition and confrontation, or even litigation, to negotiation," for the predicament. Unite warned that the strike will cost BA "vastly more money than [its] projected savings from attacking cabin crew conditions." It said it would suspend the strike if BA calls off "the imposition of contractual changes."
Meantime, BA's rivals jostled to fill the potential void over the Christmas holiday. Virgin Atlantic Airways plans to add more than 1,600 long-haul seats during the strike period by switching to A340-600s from A340-300s on flights to New York JFK, Boston, Washington Dulles and Delhi. EasyJet reported rising bookings yesterday and said it was considering adding flights, and Flybe announced an increase on its London Gatwick-Jersey service.
US Air Transport Assn. announced that 15 airlines have signed MOUs with either AltAir Fuels, Rentech or both expressing nonbinding commitment to support future biofuel supply. Air Canada, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Polar Air Cargo, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and US Airways signed with both providers. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines went with AltAir only and AirTran Airways signed with Rentech. ATA said discussions with additional fuel producers "about other projects" have started. "This agreement is a significant step forward, establishing a framework for a large group of diverse carriers to negotiate a definitive fuel purchase agreement," Rentech President and CEO D. Hunt Ramsbottom said.
AltAir is working on producing some 75 million gal. of jet and diesel fuel derived from camelina oils or comparable feedstock per year at a new plant in Anacortes, Wash. Rentech plans to produce around 250 million gal. per year of synthetic jet fuel derived principally from coal or petroleum coke near Natchez, Miss., with the resultant carbon dioxide sequestered and the carbon footprint potentially further reduced by integrating biomass as a feedstock. Last summer, eight airlines operating at Los Angeles International signed a deal with Rentech for the supply of a renewable synthetic diesel fuel for use in ground service equipment (ATWOnline, Aug. 19).
